LordBacl
04-28-2010, 02:36 PM
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2363181,00.asp
The Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, and Webelos Scouts have added a video-game pin and belt loop award, seemingly contradicting the Scouts' mission to foster physical fitness.
However, a spokeswoman for the Scouts characterized the new awards as a simple response to the realities of today's youth: that video games are part of youth culture, and the Scouts can help manage them.
The new video-game awards were implemented in December, public relations manager Renee Fairrer said.
Both awards try to foster knowledge of video games, but both also require the Scout to play them.
The belt loop, for example, requires the Scout to explain why there is a rating system, come up with a schedule for playing video games, and then learn to play a parent or teacher-approved game. The pin goes a bit farther, according to the requirements: Scouts are asked to compare two game systems, come up with tips for a certain game, select an educational game, and do some comparison shopping to find the best price.
According to the Scouts, the Boy Scout oath requires a Scout "to keep (oneself) physically strong."
Cub Scouting, for its part, also emphasizes physical health. "Besides providing a positive place where boys can enjoy safe, wholesome activities, Cub Scouting focuses on building character, improving physical fitness, teaching practical skills, and developing a spirit of community service," the organization says.
But Fairrer said that the Scouts are "constantly looking at things that young people are interested in."
"I don't know of any household of anyone less than 30 that doesn't have some kind of gaming system," Fairrer said. "It's at the home, it's at the library, and nine times out of ten, in some form or fashion, it's at their school."
According to a 2009 study by the Entertainment Software Association, 68 percent of American households play video games.
One of the reasons for introducing the awards, Fairrer said, is to teach both the parent and the child the correct ways to integrate video games into the home, as a family activity.
There's nothing to say that video games can't be enjoyed by healthy people, but with obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increasing from 6.5 percent in 1980 to 19.6 percent in 2008, the Scouts' newfound love for video games may not be seen as a step forward.
However, Fairrer said that the Cub Scouts still put on overnight, outdoor camps, where parents and children can enjoy the activities together. And last year, the Cub Scouts introduced awards for disability, good manners, nutrition, topography, reading and writing, hiking, hockey, kickball and skateboarding.
"When it comes down to these things, a lot of the dads are doing it," Fairrer said. "A little boy wants to do what his dad does, but we apply appropriate knowledge and safeguards."
The Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, and Webelos Scouts have added a video-game pin and belt loop award, seemingly contradicting the Scouts' mission to foster physical fitness.
However, a spokeswoman for the Scouts characterized the new awards as a simple response to the realities of today's youth: that video games are part of youth culture, and the Scouts can help manage them.
The new video-game awards were implemented in December, public relations manager Renee Fairrer said.
Both awards try to foster knowledge of video games, but both also require the Scout to play them.
The belt loop, for example, requires the Scout to explain why there is a rating system, come up with a schedule for playing video games, and then learn to play a parent or teacher-approved game. The pin goes a bit farther, according to the requirements: Scouts are asked to compare two game systems, come up with tips for a certain game, select an educational game, and do some comparison shopping to find the best price.
According to the Scouts, the Boy Scout oath requires a Scout "to keep (oneself) physically strong."
Cub Scouting, for its part, also emphasizes physical health. "Besides providing a positive place where boys can enjoy safe, wholesome activities, Cub Scouting focuses on building character, improving physical fitness, teaching practical skills, and developing a spirit of community service," the organization says.
But Fairrer said that the Scouts are "constantly looking at things that young people are interested in."
"I don't know of any household of anyone less than 30 that doesn't have some kind of gaming system," Fairrer said. "It's at the home, it's at the library, and nine times out of ten, in some form or fashion, it's at their school."
According to a 2009 study by the Entertainment Software Association, 68 percent of American households play video games.
One of the reasons for introducing the awards, Fairrer said, is to teach both the parent and the child the correct ways to integrate video games into the home, as a family activity.
There's nothing to say that video games can't be enjoyed by healthy people, but with obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increasing from 6.5 percent in 1980 to 19.6 percent in 2008, the Scouts' newfound love for video games may not be seen as a step forward.
However, Fairrer said that the Cub Scouts still put on overnight, outdoor camps, where parents and children can enjoy the activities together. And last year, the Cub Scouts introduced awards for disability, good manners, nutrition, topography, reading and writing, hiking, hockey, kickball and skateboarding.
"When it comes down to these things, a lot of the dads are doing it," Fairrer said. "A little boy wants to do what his dad does, but we apply appropriate knowledge and safeguards."