Boy Scout First Aid Training

The Boy Scout Brigade is a global organization and the rules of membership may v
ary a little from country to country, but the fundamentals of scouting are the s
ame everywhere. One of the codes of belief of scouting is to 'Be Prepared' and b
eing prepared involves being prepared to help others in distress, which also inc
ludes First Aid.
Boy Scouts are encouraged to earn badges such as the First Aid badge, there are
also badges denoting different levels of ability. One of the things that a scout
learns while training for his first First Aid badge is how to put together a pe
rsonal First Aid kit.
A typical fundamental Boy Scout's First Aid kit will include such items as soap,
bandages, plasters, iodine, scissors, matches, tweezers and safety pins. At a h
igher level, the kit may get supplemented with a triangular bandage, insect repe
llent, talcum powder, aspirins or paracetamol, gloves and a mouthpiece for givin
g artificial respiration.
A scout and especially a sea scout will learn how to put a person in the coma po
sition and will also be taught how to pump water out of a body pulled from the w
ater.
The First Aid training that Boy Scouts get now has been upgraded numerous times
during the last fifty years due to advances in medical treatment and the prolife
ration of aids and other contagious illnesses.
Scouts lead a very dynamic existence and are always building things and climbing
. This means that there are quite a number of sprains and broken bones among sco
uts, so it is not surprising that caring for broken bones features highly in the
ir First Aid training.
In fact, one of the first things that a cub or a scout is taught is how to use t
heir neckerchief as a triangular bandage to support a fractured arm and how to f
old it in order to tie splints to a broken leg.
Scouts going for higher degree First Aid badges will get shown more detailed cou
rses which might include how and when to apply CPR; how to distinguish a victim
of stroke or heart attack; what to do if someone is undergoing an epileptic fit;
what to do if someone is unconscious or suffering from concussion; how to deal
with shock and much more.
Lord Baden Powell founded the Boys Scout Brigade as a type of preliminary to goi
ng into the army, but it has not been regarded like that for many decades. These
days the scouts give boys (and sometimes girls) and teenagers the opportunity t
o do items that they otherwise would never have the chance to experience - event
s like boating, canoing, camping, map-reading et cetera.
These events put the children at a higher danger of injury, but the scouting org
anization counters that increased risk by training all their boys in First Aid a
nd both the events and the First Aid training remains with them for the remainde
r of their lives. It has with me and I will always be obliged to the Boy Scouts
for the items they taught me and permitted me to experience.
Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many topics, but is at present i
nvolved with <a href="http://firstaidcoursesonline.com/first-aid-trainer-courses
.html">First Aid trainer courses</a>. If you have an interest in First Aid too g
o over to our website now at <a href="http://firstaidcoursesonline.com/">First A
id Courses Online</a>.