Canoe Crusaders Badge

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Canoe Crusaders is a Junior Badge or Cadette and Senior IP from Girl Scouts .

Girls will learn about the joy of canoeing on the open water! During this Council’s Own designed especially for Junior, Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts, girls will learn about water safety including, how to prevent capsizing and swamping canoes and how to handle it if it does happen, and rescue techniques. Girls will also get a chance to learn and practice their paddle strokes.

To earn the Canoe Crusaders Award, Girl Scouts must complete 10 activities, including the starred activities.

# Activities

1. 1. 1. \*In the presence of a life saver, jump into water over your head, come to the surface and stay afloat for five minutes by treading water, swimming with minimum progress, or resting in a floating position.

2. \*Show that you can use and care for a PFD (Personal Flotation Device). Tell when PFDs should be worn and who needs to wear them. Tell from the label if a PFD is Coast Guard approved, the right type, and the right size. Adjust a life jacket or life vest to fit. Throw and float with a buoyant cushion or life ring. Stow PFDs in a handy place on a boat or ashore. Tell if a PFD is in good condition. Put on a PFD in water that is over your head. Do HELP (Heat Escape Lessening Position) and huddle in a PFD to keep warm. (In HELP, the most important thing is to keep your head out of the water; keep your legs together, and if possible, raise your knees to protect your groin. To huddle, you and a few others hold each other close to preserve body heat and keep up group spirit too!)
3. \*With a partner, take part in a deliberate upset and: Reach across the overturned canoe and hold on to each other. Swamp the canoe and hand paddle it to shore. Empty the canoe in chest deep water and at a dock or shore. With a partner, show you can vault overboard with losing contact with the canoe and board safely. Hand paddle to shore as you might have to do if paddles were lost.
4. Jump into water over your head fully clothed and show that you can use your clothing as an emergency PFD. Show that you can remove your clothing, including shoes in water over your head. Know when clothing should or should not be removed.
5. \*Draw a sketch of your canoe and paddle. Identify all parts and explain their importance. Describe other classes of canoes and kayaks and explain their advantages and disadvantages.
6. \*Demonstrate proper loading and unloading of canoes from a canoe rack or carrier and how to carry to and from the water.
7. \*Demonstrate these strokes correctly: bow stroke, hold, forward sweep, backstroke, back sweep, draw, push away, pry, diagonal draw, j-stroke, bow rudder, cross-bow rudder.
8. Tell about care necessary to keep your canoe in good condition. Demonstrate making simple repairs. Make an article that will make your canoe more comfortable. Tie and demonstrate at least four knots, hitches, or splices used aboard. Show how to whip the ends of the line.
9. \*Describe important weather and distress signals. Discuss rules of the road and boating laws. Find out which boating organizations in your community give help in seamanship. Discuss water and boating safety. Protection from sun, wind, heat, cold, lightning.
10. Demonstrate rescue of a tired swimmer with a canoe and rescue of two people clinging to a capsized canoe OR demonstrate canoe-over-canoe rescue.
11. Make a list of sea chanteys and boating songs. Learn at least two to sing along with your group or teach to your group.
12. Plan and participate in games and contests using your canoe.
13. Launch a day long adventure by canoe. Demonstrate how to pack equipment and dress for the trip. On a chart or map, figure out what course you will follow, what landmarks you can expect to see along the way, how far you’ll go , how long it will take, and where you could refuge in an emergency.

# External Links

Council's Own Home Page
Canoe Crusaders Badge