Safety Standards in Outdoor Pursuits
| DOI | 10.1177/026455057502200109 |
| Date | 01 March 1975 |
| Author | A.R. Crowther |
| Published date | 01 March 1975 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
25
need
for
responsible
attitudes,
the
freedom
of
the
environment,
all
impress
me.
One
can
adapt
the
programme
easily
and
there
is
ample
opportunity
for
involving
youngsters
in
planning
should
they
so
wish.
There
is
good
scope
for
the
probation
officer
to
make
a
fool
of
himself
and
get
into
difficulties,
so
further
reducing
barriers
between
supervisor
and
supervised.
The
small
numbers
required
from
the
angle
of
safety
also
fit
into
my
own
feelings
that
a
group
of
six
is
about
the
right
number
to
allow
worthwhile
interaction.
Much
goodwill
has
been
engendered
in
the
local
community
as
a
result
of
fund
raising.
This
certainly
is
heartening,
although
I
would
prefer
not
to
be
financially
dependent
upon
such
contributions
as
it
makes
for
difficulties
in
future
planning
if
one
is
not
sure
of
a
regular
income.
It
seems
more
appropriate
for
local
fund
raising
to
be
aimed
at
setting
up
a
scholarship
so
that
any
youngster
showing
exceptional
aptitude
and
enthusiasm
could
be
part
financed
for
a
Mountain
Leader’s
Course.
[Official
funds
may
be
forthcoming
for
similar
ventures,
and
local
Youth
Committees
could
also
be
approached.
Ed.]
Safety
Standards
in
Outdoor
Pursuits
A.
R.
CROWTHER
West
Yorkshire
ENQUIRIES
WERE
begun
about
safety
in
outdoor
pursuits
following
involvement
with
a
camp
where
fell-walking
and
water
sports
were
concerned,
and
I
was
reminded
of
this
by
the
alleged
remarks
of
a
chairman
of
an
appointment
committee
who
placed
great
stress
on
the
qualifications
that
are
needed
in taking
young
people
into
a
foreign
environment.
For
years
probation
officers,
social
workers
and
others
have
been
taking
youngsters
out
into
the
Dales,
etc.,
climbing,
fell
walking,
canoeing
and
the
only
qualification
that
was
felt
to
be
necessary
was
interest
and
common
sense.
Tragedies
on
land
and
water
have
brought
the
qualification
of
this
kind
of
leadership
into
question.
Education
and
newly
formed
organisations
have
set
certain
standards,
or
are
improving
on
existing
ones,
but
many
bodies,
public
or
otherwise,
seem
to
hold
a
laissez-faire
attitude
that
tragedies
always
happen
to
someone
else.
It
is
not
my
contention
that
these
latter
bodies
hide
their
heads
in
the
sand,
as
certain
peripheral
aspects
of
group
safety
may
be
insisted
upon,
but
they
ignore
the
possibility
of
laying
down
a
standard
of
leadership,
perhaps
because
it
is
not
a
natural
part
of
one’s
work
and
requires
the
teaching
of
specialist
skills.
There
seems
to
be
an
assumption
that
out
in
the
community
are
hosts
of
these
specialists
just
waiting
to
be
used,
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