Scouting America – Double Dipping

What is Double Dipping in Scouting America? There are two ways to “Double Dip” in scouting: Requirements and Financial.

Requirements

The concept of “double dipping” in Scouting America refers to using one activity to fulfill similar requirements in two different achievements, which is generally frowned upon. The concern is that scouts may not fully engage with the intent of each requirement and might miss out on deeper learning opportunities.

Here’s how it works in relation to requirements:

Fulfilling Similar Requirements: If one achievement requires you to go on a one mile hike and another achievement requires you to hike for one hour, they are both hikes, but the group would take two different times to fulfill each achievement.
Performing One Activity and Count It Twice: If one achievement requires you to go on a one mile hike and another achievement requires you to hike for one hour, going on a one hour hike that covers at least one mile to count for both is considered double dipping. It’s using a single hike for two requirements that require a separate hike. Those who discourage double dipping ensure there are two separate hikes to give distinct contributions to each achievement.

However, the gray area arises when the activity is expanded or extended to address both achievements in a meaningful way. For example:

If one achievement requires you to go on a one mile hike and another achievement requires you to hike for one hour, going on a day trip and hiking for an hour, then making a challenge to see how long it takes to go one mile would cover both requirements in the same session.

The key difference here is whether the activity is deepened or modified to meet the unique goals of each achievement, ensuring scouts gain the full learning experience intended by both. This approach is often viewed as acceptable since it avoids redundancy while still addressing the spirit of each achievement’s requirements.

Financial

Double dipping can also happen with group finances. Double dipping might be referred to when using the same funds, effort, or resources for multiple purposes in a way that goes against Scout America guidelines. For example, scouts can’t use group-raised funds intended for group activities to pay for personal expenses or events unrelated to the group.

Funds raised through group efforts, like popcorn sales or fundraisers, are meant to benefit the group as a whole. Using these funds for individual expenses, such as a scout’s personal camp or workshop fee, might be considered double dipping.

Tia Kennard