As summer — and pool weather! — lingers on the horizon, it’s a good time to remind you that BSA policies prohibit pointing simulated firearms at people.

Yes, that includes water guns.

The official source for this information: the 2015 Boy Scouts of America National Shooting Sports Manual, available as a PDF right here.

You’ll find the relevant sentence on page 99. It reads: “Water guns and rubber band guns must only be used to shoot at targets, and eye protection must be worn.”

Water balloons, meanwhile, have a size limit: “For water balloons, use small, biodegradable balloons, and fill them no larger than a ping pong ball.” (Page 100)

If you need more explanation, see page 61 of the Guide to Safe Scouting. The key paragraph reads:

“Pointing any type of firearm or simulated firearm at any individual is unauthorized. Scout units may plan or participate in paintball, laser tag or similar events where participants shoot at targets that are neither living nor human representations.”

Why the rule? A Scouter once told me this explanation I liked quite a bit: “A Scout is kind. What part of pointing a firearm [simulated or otherwise] at someone is kind?”

True point.

Other unauthorized activities, weaponry and ammunition

The National Shooting Sports Manual also mentions these other unauthorized activities. The list includes but is not limited to:

Flintlock rifles and flintlock shotguns

Reloading ammunition and using reloaded ammunition

Crossbows

Bottle rockets

Exploding targets of any kind

Short-barreled rifles or short-barreled shotguns

Destructive devices or other regulated items such as grenades

Firearms included in the National Firearms Act

Cannons (Their use is limited to council camp ceremonies only and must follow the BSA’s guidelines for cannon use.)

Ballistas

Boomerangs

Blow guns

Anvil shooting

Ninja weapons such as stars, spikes, and torpedoes, and activities such as shovel throwing

Spears

Spear guns

Potato guns

A list of activities that are approved

Of course, there are far more activities a Scout can do in the program than those he cannot. He just needs to consult the age guidelines that you can view here.

Here are just a few of these high-adrenaline activities a young man or young woman enjoys in Scouting:

Fire Building

Fishing

Hiking

Horseback Riding

Hunting

Map and Compass

Mountain Boarding

Mountaineering

Orienteering

Pioneering

Rope Bridges/Pioneering Towers

Survival Training

Winter Camping

Flag Football

Ice Hockey

Ice Skating

Skiing/Snowboarding

Sledding/Tubing

Soccer

Street Hockey

Search and Rescue Missions

Ski Touring

All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV)

Dirt Bikes

Driving Derbies

Personal Watercraft (PWC)

Snowmobiles

.22 Rifle

Air Rifle (pellet guns)

Archery

BB Guns

Large-Bore Rifles

Muzzleloaders

Pistols

Shotguns

Slingshots

Belaying

Bouldering

Caving

Climbing

Advanced Climbing

Rock Climbing

Lead Climbing

Rappeling

Snow and Ice Climbing

Canopy Tours

Zip Lines

Canoeing

Kayaking

Motorboating

Rafting

Rowing

Sailboarding

Sailing

Snorkeling

Surfing

Swimming

Tubing (floating in an inner tube)

Tow Sports (including waterskiing, wakeboarding, kneeboarding, and tubing)