The Boy Scouts of America is cracking down on squirt gun fights among its ranks.
Water guns are apparently such a problem that the youth organization, which is modeled after the military, penned a blog post entitled "Water guns OK for target shooting, not for firing at other Scouts" earlier this month to remind its members of the ban.
In the post, Eagle Scout Bryan Wendell explains that the rule is in place because aiming a firearm -- even an aquatic one -- at another person is unkind, making it a breach of one of the twelve adjectives scouts are compelled to memorize as part of the Scout Law.
"Why the rule?" Wendell writes. "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?'"
Of course, the scouts maintain other policies, such as a kicking out gay people once they turn 18, that might not hold up to a strict reading of this part of the law.
When it comes to other types of water weaponry, the rules are a bit more lax. Water balloons can be used for combat provided that they are biodegradable and filled to a size no bigger than a ping-pong ball, Wendell says.
However, anyone familiar with water balloons (or physics) might note that they are very unlikely to pop at this size, raising questions about what the point of such an activity would be.
If a water gun were to be used for target practice, safety goggles must be worn at all times, the scouts' shooting sports manual dictates.
Other banned items named by the manual range from boomerangs and potato guns to cannons, crossbows and "ninja weapons."