Homesickness

I do appologise if these comments have been echoed in earlier posts
but I didn't get up to e-speed 'til today so thought I'd throw in my .02.

Our summer camp is ten days long so homesickness can be a real
problem since for many first year scouts it's the first week, let alone ten
days they've been away from home.

We start the "homesickness training" about two months out of camp
departure day. We send a written letter home and have a discussion
regarding homesickness with the new scouts and their parents. The main
thrust of the information is to let both the scout and parent know that
it's perfectly OKAY to be homesick....in fact, it's EXPECTED. We then talk
about some of the symptoms of homesickness and what can be done to ease
through it. We address the issue as a natural part of growing up....kinda
like puberty.

It seems that once scouts and parents know that it's okay to be
homesick it lessens in it's severity. We do make a few suggestions. We
suggest that the family write at least twice during the camp stay.....more
letters seem to work in reverse. And we insist that phone calls last no
more than three minutes. We instruct parents to keep the topics light and
newsy....no talk about how much they miss the scout....above all, avoid
talking about pets....seems like that's a real downer for the scout.

Parents are instructed that the leaders are quite capable of
handling the situation and that it's important that they know that often, a
weepy scout hangs up the phone and dashes off to an activity with a smile
on his face.

Above all, all talk of "picking me up and taking me home" is
diverted immediately and the scout is told that it's not really an option.

BLUE SKIES!, Any day above ground is a good day!

Jim Peterson Eagle class of '63
BS RT Comm, Pelathe Dist
Heart of America Council Brotherhood, Tamegonit Lodge
ASM, T-55, Lawrence, Kansas Mic-O-Say: HW "Shieldmaker"

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