Leaderboard

Not quite yet it aint. At least not everywhere. I aim to keep feeding it as long as I can find sticks.

My kids found the following things helpful sometimes indispensable while camp staffing for 4 summers. They had the time of their lives at camp. Daughter is staffing Philmont PTC this year and son is staffing a snowboard camp on Mt. Hood. You never know where a camp staff job will lead. Have a great summer. Large plastic tote boxes with tight/snap on lid - keeps stuff clean/dry and reduces critters in your snacks battery alarm clock - cell phones don't always charge or stay charged, have a back up phone charging brick - for above, you can get them cheap and cheap ones work

WWW means work, work, work! Lol When I joined the ceremonies team I was told " If you think you worked hard a a candidate, you ain't seen nothin yet" I thought it had to be an exaggeration. I soon found out otherwise, but the OA was the highlight of my scouting life. Even more inspiring than watching the sunrise while standing on the Tooth of Time. I too still keep the Vigil. We seen to have gone far afield from the OP here. Sorry W.M. passions run a bit high for a lot of us.

Once upon a time, the OA was quite the honor. For some, being an Arrowman meant more to them than being an Eagle Scout. There were limits to how many Scouts could be voted in, basically 1/2 the number on the ballot, and it was common for Scouts to wait two or three years to get in. Being elected by your peers meant that they thought you were worthy. Is it work? Absolutely. Standing joke use to be the 3 W's on every OA patch stand for "WORK, WORK, WORK." I have busted my tail with various projects the OA was needed for. Is it educational? Absolutely. I have been able to get training

My older children were both in the OA. It was what kept them in Scouting until age 18, and for the older one led to joining Venturing for another couple years after that primarily in order to remain engaged in the OA. The younger one is now considering becoming a Scouter. They LOVED the OA. They loved the camping and the community service. They signed up for every OA activity that was offered, which was not true of all the other Scout opportunities. Neither one became Eagle Scouts, but in all honesty I think their activity in the OA was more valuable to them in the long run than earning Eagle.

Is it more work? Yes. Is it worth it? IMHO Absolutely. In my neck o the woods the white sash with a red Arrow is considered to be quite an honor. It means that the one who wears it is looked up to by the scouts in his troop, as an example of what a scout should be. Three of my son's were elected to the order, and went to their ordeal. Two of them loved it, made many new friends, went to lots of chapter and lodge events, some just for fun, some for training, and took a great deal of new found enthusiasm back to their troop. Their brother didn't really like the Order, and droppe

It’s an honor to be invited. If your family only sees it as just more work, you’re not ready yet. Give it another year so husband and son can learn what it’s all about. Then they can make an informed decision. Barry

WM, First, you should make sure your son knows this is a very significant honor. The Order of the Arrow, as the honor camping society of the BSA is for those who have been elected by their peers as showing skills, leadership and Scout spirit. It’s kind of like the BSA version of the National Honor Society. The experience will likely be very meaningful and he will see and experience it very differently from other Scouting activities- in a very good way. For many Scouts- myself included, they were ready to drop out and the Order of the Arrow gave them an entirely new perspective and ope

I can't imagine it would help. They would make it so convoluted and then we'd argue about what they meant. Maybe I'm naive but it sounds fairly simple. Make it fun. Competition is the ultimate in SMART goals. Make sure some scout skills are involved but not too much. Sounds like these other guys failed at making the competition measurable.

Seems the first person you should ask is the scout. Why? Because You and your SM don't have time to train every counselor that signs off on your scouts. If you teach your scout how paperwork should be done, he'll become a trainer for the next counselor he meets. Your scout can tell you if he did the other requirements, and how. A scout is trustworthy. That will give you an idea if this counselor was a good one who just slipped up on paperwork, or somebody who ran a massive class and was to lazy to fill out partials for everyone who didn't bring whatever was needed for prerequi

Yep. The cliche that says "kids will be kids" is true. I tried my best to child-proof my house, but those kids still manage to get in!

Sounds like you might have averted a real tragedy. Reminds me of Texas A&M University and how their long tradition of enormous bonfires came crashing down in 1999, killing 12 students.. A fire doesn't have to be enormous to be "memorable".

@nspdx welcome to scouter.com

@chief027 You are getting a lot of good advice on the what/what not to bring stuff. And you will learn more about that with experience specific to your camp and accomodations. In my opinion you are working in a super fun and super important position on the waterfront. Your full attention will be required at all times, and it may sometimes get a bit tedious. An added bonus is that you should end up with a fairly nice suntan. We called the guys that worked the pool and lakefront at my camp, "bronze gods."😂 Every Scout that attends your camp will be at your program area at some point

I will also be a 1st year staff at a camp on huntington lake, though it'll be the one across the lake for me (and no cabins for us). Was wondering if there is any scout-camp specific advice I could get from any of you. I have worked a couple of other summer camps but, being female, did not grow up in scouting (hated girl scouts and unfortunately didn't learn about venturing until my senior year of high school). I have lots of family who did but they are all much older generation. I am trying to learn as much about the bsa as I can/should know for the summer and would welcome any advice. I will

Yes... biggest thing and shocked that it came up this late. Espescially if you have a group of younger scouts (or work in first year like I do), it could drive you insane. There will be nights where you had a bad day or you are extremely exhausted and you just need to take a nap or go to sleep early. You’ll be thankful for a minute of sitting in your cabin or tent without anyone bothering you. It was actually one of the first things the camp leadership told us.

My son the former camp lifeguard recommends a good pair sandals. Think Chaco, Teva, or some other sturdy, hard soled, arch supporting sandal and don't use them as shower sandals. The dock can can get hard and hot. He also said a good pair of water shoes, think aquatic tennis shoes, will come in handy especially if your beach has a rocky bottom. He wore those when he worked boating. He also said have multiple bathing suits and change them regularly, dry them thoroughly and wash frequently. He changed his after polar bear swim, after lunch, and for evening flags. He learned the hard way that ch

Congratulations Chief, you're going to remember this summer for the rest of your life! I was a staffer at Camp Gorsuch in Chugiak, Alaska, 78 - 80. Many, many wonderful memories. The suggestions above are spot on. But I'll second @Eagle94-A1's insight: bring a positive mental attitude. It rained almost every day at Camp Gorsuch, but we staffers put a brave face on it, joked about it, and carried on anyway. The campers picked up on it and were encouraged and positive as well. Later in the summer, please pass along your thoughts and stories, we'd like to hear about them!

Unscented soaps and shampoo, helps keep the bugs away Small shampoos (hotel type) and liquid soaps as you will leave them in the shower Snacks and good container to keep them in Good walking shoes, try to vary each day If you have one a fitbit or step tracker is kind of fun, you will be amazed at the number of steps each day As has been noted, good daypack to keep all your stuff in during the walking about camp Water bottle, but honestly after week 1 at camp the campers will leave plenty of them around and you will have your pick Good towel, but honest

Where to begin. For one camp I bought a wetsuit. Water temps were in the 50s, and after getting hypothermia once due to water submersion, I HATE cold water. Despite being laughed at by the Laplander, wore it every time I went kayaking, or canoeing as the Brits called it. Best investment. At that same camp, I had my Smokey Bear hat. Glad I did have a wide brimmed hat because when I was not on the water, I was on the rifle range. If you are going to be in the sun, any wide brimmed hat is a must. When I was COPE director, I went out and bought my own harness before camp. Pricey, but w

Most fun job I've ever had. Also lowest paying, but I'm glad I staffed camp and still keep in touch with fellow staff members. Just enjoy it, make new friends. Get enough SLEEP. It is a job and the campers are paying for camp, not the Walking Dead: Staff edition. Bring your own snacks, camp food loses what appeal it has after a week or so. Know the material for the badges you teach. Make them as fun and active as you can. Try to get the scouts doing stuff. Have a great summer!

I spent two years at my local summer camp. Besides what you can bring, just be open and take it all in. Those two summers truly are the best two summers of my life (so far). Meet new people, get to know the personalities behind the staff members that you've seen for years. While it is a job and those scouts are there for merit badges, remember to talk to them just like normal people. Have conversations with them, if you see them around camp say hi. Create memories for yourself with your new family, but it's a great feeling when the scouts attending camp take time between their sessions t

Then I misunderstood what you meant when you said " the boys aren't just competing against girls, but the adults as well." And "no hope because I've never heard of a new scouts doing so well so fast ...  " Either the adults tipped the scales, or they did not. So, you don't believe they tipped the scales? Fine. We agree. If they did not, then these particular new scouts actually did well. They either did well because they are endowed with gifts that boys could never possess. Or, they are really excited about the program, and practiced hard and looked sharp for the big game. I choose to b

I'd cry. Then I'd pray for the strength to deal with finger-pointing adults and Monday morning quarterbacks telling me what they'd have done if they'd been there. Finally, I hope I'd be able to help the troop leaders avoid crucifying the kid himself since I know perfectly well that I did things just as stupid when I was growing up (but thankfully, nothing that hurt anybody or caused major public humiliation). How can we help the kid grow from the experience and not just quit (or get ejected from) the troop? Kids do stupid things. As Barry said, they need to learn how to make good de

We tell them no aerosal bug spray or sunblock. Not because of the fire hazard but because the sunblock is less effective and they have a tendency to go off in someones bag.

Um, wow! OK, well breathe a sigh of relief that nobody was hurt. Who owns the property? If this were my Scout, I would think that an apology to the property owner and possibly some kind of restitution for damaging the field. If no restitution is required, service hours. Revocation of the Scout's “Firem’n Rights” until some future time. Must go through the Firem'n Chit training again. These are the bare minimum that I can think of off the top of my head. What the Scout did was very unsafe, the Scout could have gotten hurt or hurt other people, and could have done serious damage to prope

As the OP weaves its way along it might be good to review the first FAQ on why BSA has an Annual Health and Medical Record some but not all that have been batted back and forth. Q. Why does the BSA require all participants to have an Annual Health and Medical Record? A. The AMHR serves many purposes. Completing a health history promotes health awareness, collects necessary data, and provides medical professionals critical information needed to treat a patient in the event of an illness or injury. It also provides emergency contact information. Poor health and/or lack of awaren

I am Scoutmaster for a 22-member all-girl Troop that is "stand-alone" and not linked to an existing unit. In fact, we are the only youth program at the church that serves as our CO. I'm a 30-year Scouter and have done it all. I will observe that the girls attracted to our group represent a normal cross-section of girls in our city in terms of income, race and interests. 8 crossed-over from an all-girl Webelos den at anther CO, which they just loved. 5 came over from GSUSA for a variety of reasons. Two remain dual-registered. We have had four troop meetings, one day hike and go on our f

I like Timberline boots, but it's sock choice that manages blisters. That and duct tape. As soon as you feel the warm sensation coming on your foot, stop, de-boot, and slap a square of tape on the warm spot to reduce friction between skin and boot. This is very hard for a youth to do because he/she is so fixated on the goal that it seems like a sin to slow a buddy down by doing preventative maintenance. But taking care of yourself gives you a chance to enjoy your surroundings. I saw my first bear in the wild while I had one boot and sock off and had barely got the the duct tape on!

You have to have the solar one, works great (or so I have been told)

Of course they're frowned upon. Most troop sites aren't wired for electricity....

Acco, You may disagree all you wish, that is your right. But it is still a violation of BSA Policy. You are effectively saying the PLC can do whatever it wants so long as the Chartering Organization approves. But the agreement the Chartering Organization signed, a Charter Agreement, says they will NOT violate BSA Policy; so their approval of BSA Policy Violations are null & void. By the way, litigationa arising from this situation will be individual to the Chartering Organization and the troop adults. BSA has clear bans on this therefor BSA's attorneys and insurance will not defen

The Patrol Leaders' Council does not have the authority to violate BSA Policy. They cannot vote to exclude adults from Troop Activities. If adults have "ruined" a campout, it is because the Adult Leaders did not orient the new parents. I suggest this process should begin when the parents visit the troop with their Webelos son. Hand them a Parents' Handbook that effectively explains Scouting to them and how they fit in. It should also include what Grownups do on Campouts. This book must make it Crystal Clear that adults DO NOT VOTE on whether or not Scouts may execute a properly planned tr

Unless you are with a CO that holds women as 2nd class citizens, why is no one offended with the well off ASM that helps with equipment and sets a negative sexist example for the Scouts? Whatever happens in this situation, the Scouts do not need a leader who sets a negative example.

If those SMs and ASMs have taken "Wood Badge for the 21st Century" training, they would have understood that Boy Scout is NOT a "men's club". And many women are fantastic SMs and ASMs. I agree with other posters that it all boils down to whether the moms are competent enough for campout. If they are, and they have taken the Youth Protection Training (which is a MUST), they should be allowed to participate. The "mothering" thing is really not an excuse. I personally witnessed many dads were "spoon-feeding" their sons at campouts, and some of these dads are actually ASMs (yes, they sho

We have women SMs and women ASMs. I guess your ASM would have a hard time with that too, but those women I've known who serve in such roles are among the very best scouters I've had the privilege to meet. Last week I went to an Eagle CoH. One of the people who the Eagle Scout asked to speak at his ceremony is a former ASM who was instrumental in guiding him through many challenging times. And (gasp) she is also a woman. So you might have guessed, I think the whole "no women camping with the troop" thing is stupid and you should not cave to the ASM on this. And I would add tha

Yep, I was being a bit too general with the "every registered parent" statement. My point is that we all need to stop thinking in terms of "Mom" or "Dad" and start dealing with parents as PARENTS, or leaders as LEADERS (i.e. gender neutral). Adults involved with troops and packs should be judged on their qualifications, good qualities, bad qualities, abilities, etc., and not treated any differently because of their sex (G2SS notwithstanding). It's 2009 for goodness sake!!! Time for the good old boys to grow up into mature adults!!

Daughter shouldn't go on standard Troop campouts. Regarding the Mom--There should be the same rule for attendance by any parent, regardless of sex. First rule - no excessive interference by parents (some Dads can "mother" just as bad as Moms). This isn't the 1950's. If a Dad won't go if a Mom is there, then tell him, "Sorry to hear that - we'll see you when we get back!".(This message has been edited by AnniePoo)

Sounds like two issues here, one is underage siblings regardless of sex on a scout campout and the other the rather misogynistic leanings of your adults. Number one, underage siblings have no place on a scouting campout, the campout is geared for the boys and their interests and skill sets, it would be better for the overall health of the troop if the family leaves scouting rather than hauling this underage sibling along. Number two, Allowing Females (ladies) to camp Show your leadership in the Guide to Safe Scouting, Chapter 1, Youth Protections and Adult Leadership the bolded

WisconsinMomma, First, your son should not have been nominated to be a candidate in the order, without his knowledge. Second, his scoutmaster (or other appropriate OA adult) should have talked with him in a scoutmaster's conference about the OA, and it's responsibilities in advance of an election. Third, your son should have had the opportunity to talk it over with his parent(s) in making this decision before the election and turn down the nomination if he chose. Fourth, an OA Election Team should have held the election and answered any questions from any of the atte