Ronmass

Jameson76....My exact feelings … FYI  No formal first and last night campfire programs,  Apache Relay or Family night … "All or none" is my feelings for this year … Just having a regular year Summer camp is  stressful for the staff .. just imagine the stress this Summer..Not worth it … I always loved Summer camp because the scouts interacted with other scouts and adults … "Just not worth it "

Massachusetts --Camp Squanto is planning on opening in July...One of the guidelines is there has to be 2 medical staff on duty 24 hrs per day ..Another guideline is NO out of state troops may come to the camp --that is very sad since we have a troop that fly's in from Texas and another that drives from CT ...NO merit badges for aquatics or shooting sports ..And their plan for meals is they will deliver all meals to the camp sites … All of this is contingent on the town of Plymouth giving them their permits  Comments ?  Opinions ?

Mayflower Council in Mass is opening up Camp Squanto and closing Resolute ... They are delaying opening and  doing 5 weeks ...  I didn't think it would be opening when I heard that Narragansett Council closed their camps in RI ...  I wish them good luck !!!

Love reading all the comments and ideas … Why do we love Summer camp ?  ..Many reasons.. Socializing with other scouts from different towns etc,  Helping scouts with being away from home and being a little independent, Learning how to get along with other scouts and adults...As you noticed , I didn't mention any merit badges--they are the cherry on top … 

Now, let's get into the behavior of the scouts and adults ... We are all under a lot of stress...Imagine the stress levels when someone sees an 11 yo talking to his buddy from 2 feet away with his mask around his neck in 90 degree temps ? How about 2 adults doing the same thing ? Staff being told to be guideline cops,,, 6 feet away from everyone at the mess hall … 1 scout per tent .. list could go on and on … And please don't tell me that the adults and scouts are going to be perfect people who will follow every guideline … Imagine hearing 2 adults going at it cause their scouts are contaminating the others....

This will take the "looking over your shoulder to a new and bad level " …"Hey I just saw the scoutmaster from Troop 1 have all his scouts lined up 2 feet away from each other "  NOT FUN !!

Massachusetts here ...Has anyone thought about the lawsuits that may arise from taking a chance and opening Summer Camps ? 

Is your medical staff ready to get a call from a hospital that a scoutmaster or staff person is critically ill from COVID 19 ?  What about all the campers etc that was in contact with that person ?   

Do we have trained people to clean /sanitize every item that could be touched  and when touched has to be re cleaned and sanitized ? What 12 yo camper is going to wear a mask in 90 degree temps at the docks or at the shooting range..Show me an adult staffer who wants to be responsible for sanitizing every firearm after every shooter and has to stay 6 feet away ? 

Someone at the entrance checking each visitors temperature ?  Is that someone going to be certified checking the temps ?  Is that same someone ready to talk to a lawyer who may say .."hey, the temp checker was a 13 yo kid that was untrained. Who hired him and put him in that position ?"  What certification does he hold to do that ?"  Ya throw a lot of mud against the wall...some of it may just stick"  Risk vs Reward...

Love the forum ..Just one request, especially in these times of closures or not closures etc ....PLEASE write down where you are from ...Thanks in advance !!

11 hours ago, yknot said:

I don't agree with either of those positions for medical reasons, but think about what you are suggesting from another angle: What kind of public relations do you think the bankrupt BSA would garner if it waived standard annual physical exam requirements in order to allow scouts to attend camp this summer and an asthmatic scout fell ill with COVID 19? It is not worth the risk of further damage to our reputation. 

 

 

Agree with you 100%.... Risk/Reward ..Just not worth it …. Imagine the local/national newspapers and the internet writing a story about one scout with a "cough" that was sent home...Ya want FAKE NEWS ?? It could be just a common cold …The news media will have a 'field day" with it

In my humble opinion it looks very bleak for  Summer camps this Summer.  If there was a chance that we could get some sort of protection with a pill etc--all would be ok --but it does not look good for that at this time ..Who would take a chance sending a 12-year-old child to an overnight camp during these troubled times ?  Like a friend just asked me ..."If you had a bag of 100 skittles and was told 2 of them were deadly poison, would you take a chance reaching in the bag ??  I am an instructor in the shooting sports program...It would be almost impossible to teach a scout to handle a firearm safely without touching the guns and being a lot closer than 6 feet....Lysol spray for every gun ? Masks and gloves for each person when it's 90 degrees out ?  Buddy system for the waterfront with a 6 foot social distancing rule ??   Dining halls, "Colors" etc would be very problematic... Just too risky...  Virtual meetings cannot take the place of Summer camp ..