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“Care Package” to Camp


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My son is working on staff at our councils summer camp. He has been gone since the last weekend of June and do far he is enjoying himself. He was scheduled to work half the time in the Trading Post and the other half as waterfront staff but they have already moved him to the water front.

 

I am putting together a Care Package and I am looking for ideas for what to include.

 

The camp is in a remote location. There is no cell phone coverage, no TV (but they do have a DVD player) and it is over an hour drive to the nearest town. They do try to get the staff into town on weekends.

 

He called and said that he forgot his Scout Belt, which I am sending. So far I have a copy of our Districts July newsletter, the Video Game magazine he gets and a letter from us with some pictures.

 

The one thing I can not send is any type of food. No one is allowed to keep food in their sleeping quarters due to animals (Bears, Skunks, raccoons, etc.) getting to it. It also takes at least 3 to 4 days to get a package to him as Fedex or UPS does not deliver to camp and I have to send everything regular USPS.

 

Any suggestions on what else to put in this?

 

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I sent a care package up with a visiting troop to my camp staffer son. He had requested his belt too! I sent up some more personal care items such as shampoo and deoderant. Last summer he seemed to run out of some of the basics. I also sent him some bottles of Gatorade.

 

ccjj

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Powdered Gatorade will save a lot of weight in shipping and help him stay hydrated on the pier. Slip in a couple of the envelope drink mixes in various flavors to help break the boredom. And maybe an empty 20. oz bottle to mix them in so he doesn't goop up his water bottle.

 

A deck of cards, UNO or other game deck cards as alternatives, or even the Scout Card decks with the Scouting games on them.

Fresh batteries for whatever light he took along.

 

I've always been happy to see socks in a care package, foot powder, gum.

 

A note re: how proud you are of him...

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This year, one of our second year Scouts received a letter from his younger brother while he was away at camp. His brother stated how much he enjoyed going into his older brother's room and playing with his stuff. I found the letter, complete with multiple pencil "stab wounds" all rolled up in the garbage can by the latrine.

 

As a second child, I had to laugh and laud the ingenuity of that child. ;)

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Congratulations to your son - that's one of the best jobs he'll ever have.

 

Also consider:

* A couple of paperbacks (especially if he's going back to the T.P. at any point).

* Extra laundry detergent (whether the camp provides it or not).

* Stocking-stuffer-type stress-relief items - silly string, water balloons, squirtguns, yoyos.

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Wrap everything in Sunday paper comics. Boy's Life magazine. Ginger Snaps travel well. Pocket chess and/or checkers. I still have the deck of cards that I used as a Scout, much to my son's amazement. Batteries?

Maps?

 

Make it easy to write back. Stamps, envelopes, paper?

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How often does he get paid? Back in my days on camp staff, we got paid twice--half way through the summer and at the end of summer.

 

Send him some spending money for him to use at the trading post or when he gets to go to town.

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My son is a camper, his 2nd year, so that's not nearly what its like to be on staff for a whole summer -- but to me it seems fun is as important as practical.

 

I went to the dollar store today got him a pack of fly swatters (flies ARE and issue), a package of fly paper (doubt hes ever seen that before), a kite in the shape of a skunk, bags of baloons, along with markers, paper, bunch of practical things.

 

Those things are all only $1 each here -- but when you can't get to a place like that -- its worth a lot more!

 

Great that your son is on staff!

 

Pete

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