Camps first week how much slack do you give

[ASM59]

John,

 

The visitation team was there on Tuesday. They gave the camp a 100% rating (or however it's graded). The announcement was made that evening at Dinner. The Staff was on their highest guard to make sure that everything was right where ever the team was. It was actually so obviously deceitful. When the visitation team was at the waterfront there were extra staff there and buddy check calls went out every 10 minutes. As soon as the team was gone, some of the staff moved on to other things and the buddy check calls stopped.

 

ASM59

[Hal_Crawford]

Our troop goes to the same camp (Goshen Camp Bowman) every summer, always week one. Our experience has been good in 10 years I have gone there (troop has been there over 40 times) because there is very little turn over from year to year. Camp Directors tend to be former Program Directors; PDs have been area directors who used to be counselors and some may have started as CITs. Sometimes they lose senior staff to take more senior positions at other camps but there are a lot of the same faces from year to year. The wheel rarely requires reinvention.

 

I believe that the staff comes back for a number of reasons. There is a core of units that come back every year with leaders who know that we are an extension of the camp staff. We know each other by name and think of each other as friends. When an area is understaffed there is usually a scouter or two that will pitch in. When there is a problem, the scouters bring it to the CD or PD quickly and try to help solve the problem.

 

There are daily leaders roundtables. If a counselor is not following the requirements it comes to the PD's attention in less than 24 hours. The PD will usually ask if anyone has heard or observed any problems in the program areas. In general, everyone recognizes that we are all on the same side and this helps prevent a "them and us" mentality.

 

I never get the sense that staff is unhappy. In fact I have know staff members that have literally crossed oceans to come be counselors at Bowman. Several years ago are site guide was from the European council and the PD lived in Australia the other 10 months of the year.

 

Another reason is that the camp is well run from the top down. The reservation is well supported by council and because of that they can attract and retain good senior staff. I don't think it's the high salaries that bring 'em back 'cause they don't get paid all that much.

 

Threats and intimidation are not parts of the management culture.

 

It sounds like your council camp is a mess. The council needs to figure out why. They are not able to recruit or retain good senior staff. Why? Do they pay less than other councils? Do they hire at the last minute? Do they not provide sufficient support in terms of staff and other resources? Do they place unreasonable expectations on camp staff? Do they listen to the camp staff? Do they put any effort into developing junior staff into future senior staff?

 

Without good senior staff there is no chance of developing good junior staff much less a decent program.

 

You and others provided a lot of help to get the program back on track. You filled in the gaps. You won't be back next year to do it again.

 

Sadly, many units are going to do as you plan to do and vote with their feet. I'm not saying that it is the wrong decision for your unit but without a core of units and leaders that come back it will be much harder for the camp to improve. Among other things you will hear, "we can't afford to improve (fill in the blank) because our numbers are down" or "We can't afford to pay more because so many of our units go out of council---and we don't know why".

 

Without a serious course correction this camp could become another story of a scout camp that closed because it just wasn't sustainable.

 

Best of luck.

Hal

 

[ASM59]

Hal,

 

I agree in principle with your thoughts and I am more than willing to help. However, we will have a hard time getting our Scouts to go to camp next year if we go back to the local camp. I know all the arguments and our Council does try to blame their own Troops for not attending as a reason that they cannot make improvements. But remember, just 5 & 6 years ago the camp was still running decent numbers, but even then they had similar types of problems.

 

Concerns from Troops like ours are dismissed as simple complaining. If you are not in the "inner circle" your thoughts and suggestions for improvement are not take seriously. Believe me, I have tried to get involved to help our local camp, but was basically run off by those in charge. They don't like outsiders to get involved and want to run things the way they want.

 

Unfortunately this is the attitude in our Council. I can only hope that things will change. For now, I'm in this for the boys and want to insulate them from the problems within our Council, so they won't feel bad about Scouting. I really think the program offers something they can benefit from and don't want to lose them due to these types of problems.

 

ASM59

[Lisabob]

ASM59, I understand your quandary. Realistically speaking you cannot sacrifice your troop's summer camp experience for the potential good of the council. That's not serving your scouts well.

 

What about a whole passel of letters from concerned parents and adults who were at camp this year, directed toward your SE? Maybe he needs to get buried under a pile of such letters in order to get the point. Encourage any adults (or scouts) who raise the issue to write such a letter.

 

Maybe there are some people in your troop's adult leadership who are willing to get involved in the council's oversight of summer camp even though the boys in your troop will vote with their feet and go elsewhere next year. THat would be a real labor of love, of course, but I'm often amazed at what a few dedicated adults are willing to do, and what effect they can have.

 

Good luck, and better camping next year.

[gsdad]

I would cut them no slack. When I worked on camp staff we approached every week like it was the first week, because for the troops attending it was their first week. That is why the staff arrives a week or more earlier.