Camping and Cub Scouts

[grmaerika]

I am under the impression that camping with Cubs is strictly regulated , having to take place at an approved scouting facility, with alot of guidelines etc..My Den parents are not interested in the day camp or cub resident camp because, too far , too expensive, etc...I heard them discussing,"can't we just do something ourselves?". I have not presented any options to them at all except the approved Cub camp programs in our area. Where do I find the specific guidelines on camping with the Cub Scouts? I want to know them and also to print that out and present it to all the parents. They can camp on their own wherever they want,and work on beltloops etc.. but it won't be an official Scout campout, right? Also, I have no interest in doing this with them. Den leader is strictly by the book.

[Scoutfish]

The two best places to find all the info you need are :

Cub Scout Leader Handbok and G2SS

 

The Cub Scout Leader Handbook give you most of the requirements and definitions, while G2SS is more specific in age allotments.

 

You do not have to go to an offical Council or district camp. In the Leaders book, in the apendexes, there are guideform that show you how to inspect sites to met BSA Cub family freiendly specs.

 

You can just about camp anywhere as long as certain anemities are available. Bathrooms( porta johns do meet this) and water must be available in a resonably safe environment.

 

The biggest thing is this: The whole pack can go camping, but individual dens cannot go by themselves as dens..except the Webelos. They can den camp.

 

 

The cool thing about pack camping is you can set iyt up to do things that are geared for your pack, and not the entire council at once. You can do beltloops and pins, stuff for rank advancement, general outdoor activities or just have fun hanging out and camping.

 

Even a game of kickball or flag football is a great thing for Cub Scouts. Hiking, campfire ceremonies, making smores at a campfire or telling stories is an amazing adventure to the cubs.

 

 

Call your DE or talk to a neighboring CM.

 

Good luck and have fun!

[Scoutfish]

Forgot to say:

 

Yeah, tere are regulations and rules, but they are in place for safety and also to benefit you and the cubs.

 

They are not burdensome or very hard to meet. You can go to farmer Bob's field and be able to meet all the requirements and Tour plans without much trouble at all.

[Greaves]

Someone in your Pack needs BALOO training. this stands for Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation, is about 8 hours long, and covers the basics. It's offered in my council about once a year, and I bet it's the same elsewhere.

 

 

[Scoutfish]

Oh Wow! You'd think that since I am BALOO trained myself,I would have remembered that one!

 

And while we are at it, get several people BALOO trained. Myself( CM) and one of next years ACM's are BALOO trained.

 

I'd like to see at least half of the adult leadership to be BALOO trained incase there are ever conflicts with work, vacation, sickness, or other events.

 

When you go pack camping you HAVE to have at least one person ptresent who is BALOO trained.

[dg98adams]

[/i]You can just about camp anywhere as long as certain anemities are available. Bathrooms( porta johns do meet this) and water must be available in a resonably safe environment. [/i]

 

This is not correct. You won't get your Tour plan approved just because some place has amenities. It needs to be on the Council approved list... they don't have time to approve new places just because that's where you want to go.

 

Best bet.. the council camp. You can still do it outside of the resident or day camp dates for fairly cheap.

 

BALOO also helps you plan for a good experience, Camp Fire, program, sanitation, etc...

 

[Greaves]

You'll also need someone who has completed Hazardous Weather training (available online).

 

Our Pack sometimes uses the council camps for off season campouts. Oura is no charge, either. There are also platform tents available, so families without equipment can still go camping.

 

Once you have the trained people, give them a couple interested parents and have them plan a campout. you know that old adage--many hands make light work!

 

 

[Scoutfish]

 

 

I guess it depends on the site and the council you are in. Not sying we drag a pot of water and a toilet to the middle of nowhere, but we do find places sometimes that are not on a pre set list. They met site inspection guidlines and met minimum requirements. So far, we had our past tour permits approved for these places.

[grmaerika]

All very helpful, Thank you.

[Eagle92]

Unfortunately some council are not "pro Cub camping" and have not maintained lists of approved campsites. Please don't get me started on that one as I am part of the solution on this one.

[ScoutNut]

>>"It needs to be on the Council approved list... they don't have time to approve new places just because that's where you want to go."

[The Blancmange]

>>>>>> It needs to be on the Council approved list... they don't have time to approve new places just because that's where you want to go.

 

If I received a response like this to a request to approve a site, or had a tour plan denied for a place that otherwise meets the requirements (especially if my Council did not already have a current list with a reasonable number of choices), my reply would be that our unit doesn't have time to accomodate a FOS presentation, and I don't have time to find my checkbook either. This is a service that your council should provide, and if they are going to go around denying reasonable tour plans at the same time, then units have a right to question why they are providing support to the council.

[Basementdweller]

Had a tour permit denied because of location........In our council farmer bobs back 40 won't get approved, but oddly enough backpacking in the national forest will???????????

 

As for the approved location.

 

 

By all means put on the day camp yourself......You could do it at a local park for next to zero cost. the only thing you couldn't do is bb and archery. You wouldn't even need baloo if it was a day camp.

 

We do a webelos advancement weekend one a year that way. 10 bucks a scout compared to the councils 75. very nice in deed

 

[Eagle92]

Base,

 

One challenge you may have is that packs need to have participation in either CSDC or resident camp for teh Journey to Excellence program.

 

6. Cub Scouts attend an in-council/out-of-council Cub Scout day camp and/or Cub Scout resident camp in 2011.

 

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/mission/JTE_Pack_Requirements.pdf

 

Now if I remember correctly, your district doesn't do them, so maybe the new J2E requirements will force the issue.

 

8. Have an increase in total Cub Scouts attending any in-council/out-of-council day camp and/or resident camp ( emphasis mine) and Boy Scouts attending any in-council/out-of-council, long-term summer camp, high-adventure experience, jamboree, or serving on camp staff, OR have at least 17% of registered Cub Scouts as of 6/30/2011, attending any in-council/out-of-council day camp and/or resident camp ( again emph. mine) and have at least 45% of Boy Scouts attending any in-council/out-of-council long-term summer camp, high-adventure experience, jamboree, or serving on camp staff.

 

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/mission/JTE_District_Requirements.pdf(This message has been edited by Eagle92)

[Twocubdad]

One of the very first things taught at National Camping School is that "day camp is the camp that comes to the boys." If your district or council thinks they can only offer day camps on council-owned property, -- well, they don't really think that -- they may want YOU to think that. No one running a day camp can possibly complete the required training and not understand that.

 

If your parents are bucking at the distance to the district day camp, you need to be talking with your district camping, program or Cub Scout chairman. There are numerous solutions to provide a day camp experience to far-flung packs. One method is "caravan camp," in which the council has the equipment and materials for a day camp packed into a truck or trailer and hauls everything to the day camp location. Another trick is "twilight camp" which typically runs from late afternoon until dark, which makes it more avaiable to working parents.

 

Of course, many of these methods include heavy participation from the pack parents to implement. Generally, the core day camp staff will be through the district or council, but depending on the program all other volunteers can come from the pack or several nearby packs.

 

The camp director and program director must have completed the Cub Scout Day Camp section of National Camping School, a three day course. If you have swimming or boating, your Aquatics Director must have completed aquatics school (four or six days).

 

Starting a camp is absolutely doable -- but you have to be willing to do it. If your parents have the attitude that "SOMEBODY OUGHTTA...." it won't happen.