Day Camp

[terran350 10]

Does anyone know, Does there have to be someone who is National Camp School Trained to be invalid with running a Day Camp? My district is putting together a Day Camp but know one in the day camp committee is camp school trained. Any information would be helpful. Thank you.

[NJEaglemom 10]

I am on our Council Camp Visitation team. It is a mandatory requirement for the on-site Camp Director and Program Director to have a current NCS certification.(standards M35 and M36). If ALL the Mandatory requirements aren't met, the Camp can get a conditionally rating and still stay open. I would check with your SE/De before I'd go any further in planning. The DEs are usually NCS trained. In our Council, if the don't have the certifications, we don't have camp.

[ZScout5 12]

NJEaglemom is correct. But don't despair. NCS is usually offered regionally in the spring so those running camp in summer can get certified. Talk to your district or council camping or training chairs to find out when/where the nearest NCS will be held.

In the Midwest, there is one held in Wisconsin.

[Basementdweller 608]

It isnt rocket science as someone in your neighboring district to run it under their credentials. Who cares if you get reconized as a acreddited camp.....the boys dont care.

[Eagle92 110]

Base,

 

If that is happening and there is an accident or incident, there wil be major problems.

 

Part of the reason for NCS is to have a set of leaders who are trained to do it AND knwo the standards. Is it rocket science, not it isn't. BUT in today's legalistic sue happy world, I'd be very leary.

 

But as has been stated, a lot of times DEs have the NCS cert.

[Twocubdad 665]

So Base, what is it you don't like about accredited camps?

 

That they require clean drinking water and sufficient sanitary toilets for all the campers? That they are required to have medical folks on staff and make advanced arrangements with local emergency providers and hospitals? Is it a problems that the facilities are checked for obvious hazards and has up-to-date fire extinguishers? Would you prefer the staff not have plans for lost campers, intruders in camp, fires or weather hazards? Should they let any ol' Tom, Dick or Harry run the aquatics and shooting sports programs or should these folks be trained?

 

Cause that's all accredation is. It isn't a "recognition" but a process to ensure standards for health, safety and leader training/certification have been met. National Camping School for Cub Scout Day Camp directors is generally built around teaching what those standards are and how to meet them.

 

And no, terran, having trained camp and program directors and an accredited camp isn't an option. Day camps belong to the council and any liability belongs to them. Your council would be foolish and negligent to let you hold a camp without meeting these minimun standards.

[Basementdweller 608]

I did it one year under a neighboring districts credentials......DE set it up.

 

The accreditation stuff is nothing but common sense in my book......I don't dislike them.....

 

 

 

 

[Eamonn 61]

terran350

Welcome to the forums.

Twocubdad makes a lot of good points and sense.

Council run Day Camps do need to have a NCS certified Director.

Someone from your Council should know about all of this. Maybe the Council Camping Chairman?

They should also be able to get you the dates and location of when the course will be.

I kinda think that you might be a bit late for this year.

If there is someone who is certified who is willing to be the Camp Director? You can of course recruit them. They don't have to be from your District, but should know what they are doing and be willing to do the job properly. - Not just be a name on paper.

Good Luck.

Eamonn.

 

 

[terran350 10]

Thanks to all for there information as it was very useful. I have talked with my DE and he has said that we should run it as a family camp. I don't know why, but I have been telling them at district that we need someone who is NCS trained.

[concernedparent 10]

Our Council decided to run it as a Family Camp as well.. I attended the NCS years ago and I thought that it would be easier as far as the checklist was concerned but it's pretty much the same... so I just did what I did in the past years.. just didn't have to worry about the certification expiration!