CubDaycampDirector

www.nfcscouting.org council www.blackcreekbsa.org district

We required YPT, safe swim, weather and if they were a den leader, whatever training for their den level online, and they had to bring us proof they did them (stapled to their application). We also did a 60 minute training class on camp--rules, expectations and YPT, as well as a 30 minute hands on overview on their specific positions (i.e. den leader, session leader, etc)

As Cub Scouts At a camp in southern Georgia (yep), Tiger year 34 degrees The boys were in cabins, no heat, with little window vents by each bunk. Moms were in the only heated cabin. There was a dining hall that they could go in if they felt it was too cold. The only ones who did so----Wolf den leader (Eagle) and his stepson. Everyone else did fine.

I know, but it won't change. It keeps telling me the old password isn't the right one. Funny, as it was the same password that I logged in with not more than 5 minutes before. And for the "secret questions", I fill them out, and the system says that they aren't accepted. I'm not sure why, as if they would know if I first attended school in Timbuktu or Toronto or Toledo.... I'll just let it sit for another month, and then maybe those issues will be fixed too.

On the left hand side, look below MY DASHBOARD. click on MY TRAINING< and you should get a choice of training, profile and account. Go under PROFILE to change address/phone. (Finally got access to my account after multiple emails and phone calls to the BSA. Still missing my training for Camp director, though) Is anyone else unable to answer the security questions and change the password?

Well, you can do science-y stuff and tie it into scouting. There were tons of belt loops/pins tied to science stuff, that you could tie into summer camp. Weather Astronomy. Paper rocket launchers are cheap to make and can be reused every year. Wildlife conservation Animals are always fun to do---if you have it in the budget, get the local zoo to do a "class". (example here: http://jacksonvillezoo.org/zoooutreach ) Or maybe find a trapper. In our old pack, we had one come in every year---didn't cost much, and he'd bring in live animals, talk about tracking/conservation. Or a reptile/bug guy. Good for an afternoon, when everyone has to be inside due to bad weather (Florida thunderstorms pretty much every afternoon in June) CSI stuff. One year, we did a session where the boys got to fingerprint each other, and had to find out who stole the cookies from teh cookie jar by comparing fingerprints of the suspects, as well as the tire tracks from the "getaway" Hot Wheel. We've done egg drops, building a boat out of limited materials (to hold pennies, sail across the tub), made paper, Super soap bubbles (glycerin, dawn and water), slime (glue, borax, food color), cork compasses, sundials, rubberband helicopters, catapults.... Talk to a couple of elementary or high school science teachers and see if you can get them to come work at camp, or at least pluck their brains. We had a science teacher and I just gave him free reign for his science session. He had the boys entranced by termites walking in circles on a paper plate. Just don't give up yet. Take a few weeks, and see if you can get some things worked out, before you opt out.

http://cleanhouston.org/heros/altman.htm http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/jan/05/activists.ethicalliving http://asia-ecopreneur.blogspot.com/2009/01/top-3-people-who-made-global-difference.html

If you want to get rid of the backs for the nametag, we can recommend this company. http://quartermasterstore.com/ You order the nametag you want, add on the magnetic strip on the order, and let them know you want it magnetic. If you can get a big group order together, that's even better, for shipping.

I don't understand the parents who say "oh, I just don't have time to help". We're all busy---you are not anything special. I'm sure my family would like to sit down to a homecooked meal on Scout nights, but we just don't have the time to make it from work to home to Scouts (where we have to be 30 minutes early, to set the room up, etc). Or, even better, we'd like to be able to leave camping before 1pm (like the rest of the pack, who leaves by 11am), but there is a kitchen to clean up and break down, a site to "police" for trash and items left behind, and our own gear to store. Even worse are the Cub parents, who actually come and sit through the meeting, but "don't have time" to talk to the boys about their job or any of the character traits. It's not like we're asking them to teach complicated knot tying, for crying out loud. My husband was the den leader for our son from Tiger to Webelos 2. The only meetings he missed were the ones where he was out of town for work (maybe 4 or 5), the ones when he was sick (a dozen or so) and when he had his kidney transplant surgery (no meetings even---and he still got up and made it to their bridging ceremony). He managed to work full time, do dialysis every day for 3-4 hours a day, be their den leader and help with council events. If he can make time, so can his parents.

I don't think it's a data breach. It's just the usual BSA mess. Someone updated a system somewhere, or pushed the big button, and it dorks everything up. For the amount of money the BSA pulls in, they really should pay for and upgrade to a better system. This has happened twice to me now----the first time I had to make a new account with my number, and eventually they merged the two (so I didn't lose the 5 years of training). Waiting to hear back from them on the second time. ETA: my husband's log in works just fine. But he's been on in the last year----I haven't logged in in at least 6 months. Maybe it's a "purge"?

Not summer camp, but Cub Scout camp pranks 1. One camping trip, the moms were separated into a different area (cabins) than the boys/dads. One mom had a birthday that weekend. Her cot and belongings all ended up on the porch of the cabin, all set up for her to sleep. Same mom was given .40 in pennies from random people all day long. (Man, those pennies were heavy to tote around at the start of the day....my pockets were so light by dinnertime!) We all chipped in on a basket for her too---Ben Gay, mothballs, Depends, etc. 2. Cub Scouts don't wear no socks. They all ended up in the CMs tent (all the clean ones anyways----the dirty ones were strung on clothesline outside the tent.) 3. Our daughter made this paper mache puppet. This was the stuff of nightmares---huge paper mache head (cross between a doll with big eyes and a bird, with a beak); cloth body; feathers all over it. This thing was horrible. For awhile, we would "gift" it to other leaders in the pack on camping trips---you never knew where it would end up. In the sleeping bag (all the way at the bottom); hiding in the food trailer, behind the coffee canisters; in the bathroom window, peering down right above the toilet...... 4. Fake roaches (real looking suckers too) and snakes were everywhere. Even on the serving line at breakfast (hidden between coffee cups, best spot ever)

The council area we're in does several different camps. 1. Twilight camp. One week per district, run by the districts. Mon-Fri, usually 6pm-9pm. Volunteers only. $100 per week, includes patch/t shirt/programming/activity fees/insurance. Eat before they come, no meal breaks. 2. Day camp. One week per district, run by districts. Mon-Fri, usually 8:30am-4:30pm, some programs have early/late sitting for a fee. Volunteers only. $125 a week, includes patch/t shirt/programming/activity fees/insurance. Bring your own lunch. $25 before/after care 3. Webelos/Cub resident camp. (used to be just Webelos, but enough parents threw hissy fits, and so they added Wolf/Bear) One week, at Boy Scout camp at Camp Shands. Run by council, paid staff. Ran at the end of BS camp. $150 for 3 days, $235 for 6. For adult (required): $80/120. Includes patch/t shirt/meals/activity fees/insurance/tent and cot to sleep in. 4. Aquatics camp, weekly camp, run by half volunteer, half paid. Runs throughout the summer (after the council day camp for that district is completed. They run twilight camp during the first week of aquatics. Time frame is roughly that of day camp). this is for Cubs and Boy Scouts, up to a certain age. $225 a week if paid early, $240 for late up to the week before, $255 for the week of. $25 before/after care. $40 busing (from across the river, 2 locations to drop off) Includes Tshirt/patch/insurance. Activity fees additional. DS and DH went to Webelos resident camp, as a Web 1. They had fun, but said you can tell the people running it were burnt out. There were classes without leaders, by that point. DS did aquatics camp for 3 years. He had fun the first year; the second year he was mostly rained out. The third year, he got to pick his own classes (due to age) and was bummed. He had outdoor cooking, but the only cooking they did was make a pancake inside the trailer. Never did twilight camp, but we worked day camp, either as a volunteer to help or as the CSDPD for 4 years. (One year, we even did two district camps, because they were short handed at one.) After seeing all the politics and whining behind the scenes, I am pretty much done with that district, and for now the council. Now that we've had some change (people leaving), maybe I'll go back to help out next year. The prices are getting outrageous. There is so much pressure from council to turn a profit, it's ridiculous. I was told that we didn't need to buy more than one pencil per boy for the whole week. They used to hand out cups with each camp, but that practice has stopped, due to rising costs. For my daycamp, I had $10 per scout for activities/supplies--which included printing, office and medical supplies, etc. Another $3 per scout went to port-a-potty rental. They spent $7 per scout for the patch/tshirt/cup. The rest--pure profit.

It was his first time, both at BS summer camp and rafting. Tears were shed, but he made it all week without a meltdown---big improvements. No mom or dad around to help him out---he came home with some bug bites and cuts on his hands, and lots of stories. I think his troop has something a bit more....adventurous...planned for the older scouts for a few weeks down the road.

Nantahala, I believe. My husband handled the forms and stuff for this trip, and I don't have the email anymore. Horrible mom, huh?

My son's troop is leaving this morning, headed to Camp Rainey Mountain, in northern Georgia. It's his first year going, so we have no idea what he's in for. The troop is going white water rafting (away from the camp) on their "day off". https://www.facebook.com/pages/Camp-Rainey-Mountain-Northeast-Georgia-Council/126585194064956?fref=ts