National Camp Standards ???

[John-in-KC]

This is for Beavah, or someone like him, who has actually been on a Camp Visitation Team:

 

BSA National Camp Standards apply to Council owned and operated camping programs, from District Day Camps to discrete camp programs on Scout Reservations (Boy Scout Camp, Webelos Camp, Venturing LT program and so on). Got that.

 

Do NCS apply when a Council sponsored activity is on Scout property (such as NYLT or an OA induction weekend) but is not operating during the camping season?

 

If not, what camp safety guidelines cover those operations?

 

Thanks in advance.

[CalicoPenn]

I believe you're referring to the National Camp Standards for Resident Camps. National Camp Standards is an accreditation program to ensure that resident camps meet certain requirements as set forth by National.

 

Some basics: National Camp Standards only applies to Council-organized Resident camps and reservations. It does not apply to District-organized camps or day camps, to individual Unit camps, to National High Adventure Base Camps or National-organized events such as Jamborees. National facilities have their own standards which pretty much mirror the National Camp Standards, but National doesn't accredit their own facilities - it's either up to snuff or the Base Executive is looking for a new job.

 

The Standards checklist states "Resident implies that campers will be staying overnight at the facility" (I don't want anyone to think I'm the one stating that Resident implies that campers will be staying overnight - that is a direct quote from the checklist). Unless there is overnight camping being offered at a Council-organized Day Camp, the NCS doesn't apply to Day Camps, and even then, it has to be 2 consecutive nights (so it wouldn't apply if Cubs camped only one night, or camped on Tuesday and Thursday night with Wednesday night spent at home).

 

There is specific overnight stay requirements as well. For Cub Scouts, a Resident Camp is a Council-organized camp of at least two consecutive nights duration. For Boy Scouts, a Resident Camp is a Council-organized camp of at least five consecutive nights duration. Unless the OA Ordeal, or NYLT is going to be at least 5 nights long, it doesn't qualify as a Resident camp.

 

The National Camp Standards aren't driven by the facility, they're driven by the activity. Council can organize a 4 night Boy Scout camping trip to one of their summer camps and it wouldn't be considered a Resident Camp. Council can organize a 5 night Boy Scout camping trip to a National Park and that would be a Resident Camp that would be required to meet the National Camping Standards.

 

Since NCS doesn't apply to short term camps (except for the aforementioned Council-organized Cub Scout campouts), the same camp safety guidelines that apply to District Camporees and Troop Campouts would apply. Most Councils, however, have probably got most of the items on the NCS checklist covered even for short term camps.

 

Calico

[John-in-KC]

Calico,

 

Thanks. Interesting.

 

Curious, though: In our Council, we send our District Cub Day Camp Directors and PDs to National Camp School. When we set up and prep for camp, much of the Director's time is spent organizing his notebooks for the Camp Inspection, and the tabs in our books come from the pages of the National Camp Standards...

 

Probably, as you said, it's that the Council is leveraging a product in place...

 

Again, thanks.

[infoscouter]

Calico - I can attest that there are indeed National Camping Standards for Cub Scout Day Camps. These standards fully apply to the typical volunteer-run, held at a local park, district operated Day Camp. These camps are under the auspices of the Council Camping committee, even though sometimes they're treated as an afterthought, or shunted off to a subcommittee of Cub Scouters. I have been certified as a Day Camp Director twice at National Camping School. I've been 'inspected' and 'visited' by accreditation committees and received the little pennant (10 times). I have also been on the accreditation team for local day camps, and ensured that the camps met the National Camping Standards.

 

Unfortunately, I can't answer John-in-KCs question about NYLT. Ours are held at one of our council camping properties, but it's the activity that operates the standards (day camp, resident camp, family camp), not the facility itself, AFAIK. I know I've never seen camping standards specifically for a training course camp. I don't know if our council camping committee would consider this event under their purview. I know that the courses themselves are run by our training committee.

[CalicoPenn]

Info,

 

You are, of course, quite correct. There are national standards for day camps, which are known as the National Standards for Local Council Accreditation of Cub Scout/Webelos Day Camps.

 

However, this doesn't mean I'm not correct either. The National Camp Standards for Resident Camps is a wholly separate set of standards than the National Standards for Local Council Accreditation of Cub Scout/Webelos Day Camps.

 

I should have made myself more clear that I was speaking only of the National Camp Standards for Resident Camps in my original reply.

 

NYLT would only need to comply with the National Camp Standards for Resident Camps if the duration of the training session had at least 5 consecutive nights of camping, and if it was organized by Council.

[Eamonn]

National Camp Standards.

Apply for the event (If you get my meaning)

Our Area Committee has a Summer Camp Visitation Team who armed with a copy of the Standards visit the Summer Camp and depending on if the standards are met or not handout the pennant.

I have never been a part of the visitation team.

But they look at a lot of things that might not apply to say a OA weekend -Trained Staff,you don't need the same amount of people trained in specific areas for a OA weekend as you do for summer camp or a long term resident Cub Scout camp.

Cub Scout day camps do have their own set of standards.

I have staffed a few of the NCS Trainings for Cub Scout Day Camp Directors.

The big thing that can be different is that many Cub Scout Day Camps are not held on Council owned property.

The team that does Day Camp inspections is as a rule selected by the Council Camping Committee.

Some of the Standards can and do seem a little odd in some Councils!! This is because the locations can be so very different. We have used a country club, which might be very different than a Day Camp held on a Native American Indian Reservation in Arizona.

But what would I know I'm just a dope!!

Eamonn

[John-in-KC]

E,

 

You are no mans' fool, kind Sir.

 

Appreciate the input. You're helping me understand how all these things we do fit together...