Camp promotions chair for district

[Scoutfish]

I just became the Camp McNeill promotions chair for the Northeast Cape Fear District.

 

The camp promotions chair of a neighboring district ( Masonboro) called me the other day. She said our senior DE gave her a list of "potentials" for taking over our district camp promotions chair. She said their were 5 names on the list, but mine had stars and checks beside it.

 

So I agreed to take it, especially since I am going to be volunteering ar both Cub Scout resident camp and Cub Scout parent/son camping this year.

 

I'm not entirely sure how this hapened. Yeah, I did willfully agree to it, but I think the Sr.DE used an old Jedi mind trick on me or something!

 

So, as I was told, it's not exactly an excruciating job.

 

Basically, I go to a "training" meeting at the camp in about a week and a half. Then all I do is present the info at the next few district roundtables, and contact packs within my district to see who's going to resident camp( almost 5 months away( and parent son weekend ( just under a year away).

 

It sounds like it's not really that hard a job, to be honest with you.

 

But I also understand the difference between:

"should" and "is"

"supposed to be" and "was"

"ought to be" and "Is really gonna be"

 

 

So, it sounds simple enough, but if you did it before, what should I realistically expect?

 

What are some hints or tricks you used to make it run smoother or easier?

 

Like I said, my part will only be for Cub Scouts, as the Boy Scouts go to a different ( neighboring) camp.

[shortridge]

Get in touch with your local OA chapter. They should have a camping promotions team with a full-fledged presentation, maybe a video. Even though you're doing the Cubs part of it, they may still be able to help (and should!).

[Eagle92]

Ditto what Short said, the OA SHOULD be doing camp promos. Now I know that the big emphasis in the past was troops and crews, and some lodges are still in that mentality. BUY there seemed to be a push by national to get OA involved in Cub Scout Camp Promos just as I was leaving hte CA position to be a TCDL. I do know that when I do Cub promos, I talk to the Lodge chief to get permission to use the Lodge totem and name since I am still registered with the lodge.

[Basementdweller]

Remember your Son

 

 

 

When I am asked to volunteer for something additional in scouting. I pause and ask myself "how is this going to benefit and impact my family?" Recently I have come accrossed an increasing number of scouters or exscouters who have lost their families over scouting.

 

Remember scouting doesn't care about you.

[CalicoPenn]

I like that advice - "Remember your son"

 

But I'll take a different angle - did your son attend Cub camp? Did he have great experiences? Can he help tell the story? Ask your son if he could help you with promoting Cub camp - sometimes, it takes an enthusiastic Scout to help the adults see the value in Cub Camp.

[jhankins]

Just so you know, the camp Promotions char is just that, camp promotions.

 

Running camping events is the duty of the activities committee.

 

 

[Basementdweller]

let me see Camp promotions means you need to Call every Pack in your district, Make arrangements to visit each Packs Pack meeting and do your presentation. You may hold sign ups and collect money that same night or you may not.

 

But why??????

 

The problem with it is most of the Packs meet on the same day of the week at the same time. So you need to neglect your duty to your scouts in order to recruit someone else's boys to go to day camp???????

 

What happened to the Camp and Program director?????/ Are they not supposed to be promoting it???? How can you promote something if you don't know the staff involved?

[Twocubdad]

Yeah, um, you need to get a written copy of that job description. Is this a district committee job? Camp promotions (top to bottom, not just Cubs) is usually the primary focus of the District Camping Chairman.

 

If this is just promoting day camp, this is a rather odd set up, too. Day camp promotions is usually a function of the camp staff -- usually program director -- and is a topic taught at CSDC camping school. Your best resource there is Eagle92, who is in your area and is CSDC camp school trained.

 

You really need some clarification, though.

[Scoutfish]

Nah, the job description as I read it was to attend a training meeting at the camp, discuss planned planned activities at Roundtables, and contact the other pack in my district about camping.

 

I am not collecting money, do not have a roster of those attending, nor will I do any planning as to what activities are gonna be.

 

Basement: Luckily, the 4 closest packs to us all meet on a differnt night. Planned or coincidence? beats me!

 

 

My pack( 235) meets on Mondays, pack 770 meets on Thurs, pack 234 meets on Tuesdays, and pack 270 meets on Weds.

 

Not sure what night the other packs meet on, but doesn't matter.I will not drive to their CO's or attend meetings with their packs. I will be at the roundtable which is always the second Tuesday of the month...which I already attend anyways.

 

[Eagle92]

'Fish,

 

Hopefully your RT is better attended than ours. Only 2 packs attended the one this pack week. As someone mentioned I promote CS camping in my district; day camp, family campouts, res camp, etc. and I do need to do somethings outside the box so to speak. Especially since 50% meet on the same nite as mine, 49% meet on the nite I need to watch all the kids for family reasons, and one pack just doesn't do anything with the district at all.

 

Last year we had a booth set up during district PWD promoting day camp and resident camp. I made a video that promotes CSDC and resident camp that I sent copies to packs to watch during BnG. I also showed that video at a council Cub family campout. And at another campout, I had some campfire run-ons promoting the different activities.

 

The more people you can get involved the better. Find out who your CSDC staffers have been in the past, and who they will be and GET THEM INVOLVED! I know that when I do camp promos, both CS and BS, I ask who has attened in the past, and who had fun. then go through a list of activities and see who likes it. Again get the audience into it.

[Proud Eagle]

Scoutfish, are you sure you aren't being made district camping chairman?

 

That is a standard positions every district usually has, and promoting camping is part of its job. It could be that is what they are asking you to do, and the day camp promotions is just what the district think it needs you to focus on.

 

I happen to be a titular District Camping Committee Chairman and I know what that committee is supposed to do in theory, but I don't really have the ability to carry it out on my own, and I am the chairman of the committee mostly because I was the only person willing to even serve on the committee and the district had to fill out its district committee roster, couldn't very well do worse then a blank spot on the sheet of paper as someone suggested.

 

The idea of getting OA involved is great, but may not be possible. If the OA is involved with day camp and if they are generally supportive of Cub Scouts and if they have a functioning camp promotions program they could be a great help. The OA does not have its own idependent camp promotions program, rather it is part of the overall council camping promotions strategy, thus if the council has no plan and no resources, the lodge probably won't either.

 

As to the camp staff, again another great resource to use. Ideally the staff will be doing some promotions. However, like so many people in Scouting they may be holding down multiple Scouting jobs, a family, and real job.

 

I think you are on the right track to set some reasonable goals (SMART ?) that you can accomplish and not spread yourself too thin.

 

It is rather easy to get suckered into these district/council things if you don't just have an automatic reflex of saying "NO". Just remember this position is probably about number 437 on your priority list, realistically speaking.

 

p.s.

I think manpower is the real issue of the three "m"s that the professionals work on.

[ASM915]

Scoutfish,

 

Congratulations. Is District Camp Promotions Chair & District Camping Chair considered the same in your District, or are you jsut a minion under the District Camping Chair? If you end up being one in the same, that means you can set up your own committee to run, which probably will end up covering both Cubs & Boy scouts.

 

One of the jobs of your District's OA Chapter Chief is to attend the District Committee meeting, and work with the District Camping Chair with Camp Promotions. The Chapter Chief is responsible to take information that you pass on to him in reference to Council/District camping events, information that you bring back from the Counil Camping Committee meeting, for him to take to his Chapter meeting and pass out to his Troop OA Representatives. They then in turn take this information back to their Troops. If their Troops are tied to Packs, the Troop Rep can help promote Cub appropriate events to the Pack.

 

There is a major push for OA to get involved and help our little Brothers on Blue. Push to get you Chapters members involved with assisting with CSDC. Thay should be able to run some of your stations for you, as well as run the flag raising and retreat each day at CSDC.

 

For your shake, make sure that you know and understand what position that they are truely offering you. You don't what to be suprised and find out that you getting more then what you are bargaining for.

 

Good luck.

[Basementdweller]

So it sounds like your a co recruiter.

 

 

No biggy. I did it solo one year and my sons scouting experience suffered because of it. he missed 6 weeks of den meetings. Lets face it I cannot drive an hour one way to a another Pack's Pack meeting and expect his den leader to have him for three hours.

 

4 packs that are close to your home is easy especially if they meet on different nights.

 

They all meet on monday night here.

 

 

 

[GKlose]

I know this is unsolicited advice, but here's a view on the receiving end...

 

Two years ago, our Boy Scout summer camp promotions were done at roundtables by a Scout that was very nervous at making presentations. Things got much worse when he pulled out the video. It was like it was done by 10-yr-olds for an audience of 10-yr-olds. That isn't so bad, but when it goes on for 10+ minutes, that is too much for an adult to endure. I wasn't the only one that left the room for a few minutes.

 

So even though I thought that was bad, this last year was much worse. There was a more organized effort for camp promotions (CS and BS) -- half-hour presentations were done by both camp directors. After that, the council's camp promotions chair got up to reiterate points and to add in things he thought the other two forgot. An hour-and-a-half for what should have been 15 minutes max (color me jaded, but I think that troops that decide to go out of council have their reasons for doing so and aren't necessarily swayed by a hard sell -- likewise, those staying in camp already know and don't need to be sold...Cub camps, that's where you need the sales pitch -- Cub leaders turn over all the time, and need to be enlightened about the opportunities).

 

So my unsolicited advice: please don't hold a polite roundtable audience hostage. Please keep your pitch short and sweet. Keep it moving. Step aside, and be available for questions as needed.

 

Guy

[Scoutfish]

According to my DE, I will be a:

 

"You are not a committee member, but a sub-committee member of sorts. You do not have to attend committee meetings if you do not want to. Basically, you just help the District Camp Director by promoting at roundtables nad compiling a poster of pack within our district that may want to camp at Camp McNeill..."