"Designated Scouting activity or event"

[shortridge]

Calico - that sounds awesome.

[SR540Beaver]

There is no reason for it not to count. From your description, it isn't "camping" in someone's backyard in the suburbs and running in the house to use the facilities or pop more corn in the microwave to eat while watching movies on the large screen. I can leave my suburban home and be at one of our council properties in less than 15 minutes. While it is still country, the "city" has encroached enough that it is surrounded by homes on acerages. There is water and latrines in each campsite. You can get 3G signal in camp. Jet liners fly over headed to the nearby airport and there is a lot of light polution at night from the city. But as the sun goes down, you can hear the coyotes howl and see deer along the tree lines. You can curl up in your sleeping bag just llike if we had driven 200 miles away. It's still camping regardless of the close proxemity to the city.

 

I'd count it as long as they are camping the same as they would if you went to a location far away from town.