A Parent's Guide to Summer Camp

[slontwovvy]

For any first-time summer camp parents out there, here are a few guidelines to help your son (and you) get through the week.

 

1. Send mail. Just don't send mail saying that they're missing out on the best time at home or that family members are crying themselves to sleep thinking about his absence.

 

2. Don't tell your child that if he gets homesick, you will come and pick him up. Ten to one, they're going to come home.

 

3. Don't come up to camp in the middle of some day unexpected. It does a lot more harm than good.

 

4. If you are attending camp with your child, have fun, but give them a little freedom. That's half of what camp is about.

 

5. If at camp, do not expect or ask camp counselors to give special treatment because his parent is there. Working at camp, I have seen more than my share of parents who try to get their child into things that shouldn't be tried (a scrawny 11-year-old into lifesaving, their kid into bird study on the fourth day with nothing done, etc.) Just don't go beyond the limits.

 

6. After camp, take the time to talk with your son about his experience. What did he like? What will he do next year? This parental support is essential in making Scouts like camp and in making them excited to return next year.

 

[sctmom]

Another thing I heard was to not expect them to actually WEAR all those clean clothes that are packed. Most will come home nice and clean, still folded! (no they did NOT do laundry at camp)

 

My son has not mentioned the possibility of being homesick and I sure am NOT bringing it up!

 

I do pity the scout leaders who are going to summer camp. I hope they have dealt with kids like my son before --- on about the third morning he will REFUSE to wake up. He will be so tired that he will want/need about 12 straight hours of sleep. If not given enough sleep he will turn into "devil child".

 

[ScouterPaul]

sctmom

I will be attending summer camp this year for the first time since I was a Scout. WE will be taking 6 11 year old first year Scouts. My fears are, in no particular order, not giving my son enough freedom, not having enough patience with the young boys, expecting to much from them, expecting my son to have the same experiences that I remember having. The list goes on and on, I only hope that I will help the boys have a good experience.

 

Paul

[evmori]

slont,

Excellent post! I hold a meeting with the parents prior to summer camp & I cover the exact same things!

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

[slontwovvy]

A couple more--

 

Do not expect things to be just like at home. The food will not be the same, you may get wet, you may not be able to keep some of your routines. Don't make these sticking points, and don't complain to the staff about them.

 

Sctmom's right--don't expect them to wear all the clean clothes. Don't expect them to shower every day, or every other day for that matter. Boys will be boys.

[Sdriddle]

I have a question... what merit badges would be appropriate for a first year camper to take part in? He is going to Camp Cherokee at Circle10.org and most of the badges seem be geared toward more experienced campers. He would like to do rifle but it says recommended for older scouts. He has experience with hunting and I wondering if he would be strong enough to handle the rifle requirements. His swimming is weak so I am hesitant to suggest that he take part in swimming merit badges. He also just looked at me when I suggested basketry, but I think that would be a good beginning badge to take. Any ideas??

 

Sheila

[sctmom]

My son is taking part in the first year scout program that takes up 1/2 day. He is then taking Pottery and Sculpture. I wanted him to take swimming instruction for 1 hour, but he refused. His camp then has "free swim" the last hour of the day -- the older boys recommended this as a time to just relax and cool off.

 

The troop wanted him to take Swimming merit badge, but we both felt he should hold off on that.

 

[Mike Long]

If the camp has a first year camper program then be sure he takes it. That is the biggest bang for the buck.

 

As far as merit badges, First Aid, swimming, any handicraft badge (basketry, leatherwork, metalwork ect.) Indian Lore, camping, cooking, pioneering, fishing, some of the ecology badges that aren't too academic are all good badges for a first year scout to take. As for all the watersports badges I would reccommend doing swimming first but it isn't required that the scout do so. I typically steer scouts towards swimming and first aid, both invaluable skills. Archery might be a good one too depending on the scout.

 

Rifle shouldn't be a problem as far as his size as the rifles are 22's and have a very minimal kick at worst. I think they reccommend the badge to older scouts for maturity reasons.

[Sdriddle]

The FYC Ranger program is only 2 hours a day. So that leaves a lot of time for other badges. Would you think that an 11 year old with a few years of hunting safety be mature enough for rifle shooting. I was wondering if they wanted the boys older because most probably have never been around guns other than BB's. The camping merit badge looks like there is a lot to it and is geared toward older scouts. His main goal of summer camp is to have fun and I am trying to stay away from badges that he cannot complete at camp and most eagle badges require thought processes that will be hard for him follow in 95 degree heatand 95 degree humidity. The SM highlighted all the eagle badges on a sheet he handed out, but I am unsure that most of them are appropriate for FYC.

 

Sheila

 

[Bob White]

When I was a Scoutmaster I coached the parents to keep converstaions positive before the scout leaves for camp. Don't say " I hope it's not too hot", or "I hope you don't get poison ivy", or " try not to miss us". Instead say "you're going to have such a great time", and "I can't wait to hear about all your adventures", "take lots of pictures", "you're going to have so much fun".

 

I have found the biggest way to avoid homesickness is to make sure they stay active and make sure they get lots of sleep. Exhaustion and boredom are what cause homesickness.

 

We tell the boys to work on whatever merit badges interest them. As long as they meet pre-requisites we don't care which ones they work on. I do like to see first year scouts work on two. Summercamp should be fun, go swimming, shoot bows and rifles, take out a canoe, sit around a campfire, make friends. If you want to take advantage of advancement opportunities thats great. We don't push them to do anything other than go and have fun. Because of that we rarely have a homesick scout and they average 4 MBs per scout, which is plenty.

 

Bob White

[Eagle69]

As a SM for 25 years I don't agree with a first year camper taking Rifle Shooting. That is a Merit Badge that I usually reserve for a 3rd yr or later camper. I'm sorry that the camp is only spending a couple of hours a day for their first year camper program. This program when well put together is wonderful. With that in mind here are my First Year Scout Merit Badges: First Aid, Swimming, any of the Handicraft Badges, a simple Scoutcraft MB. First year campers don't need to be doing a lot of Merit Badges. They need to be learning skills for Tendfoot - First Class. Take the list of offered Merit Badges from the Camp and go to www.meritbadge.com and you can read what the requirements are and maybe that will help you.

[OldGreyEagle]

4-5 merit badges is plenty from my experience and that does not include the scouts in the First Year Program. First year scouts we try to steer to the handicrafts, basketry, leatherwork, etc. Completing fewer badges is far better than getting partials on a lot. If the scout has a particular interest in a badge, such as the well experienced hunter at age 11, thats why the blue card has to be signed by a scout leader. The scoutmaster gets to decide if the scout can do the badge. Second year is where we emphasize scoutcraft/waterfront and third year we encourage environmental science.

 

All these are guidelines. One year a scout wanted to do ten merit badges, we discouraged him, his parents called the scoutmaster and the camp ranger (who was really confused let me tell you) In the end he completed 3, had 6 partials it took him almost all year to finish and one he never started. The next camp he started 4, and completed 4 and had a much better time at camp

 

Summercamp is supposed to be fun, communing with nature, frigid froggy (630 am dip in the lake), communal eating, the skits, the classes, the friendships, staff campfires, the OA camfire, Troop campfire, singing songs, doing silly cheers, assembling for colors, the cannon going off, retiring the colors, the cannon going off, watching skunks prowl for food while hoping the boys remembered not to sleep with chips, and number one on the list:

 

Watching timid unsure scouts on sunday/monday be old hands at things on friday.

 

They go away boys and I wouldnt quite say they come back men, they do come back somewhat different.

 

Man, I am making myself campsick here only 6 weeks to go.(This message has been edited by OldGreyEagle)

[Mike Long]

I took rifle my first year, so did the other guys I joined with.

No ill effects.

 

 

[eagle90]

I agree with OGE -

We encourage our scouts to COMPLETE two or three merit badges while at camp rather than starting 7 or 8 and completing none. Take the extra time to explore the camp with a buddy, take a walk in the woods, swim a little, shoot a gun, use a sailboard, do something you've never done before. Or just sit and relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. Even scouts need a little down time once in a while. Taking too many badges makes the week feel like another week of summer school!

 

We encourage our first year scouts to look at the scoutcraft, nature, and handicraft areas for merit badges.

[eagle90]

Yes, it is really remarkable to see the change in the scouts over a week's time at camp. The patrol who cannot even make a simple meal on Sunday becomes a well oiled maching by wednesday or Thursday. It really gives me, as SM, a chance to get to know these kids a lot better than just at a troop meeting or weekend outing.

 

And when that change carries over into the fall at troop meetings and campouts, you know you have been successful.

 

I too can't wait till July 14th and another trip to Summer Camp. I think this will be Summer Camp trip number 35 both as a scout and leader.