Summer camp check-in days

[shortridge]

 

Spinning off from the swim check thread ... how does your summer camp of choice run its check-in days? Are there guided tours? Do units have to check in at a certain time? Do your Scouts have to pack their gear to their campsite, or is there a gear truck? Where do they do medical reviews? Are there safety and procedure reviews at the shooting sports ranges and waterfront? Campwide dinner including parents & sibs? And most importantly, what do you and your Scouts like or dislike about how they run things, and what would you change?

[dylfrick]

Every camp I have gone to has had the same routine. Guide meets you, go through health checks, swim checks, dining hall, small tour, done.

 

As staff at summer camp last year we did something different because being a guide is kind of a pain. What we did was have people at different stations throughout camp. As soon as you get to the gate there is a greeter that gives you your parking tag and sends you to the parking lot. From there you are unload everything into one vehicle or onto the camp trailer. The scouts and SMs walk up to admin. They have a checklist of things to do, but first off they go to there sites where they meet subcamp directors/greeters. A subcamp worker goes around with the SPL and SM and checks all the site and signs off a sheet stating the quality of the site. Troop then goes to med checks which are stationed at the med lodge and a large white tent in the parade field (thus speeding up the process). After med checks its the pool or dining hall (your choice). Once everything is done you go off and do whatever you want.

Larger troops got a guide, and smaller ones if they needed them. If a troop wanted a camp tour they had a staff member do it after dinner.

 

There were a lot of positives to this, and a few negatives.

+ Do check in how you want

+ Speeds up check in

 

- Sometimes a backup at the pool due to kids from the Rivah Base (high adventure) side having to do swim checks.

 

IMO, I never liked guided tours...especially if everyone had already been to the camp, and the guide had to do his job.

[jhankins]

1) Arrive and check-in -- medications, health forms

2) Guide to Pool for swim checks

3) Set up camp

4) Parent/leader meeting in Dining Hall

4b) Youth on tour of camp with area directors at each area giving an introduction to the activities

5) Dinner

5b) Safety Afloat, Safe Swim during dinner for leaders

 

 

[moosetracker]

Two camps my son would do two weeks.

 

Camp 1..

1) you were given times to show up, and told to come in one out of two routes in.. (They wanted to stagger your arrival times, and would do one route 1 week the other the next to try to not irratate the town residents too much.)

2) Backpack your stuff up to your campsite, meet with parents to get last minute items like photo money out of the way)

3) Then you had a list of where you were suppose to be when.. From a list of

a) camp photos (no one else mentioned that! no one else does photos?)

b) swim tests

c) tour (which we usually never get to because this is what we chuck cause everything takes longer then alloted)

d) med forms (which they go over with a fine tooth comb.. They have to be irritatingly perfect)

4) Parents go home.

 

Other camp..

1) Have closed gates. Everyone gathers outside the gate and everyone troops in at the same time when the gate swings open.

2) Everyone bring foottrucks that they usually put on wagons or two wheel dollies..

3) everyone to campsite.. Money thing they have photo money, pizza night money etc.

4) Wait in campsite for someone from camp to come in and give the official "talk"

5) No scheduled list.. Go where you want when you think the line is decent.

1) photos

2) Swim test

3) med forms (these guys are easy, or maybe the other camp has weeded out the problems)

4) No tour.

Parents go home.

[Gary_Miller]

At our camp the staff meets your vehicle at the gate where they assign you a camp friend. Then check in at the tables and head head to the water front, 1 mile hike, for swim checks. After swim checks there is a short tour that ends up at the assigned campsite for set up.

I always have the youth wear their swim gear under their uniform to travel to camp, makes things go faster. I also have the camp friend take the youth straight to the water front for checks while I do check in. Makes things go faster. I usually don't take the swim check unless the youth decide to go on the overnight canoe trip to the island for outpost. Lakes way to cold for me.

[jhankins]

We do photos, but we do it after everyone has gathered for the fire drill on day 2-- everyone is in one spot and it's right before lunch.

[prairie]

photos is new to me but this is the first year as an adult that I will be at camp, will see.