Outdoor Activity Award

[Rixkidz]

Our Pack has 5 Webelos I that earned it.

(they were just awarded it a tthe last Pack Meeting)

 

Please show me where RULES says Day camp HAS to be more then 1 day ??

 

Our Council offers Fall Day Camp...

 

(This message has been edited by Rixkidz)

[Oak Tree]

What the rules say is "Attend Cub Scout day camp or Cub Scout/Webelos Scout resident camp." There is no minimum number of days listed.

 

But...our Council happens to hold summer events with those exact specific titles, where the day camp is a five day affair. Other things are called other names, like "Cub-o-ree", or "Cub-Adult Overnighter". If I were the Supreme Court, I'd look to the original intent of the authors, and maybe they'd say something definitive. It would be nice if National gave more explicit instructions. As far as I'm concerned, the intent of the award is clearly to recognize and encourage summer camp. But if some council runs a Saturday morning hike and calls it "Day Camp", I guess they could hand out the Outdoor Activity Award. Feel free to interpret as you wish.

 

Oak Tree

[Twocubdad]

You will find that most things in Scouting are intentionally somewhat vague in order to provide the most flexibility for the wide variety of local conditions you may encounter. There are a number of areas which don't hold traditional day camps. Of course this doesn't apply bold-type policy, such as that found in the G2SS. As they say, the program is flexible, policy isn't.

 

As to your question Fred, the Cub Scout program most often runs with the school year. (There are some exceptions, most notably with LDS units.) A Tiger who completed the first grade last June 1 became a Wolf and attended summer camp as a Wolf. If that boy is trying to earn the activity award for his Wolf year, I would accept any activities that were completed during that year, June 1 to June 1, in this case. When the requirements were published is immaterial.

 

I certainly don't see how this represents any sort of ethical issue or slipping of the standards. The boys are completing the requirements as they were given to them. They have no knowledge that the requirements have been "clarified," and except for having read about this earlier in the forum, neither would I. As I said, our council is still distributing the original, unclarified requirements.

 

If a Scout honestly earns an award, why would you deny it based on national having miscommunicated the requirements?

[fgoodwin]

2CD: I guess I question how a Cub can work towards the requirements of an award BEFORE he even knows what those requirements are! You are applying his achievements retroactively, and I'm not aware that such treatment is allowed for any other award, but maybe that's just me.

 

Ultimately, if your Council accepted it, far be it that I should question it.

 

YiS,

 

Fred G.

[Torveaux]

You are absolutely right fgoodwin. There a just a number of people, parents and leaders mostly, that just can't understand the whole concept and just assume that the program is designed to get the most bling and to manipulate the rules so as to best add awards to each boy.

 

That teaches them exactly the wrong thing, but as long as they can rationalize it to themselves I suppose they sleep well at night.

[BrentAllen]

Cub Scout Day Camp is defined in the Cub Scout Leader Book (pg. 33-4).

"Day camp is an organized one- to five-day program for Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts and Webelos Scouts conducted by the council under certified leadership at an approved site. Day camps are conducted during daylight or early evening hours. Day camps do not include any overnight activities.

Certification of the day camp director and program director is provided through the National Camping School. All day camps shall be conducted in accordance with established standards as provided in National Standards fof Local Council Accreditation of Cub Scout/Webelos Scout Day Camps for Precamp and Operational Accreditation (No. 13-108)."

If the Washington Fall Day Camp met these requirements, it should be counted as credit towards the award. If not, it shouldn't.

[CascoDad]

I want my son to receive this award (he was a Tiger last year). I haven't asked leaders about it yet, because we haven't even had a den meeting yet this Fall! So we are switching packs and starting den meetings tomorrow. I too would like some clarification. The rules say that camp must be attended after Sept 1, 2004, and also that Tiger cubs are eligible. Now Tiger cubs do not join Scouts until Fall after summer camp is over. This all implies to me that requirements start being met in the Fall, and continue through the summer AFTER the rank is earned, including camp, even though the cub is graduated to the next rank in the Spring.

 

For example, my son started as a Tiger last Fall (2004), completed his requirements for the award during the school year and into the summer, and attended day camp last summer (2005), the first year camp can apply. So even though he was a Wolf as of last May, he should get the award this Fall (2005) for his Tiger year. This also implies to me that Webelos II cannot receive the award, as it should be given in the Fall after the summer during which camp was attended.

 

Has an official ruling been made on this?

[Lisabob]

Cascodad, just FYI in my area many boys join immediately upon graduating kindergarten and do attend day camp as Tigers during the summer prior to 1st grade. Our council actively supports this.

 

I'm sure others will disagree but as far as I'm concerned, whatever pack policy is regarding rank advancement should directly influence whether or not summer camp counts for the lower or higher rank for the outdoor activity award. In our pack, boys were considered to have "graduated" to the next rank as soon as the school year was over. At that point they could no longer work on previous rank requirements, arrow points, etc., but they could start working on their new rank requirements. So we would count summer camp toward the new rank. However, I know other packs that waited until the end of camp to "graduate" their boys. I imagine they'd count camp toward the "old" rank for the OAA.

 

I don't think one is necessarily better than the other - I just don't think a boy could legitimately have it both ways (ie, counting some camp activities toward one rank and other camp activities toward the other rank, or counting one summer camp experience for two ranks for the OAA purpose.) Establish a clear pack policy, apply it consistently, and the problem will basically be solved.

 

Lisa'bob

A good old bobwhite too!

[LongHaul]

What is need here is to read the rank eligibility portion for the Cub Scout Ranks. To be a Tiger a boy must be in first grade, hence he cant join right out of kindergarden. Will certain councils accept apps from boys not technically eligible? See Lisabobs post. A boy is a wolf as soon as he graduates first grade. The eligibility stipulation reads has completed the first grade.  An individual pack can give a boy what ever award they choose and allow work on badges and ranks under what ever conditions or in what time frame they want it, does not make it right. Rank eligibility, advancement, and requirements are clear. Sorry CascoDad if your son joined after Summer camp was over and graduates into a Wolf den upon graduation of first grade he cant earn the award. As to what constitutes Day Camp or resident camp its what ever the individual Council says it is anywhere from 1 to 5 days in length. LongHaul

[scotiacat]

Longhaul,

The 2005 second printing edition of the Cub Scout Leader Book clearly defines (and updates) the advancement of each rank. No longer does it say they must be in first grade for a Tiger, second grade for a wolf and so on.

 

It now reads that a "Tiger Cub badge is for those boys who have completed kindergarten (or are 7 years old)." This is on page 18-4 of the book. It also refers to the other ranks in the same manner.

 

Since June 1st is the advancement date, this enables all Scouts, even Tigers, to attend summer camp and do work specific to their rank. As an added note, my son attended the 2005 summer camp for our council after moving up in rank from Tiger to Wolf and had accomplished all the requirements for the OAA by mid September. He was presented with the patch at a Pack meeting by the Cubmaster at the end of the month and now wears it proudly on the right pocket flap.

[CascoDad]

Well, all is not lost. My son did graduate to Wolf before attending summer camp, so we will just work on the award at Wolf level. We already did several activities last summer that will count. In fact all we need to do is complete Wolf elective 23b and he has it.

[Torveaux]

Well, 3 of our 5 Webelos I's just received their awards. The other 2 did not get to a resident or day camp, so they will be ineligible.

[dlw73078]

I had the opportunity to get the information from my council before summer started. I took my den on a nature hike through the local prarie, monitored who attended day camp, and when I became the Cub Master mid-summer was sure to organize enough activities that the boys could earn the Outdoor Award and the Summertime Activities.