Webelos Resident Camp

[mdcpcare]

I am currently a Bear Den Leader. The den I am leading will be advancing up to Webelos this May 2006. I have thought about exposing the boys to other Webelos Dens in other Councils via Resident Camp at another Council Camp in addition to our own Council's resident camp.

I have not found anything in the materials that would prevent us from going to a Webelos Residnet Camp outside our Council.

 

Any thoughts?(This message has been edited by mdcpcare)

[vmpost]

It is my belief/understanding that it is okay to go to other council's resident camps, as long as you jump through all the hoops...Tour Permit in advance with all the requested information, two-deep leadership (generally, parent/child is not required at Resident camps), yadda, yadda, yadda. I would try to be sure your "two-deep" is NOT a husband/wife team.

 

I looked through my training material for Webelos Outdoor Training, BALOO, New Leader Essentials, and CS Leader Specifics, and didn't find anything that would disallow it.

 

That said...where are you located? Do you have ideas where you'd like to go? If Colorado isn't too far away, they have an awesome camp! Check it out at http://longspeakbsa.org/ click on the Scout Camp link, then the Nicol Cub Camp tab.

[SoDakScouter]

If you are in an area where another Council is close by, go for it. Just get your Tour Permit!

 

I don't know how other councils do it, but our council has Resident Camp for Webelos and Cub Scouts the week before the Scout Ranch opens up for Boy Scouts. So timing could be a constraint.

[johndaigler]

mdcpcare, WELCOME!!!

 

Interesting idea, there's no reason not to go ahead with it, but --

 

couldn't you simplify your life by meeting new Webelos in your own Council?

 

A more distant Camp makes boys and parents that much less comfortable.

 

Any issues would be that much harder to resolve.

 

Your Council can't be so small that you know all the other Webelos.

 

The more distant trip would be more expensive, wouldn't it?

 

jd

[SWScouter]

My council has a couple of camps just for Webelos, I don't know if that's common or not. In early summer, there is what's called a Webelos Weekend. It's a Friday/Saturday camp. At the end of the summer, there is what's called a Webelos Encampment. The encampment is more like resident camp, in that it is 4 days and 3 nights. If your council has a similar program as mine, just for Webelos, that might just be what you're looking for.

 

SWScouter

[mdcpcare]

We are located in Covington, TN. The Nashville Council and the Memphis Council are within a 2 hour drive. Two deep leadership of course. My two assistant leaders are planning to attend and a few parents.

The Memphis Council resident camp also allows Wolf Scouts and Bear Scouts to attend a cubscout resident camp at the same time. My council does not have this available. This would allow more of th epack to be active during the summer.

[Lisabob]

I think it depends a little on whether families of the younger boys are likely to want to do resident camp and the strength of the program in both councils. One advantage to a webelos-only resident camp is that you can have somewhat more involved activities that younger scouts would have a harder time with. On the other hand, a well-run pack level resident camp program (including younger and older cubs) can be structured to provide a challenge to the webelos while not losing or overwhelming the younger boys; it is just a little more difficult to do.

 

So: if you are comfortable with the quality of the program at the more distant camp and you have good reason to believe that families of younger boys are interested in doing resident camp too, then sure, go for it and have fun.

 

Lisa'bob

[clydesdale115]

We are also Bear leaders, soon to be Webs 1. We took our den (plus a few Webelos) last summer to Resident Camp - we carried a total of 10 boys and 5 adults. It was great! HOT, but great :-) Our boys can't wait to go again this summer when they will be Webelos. We attended Camp Lumpkin in LaGrange, GA on Lake West Point (Chattahoochee Council) - maybe that's not too far from Covington, TN. This was not our home council - we are in the Central Georgia Council but our council does not offer a Resident Camp. It was 4 days/3 nights in a great facility. I had gone the year before last when my son was a Wolf - we went as Parent and Pal. The next year, we took the whole den!

As for the general idea of "meeting other Webelos dens in the area," that sounds very interesting to me. You've got me thinking about maybe hooking up with another pack in town for a joint Webelos den camp-out or something. Instead of "pen pals" we could be "den pals!" Thanks for the fun idea!

clydesdale115