Camping for Boys

[msnowman]

So many posts recently have spoken of new Boy Scouts going to resident camp for the first time. Do most councils out there not have a resident camp for Cub Scouts? Our council's Resident Cub Camp is open for boys who have completed 1st grade and up to those entering 5th grade. Nephew has been going to Resident camp since he was 8 years old and has loved every week of it (I only went his 3rd year because I promised I'd go for his last year of Cub Camp). Our Cubs sleep in same tents as the Troops do, on the same cots, eat in the same place, go around to various activity stations throughout the camp, following the same basic rules. By the time they are first year Boy Scouts most of them have been to camp at least 1 summer if not 2 or more. These boys, while still learning their way around the Troop, are very comfortable with the camp and being away from home and seem to have far fewer problems with homesickness.

 

YiS

Michelle

[ManassasEagle]

Our council (National Capital Area Council) has not, until this summer, had a resident camp program for Cubs. They have had a resident program for Webelos at the regular council Boy Scout camp (Goshen). This summer (in fact, this Saturday is the Grand Opening) they're opening Camp Snyder which has the four-day-three-night resident program for Cubs. There was a thread under the Cub Scout forum about Camp Snyder just a little while ago.

[jr56]

My council has a Cub Scout Day Camp for Wolves, and Bears, and Camp Akela which is overnight for three days for the Weblos.

[gwd-scouter]

Our Council (Blue Ridge) has had a Cub/Webelos Resident Camp since 1994 - at least that's the first I went to with older son and thought I heard it was the first ever for the Council.

 

A few years later, starting in 1999, I became resident camp director for the next 5 years. With summer camp Boy Scout staff on hand and a handful of volunteer adults, we put on quite a show for the lads. Scouts were put into dens based on age/grade in the fall. We had 2 programs running simultaneously - a cub program and a webelos program - and did all the activities throughout camp appropriate for their rank (BBs, archery, rowing/canoeing, swimming, nature, crafts, knots/lashings, fire building, knife safety, games and athetics, swimming, etc.). Webelos even left camp for one night and hiked a mile to a remote camp for an overnighter.

 

Like msnowman said, the best part I think was that the boys that attended Cub Resident Camp learned all about Camp Old Indian and it was like home when they finally arrived for a full week as Boy Scouts.

[Lisabob]

Our council has a cub resident camp program that is pretty well attended. However, in MANY cases, parents attend with the boys. And it is only a couple of nights (I think 2 nights, 3 days). Also our district has had an excellent cub day camp program. Most boys attend one or the other, but not both, and some packs have a tradition of doing day camp.

 

Then there's the fact that in cub scouts, the leaders' kids are seldom far from mom or dad. I know a lot of cub leaders who step back (way back in some cases) when their boys cross over so there's a whole other group of boys who aren't used to camping w/o a parent, because in cubs their parents were the ones who were always there, running everything!

 

So it is reality that we get a fair number of boys who have never camped without a parent before.

 

Honestly, this has not been a major problem for most boys that I've met. Actually I think weekend camping has been more problematic in some cases because there are additional challenges (potential for extremely cold weather camping in Feb/March/April around here, for example) and because of the short-term nature. We leave Friday night; by the time the boys are beginning to get settled it is time to pack up and go home on Sunday morning. At least at summer camp they get a little time to settle in.

 

Lisa'bob

[oldsm]

My council has 3 boy scout camps and one cub scout camp.

 

The CS camp runs summer-long programs of varying lengths. Some are 5 days/4 nights, some are 4-days/3 nights. There are Cub-Parent Weekends, and a Family Camping Weekend. In all cases, the tentage is the same as that used at the BS camps.

 

Staffing at the CS camps is both adult and boy scouts (paid, of course). For the resident camps (5- and 4- days), each pack provides 2 leaders (at least one trained). Basically they are responsible for shepherding the boys around, but they don't have to provide the program.

 

I did 5 years of CS resident camp. It was good for the boys, and it was good for me, too. Then I moved in to boy scouts where it's even more fun, especially since the boys pretty much take care of themselves.

 

The biggest problem has always been the parents who couldn't bear to let their son out of their sight for a few days. (sigh...)

[SR540Beaver]

Our council (Last Frontier) has 6 properties. Slippery Falls Scout Ranch is where Boy Scout Summer camp is held for 5 weeks. Camp George Thomas is where 8 half week sessions of Cub and Webelos Resident camp is held. They run Sunday thru Wednesday morning and Wednesday afternoon thru Saturday. There are 2 sessions that are Wolf and Bear only, 5 sessions that are Webelos only and 1 session that is Cubs and Webelos mixed. Cub Day Camp is held at the district level rather than the council level. Out of 10 districts, 4 will use 2 other council properties while the other 6 districts will use parks and facilities closer to their district.

[ScoutNut]

We have Parent-Son camps & Day camps, no Resident camps as of yet. In a few years, when they get their Cub World up & running, they are planning on having Resident camp.

[MaScout]

ScoutNut--I don't know where in the Midwest you are from, as that covers a LOT of area, but...Longs Peak Council has an AWESOME Cub Camp. It is located near Red Feather Lakes west of Loveland, CO (which is north of Denver a little bit). There are three theme areas...Fort Unfug, Camp Castlewalker, and Everitt Seaport. The areas look like what they are called...a fort, a castle, and a seaport. They have an awesome program, nice tents, shower houses, decent food, ... They have programs for Partner & Pal, 3-day camps, and 4 or 5-day camps for the Webelos.

[Kaji]

I grew up in NCAC, and it's like Manassas Eagle said, there (Probably even came from the same district, if you go by the old PW District instead of Occoquan and Bull Run). I think part of the issue is that before Webelos, Cubs are requires to have a parent with them when they go camping. Many dads can't afford to take a full week off from work for summer camp, and most moms I know (although there are certainly some out there who go against this trend) think that a Motel 8 is roughing it, and refuse to camp in anything less than an RV.

 

I'm currently in Allohak Council in WV, and we've got a resident camp (Camp Mahonegan) for the boys out here, although I don't know what the lower age limit is for it. We did have a campout for the Cubs in my district last October though, which was for all ages so long as they had a parent with them.

[msnowman]

Kaji - our Council run Cub resident camp doesn't require the boys to have a parent with them for the length of camp. We go as a Pack with the Pack providing at least 2 deep leadership(2 adults for every 6 or 8 boys is the required ratio). So our Council's Cubs are getting a week of camping (okay, Sunday noon to Friday noon) in tents, at the Scout Camp, without parents. There is a seperate 3 day/2 night Pal and Me camp for 1st thru 3rd graders that require each boy to have his own personal adult w/ him. Regular resident camp doesn't have that rule.

 

YiS

Michelle

[CNYScouter]

Our council currently has 3 camps.

1 is Dining Hall style for Troops/Crews.

1 has patrol cooking for Troops/Crews.

1 is used exclusivley for Cub Scout Resident Camp.

 

Each Distict has a Day Camp Program that runs Mon-Fri from 8 to 4 held at a park in the district. Facilities and activities vary at each day camp.

1 to 1 ratio is not needed but each Den needs to supply at least one parent to attend each day.

 

Tigers through Bears can go to Resident camp.

This runs from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. There are 3 or 4 weekends.

 

We have 2 Webelos weekends that run Friday morning through Sunday Afternoon.

both of these require a parent/guardian to attend all weekend and are held at the council cub camp.

 

There is also a Webelos Adventure weekend that runs Thursday morning to Sunday afternoon.

This also require a parent/guardian to attend all weekend and is held at one of the scout camps (dining hall).

 

At one time we used to offer Firefly camp.

This was for the whole family and ran Mon-Thurs from 4pm to 10pm at the councils cub camp.

 

I think our cub camos are all volunteer run.

[Beagle Scout]

Our council offers 3 Cub Scout resident camps (4 days, 3 nights each). I'm not sure how well attended they are, but as far as I know, no boys from our pack have attended in the last couple of years. Within our pack, I would not say that boys are discouraged from attending, but they certainly aren't encouraged to go. We do have 2-day day camps for Cubs and for Webelos that are well-attended by our boys, and the overnight family camps put on by our council are becoming more popular in our pack, too.

 

I think the feeling among our leaders and parents is that if the boys go to resident camp as Cub Scouts, it will take away some of the uniqueness of Boy Scout summer camp, so that when the boys eventually go to Boy Scout summer camp, it will be more of a "been there, done that" experience. Has anyone out there found this to be the case? If not, at what age/rank would it be best to have boys attend Cub Scout resident camp?

 

[Kaji]

Right after their Bear year makes a fine time to introduce them to it, as it'll jumpstart their Webelos stuff. The programs are so different between what's done with Boy Scouts and what's done with Cub Scouts that I've never seen a problem like what you're describing with younger boys (I think the allure of having such a simple and structured way to earn merit badges has its appeal in itself...)

[msnowman]

Our boys are all encouraged to go to Resident camp and usually its mom who is less ready for them to attend. This year we are sending 3 graduating Tigers, 2 graduating Wolves and 2 graduating Bears, all first time campers. They are all tremendously excited to be going to Cub Camp.

 

As Kaji said, the difference between Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts is so different that burn out really isn't an issue. Actually most of our Cubs look forward to going as Boy Scouts because "we get more freedom". This summer will be Nephew's second year as a Boy Scout and 5th year at camp overall. I gotta say the luster hasn't faded for him. He did two weeks of Boy Scout camp last year and is doing the same this year (he wanted to go all 4 weeks but finances just didn't allow it), plus going as Den Chief during our Pack's week at Cub Camp.

 

YiS

Michelle