Taking cubs out of school for camp

[scoutldr]

Well, if the parents didn't go along with it, it wouldn't happen. Either start a revolution, or find another Pack. Those are your choices.

[ScoutNut]

How long is the trip when you have to go thru the pass?

 

Are there any suitable camping spots on your side of the pass?

 

You realize that you don't HAVE to travel with the rest of the Pack, don't you? As a matter of fact traveling in a caravan is against BSA policy.

 

Leave as early as possible Friday night, or at the crack of dawn on Saturday. Setting up in the dark on Friday or getting up before dawn on Saturday is better than missing school. You would still have the entire day Saturday if you get in while they are still waking up. You would also have time on Sunday for play and camaraderie. You just leave early enough Sunday afternoon to get you home at a reasonable time Sunday evening.

 

[Pack212Scouter]

Wow...Our Pack runs a very active program, yet I can't imagine a Pack which travels more than 2 or 3 hours to an activity that many times a year! I think maybe the Pack needs to reevaluate it's program. This is Cub Scouts, not Boy Scouts! Something else that may not be considered is how long are these events? If they start on Friday night and go until Sunday night or Monday morning, then they excede the 72 hour limit for Class 1 medical forms. Any event which lasts longer than 72 hours requires Class 2 forms for Scouts and Class 3 forms for any adults (not just leaders...adults) over 40.

[Den6Pack51Mom]

We live in Monroe, washington which is part of the foot hills of the cascade mountains. We are not far from camping at all! THE FORREST IS OUR BACK YARD ... 1/2 hr in 3 directions gets you hundreds of trails and camping areas and a large ski resort. The passes are extremely dangerous in the winter which is why you don't normally travel them too early or too late. As far as distance goes its about a 5 hr drive through 2 passes to get to the location they want to go too. We are not attending but, there are other parents who have questioned taking their kids out so, I appreciate all of the input. This has made it alot easier on a few other parents to make their decision as well. and yes these parents just want long weekends and use scouting as their excuse.

[John-in-KC]

d6P51Mom,

 

1) I hope at an early date you volunteer for Scouting, become a leader, and take the training available. I think your level of love and care for the youth is fairly high, that you noticed this early on.

 

2) Absent some really good piece of info about this Pack, leave it!

[Beavah]

Yah, they like da mountains Den6Pack51Mom, eh? I take it they're goin' over by Skykomish and farther, eh?

 

I think we all need to take a breath.

 

Campin' in that part of Washington State durin' the winter might be pretty wet for the little guys. Or perhaps for the parents! Lots more rain and damp on that side of the mountains. If yeh go over the range to the east, yeh tend to get much more cub-friendly and family-friendly weather. But those passes need to be driven carefully, and that might well mean leavin' early or returnin' late.

 

Den6, I think yeh just have to make the call based on what the pack program is like overall and what it offers your son. For a lad who does well in school, there can be lots of merit in a good outdoors/alternative education program... and even more sometimes for a lad who doesn't do well in school. Hard to say. I admit this seems more than a bit "out there", but then I don't know all the circumstances. Look at things overall, though, before makin' a snap judgment. School is important, but I bet in your area athletes get released early when they have long drives for meets or games. Family is important, but how often do we make reasonable choices to sacrifice family time to offer some opportunity to one child? I'd particularly consider if there's a lot of friendship/school ties for your son with this pack, eh? Bein' socially comfortable in school has big positive effects on learnin' (or vice versa), and that might affect your decision too.

 

All things in balance, eh? My guess, though, is that yeh will achieve the best balance by findin' a pack that's more in keeping with your expectations.

 

Beavah

 

[Pack212Scouter]

Well, that might be true. And I'm sure they love camping there. But that is still a fair drive. One of the first things that you need to ask when planning events is 1) are they accessable to most of the target group (The Pack) and 2) are you asking them to cross a hazard that they normally would not and is that unreasonable (may depend on season).

 

Also don't forget the 72 hour rule. It sounds like that on some of these the arrival is Friday night and the departure is Monday morning. That is about 84 hours. Not having class 2 & 3 medical forms on these boys and their parents is a violation of BSA rules and GSS.

[scoutldr]

Ahh, Beavah, as always the voice of temperance and moderation.

 

In our school district, athletes get excused absences. Cub Scouts do not. Of course, if your GPA drops, you will no longer be an athlete. I think it's important that we do not send the message that it's ok to ignore school rules, as long as we have fun doing it. I view an unexcused absence as having broken an attendance policy.

 

Also, in our Council, all sites used for Cub camping have to be on the "Council approved" list. Not sure if that's a national rule or not, but might be worth looking into. Another check point would be at the tour permit approval stage.

[croushorn]

>>Also, in our Council, all sites used for Cub camping have to be on the "Council approved" list.

[shortridge]

No wonder the pack takes four days - a five-hour drive would wipe me out. I'd need a half-day just to recuperate.

 

Sounds kind of crazy, if only because it'd be really tough for parents to commit to that type of a schedule without planning well in advance (like a year). I'd be very curious what goes on at these campouts.

 

# # #

 

This might be heresy, but I wouldn't automatically put school before Scouts. As a former homeschooler, there were times when I got more out of Cubs or Boy Scouts than out of my formal lessons. My parents also used the Cub program as a launching point for study topics. And when I got into Boy Scouts, the time I spent outdoors and camping was like icing on the phys ed/natural sciences/leadership cake. Bottom line: Academics durn sure ain't everythin'.

[Pack212Scouter]

Cub Scout camping has to be at Council approved campsites. That is national policy. That said, if the council approved the trip permit, then I would assume that it is approved?

[ScoutMomof5]

"WOW" As for me, I would never let my kids miss a day of school. This year I have five kids in school. My three middle children have never missed a day of school. Plus two of them have asthma.

Anyhow, Our council has a big camp at the end of September every year. It is held Fri-Sun. The gates are opened at 3pm. The location is a couple of hour away with weekend traffic. So the fear of setting up camp in the dark is there. Our solution is to have a couple of volunteers gett there early to set up if we have a big group. What our family does is wait for our middle school child to get out of school, and then pick up the elementary kids up about an hour only, so we can have some daylight. My kids already know it as the one day a year can will leave school early.

My mom was way strict about that when I was in school. I was shocked when she let me participate in a ceremony I was asked to attend to present flower to "Stephanie Edwards". Something like that, I might let my kids miss "part of the day", but school will always come before scouts.

Oh, by the way, don't get me wrong. If my kids are really sick they will stay home. That's why my oldest doesn't have the perfect attendents.

[SctDad]

I don't see the reasoning behind pulling the kids out of school for the full day.

 

I have seen in the past (When I was a scout) where we were brought home early for a trip that required extensive travel. But we were still counted present that day because we were there untill 11:00. That is just the way the school policy was. That was for Boy Scouts though.

 

I cannot see pulling Cubs out for an activity like that. But I would say that I am fortunate in that matter. We have 5 camps that are within 2 hours from our CO.

 

We are planning a trip to a state park here this month. I asked the DE about the approved list and they told me that all state and national parks that offer camping in our state are on the list of approved sites, so there is no need to re-apply. Our campsite this time is 2.5 hours away. We will also have an activity at the Battleship NC. Same area as campsite. So to make things easier we will be pullig out at 7:00 am to make a full day of things. That is just how the plans are going right now. I know, parents may gripe about getting up early, but this will make for the best use of the day, with the extended travel that we must do.

 

If we were to leave on friday, it would be after the boys get out of school, but I think parents schedule would interfere with that. But if they want to leave early I am game, my schedule and other permit that. We are just getting ready to take on a large group of new parents that I am not sure about. That is why we usually leave on saturday AM.

 

That is my 3 cents worth. I just became CM so I guess I have to pay more now.

[Den6Pack51Mom]

I see alot about campgrounds and thought I would clarify. The pack has rented a church camp to use for winter camp. It is not a scout owned facility. Which does not make sense to me because we live in the foothills of the cascades and it's only a 45 min. drive to stevens pass. A great ski area with an awsome intertube hill (mountain if your hiking to the top) We do get snow in monroe as well as alot of freezing rain and lots of wind and fog. so, it is drier and clearer in that sense on the eastern side of the summit. Apparently the cub master likes this "camp" so they always do their winter camp (klondike) there. As far as scout camps go their are 4, I believe within an hour of us and we have tons of state and federal areas as well.

 

So, this is more of questioning the integrity of the pack leaders and the example they are setting as influential adults. Personally my child is doing well in school and is in the excellerated program. however, some of our cubs are struggling in school and have learned from early on scouts comes first. So, I ask, what good is being a boy scout if you can't read ?