Webelos (2nd year) at Summer Twilight Camp

[rjscout]

Last year, I volunteered at Twilight Camp to help with Shooting Sports, so my son went along (one of three types of Cub Scout Summer Camp that we attended, including Adventure and Fun with Son). I was asked to help with Shooting Sports, again, this coming summer. I asked my son if he would like to go (cutting down to one or two, instead of all three types) and he said that it depends on what the events are. I guess he got a little bored with the standard events that happen at Cub Scout Summer Camp. Does anyone have any good ideas of what would keep the interest of a 2nd year Webelos Scout (I didn't want to say Webelos II)? Being so close to Boy Scouts, I think it should be something to help entice him to think more about crossing over.

 

Thanks for your help. I'll probably pass some of the ideas to our Webelos Den Leaders, too, to get some ideas for Den activities through the year, or for extra summer activities.

[Basementdweller]

You need to remember at his level he has seen everything that Cub Scouting has to offer. It may be better for him not to attend Cub resident camp this year. You could take the Weeb den out for a 3 or 4 day camp with the assistance of the cross over prospective boy scout troop.

 

My son is in the same boat and he is a Bear. We attended a couple of council/district cub events recently and he was bored. So we approached the Troop he is joining about attending a few events with them. The scout master was more than happy to have us come along as guests. So we have attended a camporee, campout and a couple of hikes. Hopefully he will cross over at 10 1/2 and be out of cubs. This means no second weeb year.

[ScoutNut]

Find out if your Council/District offers Webelos Summer Camp. These camps focus more on Webelos level stuff.

 

For the summer between 4th and 5th grade, I would avoid Day Camp altogether, unless there was a Webelos specific program that he really wanted to attend. I would go with a longer term (3 or 4 days) Webelos Resident Camp.

 

The best thing to do to facilitate the transition from Webelos to Boy Scout is, starting as soon as they become 4th grade Webelos, do as many activities as possible with Boy Scout Troops. Also work with as many different Troops as possible.

 

 

[rjscout]

The Resident Camp (Adventure Camp) is broken into rank levels, so there are some differences between Wolf, Bear, 1st year Webelos and 2nd year Webelos, with some common activities. We will continue to attend that. Since I will be on staff for the Twilight (5 evening sessions... 5-9pm), I want to offer my son a good program. Last year was my first year at Twilight and I didn't get to see much of what went on since the shooting sports were separated from the rest. I do want to help make sure that the Webelos get something more exciting than the common CS events. Our Council has talked about trying to have a Webelos Resident Camp, but no announcement, yet. I was hoping to get some ideas that might be used for when Webelos are visiting with Boy Scout Troops, to help get them excited. The Twilight Camp does have BS from local troops helping to staff the program.

 

Does NCS have suggestions as to what to offer for various levels?

 

I had heard that most troops focused more on 5th graders, so we haven't attempted to get the 4th graders involved with the troops. I have been anxious to get more familiar with the troops. So far, I have been passing the troop info to the WDL to have the 5th graders visit the troops.

 

 

[trainerlady]

Depending on where you are in Ohio you have a couple of great looking options. Simon Kenton Council in Columbus has a great program for Webelos. A friend of mine took her son there last year and was extremely impressed (she's hard to impress).

 

Dan Beard also has a very good looking program. I have different friend that has been to it and said the facilties are awesome.

 

I'm in the same boat as you with my son. He'll more than likely be a 20 pinner by the end of his first year of Webelos. He's bored with our council's camp programs. Being on the camping committee and CSDC staff it's very hard for me to make the choice we looking at making. We are looking at going out of council and traveling some 300 hundred miles to go to one of the above camps.

 

Perhaps visiting a camp he's never been to will spark his interests. Or just go to your regular camp and hang out, fish, swim, boat, play. Camp doesn't have to be about achievements. But I must admit at the cost of camp not getting something in the form of advancement is a tough pill to swallow. This is his last year to be a kid, BS camp is about getting merit badges or doing a high adventure trips. Have fun and enjoy each other's company, it'll probably be your last time together in a scout camp.

 

One last thought, ditch cub camps this year and try a YMCA, church based, or sports camp as a change of pace. They can be day camps or sleep away camps. My kids love both of them. If you pick the right ones you'd be amazed how much advancement can happen there. Several camps in this area send home report cards with what the kids did while in camp. Check the handbook, check the report card, ask a couple of questions and you have an achievement or two signed off and it had nothing to do with Scouts.

[Basementdweller]

Simon Kenton's resident camp program is terrible. If it so great why do most of the weebs and boy scouts that attend resident camp leave the Council. The camps are in terrible shape and the rates we pay out of council are cheaper than our in council rates.

 

Two years ago at one of the Kenton camps we arrived Wednesday night for the leaders meeting to discover there was "No official Program" but more what would you like do. The program was weak and staff untrained, the boys spent the week in the pool and shot bb and archery. A waste of my Camp $$$$$$.

 

Another camp is in a suburb with the neighbors trail running thru the camp and stray dogs roaming the camp. Highway noise and noise from the train yard is deafening at 2am. The pool leaking to the point that the camps well couldn't keep up and water temp freezing. The boys couldn't even swim, Ridiculous. I have heard that it has been leaking like that for years.

 

I have been to all of the council camps and partaken in the programs. You work hard for your money......go to a neighboring council. I have heard the praises of Dan Beard council's Camp Frielander. I have received this recommendation from a trusted friend. The camp is in fantastic shape and the program was great.

 

The resident camp situation is so terrible that to earn quality unit this year our council has added the requirement of attending Resident Camp in council.

 

Quality camp, quality program and they will come.(This message has been edited by Basementdweller)

[rjscout]

I'll brag about the Dan Beard Council Adventure Camp (resident camp) at Cub World. Camp Friedlander, Camp Craig, and Cub World are three of the camps as part of the Dan Beard Scout Reservation of approx. 500 acres (from what I have read). The staff is awesome and the program is a lot of fun. We will go to Adventure Camp, again, this summer. My request for ideas is for one of the District Day Camps (held in the evening, which makes it a Twilight camp). I don't want to take ideas from Adventure Camp for the boys who might be attending both camps. The 2nd year Webelos at adventure camp go on an Outpost, camping under the stars. None of their Pack/Den leaders go with them, just the camp staff.

 

Camp Friedlander does have the Boy Scout Summer Camp, which I have heard great things about. I hope to experience that as an ASM in the future.

[Eagle92]

Didn't think a council could add requirements to Quality Unit Award as that is a national recognition. PLUS the goal of the districts and councils is to get Quality District/Council.

[Basementdweller]

rj.....when are they going to post the dates for Friedlander?????? More importantly the Weeb dates.

 

 

 

 

[shortridge]

In my days staffing a Cub/Webelos resident camp, the staff developed a common set of program "modules" - for lack of a better word - that centered around the camp theme (pirates, knights, pioneers, etc.). We simply adjusted the program difficulty or challenge for the age or experience of the group. For example, Webelos got a faster-paced, more advanced program of knot instruction than Wolves did.

 

The only program specifically reserved for the week-long Webelos was the outpost program, an afternoon-long event which included a hike to a remote site, campfire cooking (foil dinners), swimming in the creek (vs. the pool), storytelling, etc. That program was born out of a logistical issue - how to get one group of half-week campers out and another group in while not churning up the camp for the week-long campers who remain?

 

Everything else was pretty cookie-cutter, looked at from a numbers standpoint - we have 200 kids and 40some staff, so how do we expose them all to the best program we can afford in the short time we have available? So no, there's not a lot of focus in the NCS training that I'm aware of on how to customize the program for different levels (though I didn't do the CD or PD sections, just Scoutcraft Director).

 

Depending on your camp's resources, there may simply not be enough Webelos attending to offer special, Webelos-only programs. So as others have said, look at other, non-Scouting options for your son, or see if he can hook up with a local Boy Scout troop.

[rjscout]

Basementdweller,

 

Camp Friedlander is the Boy Scout Summer Camp, which starts with Week 1 (June 20) through Week 7 (August 1). The first deposit is due Feb 8.

 

Cub World is for next years Wolf through Webelos with each rank being in a different program area (Wolf - fort; Bear - castle; 1st Webelos - Mountain Man; 2nd Webelos - Miners camp). They don't have a week (4 days, 3 nights) for just Webelos. The weeks (Mon-Thu) are Jun 21, Jun 28, Jul 26 and Aug 2. The early discount is usually due around May 11. These dates are not posted in the danbeard.org camping section, yet. I pulled these dates from the Events calendar.

 

Hope this helps.

[Basementdweller]

That is a huge help. Do you happen to know which activity pins they will work on????

 

thx

[rjscout]

The Adventure Camp Leaders Guide shows these areas of achievement that can be obtained at camp:

WEBELOS BADGE: 6*, 7

WEBELOS ACTIVITY PINS: Aquanaut 1-5, 7; Athlete 2,3; Communicator 1; Forester 3, 4, 7,9;

Geologist 1, 7; Naturalist 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12; Outdoorsman 1-3, 5, 6, 7*, 8, 9, 10, 12*; Sportsman 2, 4.

 

It is up to the leader to track what the boys actually do. I was the floater for our Pack, so I wasn't with the same rank for the entire stay. It is a great camp and I can't wait to go again this summer.

 

[rjscout]

Basement,

The updated info for Dan Beard Cub Scout Summer camp is online now:

http://danbeard.org/Camping_Cub.Aspx

 

 

The resident camp sessions offered this summer are:

 

Adventure Camp 1: June 21 24

Adventure Camp 2: June 28 July 1

Adventure Camp 3: July 26 29

Adventure Camp 4: August 2 4