Need CS Camp School Advice and/or Info

[Twocubdad]

FYI -- Page 31 of the Cub Scout Day Camp book references that "program aides" must be at least 14 y.o. It also requires that they be Venturers or Life or Eagle Scouts.

 

To tell you the truth, I've never noticed the rank requirement before and I'm quite sure we've had Boy Scouts on staff of lesser rank. We do, however, require their Scoutmaster to approve their staff application.

[Eagle92]

Interesting about hte Life or Eagle requirement. I don't remember seeing that int he standards or book, but it was one fast paced weekend. And I can tell you that last year one of our aids was 14, but only 2nd Class if memory serves.

 

I still remember the days when all you need to be was a Scout to work camp. I was 11 y.o. and Tenderfoot workign CSDC. Nowadays DOL will come after the CD and PD for that.

 

EDITED: Find it funny that a brand new 14 yo Venturer with no previous scouting expereicne is OK to work CSDC, but a 14yo First Class or Star Scout with 3 years experience is not.(This message has been edited by eagle92)

[Eagle92]

2cub,

I read the CSDC book and yep p.31 does indeed state what you said. BUT the National Standards do not state a rank requirement, only an age requirement, AND give an EXCEPTION for a DC who is working with his regular den at CSDC. Guess they had to make that exeption for those 12 and 13yo DC workignon the DCSA. Also the same standard states that other under 14 yos must be under the supervision of their parent or unit leader. Luckily the National Standards trump the guide.

[Twocubdad]

I think the presumption is that if "regular" or year-round dens attend camp as a unit then the under-14 den chiefs will be under the supervison of their regular, year-round den leaders.

 

One think that's hard for a lot of folks to wrap their heads around is that a lot of the national day camp materials are built around day camp running they way most boy scout summer camps run. That is, a fixed, multi-week staff providing the program to different packs and dens which attend the camps, bringing both scouts and den/pack leaders. This generates a lot of confusion, especially as relates to staff. In this situation, are the den leaders camp staff? Are den chiefs attending day camp with their dens staff? In the same set up at boy scout camp, the adults attending camp with their troops are not considered camp staff.

 

While a good bit of the day camp literature is based on this model of camp organization, not too many camp operate this way, at least not in my area. Most run as provisional camps with dens at camps comprised of scouts and leaders from a varient of packs. In this model, all the leaders are camp volunteers. It would be as if all scouts at a boy scout camp attend as provisional campers with troop leadership provided by the camp.

 

 

[Eagle92]

Agreed. Heck one part of the binder looks as if it came straight out of the BS Summer camp NCS book, including info on chaplains and the International Camp Staff program. But as I learned, there IS a big difference between CS and BS camp.