Camp Crews - Who is the CO?

[Eamonn]

"the rest fall under some state rules for volunteers with stipends"

I have never heard of such a thing.

Of course me not knowing is nothing new!!

When OJ worked as a Camp Staffer, he received a pay check. All the normal everyday deductions were taken out. -Taxes and all that good stuff!!

While I might be wrong? As I see it he was an employee.

Maybe PA isn't one of them states?

I have read that some young workers do not have to be paid the full minimum wage for the first 90 days of their employment. While I have never taken the time to really study what they can be paid. Somehow, someway $4.25 an hour is stuck in my head.

Eamonn.

 

[shortridge]

Getting slightly off-topic...

 

"If they are under 18 and not already a member of a Venturing or Scout unit, what are they doing with the summer camp program anyway if not medical or food services?"

 

Expanding on Eamonn's comment - there are plenty of program roles that a non-Scout or Venturer could play on summer camp staff. In addition to lifeguards and COPE/climbing instructors, the "real world" has a host of specialized experience that our camps could and should be drawing on.

 

The best nature/ecology director I ever worked with had no Scouting experience - he was a college friend of the camp commissioner, going for his education degree.

 

Think how cool it would be for a local search-and-rescue team member to teach Wilderness Survival.

[jmwalston]

The last time I worked in a Scout Camp as staff was in 1989, as a Field Sports Director (now Shooting Director). I was a 27 year-old District Member-at-Large. I made $300 per week plus room and board. All the staff were Scouts or Explorers except for the Shooting Instructor, whom Camp Lejeune graciously cut orders for 7 weeks each year (they were not Scouters but were registered as one before camp season began, they were also different each year). The dining hall steward was a Scout, the dining hall Commissioner a Scouter, only cooks were non-Scouters. Scout Staff made from $100 - $200 per week plus room and board, CIT's only got room and board.

 

Flash ahead to this year. Our Council camp had staff who were all Scouts or Venturers. The Camp Health Officer was from a LFL EMT Post. Talking with Scouts on the Staff, wages hadn't change any over the years. This Camp is in a different Council than the one I worked, but in the same state.

[shortridge]

What does (did) a dining hall commissioner do?

[jmwalston]

"What does (did) a dining hall commissioner do?"

 

They basically handled sanitation, food preparation, and food procurement/purchases. The dining hall steward was in charge of the KP and coordinated the food servers. Staff rotated on food serving, Scouts from the troops camping provided work parties to clean up tables and sweep and mop after meals.

 

Please understand that except for meals, crackerbarrels, and staff/leadership meetings, I didn't hang out around the dining hall. Any person doing that (i.e. "loitering") might get conscripted into some dining hall chore. Staff and campers were encouraged to spend time around the camp.

 

I believe the term "dining hall commissioner" was more in reference to the old military term "comissary." I guess his actual title should been Camp Comissariat.(This message has been edited by jmwalston)

[scoutingagain]

"CIT's only got room and board. "

 

LOL . Our CIT's known as Lead Scouts, PAY THE CAMP $300 for privilege of being a staff member in training and essentially doing all the same things as paid staff do.

 

BTW, there are usually more boys who sign up and are willing to PAY to be trained and spend the summer at camp working without pay than there are slots available.

 

SA

 

 

[John-in-KC]

Our Council also gives CITs room and board. They apply just like Staff, they're interviewed just like Staff, and they're given a contract... just like Staff.

 

They live in Staff Village (usually cabined with several reliable older staff kids), and they get 2 staff T-shirts.

 

We've had pretty good success with them.

 

BTW, on the issue of youth staff membership, one of the books given us at Philmont Training Center was the LT Camp Program (not quite its true title,I'll update with that and the bin number). IIRC there is an absolute requirement that every staffer be a registered member of the Boy Scouts of America, excepting where the Council commercially contracts a service (dining hall cooks as one example).

[jmwalston]

When I was on camp staff, the number of CITs varied from year to year. Generally it was always half a dozen or less. And of that number, about half of them really didn't understand the responsibilities that went with being a staff member. Alot of them thought that it just involved instructing a badge or two, serving meals now and then, and helping with campfire activities. Several would quit by the second or third week. Those who completed the summer usually came back as staff. The problem at our camp was the CITs should have been assigned an adult staff mentor for guidance in addition to their program director, but were only assigned to a staff MB instructor with little guidance from the program directors.

[John-in-KC]

Our CIT program is a 1 weeker, to avoid the problems mentioned above. They don't have time to be bored!

 

 

[jmwalston]

Our CITs were there for the whole summer program with camp staff.

[shortridge]

CIT's at my camp don't get paid, but they don't have to pay, either. I believe they get a bonus if they return the next year as a paid staffer. It's a full-summer program.

 

Back in my day, CITs were pretty much full members of the staff. They helped set up camp and rotated through program areas or support service areas - usually including one week at the pool/waterfront. They were "program specialists" - basically camp guides/song leaders/den chiefs - for the resident Cub camp.

 

And don't tell the inspectors, but in a pinch, they even taught some merit badges! I taught Indian Lore and Basketry my first week, and it is with absolute certainty that I can say they were the worst classes in the history of any summer camp on any planet in any galaxy.

 

But I can only recall of a handful of CITs quitting during five years.

 

These days, the assistant program director supervises the CIT program, and they don't teach merit badges. It's much more structured.

[Vicki]

In terms of pay, Scoutldr and Eamonn, scout camps are exempt from minimum wage requirements because they don't operate year-round and they are recreational in nature. This also puts scout camp employees in a different class from scout shop employees (since scout shops operate year round and are not recreational in nature). Here's the link to the Department of Labor regs - http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs18.pdf

 

Vicki

[Eagle92]

Yes council can be the CO, but it's my understanding that there is a limit to the number of untis they can sponsor. Mostly councils use it for their summer camp staff as not everyone hired is active in Scouting. In the seven years I've worked summer camp at four different camps, we have had Marines, Navy Corpsman, National Guardsman, seminarians, and outside experts in specialized area for the sea base one council operates. They needed to be registered, and thus the crew.

 

Also where does it say that a summercamp crew cannot be active year round? While one crew I was associated with did have problems meeting year round, that was the result the camp director moving on. At two of the camops, staff were doing things througout the year. Working council and district events, having parties, doing their own crew events, etc. And My current council has the crew doing council activities periodically throughout the year.