Showers for family camps

[Sidney Porter]

Cubs and canoeing its flat water and council or district property. Seems overly restrictive.

[Twocubdad]

I think our recent membership changes are driving a push toward individual shower stalls. Almost immediately following the membership vote our council properties committee had a quick about-face on the topic of new showers. Of course money is the big stumbling block.

 

Until then, I think you need to look at who else is using the showers when mom or dad decides she/he must to accompany Dear Sweet Thing to the showers. A 10-y.o. Webelos may not be too thrilled about the Tiger mom walking in on him. A shower house full of grown women may not appreciate being checked out by your 8 year old.

 

One thing to consider is what constitutes "private." For years, our camp considered the entire shower facility to be private and prohibited adult from being in the shower house. After a lot of complaints, the camp reconsidered the intent of the rule and decided the private area of the shower is that space behind the shower curtains. Adult leaders were allowed in the main dressing area to provide supervision. Scouts were instructed that if they wanted complete privacy they should dress and undress behind the curtain. Even at that there were separate facilities for males and females.

 

Ultimately, this is a problem for the camp director to solve in accordance with not just the G2SS but also the national camp standards. Even if there is a technical violation of the rules, camps can take into consideration local circumstances and the limits of the facilities in enforcing the rules. Bottom line is you have to act in the best interest and safety of the Scouts.

[Eagle94-A1]

Stosh,

 

Actually with my boys, it was SWMBO that was insistent initially with them going with her. Now she is good to go. Heck last Cub Camp out she made the comment, "You and me are in camp giving out [Halloween] candy. The boys are somewhere in camp. They know where we are."

 

The only problem I had with a Webelos doing a 50 miler with the Boy Scouts (way back in the day and day was a leader) was that after that trip, the weekend trips and summer camps were boring after that trip. He dropped out of the troop he joined, but did eventually join the law enforcement Explorer post.

[JasonG172]

UGH, I have a female leader that drags her boys to the shower EVERY NIGHT of EVERY campout! it gets annoying

[Stosh]

Does this mean Cub Scouts can't do family camps at KOA's? Game room?, Pool?, snack shop? free WIFI? all unavailable? just because they don't have the proper shower facilities? Bummer.

 

Stosh

[scoutldr]

BSA YPT made me really paranoid. After years of Scouter-ing, I re-enrolled at the city rec center to do winter lap swimming. Imagine my discomfort when, as I was showering and getting dressed in an open locker room/shower room (nude, of course), a bunch of yutes run in as their swim class dismissed. It seems no one actually showers in the nude any more. And no "separate showers"...just male and female locker rooms. And no showers before swimming...they just strip off their clothes and already have their swim trunks on underneath. yuk.

[Eagle94-A1]

Stosh,

 

There are a bunch of different requirements that are supposed to be met in order for a campground to be approved by the council for camping. Yep the council is suppose to pre-approve camps that Cubs can use.List can be found in the B.A.L.O.O. syllabus. Having shower and bathing facilities is one of the requirements, but I know of a camp that has neither, but is still used for Cubs. Port-o-potties are used to meet the bathroom requirement, and a solar shower was purchased for meeting that requirement. But the shower isn't used.

 

Don't know about your neck of the woods, but that hasn't happened in mine. Heck I've commented to the OA folks that they could put some type of notation in the Where To Go Camping book of the Cub Approved camps, and give those books out to the packs as well. Comment I got was "Cubs don't need to camp."