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Safety issues with opening scout camps to public


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I am seeing more cabin upgrades at area scout camps. Where once cabins were rustic with just a wood stove if that, now they are becoming insulated with secure doors, electricity, lights, heat, and indoor plumbing! 

 

The thinking is that these upgrades will increase year-round bookings and the public is welcome to make reservations. Scout and non-scout groups could be at the camp at the same time.

 

My concern is safety. I have asked Council if these outside groups have had the same YP and background checks as us and I get either a non-response or a buck pass "It is the responsibility of the renting party..."

 

At the same camp during the summer, non-scout campers all wear ID's as do scouts.

 

At the least, I think camping BSA unit leaders should have a roster of all groups, scout and non-scout, in camp that weekend...

 

Is there more safety consistency elsewhere?

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I am seeing more cabin upgrades at area scout camps. Where once cabins were rustic with just a wood stove if that, now they are becoming insulated with secure doors, electricity, lights, heat, and indoor plumbing! 

 

The thinking is that these upgrades will increase year-round bookings and the public is welcome to make reservations. Scout and non-scout groups could be at the camp at the same time.

 

My concern is safety. I have asked Council if these outside groups have had the same YP and background checks as us and I get either a non-response or a buck pass "It is the responsibility of the renting party..."

 

At the same camp during the summer, non-scout campers all wear ID's as do scouts.

 

At the least, I think camping BSA unit leaders should have a roster of all groups, scout and non-scout, in camp that weekend...

 

Is there more safety consistency elsewhere?

Not sure what your concern is, it's not like Youth Protection Training does anything. As far as a stranger doing something to a scout well it is vastly more likely that they will be injured on the way to he camp, background checks are mostly useless. It is also no different than any Scout only event since parents are allowed at every event and no YP or background check is required.

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It's why we have Scouts always follow the buddy system.  My troop does the majority of our campouts in state parks.  We have absolutely no idea who else is sharing the campground with us. 

 

Well that is pretty much the situation here, the summer safeguards of scout camp drop to the state park level in the off-season. Yes it concerns me.

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Well that is pretty much the situation here, the summer safeguards of scout camp drop to the state park level in the off-season. Yes it concerns me.

I understand you are concerned but why? What makes that different from any other campout, especially ones in public camping areas?

 

Really stranger dangers isn't what you need to be worried about.

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There is more crime, noise, trash, and unruly people in state parks here. Yes we use the buddy system and I may stay up to keep watch. Our past bad experiences have been frequent and severe enough that we rarely camp or hike at state parks and when we do it is early or late in their season. 

 

We camp at scout camps, National Parks/Forests ($$ prevents riff-raff), or private property. Safer. Well it was.

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I understand you are concerned but why? What makes that different from any other campout, especially ones in public camping areas?

 

Really stranger dangers isn't what you need to be worried about.

Exactly.  I'm on the lookout for the grooming behavior, too. Thankfully, I haven't seen any. 

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There is more crime, noise, trash, and unruly people in state parks here. Yes we use the buddy system and I may stay up to keep watch. Our past bad experiences have been frequent and severe enough that we rarely camp or hike at state parks and when we do it is early or late in their season. 

 

We camp at scout camps, National Parks/Forests ($$ prevents riff-raff), or private property. Safer. Well it was.

 

Well, I haven't really noticed all that much really bad behavior at state parks in Florida. 

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