How do camps accommodate girl troops?

[Treflienne]

On 7/21/2019 at 10:22 PM, Treflienne said:

Only difference has been how provo campers are being handled.  So far the (very few) provo girls are being placed with girls troops who are at camp that week and who have offered to host them.

How is your camp handling girl provo campers?  Are they being welcomed every week the camp is open?

[David CO]

1 hour ago, Eagledad said:

 

I guess this word "creepy" came from adults because I've never heard anything like it from scouts taking group showers. I also don't remember hearing anything like it when adults showered with scouts back in the day, but times are different. 

 

I've never heard a father say that having boys take group showers is creepy, but I sometimes hear it from the mothers.

I've heard something like it from elementary school age boys, but they weren't complaining about using the guys locker room. They were complaining about their mothers forcing them to use the women's washrooms and locker rooms. That is creepy. 

As we get more girls and women involved in scouting, I think we will be seeing some dramatic changes. Boys won't be allowed to act like boys anymore. 

Edited July 23, 2019 by David CO

[perdidochas]

On 7/15/2019 at 5:54 AM, Eagle1993 said:

Our camp had two shower houses.  One had 8 individual stalls and 30 minute wait times.   The other had two separate group shower areas (male youth/male adults).   Those were routinely empty (Only once did I ever hear a shower going on the youth side).   I even suggested to some youth who were waiting in a long line for the individual showers that the other shower house was open... thinking back now, that could have sounded a bit creepy.

In any case, many youth today seem especially self conscious and have no desire to use the traditional group shower areas.  I agree, I expect every camp will be moving to the individual stalls in the future.

I agree.  I think that's the trend everywhere, not just in scouts. When my  old Troop went to Camp Daniel Boone, they had a great setup for showers and bathrooms.  They had two buildings with about a dozen doors on the two sides (longwise). Each shower (and each toilet) had it's own door. No worries about if youth or adults of either gender were in the shower room next to you.  

[perdidochas]

2 hours ago, Eagledad said:

In my youth, there was a life guard attended spring fed swimming hole at summer camp where skinning dipping allowed.

I guess this word "creepy" came from adults because I've never heard anything like it from scouts taking group showers. I also don't remember hearing anything like it when adults showered with scouts back in the day, but times are different. Hey, what about trans scouts and adult leaders? Still, I find it ironic that the only adult leaders I've seen get in trouble at scout camps are women leaders (moms) walking into the youth showers to check on their scouts. There is not doubt in my mind they were just following their motherly instinct of checking on her chicks, but they learned quickly the seriousness of the rules. When one of our female leaders heard about the scandal, she wondered how they would have felt about a dad checking in on a girl scout troop. Of course those words are closer to home now. I would not be surprised that the required facility changes for girls will push a few camps to be sold. These things are very expensive and some councils can't afford it.

Barry

When I was a youth (I'm 53 now), I would have thought it strange that adults were showering with Scouts.  I don't think I would do it.  I might have showered with other youth, but I wouldn't have liked it.  I don't think I ever showered at summer camp, though, or at almost any campout, as a youth.  

[David CO]

5 hours ago, perdidochas said:

I don't think I ever showered at summer camp

We required it.

[Sentinel947]

8 hours ago, Eagledad said:

I would not be surprised that the required facility changes for girls will push a few camps to be sold. These things are very expensive and some councils can't afford it.

Barry

My council conducted NYLT (5 courses, 50 participants per course, 2 of the five courses were co-ed). We didn't have separate facilities for males and females, so there were assigned times for each demographic, male, female/ youth, adult to shower separately. 

Renovations of existing facilities would come before wholesale rebuild of facilities.

[perdidochas]

On 7/23/2019 at 7:42 PM, David CO said:

We required it.

Well, in 1977, my troop wasn't that strict. (Did swim everyday).  That said, as an adult leader, we required the boys to shower at least once. Most showered every day.  

[RememberSchiff]

In my neck of the woods, sales of camp t-shirts, sweatshirts, MB booklets have increased over previous summers. 

[RememberSchiff]

Moderator note: I split the nude swimming posts, which were unrelated to OP,  to a new topic.  The topic title can be changed.

 

 

[SteveMM]

On 7/23/2019 at 8:42 PM, David CO said:

We required it.

I don't have any recollection of ever taking a shower at summer camp when I was a Scout.  We swam every day in the lake, and I considered that enough.  When my son went to his first camp, I joined the troop for the last two nights.  I'm a Committee Member and enjoy camp, but can't take a full week away from work.  When I arrived on Thursday, he was smudged with dirt and his clothes and bedding smelled just awful.  In camps since then, he's increased the amount he showers every year.  Last year I think he took a shower just about every night.

With all of that said, and back to the original point, our council's camp has individual shower stalls, which makes the transition over to adding girls a lot easier.  We went to our neighboring council's camp a couple of years ago, and the only showers available were communal showers at the pool.  They were not used very often.