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Summer Camps and the Coronavirus


le Voyageur

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Call the council for your summer camp (or the high adventure base) and get an email (aka "in writing") that fees will be reimbursed if they are closed by governing health agencies.  You may also ask about cases where you or your community is under quarantine, but the camp (which is hours away) is still open.

Most councils do have some sort of event insurance that covers this.

If a parent pays for camp, and then decides on their own not to send the Scout, then they'll probably get no fees returned. Your mileage WILL vary.

I'll bet the travel insurance industry is booming right now... 

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27 minutes ago, InquisitiveScouter said:

Call the council for your summer camp (or the high adventure base) and get an email (aka "in writing") that fees will be reimbursed if they are closed by governing health agencies.  You may also ask about cases where you or your community is under quarantine, but the camp (which is hours away) is still open.

Most councils do have some sort of event insurance that covers this.

If a parent pays for camp, and then decides on their own not to send the Scout, then they'll probably get no fees returned. Your mileage WILL vary.

I'll bet the travel insurance industry is booming right now... 

Please stay calm and respectfully - don't start calling, emailing, nor make assumptions that "some sort of insurance" covers this.       Give some breathing room for communications to come to you.   Especially for events months out.   

Stay calm,

Stay informed with good information -https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html 

Maintain good hygiene practices.  (cover your cough or sneeze, wash your hands, stay home if sick)

  

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RichardB,

Concur to a point.  This is a unit/crew leader responsibility.  And I have already called both our summer camp (as unit leader), and our high adventure base (as crew leader), and gotten these assurances in writing...

Because I was calm and thinking about the future, and our parents' reactions to current events...

We have already paid in full for high adventure, and our summer camp fees are due at the end of the month to qualify for full discount.  Parents are making financial commitments, some over $2K, and want some assurance before they lay out cash.

And no one said anything about assuming or patronized them with hand washing instructions.  Are you projecting?

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11 hours ago, desertrat77 said:

@jcousino, welcome to Scouter.com!

My question is even if an event is canceled there are already non recoverable costs that the council/Area  has to cover. If that event was to be a major money maker how does the council in todays market survive?. We have a major council wide camporee planned in about 4 weeks. do not see it happening with OA and venturing weekends every weekend to follow?

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Since I expect to get this question from Scouts after an OA election tomorrow, does anyone know whether there is any precedent for change in the ‘OA election is good for one year’ if the Ordeal gets cancelled because of communicable disease concerns?

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Just an aside, for anybody interested:

I had an appointment with my doctor today, who works in a medical office with one of the most respected infectious-diseases doctors in Southern California. Said doctor has been on-call almost nonstop for the past few weeks, as a tremendous percentage of the population in our county comes from China or the surrounding nations. She has asked that all the doctors in the office pass along her "2 essential rules for living." I'll share them with you - 

1. Don't panic!

2. Wash your hands. Like, all the time.

That's it! She stressed the fact that the corona virus is frightening because it is new, and it is virulent - but that it isn't cause for undue panic, stress, or anxiety. And yes, she stated emphatically that those two rules are in the right order - calm yourself, and keep clean. Once your emotions and hygiene are under control, you'll be in a far better place to deal with whatever ramifications may follow. Sounds like good advice to share with young people and older people alike.

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46 minutes ago, BAJ said:

Since I expect to get this question from Scouts after an OA election tomorrow, does anyone know whether there is any precedent for change in the ‘OA election is good for one year’ if the Ordeal gets cancelled because of communicable disease concerns?

The Lodge Executive Committee can extend the one-year period.  Typically this would be if there were extenuating circumstances for an individual candidate, but I assume that it could also be used in a situation like this.

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1 hour ago, jcousino said:

My question is even if an event is canceled there are already non recoverable costs that the council/Area  has to cover. If that event was to be a major money maker how does the council in todays market survive?. We have a major council wide camporee planned in about 4 weeks. do not see it happening with OA and venturing weekends every weekend to follow?

That is an excellent question, with ties to previous discussions about the future of councils (and National) as it relates to the BSA post-bankruptcy.  Of the many solid opinions given, the one I most agree with is that councils/National will have to significantly scale back their operations and expenditures.   Scouting will return to a more unit-focused organization.

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12 hours ago, RichardB said:

Please stay calm and respectfully - don't start calling, emailing, nor make assumptions that "some sort of insurance" covers this.       Give some breathing room for communications to come to you.   Especially for events months out.   

Stay calm,

Stay informed with good information -https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html 

Maintain good hygiene practices.  (cover your cough or sneeze, wash your hands, stay home if sick)

  

I agree with most of this.  In this instance, it is good to be level headed, calm, but prepared.  If you, as a unit leader, have a question - then yes, ask the camp or program staff what the policy is.  Understand your ability as a leader to obtain refunds and when you have to do that by.

I do think it's very important to not assume anything here.  Don't assume council insurance covers this.  Never assume.

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1 hour ago, Chisos said:

The Lodge Executive Committee can extend the one-year period.  Typically this would be if there were extenuating circumstances for an individual candidate, but I assume that it could also be used in a situation like this.

It most definitely would apply.  With the concerns on mosquito's and zika virus this past fall, we gave all newly elected candidates an additional one year to complete their Ordeal, so that they did not have to feel forced to attend our September Ordeal weekend.

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So, the question becomes: send scouts to camp, or keep them home to roam the streets of your crowded city or village?

Zika was a particular concern for camps because the agent of transfer (a particular species of insect) frequented them. With COVID-19, the agent of transfer is Homo sapiens, the majority of which do not frequent summer camp and Jamboree. 

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@qwazse,

I wish they roamed the streets of our city or village...;)

In their free time (if they even have that), most Scout-aged youth around here now stay at home, play video games, and "socialize" through the Interwebthingy.

Remember coming home from school, dumping your books and riding around on your bike or playing Nerf football/stickball/street hockey/hanging out at your fort until it got dark?  That's alien behavior these days.

I'm for taking them camping...better health outcomes in the long run vs obesity, diabetes, mental health issues, etc...

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18 hours ago, BAJ said:

Since I expect to get this question from Scouts after an OA election tomorrow, does anyone know whether there is any precedent for change in the ‘OA election is good for one year’ if the Ordeal gets cancelled because of communicable disease concerns?

Our OA has 3 ordeals a year, plenty of chances to get it done in a year

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