Girl Scout + Cub Scout day camp?

[shortridge]

My home council, Del-Mar-Va, is experimenting with a new camp program this summer - a "fusion camp" for Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts and anyone else who wants to come, grades 1-5. Dens/groups will be separated by gender and age.

 

I'm really curious whether anyone else has done this or seen it done, and if so, what your experiences were. It sounds like a really interesting concept. (And no, this isn't a challenge to Camp Fire USA. CF is almost nonexistent in this area.)

 

Details are here: www.doubleknot.com/openrosters/ViewOrgPageLink.asp?LinkKey=34482

[jhankins]

What a neat idea. It's good to see councils getting along from both sides of the fence. Here, our professionals refuse to even talk to each other and camps that volunteers had faith in unification failed because the pros trashed it on their end.

[evmori]

If everyone is separated by gender and age it sounds like the only reason this is being done is cost. Poor idea.

[shortridge]

I believe one of the other reasons is to accomodate parents with both girls and boys in that age range - so they don't have to drag their kids to one end of the earth or another for the different camps. I'm just not sure how large that potential customer pool would be.

[RememberSchiff]

4-H has been doing this for years. Campers are boys, girls, members, and non-members and are grouped only by age for the week's activities. On Sunday or Monday, group members vote for their week activities. Works well for campers and camp (more camp weeks and full bookings most weeks). Less structure, more fun.

 

My $0.02

[ghermanno]

Looking at the advertisement, cost is exactly why they are doing this. They need more campers to keep the cost down per camper.

 

Regardless of why though, I am for it as it is a baby step to full intergration. Maybe someday, we will catch up to the rest of the world.

 

YiS,

 

Rick

[Nike]

I frequently see the same volunteers at GS and CS day camp. If an area could muster two anemic camps, why not combine resources and have one great one?

 

 

[Twocubdad]

Interesting.

 

As an old CSDC director, I'm curious to see if/how they integrate the programs. Is it possible they are running separate Cub Scout and Girl Scout programs at the same location?

 

A number of years ago our day camp numbers were through the roof, including about 100 adult volunteers with 75 "tag-a-longs" of various ages. Among the tag-a-longs there were enough Girl Scout-aged girls that we put the girls into a den and run it as a Girl Scout program for the week. A couple of moms who had volunteered to help with the day camp were also Girl Scout leaders. We had them put together a program for the girls utilizing the day camp activities with some of the Girl Scout program elements. Generally, the girls did much the same thing the boys were doing, but I think once or twice during the day they would pull out of the den rotation to do Girl Scout-specific stuff.

 

My recollection from that experience was that it really didn't work out as a Girl Scout program. The girls had a blast -- Cub Scout camp was a whole lot better than Girls Scout camp -- but they didn't really get much Girl Scouting out of the week.

 

I would hate to see that happen at a cub day camp. Cub Scout day camps are programmed to deliver the Cub Scout program. There is more to it than hanging out in the woods, canoeing, shooting BBs, and making crafts. It may look that way to the casual observer, but if the camp program director is doing his/her job, there is a much greater depth to the program.

 

Honestly, I don't know enough about the Girl Scout program to understand how the programs would mesh. But if combining the programs requires turning them in to generic Camp Runnamuk camp program, I would not support it.

[ghermanno]

Twocubdad,

 

I'm not so sure about them meshing as much as the thought "crafts are crafts and fun is fun". As a previous DCPD (day camp program director) I also know that we try to integrate the crafts, skills, & sports into the CSDC Program. We also know that some stuff is just fun and doesn't matter if the Cub did it before because it is just fun.

 

As for the GS side of the house, that is where the GS personnel will have to assist/lead the DCPD with those items. Hopefully, they can find a happy medium. (The flyer did state that it is a "Partnership".) This is not BS showing GS that they are better or worse, it is learning to co-exist and find simularities versus differences. In other parts of the world, it is Scouts of ________ (name of Country) instead of Boy Scouts. Both Sexes do the same activities (seperately & together).

 

I wish them luck and hope it works out well. I am fairly sure thatno matter what, the children will have FUN and that is the best point.

 

YiS,

 

Rick

[Nike]

I can tell you that the GS program is evolving away from traditional Scouting. However, the girls seem to want a traditional Scouting program, with horses.

 

Our last GS Day Camp:

Crafts? Check. Girls + glue, paint, fabric, and glitter = happy campers

Jokes, Skits, and Songs? Check!!!

Ceremonies? Check

Archery? We wanted it but insurance was a pain.

Sports and Games? Check, but maybe different ones

Knots and Lashings? Check, because it's cool to know how to tie up your little brother.

First Aide and Safety? Check

Fire Building and Cooking? Check

Map and Compass? Check

Wildlife Demos? Check

Cool Science Experiments? Check

Nature Scavenger Hunts? Check

Rockets and things that go? You bet!

 

Now, I'm pretty sure that Cubs don't want to hear about the Brownie Circle or the Lady from Savannah, special handshakes, etc., but I'll bet they'd make and eat smores (credited to GS) and be willing to sew monster puppets while the girls made slightly less scary ones.

 

If you can't find good GS program in a good CS Day Camp, then you aren't looking.

[John-in-KC]

What do National Camp Standards for Cub Scout Day Camps say?

 

What does the Council say?

 

What does the GS Council say?

[NickP412]

Rick why integrate? We have Girl Scouts, Venture Scouts and a ton of other non scouting programs that offer scout-like stuff for girls. Why fix what isn't broken? I really am not fond of the phrase "Catching up with the rest of the world" This usually means compromising something I along with others dont want to compromise. Cant us boys have anything to ourselves?

 

Im not sure I would be interested in a co-ed program and I doubt we would have the same impact if we went fully co-ed. Are girls able to earn eagle in these other country's scouting program? From what Ive read America has one of the best scouting programs, also I believe the Arabian country's like America dont allow girls in.

 

I feel if we merged we would have a Frankenstein on our hands. Never in all my life have I wanted our program to change or be more like the girl scouts,so I do not support co-ed in the BOY scouts of America.

[Phibbles]

NickP412: "also I believe the Arabian country's like America dont allow girls in"

 

All I know is, I am not going to follow the Arabian countries' leads on gender equality.

 

My local camp is doing one week as a co-ed program, but they aren't calling it a Cub/Boy Scout week. Another organization is coming in to run the camp, and it won't be scouting associated. It is just taking place at the scout camp. Open to anyone to attend. Might even be resident camping...

[OldGreyEagle]

Nick,if the BSA's membership was on a full-speed gallop going higher and higher I am not sure we would be having this conversation, but the BSA's membership is shrinking and with shrinking membership comes talk of change

 

Females in other Scouting Countries cannot earn Eagle, then again, neither can the males as the Eagle is a BSA thing. Then again, a Boy Scout cannot become a Queen's Scout either (England)but we do what we can.

 

I agree that just because the rest of the world does something is not a good argument for us to do it, but it does give us reason to be sure we are correct.

 

Don't look for the GSUSA and the BSA to merge anytime soon, the Oath, Law and membership standards are certainly stumbling blocks that will not change anytime soon. Now, the BSA going Co-Ed, that could be interesting... (totally Co-Ed, yes I know about Venturing and Exploring ::Shudder:: I know those "Frankenstein" programs exist)

[NickP412]

Im sure there are other ways to up membership other than so drastically change our program.

 

By the way was the comment about Venturing sarcastic?