Webelos III, Patrol Method, Boys into Men all together.

[Stosh]

No matter how hard one tries there is alway going to be the impossible bump that can't be overcome.

 

NBP member cannot go to summer camp this first year because dad doesn't have the time to take off from work to come along too.

 

Our answer to the boy? "That's unfortunate, maybe next year."

 

My bet is on this boy never making it until next summer.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Stosh

[ScoutNut]

Have you talked to the dad? Does the dad understand that it is not necessary that he accompany his son to Summer camp?

 

Is his son a bit wary about going this summer on his own?

 

Is it a case of on overprotective dad?

 

For a brand new scout, there can be many reasons for not going to their first BS summer camp. The dad might just not feel like discussing the real reasons.

 

Not much you can do if the family will not send their Scout.

 

[Lisabob]

Some parents are overprotective, some are reasonably protective. I've heard from more than a few new parents that they just don't know us/trust us well enough to send their child off for a week in our care. Now whether that is the first or second case is really a matter of perception. But my question is, what have you done so far to help this parent feel comfortable sending their child with you? Knowing what you've posted about your troop Stosh, you probably have already gone out of your way to work with this parent. But then again, maybe not, in which case I can understand why they might feel a bit concerned.

 

Things that a new parent might worry about:

1) What will my kid be doing during the day at camp? (is there a structured program or are they on their own)

2) Who will be supervising my child during the day at camp? (will it be a trusted adult or other scouts or camp staff?)

3) Where will the "trusted adults" from the troop be during the day while my child is off doing whatever, at camp? (will my child be able to find someone he knows and trusts to turn to if he has a problem?)

4) Who will my child be sharing a tent with? (is it someone my child can get along with?)

5) Who will keep an eye out for any issues/quirks/problems that my child might have while at camp? (or is it survival of the fittest?)

6) Who is planning this trip and do they seem to have their act together? (And are they taking my concerns seriously or are they giving me the brush-off?)

 

Although the answer in some of the above cases is probably "other scouts," if the parents don't know those other scouts very well then they aren't likely to believe that other boys are ready to be entrusted with such responsibility. More so if the parent is new to the whole BSA program and doesn't have a good grasp of how things work in your troop.

 

But no, you can't force a kid or his parents to attend camp - all you can do is try to address the likely reasons why he might not go.

[BuffaloSR793]

I realize this is an old thread, but I wanted to weigh in anyway.

 

I'm currently a Webelos Ldr. Our boys have been together since Tigers. We are looking at Troops right now. We know nothing about them, nor most of the Leaders/parents in them.

 

It seems that for many Scout leaders, they just don't understand when an new scout and parent are apprehensive about Camp. Remember, these kid/parents have been camping together for the past 5 years. The parents know each other and have built the element of trust with each other. Most of the time the parents have become good friends.

 

If there are not at least a couple of the past Webelos den parents in the Troop leadership going along, then the scout and parents don't know anyone. I won't turn my boy loose with people/boys I just met 4 months ago. And thats assuming a Feb cross-over.

 

Overprotective?? you bet. I just don't think that a new scout who has just crossed over (10 or 11yrs old) needs to be turned loose for a week, with people the barely know..

 

IMHO

 

JR

 

 

[Beavah]

Overprotective?? you bet. I just don't think that a new scout who has just crossed over (10 or 11yrs old) needs to be turned loose for a week, with people the barely know..

 

Interestin', Buffalo. And a good topic to "pop" now while troops are takin' a lot of crossovers.

 

If four months isn't enough to get to know and trust troop leaders, what would you suggest?

 

For comparison, how do you feel about trusting your child to a teacher all day every day... one that you quite possibly have only just met? Or one of the summer day camp or sports camps? Is the issue that makes you nervous only the overnight aspect, or is it the out-of-doors?

 

Would a year of middle school (where the boy actively pulls away from mom & dad) make a difference? I reckon it does for homesickness; boys who do their first summer at camp after 6th grade are rarely homesick in any serious way. Would that work for parents too?

 

Do folks think that parents of oldest children think about this differently than parents of new scouts who are 2nd or 3rd children? If so, would it help to have troops designate a dedicated "experienced parent" to talk to?

 

B

 

[Stosh]

Unfortunately this topic is now a moot point. The boy dropped out. After the other boys came back all excited about their time at camp and all the fun they had, the boy attended a couple of meetings and then never came back.

 

Stosh

[OldGreyEagle]

having only one child, and that the esteemed YoungFauxHawkEagle (cringe)I have only heard obliquely about how the Girl Scouts operate camp. As I understand it, Girls Scouts start to go to Camp at an early age and rarely go as a troop. Can anyone confirm or deny this?

[resqman]

My sons starting attending week long sleep away camps at age 6-7 years old. YMCA camp with mostly high school and college counselors. Camp nurse and director were "adults". 10-15 campers share a cabin for the week. Eat food in the dining hall. Don't like the food, go hunger.

 

When my 10-11 year old joined the troop, the Troop leadership made it very clear they really wanted all new scouts to attend summer camp. It was the time that the new boys bonded and became a real patrol. They grew up and made some great friends while have much fun. All 14 new boys attended summer camp. Two could not go the week our troop went so went with a neighboring troop. They did not know anyone in the neighboring troop.

 

If the new boys have been on 3 or 4 campouts with the troop leaders and come home safely, it is time for the parents to grow up and let their sons strech a little bit.

 

Most BSA summer camps have onsite medical treatment and typically adults are roaming all over the camp stopping by classes checking on their charges. Staff keep the campers busy. The homesickness hits Tuesday or Wednesday night when they are tired and the new has worn off a bit. Leave a chemical light stick on in the tent, have a private chat with a troop adult and life is good.

 

Todays parents are too protective. Think back to the days when we grew up. You left after breakfast and came home when the street lights came on. You were in the neighborhood but parents did not know exactly where you were. You did not have the cell phone leash. Kids tried out things and grew. Now kids sit in front of the video game and learn no independence or personal inner strength.

 

From what I have seen, it the parents that are afraid, not the scouts. The parents fear transfers to the boys.

[hot_foot_eagle]

OGE,

 

My wife confirms that Girl Scouts go to camp for two weeks (don't know what age they start) and do not go as troops.

 

Give me a few more years and I'll know when they start for sure, since my girls are already interested in scouting after being drug around to their brothers' activities.

 

 

[Lisabob]

Whatever you may think about parents' concerns, brushing them off is not going to make them go away. These are concerns that new parents raise just about every year and if troop leaders can't or won't respond adequately then those boys simply won't be at camp.

 

Buffalo, as a former WDL myself, first I want to tell you that there really is a lot of truth in the argument that new scouts who don't go to camp also drop out of the program. Of the troop's cross-overs from last year (10 boys), the only 2 who have dropped out to date are also the only two who didn't go to summer camp. I've seen this happen each year and I do believe it makes a difference.

 

Now, as to the issue of getting to know the adults in charge, here are a few things that you might ask about. Every troop is different and the absence of one or more of these doesn't make it a "bad" troop, but personally, these are things I know have made parents feel more comfortable when they've joined our troop.

 

1) Does the troop have an Assistant Scoutmaster who works specifically with new scouts? If so, will that person be at summer camp too? (This is usually someone the boys get to know very well, very quickly, and vice versa. It can be helpful to have a designated adult who you know is keeping an eye out for your kid while at camp, especially in a larger troop.)

 

2) Does the troop assign older boys as troop guides or Junior Asst. Scoutmasters to work with the new scouts? If so, ask to meet those guys and find out if they plan to go to summer camp. Same principle as #1, but sometimes more important because younger boys may share worries or problems with this older scout before they'd go to an adult.

 

3) Where is the troop going to summer camp (they ought to know by now)? Is it somewhere nearby that you could retrieve your child if there really were a big problem? This is, of course, a last resort and probably not something you even want to talk with your child about (giving them an option to bail makes homesickness a much bigger problem). But I know it makes some parents feel more comfortable knowing this is a possibility.

 

4) Which other adults are going? Having a couple of parents of new scouts attend isn't a bad thing, as long as those parents are willing to give the kids room to grow too. One year when we camped fairly close to home (200 miles away), two parents of new scouts split a week of camp between them. That seemed to work out ok too.

 

5) Does the troop seem pretty organized about its summer camp plans? Can they tell you what the first year scouts are likely to be doing? Do they have payment schedules and other paperwork requirements set up? Is there a pre-camp meeting for scouts? For adults? A lot of times troops who are well-organized in their preparations can alleviate many concerns typical of new parents and new scouts.

 

Buffalo, I hope that whatever troop you join, you'll give very serious consideration to sending your child to summer camp, and encouraging the other families from his webelos den to go too. And one of the quickest ways to get to know the other adults involved in the troop is to go on a campout or two with the troop in the coming few months. This might even mean just visiting for a day at a camp out if parents can't or don't want to stay the whole weekend. But it is a fine way to observe, to learn how the troop works, and to have free time to just chat with the other adults involved.

[ScoutNut]

In Girl Scouts, most Summer Camps are an individual thing. You don't just go to camp for a week and swim and do badges. There are lots of different types of programs offered. Each camp program offers different things to do. There are also generally camps of different lengths (weekend, week, 2 weeks, etc). Unless otherwise specified (there are tent only, platform tent, teepee's, etc), the girls usually stay in a lodge and do not do any of their own cooking.

 

Girls sign up for a program that interests them. Some councils provide a bus to camp, others leave the transportation up to the family.

 

Girls can sign up with buddies if they want to. Some councils also offer opportunities for Troop/Group camping during the Summer.

 

edited to add - Daisy level (K-1) usually are restricted to day only. Most of the resident summer camps start with the Brownie(1st or 2nd) level.(This message has been edited by ScoutNut)

[OldGreyEagle]

How old are Brownies?

[scoutmomma]

How old are Brownies?

 

6-8 years old.

 

[OldGreyEagle]

So, 6-8 year old girls can go away to camp most often by themself and boys, 11 years old cant go to camp with guys they know and adults as well. Gold Winger, your up

[msnowman]

Old Grey Eagle says "So, 6-8 year old girls can go away to camp most often by themself and boys, 11 years old cant go to camp with guys they know and adults as well..."

 

Our council runs a week long, Cub Resident Camp for Wolves thru Webelos II. This means those boys who just finished Tigers in June can (and actually do) go to resident camp....without mom or dad....with Pack adults. Its rarely the boys that have a problem being away from home for a week, rather its the parents who get "boy-sick". By the time these guys get to Boy Scout camp they are as familiar with the camp rules/property as any of the adults. Nephew went to Cub Camp as a Bear and has never looked back. He just filled out his CIT application and asked "Do I HAVE to come home?"

 

YiS

Michelle