Objectives and philosophy of Cub Scout Day Camp Pirates of the Mississippi Cub Scout Day Camp Thunderbird District 2015 Staff Manual Boys attend Day Camp for excitement, to be with friends, and to have fun. But having fun includes more than just actually having a good time. It also means feeling accepted by a group and discovering that they can perform challenging tasks. Parents want the boys to attend camp because they want their sons to experience and learn new things such as BB s and Archery. The camp also provides an opportunity for the Scouts to build character, learn citizenship, and develop personal fitness, all of which are the Aims of Scouting. Leaders and parents attend camp because the program of activities provides fun and adventure in the outdoors at a site that provides seclusion and natural resources. Emphasis is placed on new experiences difficult to obtain in the usual indoor den atmosphere. And, leaders love to sign off on achievements from camp, they just do. Join us while your Scouts Walk the Plank, Load their Ships, Search for Treasure and so much more!
Who May Attend Camp Cub Scout Day Camp is open for registered Scouts entering the 1 st to 5 th grade in fall of 2015, or boys 6 to 10 years old. Boys who wish to attend camp who are not registered Scouts or who enter the first grade usually do not have a pack unit and will need to fill out a Youth Boy Scout application in addition to the registration form. They also will be charged the application fee of $12 to join Boy Scouts. Any Scout that is in the first grade has to have a parent/guardian with them at all times, and that includes camp. Parents of new Scouts or Tiger Cubs may find a unit that they like during camp and the camp director will work with all parties to ensure a smooth transition into Scouting. Dates and Times and Location of Camp Camp will be held July 20 th to July 24th, 2015 8:30 am to 4 pm St. Agnes Catholic Church 4830 Walnut Grove Rd, Memphis, TN 38117 901-767-1377, church telephone Registration and Fees Camp fees are $100 per Scout and are not refundable, but may be transferred to another Scout. Fee deadline date is July 1 st so that we may purchase supplies and order t-shirts. This fee includes a t- shirt, a patch, camp supplies, and insurance. Extra t-shirts may be ordered on the registration form. This is encouraged as we all are busy and may not have the opportunity to launder our clothes every night. Leaders will be issued a t-shirt if they commit to volunteering at camp a minimum of 3 days. Extra t- shirts will be available, but not guaranteed after the July 1 st deadline. Parents who are not a registered Scout leader and wish to attend camp must fill out an Adult Boy Scout Application and they must be Youth Protection trained. This training can be done on-line at My.Scouting.Org and we must have the printed Youth Protection training card on file at camp. This is to protect you, your child, and our Scouts. This has to be completed by the deadline date of July 1 st. Every camper and volunteer is required to fill out the Health Form Parts A & B and registration will not be considered complete until the camp director has that form. Leader Orientation and Training April 14, 6 pm at the Chickasaw Council office May 12, 6 pm at the Chickasaw Council office June 9, 6 pm at the Chickasaw Council office July 7, 6 pm at the Chickasaw Council office Paperwork, Youth Protection Training, and what to expect at camp will be discussed. All leaders MUST attend one of these trainings so that there is a seamless experience for all leaders and campers.
Medical Forms and First Aid All campers, leaders and siblings are required to have Parts A & B of the Annual Health Medical Forms on file at camp. This form can be found at http://www.scouting.org/scoutscource/media/forms. These will be kept on file at the Nurse s Station which will be located in the gym. NO one can attend camp without this form. First aid will be tendered by the nurse and logged into the First Aid Log Book. We also have an agreement with St. Francis Hospital for emergency medical care. Medications If a camper is bringing medication to camp, it should be in the original container and have the camper s name and specific dosage instructions. Parents should complete the Routine Drug Administration Record prior to camp. Parents must turn medication into the Camp First Aid Station, located in gym, first thing in the morning and give the Den Leader specific, written instructions as to when the child should take his medications. Unit Leaders should send any camper taking medication to the Camp Nurse with a Buddy when it is time for the child to take the medication. Asthma inhalers and Epi-pens may remain with camper but leader must notify Camp Nurse after either one has been used. A small, locked refrigerator WILL be available for medications which need to be kept refrigerated. Camp Nurse will keep key to dispense medications. In compliance with Tennessee State Health and Safety Codes, no dogs (other than service animals) or other pets are permitted in camp during the Cub Scout Camp session. Cereal for Kids Campaign Each day there will be a tally for each den for participating in the Cereal for Kids Campaign. We will recognize every scout every day for contributing to Scouting for Food through the cereal drive. Nonperishable goods such as cereal, granola bars, rice, oatmeal, grits, etc., will be notated by the den leader on their daily attendance form. Staff and contact information Kenneth Allen Camp Advisor 901-287-1942 kenneth.allen@scouting.org Elaine Hudson Camp Director 912-281-9900 elainehuds@yahoo.com Michael Donnell Program Director 901-679-6749 michaeldonnell1@att.net Day Camp Program Design The Scouts will be attending Pirates of the Mississippi camp at St. Agnes on the beautiful, natural campus of the church. The campers will experience shooting sports of BB s and Archery, sports and
games, crafts and a host of other fun activities. There is a balance of instruction and recreation in the program where the activities will be geared to the age of the scout as well. The Webelos scouts have different learning expectations than their younger scouts. Our program is designed to provide creative and active activities that allow participants to experience personal growth, challenge and success. There will be new activities that the scouts will participate in that may be just a bit difficult, but with all our fabulous volunteers, we have the opportunity to encourage success with each child. We are focused on giving our scouts a quality program that they will remember for years to come. By teaching Leave No Trace, we will be practicing our knowledge by leaving our camp clean and better than we found it. Our opening ceremonies promotes and fosters citizenship in our flag ceremony, first put on by the Boy Scouts, then by the end of the week, led by the Webelos Scouts. By bringing a breakfast food every day to camp and then donating the food, we will be participating in a camp wide service project. The camp will be meeting our spiritual needs by saying grace before meals, and saying a prayer at the beginning of camp. Procedures for Campers Transportation: Campers parents are responsible for transporting the campers to and from camp. Many packs arrange transportation among themselves based on work schedules and long commutes to camp. Security: Camp staff needs to know who may pick up which campers, and the camp car tag needs to accompany the parent picking up the camper/campers. Parents will sign in and sign out campers every day. Many times one parent will drop off several campers and are unable to send the car tag to another parent picking up the same group of campers. Those who do not have a car tag will go to the leader s desk to review from the Scout s application form who may pick up the camper, and will sign out the campers at that time. Opening Ceremony: Opening will be held at 8:45 in the morning at the flag pole. Each den leader will line up the campers for the morning greeting and flag ceremony. The Boy Scouts will be leading the flag ceremony at the beginning of camp, and the Webelos will be leading the flag ceremony on Thursday and Friday. Meals: Lunch and morning and afternoon snack will be provided by the camper s family. The campers get hungry throughout camp, so there will be a morning snack, lunch and an afternoon snack.
Please bring water or sports drinks for beverages as caffeinated beverages dehydrate your Scout at camp. Leaders, please bring non-peanut snacks for extras as many times the scouts polish off everything at lunch. Often, really good leaders communicate with their parents to assist in the afternoon snacks. Rest Periods: There is a 5 minute interval between activity sessions, but the scouts are encouraged to rest and drink water between sessions. There are also 10 minutes in the morning and afternoon sessions for snacks, and we also schedule a 30 minute quiet activity time after lunch. Activities: Campers are encouraged to participate in every activity. They do not have to excel, or master every activity, just participate and do their best. Advancements: When camp concludes, an advancement list will go out to all cubmasters. This will be listed by day so that if a scout misses a day then the den leaders walking with the den will not be able to give advancement credit to the camper. Staff: We will be recruiting staff for camp as we visit each unit. It is our goal to have a minimum of 2 parents/leaders from each unit to staff our camp. To have 2 deep leadership, we need 12 leaders for program area and 2 leaders for each den. For a camp of 100 boys, for example, we need 32 leaders, so add or subtract leaders based on the number of boys and dens that we have. Den leaders love walking with the scouts and they have an opportunity to see everything their scouts do. Activity directors enjoy teaching new skills to the scouts. So, plan now and have a great time with our Pirates. Pack Coordinators will ensure that we have the proper number of leaders with the number of scouts attending camp. The minimum will be 4 campers and 1 leader. The Pack Coordinator will also inform us about the number of people attending our Friday Lunch and Program. Parents who are not Scout Leaders will have an opportunity to learn about camp through our training. They will learn how to get their Youth Protection training and why we have certain standards in place. We will also get all paperwork completed at this time as well. Staff Responsibility will be covered in-depth later in the manual. Closing Ceremony: Campers are to be respectful at the closing ceremony where we hand out awards and thank the leaders who have assisted at camp for that day (example, Mr. Aimes worked for us on Monday, Ms. Bean worked on Tuesday and Wednesday, so Mr. Aimes will be recognized on Monday and Ms. Bean will be recognized on Wednesday.) Our closing ceremony on Friday will showcase our Pirate Scouts. Lunch will be at 12:30 and will follow with a Tug-Of-War. Our Pirates will sing songs, perform skits and tell jokes.
Day Camp Awards: Every den member must participate to earn awards, so it is up to the den leader to emphasize cooperation. The awards will be for: Attendance Uniform Scouting for Food is through the Cereal for Kids campaign all breakfast foods will go to the MidSouth Food Bank and extra is appreciated! The Den with the highest number of servings at the end of the week will be eligible to earn an extra award! Spirit Award 1 den each day will earn this award based on Pirate Spirit, camper behavior, and our Program Directors will be the judges. We also will be accepting new and gently used socks for the homeless. White socks are preferred. Someone from the den must donate socks to be eligible for the Spirit Award each day. Emergency: All scouts will be accompanied by 2 leaders at all times. In case of emergencies, there may not be enough leaders to accompany an injured camper and to keep enough leaders with the rest of the den, so the Boy scouts will have to assist. The camp director and the camp nurse must be notified if there is any emergency of any sort. The church campus is small enough so that each activity area is visible to every other activity area and help will be available within a minute or two. More on emergencies will be listed later in the manual. Procedures for Leaders Smoking: Leaders are not allowed to smoke in front of the scouts. They may take a break, with proper 2 deep leadership in place, and smoke in the parking lot out of sight of campers. Vehicles: Vehicles are to be parked in the parking lot by the gym during camp and not allowed on the church campus. Alcohol/Drugs: Anyone under the influence of drugs or alcohol will be dismissed and asked to leave the camp. Authorities may have to be called, depending on the situation. Firearms: Personal firearms and archery equipment are not permitted at camp, and anyone caught using their own equipment will be asked to leave. Chickasaw Council provides the equipment, and our Shooting Sports Director is required to inspect all BB guns and Archery equipment used during camp.
Miscellaneous Information Arrive at camp by 8 8:15 ahead of the campers. This will give you time to fill up your coolers with ice, mingle, etc., and greet the campers as they arrive. Water bottles are the responsibility of the campers, however, there will be cups at each activity station if a camper does not have one. Hydrate the campers at the beginning of each activity. This way the campers have time to drink plenty of water between activities. Decorate a 5 gallon paint bucket Pirate style. This will give YOU a seat, storage of crafts, water bottles and rainy day activities. From the list of Rainy day Activities, create a few activities that can be used in case of rain or lax time when the scouts finish an activity early. These can be stored in your buckets. Bring extra healthy snacks for the campers who may have finished their entire lunch and don t have extra. There should be a snack, lunch and an additional snack for each camper. Caffeinated beverages promote dehydration, so leave the sodas and tea at home. Water is the ideal hot weather beverage, although sports drinks are fine for lunch. Bullying is not allowed in any form in camp. Have the campers create their own rules of behavior on the first day, and remind them daily, briefly. Then refer to their own rules when they misbehave. Activities will rotate each day, so if a den has Sports in activity period 1 on Monday, it will change each day. There will be a closing ceremony, so we will learn 3 songs, to be decided, lol. Also we ll have skits and jokes for the closing ceremony for Friday at 3 pm. We will practice for the closing ceremony after lunch 2 3 days. All crafts can go home each day. Suntan lotion and bug repellent should be applied by the parent before camp. Consider reapplying after lunch per instructions, but this has to be done by the camper, as leaders are not allowed to apply either to ANY camper. Campers are encouraged to wear hats to keep the sun off their faces. Injuries, no matter how small, should be reported to the camp nurse. We do have a nurse on site at the gym and scouts should be escorted to the nurse by a leader and a boy scout. That way after treatment, the buddy system is working. Serious injuries will necessitate the nurse attending the camper on site, so use the walkie talkie for communication. When in doubt, don t move the injured. List of Rainy Day Activities Freeze Dance Simon Says Balloon Stomp Limbo Treasure Hunt Beanbag Toss Play board games like Candy Land, make own board game Draw Pictures Balance games Make marble ramps from blocks Origami Play checkers or chess
Word find/sudoku Dice Card games Puzzles Some of these activities will be in your bucket, but be prepared for extended rainy days. Emergencies Emergency plans specific to St. Agnes are listed based upon the type of emergency. Since emergencies happen quickly, the leaders of the campers will have just minutes to leave their activity and head to safer ground. Boy Scout volunteers will report to Elaine. Since accounting of all scouts occurs in the first hour each day, a report of attendance will be given to the Day Camp Director. The camp director will be responsible for the accounting of all scouts before activities can resume in the pavilion, which is where most of the relocation of the scouts will occur. Walkie talkies will be given to the shooting sports director, another one to the camp nurse, another to the camp director and the other will be at the pavilion. Communication will be through these devices in addition to cell phones. Floods. In the case of impending floods, children are to be escorted to the gym. A count of all scouts, leaders and tot lot children will be taken to ensure all campers are accounted for. Once the attendance for each den is established, the scouts will be able to enjoy their activities in the gym. Tornadoes. All campers will be escorted to the gym, and a headcount of all campers will be conducted. The administration will first determine any damage or destruction to the property before any camper may be able to go outside of the pavilion. Storms. In the case of simple rain, all shooting sports will stop and the scouts will head to the gym. When lightning is in the mix, all campers should head to the gym. Once the storm has passed, the administration will resume activities as planned. Fires. If there is a wildfire, then the scouts and campers will be going to the gym or move away from the fire. A headcount will be conducted by the camp director. Accidents. Any accident will be reported to the camp doctor no matter how minor. Two deep leadership is needed when escorting an injured camper, so the camp director or the program director needs to assist in any injury. In extreme emergency where the camper should not be moved, the nurse will come to the injured camper and he will determine the next step in treatment. She will also determine whether a 911 call should be made, based on the type of injury and treatment needed. Sickness. Usually when a camper becomes ill, the problem is heat exhaustion or dehydration. When that is not the case, and the child needs to be removed from camp, the nurse will call the parent to pick up the child. Den leaders are to be notified for attendance purposes only.
Fatalities. In the case of a fatality, Day Camp staff will be notified immediately. The nurse will become involved. 911 will be called, then the scout executive, and then the parent. Those who are witnesses will be segregated individually. All scouts will be removed to the gym and Day Camp will be closed. Den leaders will notify parents according to Camp Registration Forms. Official BSA policies will be implemented. No one is permitted to talk with the media while on the premises. Lost Boy Plan. The buddy system will be used throughout camp. Even if a camper has to go to the restroom, they have to have a buddy. Whenever those rules are not followed, the program director or the camp director will escort the camper back to the activity where the camper should be. However, if a camper is missing, then all activities will stop and all scouts must return to the gym for a head count. Missing kids happen usually after the lunch period and between activities, so be more vigilant at these times. If a camper is not found, then the Shelby County Police Department will be notified. Active Shooter. This is a new issue and should be mentioned. If there is a shooting incident, then the leaders must take their scouts to safety, whether locked inside the church or hide in the woods. Police officials will have been notified and all leaders and scouts must remain hidden until law enforcement identifies themselves and brings all campers to safety. Do not bring yourselves out into the open if someone just says it is safe to do so. Security. All staff and campers will be identified through the camp uniform t-shirts. Any person not wearing the camp uniform, who has volunteered for a day or a portion of time, will be issued a camp name badge. Any other person who is on the premises dedicated to our camp will need to be escorted to the camp director s location, identified as to the purpose of their visit and given a visitor s tag. Each leader is to report any discrepancies of the visitor policy to Elaine or Mike. Campers will be released to the parent or leader who has the unique Den tag which was given to the parent or leader at the first day of camp. Campers will be signed in and signed out every day. If a parent does not have the car tag, then the day camp application will be reviewed, ID required, and a signature required. Stress Management Camp is usually a fun-filled week of activities that most campers thoroughly enjoy. However, leaders are tested by the boys when they become bored. Keep the activities moving, or changing an activity when the boys become restless may become necessary. When a leader becomes challenged, call for help, count to ten, take 3 deep breaths, take a 10 minute break (keep 2 deep leadership in mind), diffuse the situation, or remove yourself from the situation, are all techniques to keep stress under control. Pay the nurse a visit. Youth Protection & Adult Leadership Volunteers are required to complete the online Youth Protection training and camp must have a copy of that training to be a leader. This includes all youth volunteers.
Youth Protection in Scouting The Boy Scouts of America places the greatest importance on creating the most secure environment possible for its youth members. To maintain such an environment, the BSA has developed numerous procedural and leadership selection policies, and provides parents and leaders the following online and print resources for the Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, and Venturing programs. Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse All persons involved in Scouting shall report to local authorities any good faith suspicion or belief that any child is or has been physically or sexually abused, physically or emotionally neglected, exposed to any form of violence or threat, exposed to any form of sexual exploitation including the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child pornography, online solicitation, enticement, or showing of obscene material. No person may abdicate this reporting responsibility to any other person. Notify your Scout executive of this report, or of any violation of BSA s Youth Protection policies, so that he or she may take appropriate action for the safety of our Scouts, make appropriate notifications, and follow-up with investigating agencies. Training All leaders are responsible for attending training for day camp. There is a lot to cover, paperwork to be completed, and we want to practice our opening skits! Adult Leadership: You will need a few key leaders to get your Pack to camp in a safe and fun manner: Pack Cub Scout Camp Coordinator: This person is responsible for distributing the information about Cub Scout Camp to the Pack; conducting parents meetings; collecting registration information and fees; registering the Pack online; submitting payment to the Chickasaw Council or at June Roundtable; and recruiting adults to attend camp with the Cub Scout. Cub Camp Den Leader: (May or may not be the same person as the Cub Scout Camp Coordinator) This person attends Cub Scout Camp with the Cub Scouts; is responsible for daily attendance records; and coordinates the rest of the adults attending with the Cub Scouts. It is strongly recommended that your Den Leader be present for the entire week, although the Den Leader may recruit a substitute if not able to attend all days. Adult Helpers: These are parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, older siblings (over age 18), who volunteer to attend Cub Scout Camp with the Cub Scouts for one day or all five. The number of Adult Helpers needed is based on the number of Cub Scouts you have attending camp each day. These adults can rotate and be a different set of adults each day!
All volunteers must attend a training session prior to the beginning of camp. All volunteers must be a registered BSA leader or agree to a criminal background check, if requested. All volunteers must go through or have gone through BSA Youth Protection Training at www.myscouting.org. YPT training will be available at each of the training sessions prior to camp. Proof of training must be on file at camp. Each unit must have 1 leader per 4 registered participants. If the volunteer is under 19 and a non-scout, they must be the son or daughter of the primary leader or a staff member on sight. Many packs combine their regular dens to create Cub Scout Day Camp Units. Cub Scout Day Camp Unit Leaders do not have to be school year Den Leaders. Key Duties of a Cub Scout Camp Den Leader: Attend the Leader Orientation. Sign in each Scout each day (attendance). Follow the camp schedule. All medications used by Scouts are the responsibility of the Den Leaders. Remain in camp with your den all day long. Den leaders must be sure that all youth are with their proper ride home before they may leave camp. Help the boys at each program station. Serve in the capacity of parent, mentor, teacher, referee, cheerleader and several other roles that will make camp a safe, meaningful and enjoyable experience. Observe advancement opportunities and report this information back to the Pack Advancement Chair. Encourage boys to Do Their Best. Make sure no Cub Scout leaves camp after check-in and before the closing ceremony without a written release from his parents or Scout leaders. He must sign out at the camp office before departing. Boys will only be released into the custody of an authorized adult. Make sure that all campers, including yourselves wear closed toed shoes, no sandals or crocs are permitted. New this year, all leaders must take Weather Hazards training at MyScouting.org and have the certificate printed. This is good for 2 years. Be prepared to Have Fun!
Camp Staff Training 9:00 Greetings and welcome by the director 9:15 Overview of the camp objectives and purposes Understanding Cub Scout age boy: needs, characteristics, behavior Discussion 9:45 Administrative issues: Applications for day camp filled out Responsibilities and agreements filled out Manuals distributed Parking, transportation Camp standards Uniform policy Trading post Tot lot Awards Theme Schedule Camp security Stress management Rainy day schedule 10:30 Break 10:45 Youth Protection 11:15 Camp emergency action plan Discussion Noon Lunch 12:30 Camp tour 1:30 Individual hand-on work in activity areas During this period the crafts director should have material to put together all of the crafts to be used. Practice skill in fishing, etc, if necessary. Practice games. Every activity planned should be practiced by the activity director and aides responsible. We don t want to try anything at camp that hasn t been practiced beforehand! 4:00 Closing challenge The Day Camp Staff Team practice skit! Wow campers at the beginning of camp! Review the time and date of reporting for the first day of camp.