Cub Scout Day Camp 2013 – Recap

“The spirit is there in every boy; it has to be discovered and brought to light.”
-Robert Baden-Powell

Pack 1776 Families:

This year the theme at Camp was “Jungle Adventure.” The weather added to the adventure, with cold, rain and tropical heat. All the boys that attended had a good time and earned some Cub Scout belts loops in the process.

Summer Camp ran from June 24 through June 28. Each day started at 8:30 a.m. and ended at 3:30 p.m. On Friday afternoon the Scouts were entertained with skit performances by their fellow campers and dismissed 1:30 p.m.

Each day of camp was packed with activities. By attending and participating the boys were able to earn belt loops and Webelos pins, getting a jump start on the upcoming 2014 Scouting year. The most popular activities were BB gun shooting, archery and hiking. BB gun and archery are activities that can only be completed at a District run event. In addition there was swimming, crafts, sports, first aid training, whittling, and many other activities.

We had eight scouts from Pack 1776 attend this year. They were assisted by Teresa Noble who was at camp every day, as well as Tom Dutton and Praveen Kesani who helped out one day each. Normally the maximum is six scouts per full time volunteer but we were able to add a couple extra thanks to some help from a Walnut Creek Pack.

The organizers did a great job planning the event. There were lots of Junior Helpers at each station. Safety was a priority with a full time nurse on the premises. Each Scout was given a t-shirt and a canteen. Every adult had a t-shirt as well so it was easy to tell if someone did not belong at camp.

Next year we hope to have more Scouts attending. The theme with be “Space Trek.” We want Scouts to attend and will need volunteers to make it happen. “The Cub Scout helps the pack go. The pack helps the Cub Scout grow.”

Pack 1776 Committee

Meridian Day Camp – June 24th – 28th UPDATED INFO

To those interested in the Meridian Day Camp:

If you haven't already, please take a look (see Yuji's email here) at this opportunity for the cubs to have a fun-filled experience... which is what I gather from others who have participated in such camps in prior years.

It allows the cubs to experience activities that they otherwise wouldn't get to partake in. As such, the Meridian Day Camp has always been very popular. In fact, it becomes that enjoyable amongst both cubs and volunteers that some of them like to wear a customized rain jacket, from somewhere like Imprint, to stay dry and warm because we experience all weather here. And no one wants to miss out on all this fun, do they?

With that being said, I have been asked a few questions by some and here are the answers based on what I have learnt from the organizers:

Q: How do I get early registration discount?
A: Register online (see Yuji's email here). There is early registration discount available before 26-Apr-2013. You do not have to have all the medical forms and such approved by the organizers by that date to be able to get the discount but you must register online (see Yuji's email here) by that date to get a discount.

Q: What do I do once I have filled out the forms that I am asked to as part of the registration process?
A: Send me -- your day camp coordinator -- the following:
(a) each participating cub scout's forms
(b) your own forms (adult application and medical) if you are volunteering
(c) which days of the week you are "committed" to volunteering.
Follow up via email to me letting me know that you have mailed the above so that I can look for those in mail.

Q: Once I send the forms, does that guarantee that my son has a confirmed seat at the camp?
A: This is a tricky one. This camp is solely supported by "volunteers". Each pack is required to have volunteers (parents) from the pack participating. The required ratio of volunteers to cub scouts is "1 is to 6" at a minimum. If we fail to have enough volunteers, we will be forced to reduce the number of scouts who can participate.

Q: When will I know if my child's seat is secured?
A: As soon as the organizers have given their green signal for our pack's participation. This will require the pack to complete all requirements with respect to getting all the forms (of participating cub scouts and volunteering parents) approved by the organizers and the organizers have determined that the pack has sufficient volunteer representation. So, the sooner we (pack 1776) get our forms and volunteer plan into the hands of the organizers, the better. I -- Sunil Kulkarni -- will be the coordinator collecting your forms (cub scouts and volunteers) and volunteer participation information (which days of the week you will volunteer), putting together a binder and will work with camp organizers to get approvals of this binder. While I am not aware of any deadlines for form submission to the organizers, I would like to put a deadline for our pack of 30-Apr. i.e. please submit your information to me by that date. Please note, I cannot provide confirmation of our participation unless and until the camp organizers have reviewed the binder, approved it and given a green signal for our participation.

Q: Should I have a backup plan in case we (pack 1776) fail to get support for the camp?
A: I would strongly advise for a backup plan in the event that we (i.e. pack 1776) are unable to participate. One primary risk we have is lack of volunteers. If we do not get sufficient number of volunteers for each day of the camp, we will not be allowed to participate. So, please make sure you have a backup plan!!! I know this is tricky as alternate summer camps will fill up fast and understand you would want to know well in advance if you have your spot secured at the cub scout camp. But this is a bit beyond my control and perhaps -- assuming I am not missing some information that the camp organizers have on this -- needs to be looked into in the future by the camp organizers.

Q: If I volunteer, do I have to be at the camp all days during the camp week?
A: No. It is recognized that a parent may not be able to volunteer all days of the camp. But the pack must ensure that they have enough number of volunteers available each day to meet the minimum ratio of volunteers to cub scouts.

Q: Can volunteers rotate out during a given day (say each one providing 2 hours of volunteering on a given day)?
A: NO. This arrangement is not acceptable. It is very disruptive and hard to manage for the camp organizers.

Q: Do I need to fill out forms for myself if I am volunteering?
A: Yes. You have to be BSA registered and an adult application form has to be submitted in addition to medical forms. I think there is a background check as well as some training requirements if I recall correctly. As with applying for anything, it is very important that we perform background check procedures on all of our potential volunteers, so we are able to proceed with the best interests of our cub scouts in mind. But please, don't be afraid about this; it's a standard procedure. Please see the registration site for details (see Yuji's email below). If the scout council already has your registration on file from previous volunteering you did and the information is current, then you may not be required to re-submit your adult application form. Please let me know if you believe the council has your registration on file so that I can work with them to ensure you don't need to fill out the adult application form (although you will still be required to submit your medical forms as I understand).

Hope the above helps.

Please let me know if you have any other questions. I will gather answers from organizers and publish them periodically via an email such as this.

Best Regards,

Sunil Kulkarni
Pack 1776 Day Camp Coordinator