A Parents/leaders Guide to Camp Kaibab, the Northern Arizona Cub Scout Family Day/Overnight Camp

Transcription

1 A Parents/leaders Guide to Camp Kaibab, the Northern Arizona Cub Scout Family Day/Overnight Camp

2 2 Background Camp Kaibab is being held at Camp Raymond, a Grand Canyon Council Scout Camp near Williams, AZ. It is an opportunity for Cub Scouts and their families to enjoy the outdoors, participate in age-appropriate outdoor activities, meet boys and their families from around the state, and in general help promote the love of the outdoors that is associated with Scouting. But the real reason is because boys of any age love being outdoors and having adventures. Who is Camp Kaibab for? There are three types of families The first type is the family that has gone camping before and loved it. The second type is the family that hasn t gone camping so they don t know that they love it yet. The third type is the family that isn t ready to go camping, but would love a great outdoor experience. Our goal is to take the second type of family and turn them into the first type of family by offering an opportunity to camp with minimal stress and fuss, and to get the third type of family excited about expanding their outdoor experiences. Camp Kaibab is for any family that has a registered Tiger, Wolf/Bear, or Webelos Cub Scout. But its not just for the Cub Scouts. At a Family Camp, siblings that are at least of Cub Scout age get to participate right along with the Cub Scouts as long as they can do so safely. Siblings younger than Cub Scouts will be able to participate in some of the stations, where they can do so safely. Moms, dads, grandparents all can attend Camp Kaibab. Camp Kaibab is planned and managed as a Family Camp. However, within BSA guidelines, dens can substitute as a family group. More information on that below. How to attend Camp Kaibab as a family There are two ways to attend Camp Kaibab. The first way is to have an overnight experience, the second way is to attend Camp Kaibab as a daycamp. For those wanting an overnight experience, Camp opens on Friday afternoon and closes on Sunday morning. For those wanting a daycamp experience with no overnighting, all program activities start on Saturday morning and conclude with a campfire program on Saturday evening. How to attend Camp Kaibab as a den without parents attending If you are a den leader and you wish to bring your den to Camp Kaibab, they are welcome to join in, but be aware of the following BSA policies: For Tigers: Tigers don t really have an option to attend as a den without a parent, as BSA policy says that a parent/guardian must accompany a Tiger at all times.

3 3 For Wolves/Bears: are only allowed to overnight if they are accompanied by a parent or direct guardian/family member over the age of 21, so den-level daycamping is likely your only option. You must follow all BSA Youth Protect policies, especially with regards to two-deep leadership and having a 5 boy per 1 leader ratio. Be aware that you will be responsible for these boys throughout a long program day. For Webelos I/Webelos II: Rules for Tigers/Wolves/Bears apply to Webelos as well, except: Are allowed to overnight camp as part of a den/patrol, without a parent/guardian present. However, we highly recommend that parents/guardians accompany their Webelos as well. Here s a visual of the above: Tigers Must register as a family Can Daycamp or Overnight Must be accompanied by parent or guardian over 18 Wolf/Bear Can register as a den Can daycamp only Den must have two-deep leadership at all times and Youth Protect Training. Can register as a family Can daycamp or overnight Must be accompanied by parent or guardian over 18 Webelos Can register as a den Can daycamp or overnight. Den must have two-deep leadership at all times and Youth Protect Training. Can register as a family Can daycamp or overnight. Must be accompanied by parent or guardian over 18 Registration and Check-in/Departure process Registration The registration process is built around a family. The process is pretty much the same for those registering as a den. On the registration site, you will need to supply your name, unit and other information. You will need to indicate the name of every attendee (whether or not they are participants ) that will be coming to camp so that we can prepare properly.

4 4 Most people will be attending as a Family. However, if you will be attending with children that do not have a direct parent/guardian present in camp, you will need to select Den, and ensure that you follow all BSA guidelines for Youth Protect and two-deep leadership. Once you have completed registration, you will be provided with a summary page that you can send in with your payment to the address indicated. Payment is due to Council no later than the Tuesday of the week prior to Camp (Sep 6, 2011 for this year) to reserve your space at Camp. It is strongly recommended that payment is made as soon as possible so that planning may continue. Registrations not paid by Sep 6, 2011 will be subject to cancellation. This insures that the correct number of program materials are purchased so the staff can provide the best experience possible. Registration Waitlist Once the expected capacity for the camp is reached, registrations will be accepted as a Contingent Registration and placed on a Waitlist (this will be noted in the confirmation). If space becomes available because of cancellations or non-payment of registration, these Waitlisted registrations will be contacted and given first choice of refusal. Payment must be made by credit card to Council when accepted so that materials may be purchased. Check-in at Camp Camp opens at 4PM on Friday, and Check-in will remain open until 8PM for those arriving Friday evening. When you arrive at camp, you will be greeted by one of our registration people. They will check you in, give you your campsite assignment, and give you your check-in packet. There will an informal campfire at the campfire ring at 7:30PM, followed by an adult meeting at 9PM to discuss the next day s events. Daycamp and Saturday arrival Check-in Registration will open at 7:00 AM on Saturday. You will be greeted by one of our registration people, who will check you in and give you your check-in packet. Checkout Process Camp closes at 11AM on Sunday morning. Please completely police your area and pick up any trash. Make sure that any trash in your campsite trash container is taken to the central dumpster. Please make sure that latrines and washstands are washed down and clean. Prior to departure, there may or may not be departure packets, you will receive more information at camp.

5 5 Details on the camping experience Parent Participation Your participation as a parent in all aspects of Camp is key to your children having a great experience. You are expected to pitch in and help during stations so that your children can complete the activity in the time allowed. Camp Kaibab is specifically designed as a Family Camp, use this time with your children to help keep those family bonds strong. Facilities Camp Raymond is a Council-run Scout camp, so has facilities to support all types of camping. This is one of the two camps where Boy Scouts attend summer camp. There are 15 campsites holding 30 people each. There is at least one campfire ring in each site. Trash disposal is available at the camp dumpster. Campsites do not support trailer/rv camping, so is limited to tent camping. Limited RV/Trailer parking is available at an additional charge but is reserved for those that are unable to tent camp. Directions to Camp Raymond From Phoenix, take I-17 north to Flagstaff and I-40. Go west on I-40 to Exit 178, Parks. Go south approximately 11 miles, following the county road signs indicating the Scout Camp. Be sure to watch for deer and elk in the woods and meadows. From Prescott take HWY 89 north to Ash Fork. Go east on I-40 to Exit 178, Parks. Go south approximately 11 miles, following the county road signs indicating the Scout Camp. Be sure to watch for deer and elk in the woods and meadows. Staff Every single person serving as a staff member is a volunteer that has taken time out of their lives to help provide the best possible program for your family. Positions range from stationmasters who help provide the program, and group leaders who accompany the participants from station to station, as well as other support staff. Depending on attendance, we may need multiple stations providing the same program in order to accommodate the number of participants. Please consider volunteering your time to help us provide this outdoor experience for your family.

6 6 Campsite assignment Campsites will be assigned based on registration information. Families from the same unit will be assigned to the same campsite where possible. It is critical that you provide complete registration information on the registration site so that we can assign campsites correctly. Latrines/Washstand/Water Each campsite has a latrine (vault toilet), washstand, and water available. Participants are responsible for keeping these areas clean during their stay. We suggest you bring hand soap and toilet paper in case the latrines/washstands are not equipped. Cooking Although this is family camp, families from the same unit will be grouped together where possible in the same campsite so that they can share resources. After all, there is no reason for 10 families to bring all of their cooking gear if they can group-cook instead. Units do not need to register at the same time, as campsites will be assigned based on registration information. Food It is anticipated that many families will want to cook/provide their own meals. Camp Kaibab has a limited meal program available for lunch and dinner on Saturday for those that are coming out for the day, or for those that don t want to cook at their campsite. Lunch will be a cold lunch (sandwich, chips etc), and dinner will be a hot dinner. These are available at a cost of $5.00 per meal per person. Pre-registration and payment is required so that we can purchase the correct amount of food. For those that take advantage of the meal program and are camping overnight, you may wonder what to do about the other meals. We recommend bringing a sack lunch for Friday night, and a simple cold breakfast for Saturday and/or Sunday morning. Donuts and cereal, anyone? Vehicle There is no parking available at the individual campsites. All equipment must be unloaded and vehicles removed to the parking area as soon as possible. Vehicles must be backed-in to parking spots to insure rapid evacuation should it become necessary. Camp roads must be kept clear at all times. Help keep the illusion of wilderness by parking in designated areas only. Trading Post Camp Kaibab is expecting to run a trading post carrying souvenirs and other items.

7 7 Format For Cub Scouts (Tigers/Wolves/Bears) Camp Kaibab will follow a honeybee format, with families visiting a variety of stations throughout the day, in the order they want. This will allow families the flexibility of taking time off if necessary and still not miss anything. Cub Stations will be open from 9AM until 5PM on Saturday Webelos will be formed into patrols and will rotate through specific Webelos stations in order to complete the pins offered. Webelos stations will be open from 9AM until 3PM on Saturday. This provides them the opportunity to visit the Cub Scout stations as well. Auditions for the campfire will begin at 3PM and end at 5PM. Webelos patrols will be formed by camp registration staff. Units will be kept together if possible but is not guaranteed. Program The individual program areas will offer a mix of requirement-fulfillment and plain fun activities. Campfire Ceremony All families are invited to prepare a skit, song, run-on or other fun thing to audition to perform at the Campfire ceremony. It is important to remember that the participants are young boys between the ages of 6 and 11, so appropriateness along with an awareness of cultural and religious diversity is vital. Trash Each campsite will have a garbage can with liner. All trash should be removed each night from your site to prevent unwanted visitors during the night. Please help us keep our camp clean, be sure to shut the dumpster lids after leaving your trash. All trash must be put into the dumpster prior to your departure from camp. Checkout Procedures Your campsite will be inspected prior to your checkout. Your Scouts should check that personal items are packed and please leave the campsite as clean as or cleaner than you found it. Health and Safety The safety of each participant/attendee is our highest concern.

8 8 Emergencies In the event an emergency occurs in camp, the Camp Director must be notified immediately. If the Camp Director he is not available, the Program Director or Camp Ranger should be notified. If the emergency is of a medical nature, contact the medical officer without delay. Insurance Each registered youth or adult member of BSA is automatically covered under BSA insurance. Tour Permits are not required for this activity as it is Council led, however, they are always recommended for any activity which has a risk level associated with it. Family members including siblings that are not registered members of BSA participate in all events and activities at their own risk. Sibling Participants As this is a Family Camp, siblings will be allowed to participate where appropriate and safe. Siblings that are of Tiger age and above (6 years old) will be able to participate in all stations, Junior Participants (ages 3-5) will be able to participate in some of the stations where it is safe for them to do so. It is recommended that if you have a Webelos, and a younger sibling participant, that you allow the Webelos to join the Webelos Rotation Patrol, and keep the sibling in the Cub Scout stations as a family group. It is unlikely that a younger sibling would be able to focus and have the maturity to enjoy the Webelos stations. Sibling participation will be at the sole discretion of the station master. Sharing of sleeping quarters When assigning sleeping arrangements, either two Scouts share a tent or two adults share a tent, or Scout and parent/guardian from same family share a tent. Under no circumstances can a Scout sleep in the same tent with an adult/guardian who is not his parent. Health Lodge Camp Kaibab will provide a trained medical staff onsite and available for any first-responder issues and basic First Aid. Any medications (insulin, ADHD meds, inhalers etc) regularly taken by family members or participants MUST be brought to camp as only basic pain relievers/antibiotic ointments will be on hand at the Health Lodge. Any emergency prescription meds (ie EpiPens) need to be brought by the attendee. Most importantly, if you or any of your family who are attending are sick when it is time to come to camp, please stay home and make sure that that person gets well. Refunds in that case will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

9 9 Medical Forms All attendees regardless of age at Camp Kaibab are required to submit the official BSA medical form, Part A and B or at checkin at camp. Medical staff will determine whether these forms are collected or just verified to be onhand. Responsibility Every effort will be made to insure a safe environment for all attendees, but parents/guardians are ultimately responsible for the health and well-being of all attendees, including siblings. Station heads will ultimately determine appropriateness of any activity for any given participant. Buddy System Camp is more fun when shared with a friend. Scouts always should be with a Buddy or adult whenever walking around camp. The buddy system is to be used for all land and water activities in camp. Child Abuse Scout leaders are expected to be familiar with B.S.A. Youth Protection Guidelines. Report any suspected child abuse incidents immediately to the CAMP DIRECTOR ONLY. Camp Director will contact appropriate Council Staff and local law enforcement for investigation. Corrective Discipline As an official Scouting function, all participants are expected to do their best to follow the Scout Oath and Law at all times. Parents/guardians are expected to maintain discipline with their children/wards. The camp staff is there to conduct the program and to assist you where and when they can while focusing on delivering a quality program for all campers. It is not the intent of the camp staff to interfere with how a parent disciplines their child. However, Camp Kaibab should be a safe haven for all children. BSA policy dictates that physical methods of disciplining are unacceptable. Spanking, slapping, or otherwise disciplining with physical methods will not be allowed while in camp. Non-physical methods of discipline such as time-out or removal from an activity are allowed. Failure to follow these policies may result in law enforcement being contacted and possible removal from camp. Animals in Camp Pets are not allowed in camp. Please leave your pets at home. Please remind parents and visitors that pets are not allowed in camp at any time. Service animals are permitted, but be aware that this is a wilderness area and the issues this environment can cause with animals.

10 10 Proper Footwear Open-toed shoes are not permitted in camp. Why, you ask? Have you ever stubbed a toe on a rock or root? You don t want to! Proper footwear is required at all times. Smoking Smoking is allowed only in designated areas at Camp Raymond. Please do not smoke in front of the Scouts. Pocket Knives Pocket knives are restricted to 3 inches or less of blade, and to those Cub Scouts that have completed knife training and safety and have earned their Whittling Chip, and the card must be on their person when carrying a pocketknife. Bears and Webelos will have an opportunity to earn their Whittling Chip during Family Time at Camp Kaibab, if they have not already done so. Sheath and survival knives are not allowed at camp. Telephone Cell Service is spotty at Camp Raymond. Use of camp phone is restricted to emergency use only. Storing of food, food management While it is unlikely that a bear or other predator will come into camp when Cub Scouts are around, it could still happen. Food must be securely stored, either in secured containers (coolers) or in vehicles. Please make sure all tables are cleaned after every use to limit animal draws. Mini-bears (squirrels), skunks, raccoons and other smaller animals are very common in this area and are liable to pose as much a nuisance as a real bear or other animal. Under no circumstances should food (this includes anything that might smell like food like flavored waters etc) be allowed in tents that are to be occupied by campers. We recommend practicing backcountry procedures of not sleeping in the same clothes that campers have been active in during the day, to eliminate the possibility of having food odors on sleeping clothes. Similarly, campers should wash before bed to insure that bedrolls remain clean and any food odors are removed from their skin. Wild Animals Camp Raymond sits inside thousands of acres of National Forest, so wild animals can be expected. Animals ranging from mice,squirrels, and skunks, all the way to elk, bears, and possibly mountain lions. Now, no animal in its right mind is going to be anywhere near a bunch of noisy Cub Scouts, but those aren t the animals we are worried about. Please make sure that campers do not approach animals, feed them, touch them, or bother them. This is their home,

11 11 and we are just visitors to it, so we need to respect their home. Feeding animals, even accidentally, teaches them to rely on humans for food, so during times when there are few campers or events happening, they may starve because they have lost their ability to forage on their own. If you have an encounter with a wild animal that appears dangerous, you need to report the incident to a staff member. Religious Services We hope to have a non-denominational Scouts Own religious service on Sunday morning. There will be more information about this at camp. What to bring For those camping overnight You will want to bring all of your normal overnight camping gear, including but not limited to tents, cooking gear, sleeping bags, ground pads/air beds etc. If you plan to have a campfire, please be sure to have a shovel and firebucket nearby to manage the fire. Wood may or may not be available in the area so plan accordingly. For overnighters and daycampers The following items are recommended personal equipment that a Cub Scout and his adult partner should bring to resident camp with them. Remember these are only recommendations and you can alter as you see fit: Sleeping bag and pillow Stuffed animal or Teddy Bear (if needed) Toothbrush and toothpaste Towel and washcloth, soap Comb or brush Insect repellent-non-aerosol ONLY- Pump or roll on Sun block/suntan lotion (very important) Flashlight and extra batteries Canteen or water bottle Rain coat or poncho Class-A Scout uniform as complete as possible (Must be in Class-A for opening flag ceremony and campfire program) Change of underwear and socks Shorts

12 12 T-shirts Long pants or sweats and a long sleeve shirt Lightweight jacket or sweatshirt Hiking boots and/or sneakers Towel/Washcloth/Soap Cub Scout/Webelos Scout Handbook- Webelos especially GLOW-STICKS (Can also purchase in Trading Post) Book or magazine to read Prayer book, if desired Camera and film Small backpack or fanny pack Extra pair of hiking boots or sneakers no open-toed shoes are allowed in camp outside the waterfront area. What not to bring Alcoholic beverages and drugs Fireworks Firearms and ammunition Personal archery equipment Cross bows Sheath knives Electronic games of any type Open-toed shoes you ll understand the reason for this rule when you get a good look at a seriously stubbed toe, especially if it s your own Camouflage clothing makes it hard to find you if you get lost Behavior, Code of Conduct It is important that your Scouts remember they are members of the Boy Scouts of America. As Cub Scouts, now is the time to teach them proper outdoor manners and to learn to live by the Outdoor Code. Please don t allow your Scouts to cut down live trees and/or plants or allow them to destroy nests or other wildlife that lives at Camp Raymond. Also, teach them that when traveling around our camp, they should pick up any garbage or trash along the way and dispose of it properly. The general rule of Scout camping on any level is that You leave it cleaner than when you found it. Teach your Scouts that crossing/cutting through anyone s campsite to get from one point to another is not allowed. They should always go around the site. Also there is to be NO crossing/cutting through any program areas by Scouts or adults. This can cause a very unsafe condition and will not be allowed. Personal Cleanliness

13 Being clean in body and mind are part of the Scout Law and part of Scout training. Be sure that your Scouts wash up each morning and evening prior to going to bed. Be sure that they change their clothing regularly and wash their hands before coming to each meal. 13