2014 Winter Camp Merit Badge Addendum
Winter Camp Merit Badge Addendum The Merit Badge program is an important feature of our Winter Camp program. In this addendum you will find information on the policies and procedures at Circle Ten Council Camps with regard to our Merit Badge programs. All Merit Badge classes at Winter Camp will be conducted in the morning with the afternoon free for special programs (please consult the Leaders Guide for specifics). Some Merit Badges can be completed at camp; however, the vast majority will be partials due to time requirements, special projects, field trips, or other considerations. Some Merit Badges simply cannot be completed in the three days allotted for Merit Badge work. Some Merit Badges also require prerequisites or special skill levels and we suggest each Scoutmaster carefully evaluate the skill level of each Scout for his readiness and motivation to work on any given Merit Badge. Oftentimes, all requirements which can be completed in the three days of Winter Camp are accomplished and a Scout may think he is all complete because of this, but remember not all requirements are necessarily attempted at Winter Camp. Your unit will be able to sign up individual Scouts for classes starting November 1 through December 15. The sign up process will be delivered through the CampMaster web site. You will sign up your Scouts for a class, not a specific class time. The CampMaster system will balance all of the Scouts who want a particular class over all of the times that the class is offered. Due to feedback from you (the unit leaders who have attended our camps in the past) we will be imposing hard caps on many of our most popular classes. Priority will be given to those units who submitted their schedules first and we will do our best to accommodate the class requests of every youth. If your Scouts would like to schedule an hour off, that is an option that will be available during the sign-up process. Our goal for 2014 Winter Camp is to deliver your Scouts tentative class schedule back to you by December 20th. This should allow ample opportunity for you to communicate back to your Scouts and help you in your camp planning and preparation. Each unit must provide their Scouts with a printed schedule of class times: we cannot print schedules at Winter Camp. Due to the number of Scouts and units in attendance we ask that you do this before your arrival. We appreciate your understanding but we simply do not have the time to do this as our volunteers will be dedicated to other crucial administrative tasks needed to administer the Merit Badge program. Page 2, 2014 Winter Camp Merit Badge Addendum
During Winter Camp you will be able to log in to your CampMaster account and view a daily record of what your Scouts accomplished the previous day, including attendance and requirements completed. At the close of camp you will be provided, as part of your check-out packet, a printed record of the unit advancements that your Scouts accomplished during the week. Circle Ten Council Winter Camp does not award any Merit Badges. That is the purview of your unit committee. This report does not tie into any other online advancement system that your unit may be using. It is strictly a record between Winter Camp and your unit so that you may award badges appropriately. No Circle Ten Camp will provide blue cards for any Merit Badges that were earned during the week at camp. Page 3, 2014 Winter Camp Merit Badge Addendum
Merit Badge Instructors at Winter Camp We are constantly looking for skilled instructors for our Merit Badges and we do our very best to utilize top quality instructors in every area possible. We recognize that some of the most skilled and proficient merit badge instructors are based out of your unit and there is very good chance that they will be in attendance at Winter Camp. If you have such a person in your unit, and he/she possesses a skill that they would like to teach at camp which matches our Merit Badges offered, Please contact us immediately (Tamara Dreger, tamara.dreger@scouting.org) We currently have a need for instructors in the following areas: American Labor Automotive Maintenance Bird Study Camping Cooking Composite Material Crime Prevention/Fingerprinting Electricity Environmental Science Farm Mechanics First Aid Fish and Wildlife Management Forestry Geocaching Nature Orienteering Soil and Water Conservation Truck and Transportation Weather Woodcarving Page 4, 2014 Winter Camp Merit Badge Addendum
Here are some other helpful hints to consider as you incorporate the Winter Camp Merit Badge program into your unit program Complete the required online scheduling in CampMaster before the December 15 th deadline. Avoid scheduling and age conflicts by reviewing the Merit Badge sessions and activities for which your Scouts have registered. A Scout comes to Winter Camp to have fun, to have a great learning experience, to learn some skills and, yes, possibly to earn a few Merit Badges. Encourage a Scout to take up to three Merit Badges, but also to participate in our fun afternoon and evening programs. Discuss the Merit Badge requirements with your Scouts. You know each Scout s capabilities. Guide him to ensure that he has fun while experiencing new activities at camp which are within his developmental level. We encourage your Scouts to take a variety of Merit Badges in order to experience something completely different. Give a Scout alternatives and choices. Sometimes a Scout s desires are bigger than his abilities. Guide the Scout toward Merit Badges for which he is best suited. Remember some Merit Badge sessions are limited due to equipment limitations, skill level required, and safety considerations. Check requirements for any equipment the Scout may be required to bring and for any extra fees involved. We Recommend that you bring printed Merit Badge worksheets for your Scouts. In the past we have provided these Merit Badge worksheets, which have not been well utilized and for this reason, we are leaving it up to each unit to provide these for your Scouts. Here is a helpful link, which is not directly from BSA, but it is helpful and used by many Scouts: http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/merit_badge_worksheets The Winter Camp Merit Badge program is designed so that Order of the Arrow Scouts as well as adults teach Scouts. You may offer cheerful assistance to the staff members at the Merit Badge session, but remember the staff member is in charge. Your greatest assistance may be in helping to maintain discipline and to encourage respect for the Merit Badge counselors. Absolutely no class jumping by Scouts! The Scout must attend the Merit Badge class and correct hour of the class in order to be counted as present. In other words, a Scout may not decide he wants to attend the 10:00 a.m. class of a Merit Badge when he has been scheduled for a 9:00 a.m. class. In years past, this has created much confusion and taken up valuable instructional time because Merit Badge counselors had to find the Scout s name on a different roster. We simply will count the Scout as absent in his assigned hour even if he is present at another time. Also, we may not be able to accommodate changes in class schedules once the Merit Badge program is in progress. Page 5, 2014 Winter Camp Merit Badge Addendum
Disruptive, disrespectful or aggressive behavior will not be tolerated! If a Scout becomes so disruptive and unmanageable during class, he will be asked to leave and he may not be allowed back unless under the supervision of his Scoutmaster. The Scoutmaster will be informed of this should it occur. Please discuss appropriate classroom behavioral expectations; we thank you in advance. The Scout must successfully demonstrate the intent of the requirement to receive a completion for that requirement. This is the Merit Badge counselor s call. Attendance is not justification for completion. Only those requirements which can be completed at camp will be recorded as complete. It will be the troop s responsibility to issue full credit/earned status. No requirement may be changed, deleted, or added to any badge. Per BSA Policy, we do not award Merit Badges. That task belongs to your unit committee. At the conclusion of your camping experience you will be given a report detailing the requirements that the boys completed for your committee to use in awarding any advancement. Page 6, 2014 Winter Camp Merit Badge Addendum
Note to Scoutmaster: This form is intended for you to photocopy and distribute to your youth as they make their Merit Badge selections for Winter Camp 2014. There is a list of Merit Badges in the following pages for Scouts to reference. Circle Ten Council CampMaster Course Selection Form Scout Name: Rank: Would like to buddy with Scout Name: Rank: Years at Camp: Signing up for Merit Badges is easy! List the courses you wish to take in priority order. See the detailed course list for the course names to choose from. Up to 3 courses can be scheduled in the allotted Winter Camp day. Once you make your selections the CampMaster program will automatically assign times to your course schedule. Keep in mind each Merit Badge class is 50 minutes in length over 3 days total; Merit Badge counselors may offer additional lab times in the afternoon or evening in order to facilitate completion of certain requirements and it will be up to the Scout to listen and follow up with any lab times offered. Additional course names are collected in case some of the top 3 are not available. Priority Course Name 1. 2. 3. Should the above classes not be available due to scheduling conflicts, Please sign me up for one or more of these alternatives: 4. 5. Page 7, 2014 Winter Camp Merit Badge Addendum
Course Name 2014 Winter Camp Merit Badge Offerings Course Length Min. Age Course Fee REF PG. Leader Guide MERIT BADGES 1 American Labor *** New *** 1:00 2 Animal Science 1:00 3 Archery 1:00 4 Astronomy 1:00 Evening Lab 5 Automotive Maintenance *** NEW *** 6 Basketry 1:00 $5-$10 Baskets must be purchased in T. Post 7 Bird Study *** NEW *** 8 Camping 1:00 9 Climbing 1:00 Afternoon climbing 10 Cooking 1:00 Scouts must plan with troop to plan, shop for, and cook meals at camp 11 Composite Material *** NEW *** 12 Crime Prevention/ Fingerprinting 1:00 13 Cycling/ Mountain Biking *** NEW *** 1:00 Bring Mountain Bike and Helmet 14 Disabilities Awareness 1:00 15 Electricity 1:00 16 Environmental Science 1:00 17 Farm Mechanics *** NEW *** 1:00 18 Fire Safety 1:00 19 First Aid 1:00 20 Fish and Wildlife Management 1:00 21 Fishing 1:00 22 Forestry *** NEW *** 1:00 23 Geocaching 1:00 24 Horsemanship 1:00 25 Indian Lore 1:00 26 Leatherwork 1:00 $5- $10 Kits must be purchased in T. Post 27 Nature 28 Orienteering 1:00 29 Photography 1:00 Bring Digital Camera - lab may be required 30 Pioneering 1:00 Notes Page 8, 2014 Winter Camp Merit Badge Addendum
2014 Winter Camp Merit Badge Offerings Course Name REF Course Min. Course PG. Length Age Fee Leader Notes Guide 31 Radio 1:00 $10.00 Afternoon lab of 1hr 32 Rifle Will need to buy tickets for Merit Badge 1:00 qualifying and Free Shoot ($2 per 10 shots) 33 Robotics *** NEW *** 1:00 $10.00 Afternoon lab of 1hr 34 Shotgun Will need to buy tickets for Merit Badge 1:00 qualifying and Free Shoot ($.75 per round) 35 Soil & Water Conservation 1:00 36 Space Exploration 1:00 $8 Purchase Rocket kit at T. post 37 Sports 38 Truck and Transportation *** NEW *** 39 Weather 1:00 40 Wilderness Survival 1:00 41 Woodcarving 1:00 Additional Program 42 Bar-B-Que Dinner $10.00 Pg.7 43 COPE 3:00 13 $15.00 Pg. 12 Located at the COPE area 44 Extreme Mountain Man ALL DAY PROGRAM 8:00 15 $10.00 Pg.13 Must be 15 or older 45 Life of a Mountain Man 3:00 Pg.13 45 Lumber Jack *** NEW *** 3:00 14 Pg.11 47 Trail to First Class 3:00 Pg. 12 48 Pen Turning 1:00 $5 Pg. 10 New Location **Scoutrcraft** Aftenoon Program 49 Intro to Leadership Skills for Troops *** NEW *** 50 Ham Radio Certification *** NEW *** 1:00 Pg.15 Adult Classes Pg.15 3 Afternoon Sessions, Merit Badge Midway 3 Afternoon Sessions, Merit Badge Midway *** Youth Only *** 51 CPR/First Aid/AED 6:00 $10.00 Pg.11 Scoutmasters' Lounge 52 Wilderness and Remote First Aid 16:00 $30.00 Pg.11 Behind Trading Post 53 Hunter Education TBD TBD *** NEW *** (Not offered in recent years) Page 9, 2014 Winter Camp Merit Badge Addendum
Page 10, 2014 Winter Camp Merit Badge Addendum
2014 Winter Camp Merit Badge Locations Key WHERE WHAT WHERE WHAT L American Labor B Indian Lore D Animal Science A Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops N Archery B Leatherwork G Astronomy M Life of a Mountain Man HQ Automotive Maintenance L Lumberjack B Basketry C Nature D.Hall BBQ Dinner A Orienteering C Bird Study J Photography A Camping M Pioneering P Climbing J Radio A Cooking S Red Cross CPR/First Aid/AED Trianing F COPE K Red Cross Wilderness First Aid A Crime Prevention/Fingerprinting N Rifle HQ Cycling/Mountain Biking J Robotics B Disabilities Awareness N Shotgun J Electricity A Soil and Water Conservation M Extreme Mountain Man E Space Exploration K Farm Mechanics E Sports J Fire Safety T Trail to First Class J First Aid A Truck and Transportation A Fish and Wildlife C Weather I Fishing M Wilderness Survival L Forestry B Woodcarving A Geocaching Scout Craft Woodturning Experience A HAM Radio License D Horsemanship Page 11, 2014 Winter Camp Merit Badge Addendum
Page 12, 2014 Winter Camp Merit Badge Addendum NOTES