Troop 53
Summer Camp Information
Troop 53 Leadership Smart Books
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FAQ
| Q: | What are the dates of camp this year? |
| A: | See either this or this. |
| Q: | What time does my son need to be there? |
| A: | See this. |
| Q: | What should my son be wearing when he arrives? |
| A: | See this. |
| Q: | How do I get to Camp Joy? |
| A: | See the map. |
| Q: | What does my son need to take? |
| A: | See the checklist of equipment to bring to camp. |
| Q: | Does my son need a physical? |
| A: | Yes. No ifs, ands, or buts, the answer is "yes" — no exceptions. You must fill out parts A, B, and C of the Annual Health and Medical Record form. All participants, regardless of age must now have an annual physical from a medical professional. From the February, 2011, Compass: The Boy Scouts of America is requiring all campers at a resident camp to have a current (within 12 months of check in) camp health form signed by the doctor and parents. The required form is BSA Form 34605 and it is available on the council website. NO School Forms will be accepted. From the 2012 Camp Leader Guide, page 9: Beware of common errors: missing date of physical, doctor’s signature, and tetanus shot date. We only accept the BSA medical form (No. 680-001). No school or sports physicals will be accepted. These issues will delay check-in.And the "official" Official BSA Policy As far as I know, vaccination records, prescription medicine lists, etc. may be stapled to the form. More information. |
| Q: | I will be attending camp as an adult this year, do I need a physical? |
| A: | Read the above answer about youth physicals. |
| Q: | How much money should my son take to camp? |
| A: | This is really a family issue between you and your son. But, when figuring how much he needs (not wants), don't forget to budget for program materials that may be needed. See the Merit Badge & Program Schedule for costs associated with certain programs. (New for 2012! There is a fee calculator built into the Program Signup Form to help you budget for these costs.) There is a Trading Post at Camp Joy where it is possible to "blow" $20.00 before you even realize what you've bought or where the money went.
Invariably, every year there are 2-3 Scouts who spend everything in their pocket (sometimes as much as $50!) by Monday morning of camp. They spend the rest of the week either begging off other Scouts or adults, or complaining that they don't have any money. The 9th Point of the Scout Law, "A Scout is Thrifty", is especially important at Summer Camp. You should counsel your son before camp on the importance of budgeting whatever amount of money you decide to give him; maybe even work with him on a written budget. Please stress the difference between "needs" and "wants". A Scout needs to buy program materials. A Scout wants to buy a ChacoTaco™ (to be honest, so do I...). But since you asked, I personally believe that a Scout should be able to survive on about $25-30 of "discretionary funds", or "wants"-money if you will, in addition to money for program materials/fees. This gives him about $5-6/day to use as he and his budget see fit. |
| Q: | How should I prepare my son so he won't get homesick? |
| A: | I can't give any better advice than Chaplain Francis Schwartz of the Blackhawk Area Council in Rockford does in this article: Preventing Homesickness at Camp The only addition to that article that applies to Troop 53 is our policy on cell-phones (backed up by the Camp Cell-phone Policy). We do not allow Scouts to have them at camp or other outdoor activities. One of the reasons that is especially applicable to Summer Camp is homesickness. If a Scout can just call home anytime he wants it only worsens homesickness. Yeah, that seems counter-intuitive but experience proves that statement. If a Scout doesn't have a phone he needs to ask an adult leader for the use of his/her phone. In these days of technology being available everywhere our first clue that a Scout is homesick is usually, "Mr. (or Mrs.) ___________ can I use your phone?" By forcing a Scout to ask the question and realizing why he's asking we can then deal with it in an appropriate manner. If a phone call home really is warranted of course the Scout may do so, but usually (98%+ of the time anyway) little Johnny just wants to talk to Mom and tell her he wants to come home. Believe me, Scouts can really put a guilt trip on parents when they've made up their mind they are leaving camp. |