Webelos overnighter.

[beefytee]

I've always thought that cub scouts are allowed to do overnight camps if they have a guardian with them and they have their own sleeping quarters and such. We did one 2 years ago when we had webelos and I remember doing one as a child with my dad.

The bishopric is coming to me with the handbook that says:

"No Scout-sponsored overnight camping should be planned for boys under age eleven."

Did this change with the new handbook, or does this just apply to when there is no guardian attending?

With all the current and former bishopric members on here, I figured I could get some insight into this.

[DU Ute]

I've always thought that cub scouts are allowed to do overnight camps if they have a guardian with them and they have their own sleeping quarters and such. We did one 2 years ago when we had webelos and I remember doing one as a child with my dad.

The bishopric is coming to me with the handbook that says:

"No Scout-sponsored overnight camping should be planned for boys under age eleven."

Did this change with the new handbook, or does this just apply to when there is no guardian attending?

With all the current and former bishopric members on here, I figured I could get some insight into this.

I think the issue is that this sounds way too much like a sleepover.

[beefytee]

I guess this provides some insight:

http://lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,7701-1,00.html

[Jeff Lebowski]

I've always thought that cub scouts are allowed to do overnight camps if they have a guardian with them and they have their own sleeping quarters and such. We did one 2 years ago when we had webelos and I remember doing one as a child with my dad.

The bishopric is coming to me with the handbook that says:

"No Scout-sponsored overnight camping should be planned for boys under age eleven."

Did this change with the new handbook, or does this just apply to when there is no guardian attending?

With all the current and former bishopric members on here, I figured I could get some insight into this.

I have been in scouts forever and I don't ever recall seeing an overnighter for cub scouts in LDS units.

[Uncle Ted]

I've always thought that cub scouts are allowed to do overnight camps if they have a guardian with them and they have their own sleeping quarters and such. We did one 2 years ago when we had webelos and I remember doing one as a child with my dad.

The bishopric is coming to me with the handbook that says:

"No Scout-sponsored overnight camping should be planned for boys under age eleven."

Did this change with the new handbook, or does this just apply to when there is no guardian attending?

With all the current and former bishopric members on here, I figured I could get some insight into this.

The church has its own version of scouting. We learn at wood badge that Webelos can do an overnighter as long as a parent/guardian comes along but the church's version of scouting states otherwise.

The solution is simple: don't consider it scout-sponsored overnight camping. A lot of wards, for example, have "father-son campouts" especially in the month of May. Many boys that are under the age of 11 usually participate. In fact, you can even give out this useful checklist to boys that have never been on a campout before so they know what to bring. Just whiteout the words like "Webelos", "Scout", "den", etc. so the bishopric and other church leaders don't get the wrong impression about who is sponsoring the campout.

[creekster]

I believe it has long been the policy not to allow boys 11 or younger go to sleep outs. The exception was 11 year olds who are with thier fathers.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I believe it has long been the policy not to allow boys 11 or younger go to sleep outs. The exception was 11 year olds who are with thier fathers.

11-yr-olds don't have to be with a father.

[kccougar]

11-yr-olds don't have to be with a father.

Though I think the church policy is one campout for year for the 11 year olds.

[RC Vikings]

11-yr-olds don't have to be with a father.

About ten years ago I was the 11 yr old assistant and we would try to go on a camp out every month during the summer and one or two during the winter and we had an amazing lack of participation from the fathers in the ward. I'm sure that most of the kids made it all the way through scouts without ever having their fathers camp out once with their boys.

[creekster]

hmmmm. maybe i am wrong.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Though I think the church policy is one campout for year for the 11 year olds.

Nope. Three. No more and no less.

They have to do three in order to advance (one each for tenderfoot, second class, first class).

I am the 11-yr-old scout leader in our ward.

[Solon]

I am the 11-yr-old scout leader in our ward.

You're a good man, JL. That can be a tough assignment.

[kccougar]

Nope. Three. No more and no less.

They have to do three in order to advance (one each for tenderfoot, second class, first class).

I am the 11-yr-old scout leader in our ward.

You're right. I'm thinking of Webelos, at least in our ward. The webelos do one campout a year with their fathers.

[Moliere]

Nope. Three. No more and no less.

They have to do three in order to advance (one each for tenderfoot, second class, first class).

I am the 11-yr-old scout leader in our ward.

Not to be a lawyer but I think the policy is only no more than 3. And you are correct that parents don't have to accompany. I was 11 year old scout leader a while back and about half of kids either didn't have a dad or their dad was inactive/non-member (we can sometimes get nonmember father support but it is rare). These boys are now teachers/priests and it is very hard to get support for scout camp/high adventure with the lack of father support.

[Pheidippides]

Not to be a lawyer but I think the policy is only no more than 3. And you are correct that parents don't have to accompany. I was 11 year old scout leader a while back and about half of kids either didn't have a dad or their dad was inactive/non-member (we can sometimes get nonmember father support but it is rare). These boys are now teachers/priests and it is very hard to get support for scout camp/high adventure with the lack of father support.

Unauthorized practice! Unauthorized practice!

About ten years ago I was the 11 yr old assistant and we would try to go on a camp out every month during the summer and one or two during the winter and we had an amazing lack of participation from the fathers in the ward. I'm sure that most of the kids made it all the way through scouts without ever having their fathers camp out once with their boys.

The fathers in my ward (as a group) disgust me when it comes to camping. Every year we have a father and sons camp. Every year it turns into chaos while fathers chill with other fathers and I am left to make sure the boys don't burn down the damn forest or plant a hatchet in their forehead (I literally saved a kid from doing just that). My son and I (and sometimes my dad) will go and have a great time and do all of the good camping things that you do and we do them together and it's the highlight of my son's year. In the meantime the other fathers neglect their kids to talk to friends and then yell at said kids when they misbehave to get attention.

Not all fathers are this way but most of them are. It sickens me. So we don't go anymore. Instead, my son and I go separately.

/tangential rant