Summer Camp 2009

Camp with Troop 54

Troop 54 will attend summer camp at Treasure Valley in 2009. We will once again stay at the Evergreen site, the closest site to the mess hall. Our week at camp runs Sunday, July 5 through Friday, July 10. Scouts may optionally stay until Saturday morning.

Camp fees and forms:

• Early pay fee: $310 - the deadline is May 26 (paid to Troop 54 - we need to get it to the Council by May 30).
• Regular fee: $335 - due June 16 (at the last regular troop meeting before camp).
• Medical Record - must be submitted for each Youth or Adult member at or before the June 23 parents meeting. It is recommended that you keep a copy. Note that a recent physical exam is required.
• Parental Authorization Form - Each Youth member attending Treasure Valley during the 2009 summer season must have a signed Parental Authorization form.
• OTC Med Form - This form is required to dispense any and all Over The Counter medication to a Youth member.
• Campership Application - Parents needing financial assistance your a Youth member to attend any of the Treasure Valley Summer Camp Programs need to submit a completed Campership Application.

Troop 54 holds a Parents Meeting before camp. This year's meeting will be held Tuesday, June 23, at 7:00PM.

The 2009 Leader's Guide (the camp manual) describes many aspects of camp.

Some "homework" for participants and their parents to complete before arrival at camp:

• Select which merit badges to earn during camp. One badge may be sufficient for a first year scout.
• Gather the items listed on the Equipment List (Leaders's Guide) In particular, pack plenty of non-aerosol insect repellent and purchase mosquito netting, together with four 4' dowels to support it.
• Work out what your schedule will be (with alternates for badges).
• Complete and submit the Medical Form before June 23. No one (leaders included) will be allowed to stay at camp without the form.
• Complete prerequisites for the selected merit badges. These are listed under Merit Badge Programs, in the Leader's Guide. Some of these may require significant time - don't save this for the day we report to camp. Each requirement is listed with a brief description. For additional detail, you can look up the complete requirements on-line.

Following the camp rules, we have to arrive together at 11:30 AM on Sunday, July 5. We will meet at the church at 10:30 AM and drive to Treasure Valley together. Campers should bring lunches for that one day.

A camp-wide dinner, troop Court of Honor, camp-wide closing ceremony, and camp-wide closing campfire are held on Friday evening at the end of camp. Families are welcome at all of these events. The troop pays for the dinner, but we will need to know on July 5 how many members of each family plan to atend.

Class B Troop T-Shirts havbe been ordered for all troop members. Scouts attending camp should bring $10.60 for two of these to camp.

Other Weeks

The Mohegan Council offers Boy Scout Summer Camp for six weeks (Troop 54 is attending camp the first of these). If you can't attend with Troop 54 or if one week is not enough for you, you might consider attending camp one or more other weeks.

• Provisional Resident Camp - You will camp with one of the troops that is attending camp the week you pick. The programs are the same; you will just have different buddies and leaders.
• Provisional Day Camp - You will get dropped off and picked up at camp each day (Monday - Friday) for the same day time programs. You will only have lunch at camp.

More information should be available on the Mohegan Council web page, under Treasure Valley / Summer Camp / Boy Scout Camp.

Having one of your friends at camp can be important to some boys. If this is the case, you might be able to find someone else in the troop who wants to join you in this separate adventure.

Other Camps

Other councils offer Boy Scout Summer Camp. You can find one (probably several) in any state to attend as a provisional resident camper. A couple of examples in our region:

• H. A. Moses - Located in Russell, Massachusetts, this 1600 acre camp is operated by the Western Massachusetts Council.
• Yawgoog - Located in Rockville, Rhode Island, this 1700 acre camp is operated by the Narragansett Council.