SUMMER CAMP PREPARATION Troop 501

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MEDICAL FORMS AND MEDICATIONS Every scout and adult attending summer camp must have a current BSA Medical Form (Parts A, B and C) and a copy of the front and back of their insurance card. Please make a copy of these forms for yourself before turning them in to the troop. Part C is the physical exam portion and must be signed by a doctor. If your son does not have these, he will not be allowed to attend camp, per the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America. All medications your son takes, either daily or as needed (for example, Benadryl, Advil, etc.), need to be listed on the medical form. When departing for summer camp, that medication needs to be unexpired, in its original bottle, clearly labeled with your scout’s name, and in a Ziploc bag, also labeled with his name. Meds will be turned in by the scout at check-in on Sunday and stored in a locked storage box all week. One of our adult leaders will distribute the meds throughout the week. Scouts may not keep any medications themselves, except for Epi-Pens and inhalers. It will be your son’s responsibility to come to “medication call” daily and it is something you should have a serious discussion with him about prior to departure. Parents will fill out a “yellow card” summarizing medication dosages to assist leaders in distribution and tracking throughout the week. Scouts will only be given the dosage that is written on the prescription, so please be sure that matches the dose he usually takes. Any refrigerated medication will be stored at the health lodge and distributed to your scout from that location. EPI-PENS AND INHALERS: If your scout has been prescribed an Epi-Pen or inhaler for any reason, he must carry it with him at all times. WHAT TO BRING A suggested basic packing list is on page 6. The Scout Handbook is also an excellent source of information. Scouts will camp in the Manatoc-provided 7’ x 10’ canvas wall tents on a wooden

platform. They will sleep two to a tent. Scouts will not be permitted to set up their own personal tent as we do not have the room at our campsite. Move-in on Sunday will be smoother if the boys know in advance who they will be bunking with. As per Youth Protection Training II, there can be no more than 2 years age difference between any boys sharing a tent unless they are siblings. Everything that your scout brings to camp should be marked with his name or at least initials. Other items to consider:

Each Scout will need to bring his own cot.

A plastic tarp on the decking floor of the tent will minimize splinters and keep small items from falling between the slats. Some scouts bring old area rugs.

The canvas tents do not have screens, so a mosquito net over their cot is essential.

Scouts can bring cash to spend in the camp store but it is suggested that it be no more than $30 in a Ziplock bag (with their names clearly printed). Scouts have been known to spend all their cash on the first day. Cash has also been known to get stolen, so it should be kept locked in their trucks when not at the camp store. The camp store offers candy, snacks,

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slushies, pocket knives, merit badge gear and BSA gear. If a scout is Thrifty, $30 will be plenty to get him through the week.

Most scouts bring a lockable plastic footlocker to keep their stuff in. These can be found at Walmart or Home Depot for about $25-30.

A small, cinch-style day pack is useful to carry stuff like Scout Handbooks, notebooks, pencils, Merit Badge materials, rain poncho, bug spray, sunscreen, water bottle, Epi-Pens, etc. to merit badge classes. Scouts may also like to print out a map of Camp Manatoc and put it in a clear plastic sleeve or Ziplock bag.

A camp chair to have at their tent will make the week much more comfortable.

Class A shirts and olive green scout shorts (not basketball shorts) will be worn each night to dinner in the dining hall. We will be inspected each night as a Troop and get points taken off if any one boy isn't dressed properly. Scouts should bring a hanger to hang their Class A shirt during the day. At all other times scouts may wear t-shirts and shorts.

Close-toed shoes should be worn around camp at all times. Open-toed shoes are only allowed at the pool.

Many scouts bring pop-up canopy tents to set up in front of or near their camp tents for shade and a place to shelter from the rain during the day.

Because we are there during the 4th of July, many scouts bring patriotic décor, American flags, solar lights and bling to decorate their areas.

WHAT NOT TO BRING Your son is coming to camp to enjoy the experience of Scouting and living in the great outdoors for a week. Electronic devices are a distraction from that experience. While cell phones are not prohibited, they are discouraged. There is no WiFi at camp and no electricity at the campsite to recharge. Absolutely no food should be packed in the scouts' gear. Scouts will get three meals a day in the dining hall and snacks are available for purchase daily at the camp store. Any food that is purchased at the camp store should be consumed and NOT STORED AT THE CAMPSITE. Raccoons are not afraid to enter a tent if they smell food - even if your son is in it. Scouts should also not be in possession of matches, lighters, aerosol sprays or fireworks. DAILY SCHEDULE The master schedule for camp can be found here. The instructional schedule (which shows when each merit badge is offered) can be found here. During the week, a typical schedule is:

7:45 am: breakfast

8:30 am: flag raising

9 am-12:00: merit badge sessions

1:00 pm: lunch

2:30-4:30 pm: merit badge sessions

4:30-5:30 pm: open time

5:45 pm: Retreat Ceremony

6-7:00 pm: dinner

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7:00 pm: evening activities

11:00 pm: lights out MERIT BADGES A full list of the merit badges (and their prerequisites, restrictions and class size limits) being offered at camp this year is available on the Program Guide. Prior to camp, scouts will make their merit badge selections at a troop meeting. Selections will be signed off by the adult leaders prior to Mr. Marvinney registering each scout for that class. First year campers should strive to take three or four merit badges and the ST21 class. Popular first year badges are Chess, Art, Sculpture, Swimming, First Aid and Metal Working, but scouts should choose areas that are of interest to them. Keep in mind the distance between each merit badge area when scheduling. Depending on where a class is held, it may be difficult to arrive at your next class on time. During camp, merit badge counselors will take attendance and keep track of requirements earned. This information will be available to parents sometime after our week at camp. While many scouts take full advantage of their time at summer camp to advance on their path to Eagle, some will use their time to hang out at the campsite and not get much accomplished. Adult leaders will encourage scouts to keep busy and attend classes as best they can, but you may want to discuss with your scout what your expectation is, especially if you are the one paying for him to be there. Scouts should come to camp prepared to work on their chosen merit badges. The better they prepare in advance the more successful they will be at completing their work while there. Good preparation includes:

Reading through and becoming familiar with the merit badge books for the badges they have chosen. The troop has an extensive library of merit badge books ready for borrowing (see troop librarian). They can also be borrowed from another scout, or as a last resort, be purchased at the Scout Shop in Akron or at ScoutStuff.org for about $5 each.

Printing out the Merit Badge Worksheets, found online.

Completing any prerequisites before camp. Prerequisites for each merit badge (along with lots of other helpful information) can be found in the Camp Manatoc Program Guide.

Packing any additional supplies or materials (or extra cash to buy them at the camp store) that are specific to the badges they are working on.

SWIMMING POOL USE To be able to swim at camp, all scouts and adults must pass the BSA Swimmers Test each year. There are 3 classifications of the swim test: Non-swimmer, Beginner and Swimmer. The troop will schedule a swim test night at the Medina Rec Center (on a Tuesday evening in April or May) prior to our arrival at camp so that the check-in process is much easier for us.

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The pool is used for Swimming and Lifesaving merit badge sessions during the day. Open swim is available from 3:30-5:00 each day. For many scouts, this is their only “bath” of the week. For more adventurous swimmers, there is an optional 1-mile swim on Tuesday night of camp. Each scout who completes it will receive a special Mile Swim patch at our summer Court of Honor. HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE Temperatures at camp in July can reach the 90's or higher every day. Please make sure your scout understands the warning signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke and remind him that it is vital to drink plenty of water throughout the course of the day. There are water spigots throughout Manatoc. Scouts need to carry a refillable water bottle with them at all times (with their names clearly printed on it). A plastic cup with a handle attached to his belt loop on a carabineer or a hydration backpack are also good options. NO HAZING POLICY Camp should be a fun, enjoyable experience for everyone. Hazing and pranking, aimed at our fellow 501 brothers or any other troop at camp, have no place in Scouting and will not be tolerated by Troop 501. Any instance of hazing, pranking or joke playing will be dealt with accordingly by Scoutmasters, and depending on the severity of the situation, may be grounds for immediate dismissal from camp, regardless of the time of day or night. LEAVING MANATOC DURING CAMP If your scout will be leaving camp grounds during the week for any reason, let a Scoutmaster know in advance. Traffic is closed on camp grounds during the week, therefore parents must park and check in as a visitor at the Administration building and walk back to our campsite to retrieve their son, then sign them out at the Admin building. Sign them back in at Admin when you return. Any scout who will be leaving camp for any reason must have a Camper Release Form on file for their time at camp. Homesickness Some younger scouts may experience homesickness. Calling home will be discouraged as it often makes it worse (another reason to consider leaving his cell phone at home). Adult leaders will be alert to signs of homesickness and will encourage scouts to stay engaged in activities and keep busy. Older scouts are often encouraged to help younger scouts feel included and engaged at camp. PHONE NUMBERS Camp Manatoc's phone numbers are (330) 657-2422 or (330) 657-2592. FIRST DAY OF CAMP We will be meeting at the Antique Mall / Dunkin’ Donuts on Medina Road in Medina at 9:00 am on Sunday, June 30. Scouts should:

Bring a packed lunch, as the dining hall at camp will not be open until dinner.

Be dressed in their FULL Class A uniform, with (only if he still needs to take the swim test) his swim suit underneath his scout shorts. A professional group picture of the troop will be

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taken at the time of check- and scouts should all look uniform. Swim tests will follow that, and there may not be time for them to go back to the campsite and change.

Have Medical Forms (if not on file with the troop, see first item above) and all medications, clearly marked with their names, in a Ziplock bag with a completed “yellow card”, and a signed Camper Release Form.

Before we leave Dunkin’ Donuts, the troop will verify that all the medications match the med forms, are not expired and that they are in the original containers with your son's name clearly marked on each one. Parents will be filling out the yellow card that gives specific dosage instructions for all medications. From Dunkin’ Donuts we will caravan to Camp Manatoc in Peninsula. We will enter through the service entrance off of Truxel Road which is the first left past the main entrance to the camp. This lane brings us to the back of the mess hall; we will park in the lot on the right. Troop 501 will stay at the Buckeye Campsite on the southeast side of Manatoc. We will have until approximately 1:00 pm to set up camp. At or around 1:00 pm the troop will then go to the mess hall for seating instructions, the flag pole for pictures, and finally the pool for swim tests. Parents can stay as long as they like, however, the afternoon will be a lot of standing around and waiting as there are about 15-20 other units going through the check-in at the same time. The trading post will not open until after dinner. PICK-UP ON SATURDAY Scouts should have their belongings packed by 9:00 am. No one will be dismissed from camp until

the campsite is properly cleaned by the troop and inspected by Manatoc staff. Scouts will be

released to go home with their parents at that time. Parents should arrive no later than 9:00 am.

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SUGGESTED SUMMER CAMP PACKING LIST This is a basic guideline to help you plan what to take to camp. We recommend packing your items in a watertight footlocker that can be locked. Additional gear may be needed for certain merit badges (for example Camping, Lifesaving, or Wilderness Survival). Please refer to the prerequisites for each Merit Badge listed in the Program Guide on the Camp Manatoc website. All clothing and personal property should be permanently marked with your name or initials. Camping Gear: Cot Mosquito net Sleeping pad Sleeping bag or blankets Pillow and pillow case Flat twin sheets for warm nights Plastic tarp for decking floor Watertight footlocker with lock Folding chair Official BSA Uniform: Class A shirt with proper badges Olive green shorts or pants Belt Scout socks Neckerchief Neckerchief slide Order of the Arrow sash (if applicable) Class B t-shirt Clothing: Socks (at least 6 pairs) T-shirts (6) Underwear (6) Long pants (1) Shorts (4) Sweatshirt / jacket Sleepwear Hiking shoes / boots (broken in) Extra pair of shoes Rain poncho Hat with visor Swim suit 2 beach towels

Toiletries: Soap Towel and washcloth Toothbrush Toothpaste Comb or brush Deodorant Shampoo Other Items: Medications - clearly labeled Flashlight or headlamp (w/extra batteries) Refillable water bottle or Camelback Cinch bag or small backpack Insect repellant Sunscreen / sunglasses Dirty laundry bag Board / card games Boy Scout Handbook Merit Badge pamphlets Merit Badge supplies Notebook, folder and pencils for assignments Watch Paracord or rope Pocket knife–if permitted by Scoutmaster Map of Camp Manatoc Compass Spending money for Trading Post ($35-$40) Please leave these things at home: Electronic or mobile devices Food of any kind Matches, lighters, or aerosol sprays Fireworks