Scout camp is one thing most scouts look forward to. It is a week away from parents, and a week of relative freedom to have fun, be outdoors and to pass off quite a few merit badges. Scout camp is a time-honored tradition, and I still hear stories from my husband about his camping experiences.
Boy Scouts generally go on some type of excursion once every month or two. They may camp overnight, or go up hiking in the mountains or they may go spelunking or river rafting. Scout camp is an entirely different experience from these adventures. Your boys will be spending the week at a camp that is run throughout the summer which offers several merit badges for your boys to pass off. Usually your son can take three to four classes a day. If your son completes the work then he will have earned those merit badges. He might have a few more times that he will need to pass off when he gets home, but the majority of the work will be accomplished.
My husband told me that he quickly learned to pack for himself. His mom packed all sorts of things that were useful, but not the things that he wanted. He also learned not to forget certain items, like a flashlight. Midnight trips to the bathroom, or sneaky excursions around camp are a bit difficult without a flashlight.
If your scout hasn’t reached first class by the time he attends his first scout camp, you should see if they have a class that will get him to first class by the end of scout camp. Other than that let your scout enjoy his first year of scout camp, and sign up for badges that he is interested in.
As a parent enjoy your week of quiet, but do try and visit on parents’ day armed with a pizza or a hamburger for dinner. After a week of camp food they will be excited to have some real food again. Usually parents’ day has a showcase and siblings are welcome as well. You will need to check the rules of your scout camp before you attend.