Effective Sept. 1, 2023, Cub Scout packs who are conducting their own overnight camping activities may now camp up to two consecutive nights.
Cub Scout packs who are conducting their own overnight camping activities must have at least one registered adult leader that as been trained in base adult leader outdoor orientation (BALOO), oversees the planning and is in attendance for the pack campout. This policy also applies to Webelos and Arrow of light dens who may conduct den coordinated campouts. The policy will be updated in the Guide to Safe Scouting and other resources on Sept 1.
Camping
The online version of the Guide to Safe Scouting is updated periodically. Scouting America has established the following guidelines for a safe and quality camping experience. Fundamental guiding principles for camping:
- Supervision of camping activities must include qualified, registered, adult leadership.
- At a minimum, one leader present is current in Hazardous Weather Training for all unit types. It is recommended that all leaders complete this training every two years.
- Additionally, at a minimum, Cub Scout Packs and Webelos / Arrow of Light Dens who camp overnight must have a BALOO trained leader present. It is recommended for all Cub Scout leaders.
- Activities must be age- and skill-appropriate for all participants.
- For council coordinated overnight camping, NCAP standards for short- or long-term camps must be met as minimum safety and quality standards. By design, added program-centric requirements and limitations to camping are also present. Those are introduced in training modules required of unit leaders and specified in other sections of the Guide to Safe Scouting.
Multi-Unit Overnight Camping Approval Form
Local council approval is needed for unit-coordinated overnight camping activities involving other units not chartered by the same organization. Units that wish to host events involving other units that do not share the same charter partner must have approval from their council. This includes events for packs, troops, crews, and ships from the same council; neighboring councils; the same territory; or other territory. Please use this form to submit information about your multiple unit camping activities. Before submitting this form, please inform the chartered organization representatives from all of the organizations involved in the camping activity.
A multi-unit camping activity is not approved until approval is received by the person filling out this form, all unit leaders, and all chartered organization representatives. Incomplete or inaccurate information will delay the approval process.
Pack Overnight Campout Approval
Cub Scout Packs that would like to camp at locations not yet approved by Great Rivers Council must first complete the Pack Overnight Campout Site Appraisal Form.
Approved Sites:
- Lake Of the Ozarks Scout Reservation
- State Parks the has a designated scout camping area
- City Parks that must be approved by the appraisal.
- Camp Takimina
- Bennett Spring State Park
- Harry S Truman State Park
- Lake of the Ozarks State Park
- Ha Ha Tonka State Park
- Finger Lakes State Park
- Mark Twain State Park
- Graham Cave State Park
- Arrow Rock State Park
- Knob Noster State Park
Additional Guidelines Specifically for Cub Scout Unit-Coordinated Camping:
- Cub Scout camping is limited to their council’s designated locations with appropriate facilities listed below:
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- The camping site is clean and safe from hazards.
- The site is not located near any natural or manmade hazards.
- Campsite areas are available for tents.
- Facilities are available for proper sanitary disposal of garbage.
- Drinking water from an approved source is provided at convenient locations.
- Emergency medical services (EMS) are available within 30 minutes from site.
- Cellular phone service is available.
- If fires are permitted, an adequate fire lay area is provided.
- Any individual site hookups provided for electricity, water, or sewer meet all appropriate local and state health codes.
- Each family site is located within 300 feet of a sanitary toilet facility.
- Shelter is available for program activities during inclement weather.
- Councils use Pack Overnight Campout Site Appraisal Form to review and designate locations.
- Units can request from their council a site appraisal but cannot do their own appraisal.
- Cub Scout camping is a family-centric program. The online version of the Guide to Safe Scouting is updated periodically. Go to http://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss.
- Cub Scout youth may tent with a parent or guardian as outlined in Scouting’s Barriers to Abuse.
- Cub Scout youth should attend the camping event with their parent(s)/ guardian(s).
- Lions and Tigers must have their adult partner present to take part.
- For all other ranks: only in exceptional circumstances, a Cub Scout whose parent or legal guardian cannot attend a unit overnight camping trip may participate under the supervision of another registered adult member of Scouting, a parent of a Cub Scout who is also attending. The unit leader and a parent or legal guardian must agree to the arrangement, and all Youth Protection policies apply. At no time may another adult accept responsibility for more than one additional “nonfamily member” youth.
- Webelos and Arrow of Light Den Camping: Each Scout should attend with their parent(s) or guardian(s). A Webelos or Arrow of Light Scout whose parent or legal guardian cannot attend a den overnight camping trip may participate under the supervision of at least two registered leaders. The leaders and a parent or legal guardian must agree to the arrangement, and all Youth Protection policies apply.
Hazard trees are dead trees, live trees with dead parts, and live trees that are unstable due to defects and are within striking distance of people or property. Here are some tips to prevent a hazard tree from affecting your event:
- Assess your site. Look up, look down, and look all around when parking a vehicle, hiking on the trail or selecting a campsite.
- Avoid campsites with hazard trees. Dead trees and dead limbs may fall at any time. Trees without needles, bark, or limbs may indicate structural defects.
- If a campsite has hazard trees but must be used, be sure that all tents, chairs, hammocks, and work areas are outside the trees’ failure zone or fall radius. The fall radius on flat ground is 1½ times the height of the tree or tree part that could fail. Sloping ground could increase the danger zone.
- Don’t use dead trees, hazard trees, or other unstable objects to support tents, canopies, or hammocks.
- Check the environment constantly for changes, including the weather, as storms can increase the likelihood of trees or parts of trees falling.
In many parts of the country, Scouting activities, outdoors will be at risk to thunderstorms and lightning strike potential. In a thunderstorm, there is no risk-free location outside.
First, to be prepared for your outdoor adventure, it is important to know the weather patterns of the area. Weather patterns on the Florida coast differ greatly from the mountains of New Mexico and the lakes of Minnesota or the rivers of West Virginia. In addition to patterns, monitor current weather forecasts and conditions of the area you plan to visit to modify your plans if needed.
The National Weather Service recommends that when the “Thunder Roars, Go Indoors! The only completely safe action is to get inside a safe building or vehicle.” When a safe building or vehicle is nearby, the best risk-reduction technique is to get to it as soon as possible. Move quickly when you:
- First hear thunder
- See lightning
- Observe dark, threatening clouds developing overhead
- Stay inside until 30 minutes after you hear the last rumble of thunder before resuming outdoor activities.
- Shelter—two forms:
- Safe Building—one that is fully enclosed with a roof, walls, and floor, and has plumbing or wiring. Examples of safe buildings include a home, school, church, hotel, office building, or shopping center.
- Safe Vehicle—any fully enclosed, metal-topped vehicle such as a hardtopped car, minivan, bus, truck, etc. If you drive into a thunderstorm, slow down and use extra caution. If possible, pull off the road into a safe area. Do NOT leave the vehicle during a thunderstorm.
- Risk Reduction (when no safe building or vehicle is nearby):
- If camping, hiking, etc., far from a safe vehicle or building, avoid open fields, the top of a hill, or a ridge top.
- Spread your group out 100 feet from each other if possible.
- Stay away from tall, isolated trees; flag poles; totem poles; or other tall objects. If you are in a forest, stay near a lower stand of trees.
- If you are camping in an open area, set up camp in a valley, ravine, or other low area, but avoid flood-prone areas. Remember, a tent offers NO protection from lighting.
- Stay away from water, wet items (such as ropes), and metal objects (such as fences and poles). Water and metal are excellent conductors of electricity.
- If boating and you cannot get back to land to a safe building or vehicle: On a small boat, drop anchor and get as low as possible. Large boats with cabins, especially those with lightning protection systems properly installed, or metal marine vessels offer a safer but not risk-free environment. Remember to stay inside the cabin and away from any metal surfaces.
- If lightning strikes, be prepared to administer CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) so that you can tend to lightning victims quickly (they do not hold an electrical charge). Take anyone who is a victim of a lightning strike or near-strike to the nearest medical facility as soon as possible, even if the person appears to be unharmed
- For additional information on lightning and weather services, visit http://www.noaa.gov
