Camping

From Guide to Safe Scouting:

The Boy Scouts of 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.

• 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.

• Activities must be age- and skill-appropriate for all participants.

• Youth who are not registered in the unit may not accompany parents or siblings in camping programs of Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scouting.

• 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.

 

Additional Guidelines Specifically for Cub Scout Unit-Coordinated Camping

• Cub Scout camping is limited to their council’s designated locations with appropriate facilities.

  • Councils use Pack Overnight Campout Site Appraisal Form (www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/430-90218-PackOvernightForm_Fillable.pdf) to review and designate locations.

  • Units can request from their council a site appraisal but cannot do their own appraisal.

• Cub Scout pack unit coordinated camping is limited to single overnight experiences. 

• Cub Scout camping is a family-centric program.

• 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 the BSA, 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 “non family 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.

• Only Webelos and Arrow of Light dens may conduct den coordinated campouts. Den camping only includes the Webelos or Arrow of Light youth. As with pack coordinated campouts, the den must have a BALOO trained adult leader in attendance and all Youth Protection policies apply.

  • Webelos/Arrow of Light Den Camping may participate and camp at a Scouts BSA troop unit campout. All Cub Scout camping requirements still apply, including the den must have a BALOO trained adult leader in attendance and all Youth Protection policies apply.

• Webelos/Arrow of Light Dens may only participate at a Scouts BSA “camporee” as day visitors.