Youth-Led Crew Organizes Day Camp
The annual Cub Scout Day Camp, run in the past by employees of the Piedmont Council BSA, has always been a hit with the young Cub Scouts. A teenage majority makes up the staff, leading the Cubs in activities of many categories: STEM, crafts, cooking, scout skills, sports, and archery. Each day is broken up with snack towards the middle of the activity rotation, and after eating, the kids spend time playing a group game; often capture the flag or tug-of-war.
This year, a new Venturing Crew was formed to take on the difficult task of planning and coordinating Cub Scout Day Camp. Venturing Scouts Tali Cooper and Bridget Bentley, also leaders of Piedmont Community Service Crew, were up for the challenge of being founders of “Camp Crew”. The two girls started the Camp Crew in collaboration with the newest district executive, Morgan Fjord and their Crew Advisor Ken Li. Tali and Bridget worked tirelessly to see the camp come to life. Everything from planning each rotation’s activity to deciding on the overall theme of the camp, and conducting interviews for potential staff was a part of the process.
When asked about the challenges of the planning process, Bridget Bentley says, “I thought the planning of the camp beforehand made the camp experience more enjoyable for me because I got to see everything that we planned in action which was really rewarding.”
As a two-year staff veteran, I can confidently say that the value of a youth-led planning committee shined through in the campers’ enjoyment. Staff understood how to better interact with the kids, who were between the ages of 6 and 8. The kids enjoyed the activities that were planned with a goal to forge connections between Scouting and responsibility.
The Cubs had the opportunity to act as color guards in the daily flag ceremony, to learn how to set up tents, and to safely shoot a bow and arrow. As the week progressed, it was clear that the young children came to better understand what it means to be a Scout. As a Venturing Scout myself, where the program is not so much a part of the traditional scouting laws, it was lovely to see the respectfulness and understanding being developed in the young Scouts.
This year, Cub Scout Day Camp did a fantastic job at achieving its goal: to provide young Scouts a place to hone skills that further them in life. The success was much in part to the youth-led planning, which can be majorly credited to Bridget Bentley and Tali Cooper.
If you would like more information about PCSC, Camp Crew, or Cub Scouts, please visit the BSA website.
Written by Eleanor Hoffpauir, VP Communications for Piedmont Community Service Crew and Day Camp Counselor