Date: June 28th 2008

Are you ready for summer camp?

We will meet at the Scout Hut on Sunday morning (July 13) to load our personal gear and Troop equipment into the trailer at 9:00. We will be making our usual stop for lunch at the Golden Corral in Mt. Airy for lunch and plan to arrive at Camp Raven Knob at about 12:30 p.m. to be there in plenty of time for camp check-in at 1:00.

When you arrive on Sunday morning, please do not pull up in front of the Scout Hut. Drop your personal gear and park in the WCCC parking lot.

And don't forget that we travel in Class A Uniform and that you will need your lunch money available when we stop in Mt. Airy. That means don't pack your lunch money in your foot locker!

We will return to the Scout Hut on Saturday, July 19 around 11:00 a.m., depending on the time we are able to depart Camp Raven Knob.

There are just a few families with outstanding summer camp balances. This final payment is now due. Please plan to make your final payments before July 13. The Troop has advanced all payments to Camp Raven Knob.

Camp Raven Knob also requires a primary telephone number contact and an alternate telephone number for emergency contact. An e-mail has been sent to all Scouts attending camp to update the information we have on file. Please update your information by return e-mail by July 4.

Thank you to the Scouts who submitted an updated medical form. Camp Raven Knob is piloting a program this year that allows us to submit our medical forms in advance of our arrival in camp. The check-in process for those Scouts who submitted the updated medical form will be expedited by allowing these Scouts the privilege of bypassing the medical re-checks at camp. Any Scout who did not submit an updated medical form or Scouts who the camp medical department plan to interview further must complete a medical re-check when we arrive to camp.

A summer camp checklist that may help you in planning your packing is attached. This list, along with your Scout Handbook, should help you prepare for a fun week at Camp. A map with directions from Winston-Salem to Camp Raven Knob (so your parents/relatives/friends don’t get lost heading to camp on Wednesday night) and a map of Raven Knob (so they’ll know where our campsite is and where to park) is also attached for your convenience.

We camp at the Apache campsite. To find us, continue past the administration building and follow the road down the hill. At the log cabin, turn left and continue on Valley Road. The Trading Post will be on your right and Lake Sabota and the aquatics area will be on your left; the OA Arena is next on your right. Continue on this road past the nature lodge and our campsite will be on the left. We’re about a half mile from the Trading Post, give or take a few hundred steps!

Summer camp is one of the many highlights of our Troop year and like all Scouting activities, if we are prepared, we’ll be safe, learn something new and have a great time.

Summer Camp at Camp Raven Knob

Our Troop attends summer camp at Camp Raven Knob during the 5th week of summer camp (July 13-19). Here are a few camp items to consider:

Personal camp equipment. If you need to remind yourself what personal equipment is needed for camp, please refer to camp handout you received earlier this year. If you can’t find this packet, head on over to the Troop 919 website where you can download a copy of our 2006 Summer Camp Guide.There is a summer camp checklist attached to this e-mail. The same checklist is on our Troop website as well.

When packing your camp gear, be sure to include sunscreen, water bottle (or camelback), insect repellent, pillow, camp (lawn) chair, hiking staff, hat, daypack (bookbag  or fanny pack so you can always have your water bottle and rain gear with you), extra shoes (some Scouts bring their hiking boots and a pair of athletic shoes), a flashlight with new batteries (don’t forget to include extra batteries and a spare bulb) and your favorite board game or reading material. Wool socks and liners for each day will help protect your feet. As a reminder, no open toed shoes (sandals, flip flops) are allowed in camp, except in the shower.

A Scout should always have his 10 essentials. Check your Scout book if you need a reminder.

You’re welcome to bring your pocket knife and totem chip to camp, but leave any sheathed knives at home. They are not allowed in camp. Same goes for electronics, skateboards, rollerblades, etc/. No Gameboys, Ipods, MP3 players, cell phones, CD players, DVD players, etc. are allowed in camp. DO NOT bring items of value with you to camp.

It’s usually pretty hot when we are at camp, so you won’t need that cold weather sleeping bag. Many Scouts bring sheets and a blanked for their bunk. A summer weight sleeping bag works as well.

Another good idea is a mesh laundry bag. It’s about the best way to store your sweaty and wet dirty clothes. You can send you laundry home with your parents on Wednesday night, too. A mesh bag will help cut down on that sweaty gym smell in your tent!

Our campsite is along a creek and it’s the only chance some Scouts have to go near a creek, or to even play in a creek. A Scout must bring closed toed water shoes if he even thinks he’ll venture into the creek. No closed toed water shoes – no creek. These water shoes can be water shoes, athletic shoes, Crocs or other closed toed shoes that can get wet and soaked; they can not be the shoes a Scout plans to wear during camp or his backup shoes.

Personal snacks. Scouts may bring a small personal cooler with snacks, however, please leave those sugar filled snacks at home. Remember, NO food in tents! Remember to label you cooler or container.

Scout Uniform. Scouts will be wearing their Class A uniform to dinner meals and to campfires. A Class A uniform is the Scout shirt, pants/shorts and socks. Scouts will wear Class B (Scout t-shirt) during the day and at other times. We suggest bring two Class A uniform shirts if you have them and a hanger to hang your uniform shirt on during the day. A second Class A shirt is not a requirement, but will be nice to have if your Class A shirt is sweaty and stinky by the end of the week. We also wear our Class A uniform to dinner.

Troop 919 Scouts will be receiving a Troop t-shirt and a Camp Raven Knob t-shirt while at camp. The Trading Post usually has Class B shirts for sale at a reasonable price if you want/need additional shirts. Most Scouts try to have about seven Scout related t-shirts with them at camp.

Merit Badge Classes. All Scouts will be taking Merit Badge classes at camp and should purchase the merit badge pamphlet for their session at the Wachovia Scouting Service Center on Silas Creek Parkway prior to camp. The Trading Post may have a limited supply of merit badge pamphlets.

Scouts taking Trail to Eagle classes must download and print their Trail to Eagle workbook from the Camp Raven Knob website and bring it with them to camp. These workbooks are necessary for the class and typically not available at camp. Here is the link on the camp website to download your Trail to Eagle workbook.

Scouts will also need to bring the needed supplies for their merit badge classes, such as paper and pencil, masking tape, etc. Check the requirements for your class.

Scouts taking other merit badge classes are also responsible to taking any necessary equipment (tent, backpack, fishing pole, etc.) with them to camp. Scouts taking camping merit badge may use a Troop tent; it is their responsibility to ask to use and load this equipment into the trailer the morning of departure and return it to its storage location when we return.

You should also review the summer camp guide and complete any merit badge requirements prior to camp that should be completed prior to camp.

How much money should I take with me to camp? This is a personal decision; remember you are responsible for keeping up with and managing your own money. Most Scouts bring between $5 and $10 per day with them to camp. This should be plenty to pay for any handicraft purchases, snacks and other purchases you want to make at the Trading Post. If you need to pay any merit badge session fees, don’t forget the money for that as well. You can always hit your family banker up for some additional funds on Wednesday night if you haven’t budgeted very well.

Contact with Scouts at Camp. If you need to reach your Scout in an emergency situation while we are at camp, the best bet is to call the Camp Raven Knob administrative office at (336) 352-4307.

Scouts love mail from home while at camp. Scouts may receive snail mail and e-mail at camp. Address your letters to:

E-mail can be sent to Scouts through a form on the camp’s website. Be sure you include our Troop Number (Troop 919) in the message subject line. E-mail messages will be printed and delivered to the Troop. A word to the wise: others will be able to view anything you put in an e-mail, so don’t get too personal!

There is a pay phone at the admin building and some Scouts will want to call home at some point during the week. Don’t expect your Scout to call home every day. He’s going to be busy and the phone is a good distance from our campsite! Many Scouts call home prior to Wednesday to request additional clothes, socks, etc. or to make sure their favorite food item will be arriving on Wednesday. Many Scouts bring a phone card or call home collect. Cell phones are not permitted in camp, except for adult leadership. Many Scouts have a personal cell phone…leave those at home.

Lock for your locker. All Scouts must have a foot locker and a lock. The lock can be a key lock or a combination lock. All Scouts are required to place an extra key or the combination in a Ziploc bag and give it to the Scoutmaster before leaving for camp. If you still need a locker, check at Space Savers on Stratford Road. or Wal-Mart. Make sure your name is on the outside of your locker. The foot locker must be of the size to fit under your bunk.

Put your name on everything! Put your name on all clothing and equipment. It’s amazing how everything starts to look alike after a couple of days.

Prescription medications. If a Scout will be taking prescription medicine while at camp, he is required to bring his medication in the original container inside a Ziploc bag with his name on it and detailed dosage instructions printed on an index card and included in the bag. All prescription medications will be kept locked in container for safe keeping and will be dispensed before and after meals. Medications requiring refrigeration will be stored in the health lodge and will be dispensed by the medical staff before and after meals.

Camp Departure. We will meet at the Scout hut at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 13 in Class A uniform and plan to depart for camp at 10:30 a.m. We will make our traditional stop at the Golden Corral in Mt. Airy for lunch so we can be at CRK for the 12:30 p.m. check in. Each Scout should bring about $10 for lunch (above his budget for camp).

Returning from camp. We should be leaving camp by 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 19, which will put us back at the Scout Hut around 11:00 – 11:30 a.m. We’ll have just a bit of Troop equipment to unload and stow away before heading home.

Wednesday Night Family Picnic and Campfire (July 16). We’ve talked about this one in Troop meetings, in e-mails and in our introductory meeting the Raven Scout parents.

Our Wednesday night family pot luck picnic and campfire is important for many reasons. We welcome the delicious home-cooked food you bring us. We’re happy to see our families and friends and we like to show off our camp and the Scouts like to show moms, dads, brothers, sisters and friends what they’ve been doing at camp.

The Wednesday night campfire is a special time during of week of camp and all friends and families are invited to attend the campfire with the Troop. The campfire is led by members of the Order of the Arrow, which is Scouting’s camping Honor Society. Some of our Troop 919 Scouts were selected by their fellow Scouts to be tapped into the OA; the names of these Scouts will be revealed by the Order of the Arrow at the Wednesday night campfire.

We’re at camp during the 5th week when the OA honors members with the prestigious Vigil Honor. This OA ceremony is very meaningful to Scouts and Scouters alike and many Scouts and Scouters return to Camp Raven Knob each year for this special night. We hope you will include the Vigil honor ceremony in your plans for Wednesday night.

The most important reason to attend on Wednesday evening, however, is that Scouts looks forward to your visit. You can only imagine the disappointment a Scout feels if he is the only Scout who doesn’t have somebody to share the evening with. If your Scout is not going to have any visitors on Wednesday night, please discuss this with me privately prior to camp. You can e-mail me or call my cell phone (829-0158).

We will once again be camping in the Apache campsite which is past the OA Arena and the Nature area. The best suggestion is to arrive early, drive to our campsite and drop off your food and stuff and then park your vehicle near the administration building or trading post.

With some 150-200 people enjoying dinner in our campsite it takes a while for everyone to be served and the area cleaned up prior to the campfire. We’ll plan to eat at 5:30 p.m. If you can leave Winston-Salem early, please do so. It takes about an hour to drive to camp from Winston-Salem.

What should you bring? Your Scout’s favorite food and drink. This will be the one night he’s sure to get his favorite food this week, so make it memorable. Plan to bring enough food to feed your family times two. With this rule-of-thumb we always have enough food and everyone gets to try something different! Don’t plan to leave any remaining food in camp; we don’t have any place to store food and don’t want to attract any animals.

Please feel free to bring a lawn chair and wear comfortable clothes and walking shoes. Don’t forget your rain gear. There is a rumor that Camp Raven Knob sometimes gets afternoon rain showers.

Homesick Scouts (this note is especially intended for the families of our Raven Scouts). – This may be first time some of our Scouts have been away from home for an extended period of time or the first time he’s slept outdoors for a week and some (very few) Scouts get homesick while at camp. The staff at Camp Raven Knob is super at consoling homesick Scouts and usually after talking with a staff member, a once homesick Scout has forgotten all about home and back into action.

If a Scout is going to get homesick, it’s when he sees his family on Wednesday night. It has been our experiences that if a Scout leaves with his family on Wednesday night or has his parents pick him up before the week is finished; his Scouting career is short lived. There have been a few cases when a parent has had to walk away from a tearful Scout, which was probably tougher on the parent than the Scout.

If your Scout seems a bit homesick when you see him on Wednesday night and you insist that he stay in camp, he’ll be a stronger young man and will be standing taller when he arrives home. He will have lived that true mountaintop experience.

I don’t expect homesickness to be a problem for any of our Scouts, but ask that families be prepared for the possibility and have made a plan that your Scout stays in camp. Please call me if you believe we should discuss this potential.

 

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