Camp Staff Costs

[wagionvigil]

When I was on Camp staff in the late 60's we had to have two uniforms plus all the socks,garters neckerchiefs etc Plus everyone had to have a red jac shirt and campaign hat.

[joat]

Our Camp and the last two I attended with my son, registers all non-Scouts and Scouters (meaning youth and adults) in a provisonal Staff Crew.

What is a "provisional Staff Crew"? Is that related to Venturing?

[ThunderingWind]

What is a "provisional Staff Crew"? Is that related to Venturing?

It is a Crew that is NOT chartered with an organization like a normal Crew, Troop or Pack. It is chartered to the Council so that employees who are not members of Troop or Crew as youth or adults can be legally registered, have YP training etc....

I am sure there are other legal issues I am not covering but that is general overview. Two of the three camps I have been to so far have them as Crew 1000.

And yes it is related to the Ventur Program, but in name only in this case. They have to have place for the young women to be registered (and some adults).

[scouter01]

When I was on Camp staff in the late 60's we had to have two uniforms plus all the socks,garters neckerchiefs etc Plus everyone had to have a red jac shirt and campaign hat.

where I go to scout camp, it is desrt, so ur just asking for heet stroke if you wear that much lol.

[joat]

It is chartered to the Council so that employees who are not members of Troop or Crew as youth or adults can be legally registered, have YP training etc. ...

You mean it's a way to get around a rule that staff employees must be registered members of BSA? I never heard of a unit being chartered by a council.

I don't understand why they would want to wear a Venturing uniform unless they just think it looks cool or something. If the objective is so they can be easisly identified as staff, a nice bright yellow shirt that says "CAMP STAFF" would work as well. Plus there would be no confusion that the staff was actually a Venturing crew.

[scoutaholic]

It is chartered to the Council so that employees who are not members of Troop or Crew as youth or adults can be legally registered, have YP training etc. ...

You mean it's a way to get around a rule that staff employees must be registered members of BSA? I never heard of a unit being chartered by a council.

I don't understand why they would want to wear a Venturing uniform unless they just think it looks cool or something. If the objective is so they can be easisly identified as staff, a nice bright yellow shirt that says "CAMP STAFF" would work as well. Plus there would be no confusion that the staff was actually a Venturing crew.

All summer camp staff has to be registered with the BSA. That means, at least for girls under 18, they have to be registered with a Venture crew. In our area there are plenty of crews around (though few of them do venturing, but that is another story). I've never heard of creating a crew just for the camp staff.
We have a camp shooting director in our church, who is registered as an adult member of our troop (I think ASM, but maybe Committee). He hasn't been involved with the troop much, but he has to be registered in order to work at camp.

I have heard of a 'provisional' troop being created at some summer camps. They are for boys who don't have a troop coming to camp, or troops that are too small. They put them all together into a provisional troop for the week. I don't think the provisional troop is officially chartered or registered as a troop with the council/BSA. Each of the boys has to be registered with their home troops.

Our council creates 20 troops every 4 years for the jamboree. I know all the boys have to be registered with their home troops. I don't know how the official paperwork is done for the jamboree troops. If there is a chartering organization, it would have to be the council.

[ThunderingWind]

You mean it's a way to get around a rule that staff employees must be registered members of BSA?

No, it is a way to register those employees that are not alreay part of Troop or Crew and get hired by the Council to work at the Camp for the summer.

There may not be an actual charter. But they are called a provisional Crew. I am sure there is some documentation some where that fully explains it.

Remember, I did state that I provided an overview.

[WVBeaver05]

We didn't form another unit when I worked at summer camp (only slightly later than wagionvigil), but I work with someone from the middle part of the country who has told me that they did.

We also needed socks, garters, and uniforms (Explorer then were recommended, but Boy Scout ones were accepted). The jac shirt and hat were not required, but I had the shirt. (Needed it quite a bit, but the WV "mountains" can get chilly even in June/July.)

Just FYI, for you younger ones -- there was no option for t-shirts or other "class B" or activity like wear. We wore "the uniform" - almost all the time (well, not me, I was waterfront staff and we were in swimming trunks most of the time, which greatly simplified our laundry).

YiS

[wagionvigil]

The first thing everyone did staff week ws get a pair of mocs from the trading post and put them together. These were the hard sole BSA mocs and were really sturdy. I like WV Beaver was waterfront director so we were in trunks But had to be in uniform at all three meals plus any other time we were not at the water front.

[WVBeaver05]

The first thing everyone did staff week ws get a pair of mocs from the trading post and put them together. These were the hard sole BSA mocs and were really sturdy. I like WV Beaver was waterfront director so we were in trunks But had to be in uniform at all three meals plus any other time we were not at the water front.

Except, I was just a Waterfront Staff member, not Director. Maybe I'll go back as some type of director when I retire. Summer Camp is the one opportunity that makes me envious of teachers!

Back to the main topic of the thread, that purchase probably offset any significant financial "profit" from the summer job. As I recall, Pay vs Expenses was an issue way back then too. (I case it makes any of you youngsters feel better - I earned $15/week for 7 weeks.)

BUT, the experience was AWESOME!! I wouldn't have missed it, and wish that I could have figured a way to still work camp and earn the money I needed to get ready for College (the biggest problem then was that there were more people trying to get the summer jobs than there were jobs, so if you were working at camp there weren't any jobs when you came back).

And, it is possible for a camp job (like any other) to be a bad experience. It shouldn't happen, but it could. However, you should still have the experience and the feeling that you get from helping younger Scouts.

YiS

[tdfoxsr736]

Try e-Bay, you can get secondhand uniforms there, and they're official BSA.

[Lynda J]

I recently started working at Wal-Mart. Though they did not have a uniform requirement before they do now. Kahaki pants and navy shirts. One reason was because so many employees abused the existing dress code.

I agree that BSA uniforms are way over priced. But I also had a problem with paying over $60.00 for a soccer uniform two years ago that he work one season. Theuniforms are poorly designed and not actually practical for outdoor wearing. But until BSA looks at being usable over appearance that is what we will get. I know the new pants are a great improvement. But there is still along way to go.

[Chief J]

I do not believe any staff member at a summer camp is there for the money. I know when i was on staff in the 70's I was not there for the money.

Staff members are at camp because of the experiences they have. If they are looking for money, there are many other summer jops in todays market that will pay much more than summer camp.

My son is on staff for three weeks as a CIT, as he is only 14 this summer. During these three weeks he must be uniformed as everyone else. In addition, as he is only 14 and a CIT he is not paid at all for being at camp. However, with that being said and the fact tha Mrs. Chief does not necessarily agree with me, I believe the experience he is having is far more valuable than the cost of some uniforms and spending money.

I truly enjoyed my time on staff at camp when I was 15. The ability to be away from my folks and family combined with the long days and hard work, combined with the hard to describe feeling of personal accomplishment and self worth remains in my memory today, and as I said befor, I believe these things are far more valuable than the expenses.

So at the end of this rambling, I would ask all to stop and think about why they want to work at camp. If the answer is for the money, then don't waste your time, because the local McDonald's will better achieve that outcome than summer camp.

These are my opinions, and we all know what opinions are good for,
Best Regards,
Chief J