Fall Family Camp 2013

Here is the latest info for our Fall Family Camp trip this weekend. First, a few reminders and late breaking items:

• • Both Class A (Scout uniform) and Class B (Pack T-shirt) uniforms will be needed. We’ll wear B most of the day on Saturday, but will wear A for an afternoon session and for the optional religious service on Sun morning.

  • We’ll have some extra Pack T-shirts on hand if you’d like to purchase one ($12 for youth sizes, $15 for adult sizes)

  • Our Pack is assigned to Adventure Camp campsite AC#8 and Parking lot P4 next to Love Dining Hall. Greeters will direct you to the site if you arrive between 3:00 and 7:30pm on Friday. Otherwise see the attached FFC Map and other info below. Only those staying in one of the canvas tents will actually be in AC#8. The rest of us will pitch our tents in the surrounding area. Come to the pavilion in AC#8 when you arrive to find out where others from our group are pitching tents.

  • Greeter duties: Pack 815 will be performing the Greeter duty from 3pm to 8ish at the main camp road at the entrance to Adventure Camp. Chuck Kersnick and Alan Seal will do the 3-5 shift. We need 1 or 2 more adults for the 5-7 shift and for the 7-8ish shift. Please reply to ASAP if you can help. Tiger Parents (i.e., 1st graders) can only do this if both parents are attending since a parent must always be present with a Tiger Cub.

  • Weekend weather prediction: 80% chance of rain for Fri., sunny for Sat. and Sun.; temps: 40-69. It should be a perfect day on Sat, but we may get a little wet when we arrive. Bring rain gear and sun block.

  • No knives: Scouts are not allowed to use pocket knives at Family Camp, even older boys who’ve earned their Whittling Chip.

  • No electronics: Please have the kids leave their electronics at home (or in the car). We want them exploring the outdoors this weekend.

  • Bring bicycle helmets for your Cub and his participating siblings. This will be used for some of the activities. If you don’t have one, it is OK. Each kid will also receive a bandana that can be used as a head cover so a helmet can be borrowed if necessary.

  • If you have a compass, please bring it for use during one of the activities on Saturday.

  • Bring camp chair or blanket to sit on for watching the camp-wide soap box derby race on Sat afternoon. Some of our Cubs will be pushing Cubmaster Alan Seal in the race using the awesome Pack 815 Cubmobile, which was designed and built by Mr. Rob Hembree with help from Bear Den 5.

  • Bring cash (small bills please) for purchasing Friday night dinners. There is a Scout Shop/Gift Shop at Love Dining Hall that should be open on Saturday.

  • Cooking Volunteers Needed: We will have over 80 attendees from our Pack. Cooking for all those people will be a major undertaking, so we really need people to pitch in. There will be a sign-up sheet in the AC#8 pavilion. Please sign up for any open slots.

  • We need to supply our own firewood for our Sat night campfire (foraging is not allowed). If you have room for few pieces of firewood, please bring some with you.

  • Each Den should plan to perform a skit or song at the campfire. Use free time on Fri and Sat to plan/practice this.

WHAT TO BRING: Besides the items mentioned above,

- Bring things that you would normally need for spending the day outside: water bottles (fresh water is available for refills on site), sun block/spray, bug repellant, snacks, raingear, hat, comfortable shoes, etc.

- Bring things for camping overnight: tent, tarp for covering ground beneath your tent, sleep pads for under your sleeping bag, extra blankets/clothes to stay warm in mid-40 temperatures, flashlights, batteries, etc. If you don’t want to do it the old fashioned way, bring skewers for roasting marshmallows (Pack is providing marshmallows)

- There are modern restroom facilities with electricity located about 100 yds from our campsite. These are usually stocked with toilet paper, hand soap, and paper towels, but bring whatever other toiletries you need. Showers are available, but most campers just wait to get home on Sunday.

- If you plan to fish, you will need your own bait and fishing gear. Adults over 16 need a fishing license, which you can purchase in the Walmart sporting goods section (among other places).

WHAT NOT TO BRING:

- Heaters of any kind are not allowed in tents!

- Sorry, but smoking is not allowed on the premises.

- No alcohol, fireworks, firearms, etc....

DIRECTIONS: Your GPS should be able to locate Bert Adams Scout Reserve (BASR) in Covington GA. Follow this link for an online copy of the map with directions that we handed out at the past Pack meeting. Click here to bring up the location on Google Maps. Once you enter BASR, go about 0.8 miles and turn left. This road deadends at the P4 parking lot adjacent to Love Dining Hall and near AC#8 campsite.

ARRIVAL TIME: Try to arrive between 3 and 7:30 PM on Friday night. Try to get there before dark if you have to pitch a tent. You will be dealing with Friday afternoon traffic on I-285 and I-20, so the earlier you can leave home the better. With no traffic, drive time is about 1hr and 15min. With heavy traffic, it will be over 2 hrs. If you plan to arrive on Saturday, try to arrive in time for the activities that start at 9:00 AM, park in P4, and go to AC#8. If we are not there, then give me, Alan, or Chuck a call and we’ll help you find us. Or, check the schedule in the attached map and schedule file and try to find someone in a Pack 815 tie-dye T-shirt.

YOUTH PROTECTION: If you’ve taken the BSA Youth Protection Training (YPT) course, then you know the rules. If you haven’t, then please ensure these rules are followed at all times:

- Two Deep Leadership – At least two adults must always be present with a Cub (of course you can be alone with your own child, but you may not be alone with someone else’s child). To state it differently, no adult may be alone with a child who is not theirs.

- Separate restroom facilities – There are separate restrooms for Cubs and adults. Adults should not enter the Cubs’ restroom except in an emergency. In some parts of Bert Adams, there are kids restrooms, men’s restrooms, and women’s restrooms. The facility near our camp has the Cubs’ restroom in the middle and single-occupant restrooms on the side. Adults are to use the ones on the side only.

- Separate tents – An adult may not sleep in a tent with a child for whom they are not a parent or guardian.

- Respect of privacy – An adult may not be present when a child for whom they are not a parent or guardian is changing clothes. Also, cameras, phones, or other digital recording devices should not be taken into group restrooms. If you suspect a child has taken pictures in a bathroom, please seize their device immediately and report the incident to me and Alan.

If you see someone breaking these rules please let them know about it immediately and also let me and Alan know if necessary.

BASR: We handed out a “What to Expect at Bert Adams” document previously that has lots of info about the camp. Click here to access an online copy of that document if you need it.

HEALTH & SAFETY: Please read through the attached Safety Briefing from the BASR Health Officer. As stated in the Bulletin, please know that open toe shoes are not allowed except for in the restrooms. So, please make sure you and your Cub wear closed-toe shoes this weekend (i.e., no flip flops, sandals, or crocs).

Pack 815 Leader Contacts for FFC Questions (put these into your phone now):

- Chuck Kersnick: 770-380-0022

- Alan Seal: 404-314-3921

- Greg Foreman (me): 678-708-5191 (call or text is OK – I also receive e-mails to gfore@mindspring.com on this phone.)

FFC Coordinator Contacts:

- FFC Director, Greg Hunt: 404-200-2646

- Health & Safety Officer, Sheryl Hughes: 404-867-1678