Ask Pop is a monthly column in the Trail to Adventure Blog focused on answering questions submitted by you! Each month we will highlight a few of the questions submitted. Do you have a question you need answered? Do you have a perplexing challenge you want to ask the larger BSA properties and outdoor program community? Submit your questions to outdoorprograms@scouting.org and even if they are not featured in the blog, you will get an answer!

What’s Pop? “Property and Outdoor Program” of course!

This month we will answer a series of questions related to Cub Scout participation at Scouts BSA short-term camps like a camporee.

Q: Can my Webelos den attend the Scouts BSA Short-term camp like a Spring Camporee?

A: Yes – with some limitation.

Scouts BSA Spring camporees that are overnight are short-term camps and as stated in the Age Appropriate Guidelines for Scouting Activities Webelos can attend a camporee (short-term camp) as a day visitor only.

Q: So can they participate in the events of the Camporee?

A: It depends but probably not.

Each short-term camp has been designed to meet the needs of the participants. If the camp has been designed to have stations for Webelos to participate (separate from the Scouts BSA participants) it may be appropriate. However, if the camp is designed for Scouts BSA then it would not be appropriate for Webelos youth to participate even if they are attending as visitors. It would not be appropriate for Webelos dens to follow the same schedule or event rotations as the Scouts BSA patrols.

Q: If I am a leader in the Scouts BSA troop, can I bring my Webelos Scout along with me to the Camporee?

A:  No. As stated in the Guide to Safe Scouting “Youth who are not registered in the unit may not accompany parents or siblings in camping programs of Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scouting.” We would encourage you to help the den attend as day visitors and develop age-appropriate program for them to participate in.

Thanks for these great questions and keep them coming.

A few more words on overnight camping:

As always follow the BSA SAFE plan and use the SAFE checklist to determine if this is an appropriate activity for your youth. With any BSA activity or event, follow the BSA Youth Protection Guidelines and the BSA Barriers to Abuse to ensure that you have proper supervision for the activity and the program level.

Ask Pop is a monthly column in the Trail to Adventure Blog focused on answering questions submitted by you! Each month we will highlight a few of the questions submitted. Do you have a question you need answered? Do you have a perplexing challenge you want to ask the larger BSA properties and outdoor program community? Submit your questions to outdoorprograms@scouting.org and even if they are not featured in the blog, you will get an answer!  

What’s Pop? “Property and Outdoor Program” of course!  

April is Child Abuse Prevention month, making this an appropriate time to answer a series of questions related to Youth Protection in the BSA.

Q: Our Scout BSA troop wants to camp with the Scouts BSA troop from across town. Is that OK and how do we go about it?

A: The BSA program is organized through Chartered Organizations who have the responsibility to make sure the unit has an active outdoor program. Units who wish to camp or participate in activities with units outside their charter organization must have permission from the local council to do so.

• From the Guide to Safe Scouting: 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.

Q: When my unit is camping with another unit, can we share leadership if one unit does not have enough adults?

A: From the Guide to Safe Scouting, each unit must provide its own chartered organization approved, adequate adult supervision to meet the BSA guidelines for leadership which includes two adult leaders over the age of 21. A registered female adult leader 21 years of age or over must be present for any activity involving female youth.

Q: Our unit is going camping, and we are worried about restroom and shower house use. Do you have any advice?

A: First it is important to intentionally be prepared to have this critical Scouting Barrier to Abuse in place. This could include:

• Be sure the facilities are well marked. Gender? Age? Single person room?
• Communicate this information to your Scouts and adult leaders.
• Be prepared for any additional needs you may need to meet near aquatics programs for changing areas, both for youth and adults and all genders.
• Consider where individuals may charge their electronic devices such as phones. You may need additional charging stations/areas at other locations so campers do not charge or use their phones in or around restroom and shower house facilities. As a reminder “The use of smartphones, cameras, mirrors, drones, etc., in places or situations where privacy is expected is prohibited.”
• Finally, it is always a great idea to review the details of Scouting’s Barriers to Abuse. Check them out here.

Q: Can a Scouts BSA parent share a tent with their Scout at a Scouts BSA event?

A: This is a frequent question! Here are key reminders from the BSA’s Youth Protection’s Barriers to Abuse:

• In Cub Scouting, parents and guardians may share a tent with their family.
• In all other programs, youth and adults tent separately.

So why do youth tent separately from parents outside of Cub Scouting?

• Scouts BSA, Sea Scouts, and Venturing are youth led programs. The Cub Scout program is family oriented.
• Finally – don’t forget that youth sharing tents must be no more than two years apart in age.

View the Scouting Barriers to Abuse website for more information. For more information about the BSA policies related to camping always view the BSA Guide to Safe Scouting before each activity as well as following the four points of SAFE before any BSA activity.

There’s nothing like enjoying the great outdoors in Scouting with a roaring fire, gooey s’mores, and a night sky full of sparkling stars. It’s essential to learn how to provide a SAFE experience with a campfire. Let’s review the safety considerations you should ask yourself before your next campfire.

What are the environmental conditions?

Before your camping trip, monitor the weather for changing conditions. And don’t forget to understand the local campfire regulations or requirements for your campout location. Always check for any active burn ban. And remember, do not build a campfire in hazardous, dry conditions. As a precaution take wind, and its direction, into account when choosing the site. Choose a spot that is protected from gusts.

Is your campsite being maintained?

When preparing your campfire, always use an established campfire ring, and keep your size appropriate for your campsite. Keep the fire a minimum of 15 feet from tents, shrubs, trees, or other flammable objects. Don’t forget to look out for low-hanging branches above the fire. A secure waterproof box or bag outside your tent is the perfect way to store matches, lighters, and items used as fire starters.

Do you know additives in Scouting are Prohibited?

We all love a big campfire but using additives to a fire in Scouting is prohibited. This includes chemicals, accelerants, color-changers, explosives, and other flame-enhancing products like Magical Flames™. Be sure to extinguish your campfires properly. Try a campfire cold-out test; look at your campfire ash for any sign of heat before you consider the fire extinguished. But remember if your campfire is too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave.

Are we cooking on our campfire?

If you plan on cooking at your campsite, ensure all Scouts maintain a safe distance from the campfire. If you plan on using a skewer, make sure it is long enough to keep your body outside the fire ring or containment area. Also, when using a skewer, they might be sharper than expected. In the dark, others may not see the skewer, so remember to always point your skewer in the safe direction.

What’s your emergency response plan?

This is a critical part of planning a SAFE experience; identify your emergency response plan before your trip. In Scouting, use the Scout Motto; Be Prepared. So, Be Prepared with a plan. Communicate with all participants that a campfire should never be left unattended. Always bring a shovel or rake and water or other extinguishing materials handy. Be prepared to respond to burns or someone on fire with “Stop, drop, and roll.”

RESOURCES

• Age-Appropriate Guidelines for Scouting Activities
• Storing, Handling, and Using Chemical Fuels and Equipment
• Unit Fireguard Plan Chart

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, people die every year from carbon monoxide poisoning from the use of portable camping heaters, lanterns, or stoves inside tents, campers, and vehicles.  Scouters often use many devices that can produce carbon monoxide. This includes trying to stay warm and overlooking the danger of bringing heating devices into enclosures or tents.  As such, it’s essential to know about this hazard and what steps to take to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning in outdoor settings.

What is Carbon Monoxide?

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a non-irritant, colorless, and odorless gas produced by the incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels.  In Scouting, CO is often found in the fumes of portable camping heaters, lanterns, or stoves. Your Scout camp facility likely has additional sources too.

Why is CO such a risk?

When breathed in, CO will bind to your blood’s hemoglobin with an affinity 200-250 times greater than that of oxygen.  This means your blood cannot deliver the oxygen needed by your organs and tissues.  Like choking, you deprive your body of the necessary oxygen you need to survive.

What are the symptoms of CO Poisoning?

Symptoms resemble the flu and include headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pains, and confusion.  People sleeping can die from breathing in large amounts of CO before they even have symptoms.

How can I prevent CO poisoning?

Fuel-burning equipment such as camping stoves, camping heaters, lanterns, and charcoal grills should never be used inside a tent, cabin, or other enclosed shelter.  During winter camping, be particularly careful if you create enclosed structures, such as wrapping outdoor pavilions or pop-up tents with plastic.  Opening tent windows/doors or having small openings in enclosed areas is insufficient to prevent the build-up of CO concentrations from these devices.

What to do if you experience symptoms of CO poisoning?

Get outside to fresh air immediately!  Also, contact a doctor immediately for a proper diagnosis.

No Flames in Tents

The Boy Scouts of America and other camping organizations have long adopted a policy of “No Flames in Tents.”  Other than the apparent fire danger this action prevents, most don’t think of the CO poisoning risk it eliminates.  Since CO poisoning provides no visual, sellable, or auditory clues, the “No Flame in Tents” policy can easily be extrapolated to no propane-powered heaters in tents or enclosures.