Summer Camp
The troop attends a Scouting summer camp for one week each July. It’s the largest single event of the year in cost, paperwork, and lead time, and nearly all of the work happens in the months before anyone leaves.
This page is written for the summer camp coordinator. The job is project management: you keep the whole thing moving and on schedule, but you do very little of the specialist work yourself. The Treasurer moves money, the Medical Records Coordinator owns medical forms, the Activities Coordinator handles transportation, and the Advancement Coordinator records what was earned. Your job is mainly to coordinate and keep track of the deadlines.
The troop goes to a different camp each year, so this page stays general. Anything specific to one camp, such as check-in times, program schedules, or what the campsite has, comes from that camp’s own materials, not from here.
Choosing the Camp
Section titled “Choosing the Camp”Research some options and bring a shortlist of suggested camps (3 is good) to the Patrol Leaders’ Council. For each camp, know at least the cost per scout, the drive time, and what the program offers.
The PLC makes the choice. They aren’t limited to the camps you suggested.
Booking and Deposit
Section titled “Booking and Deposit”Get the Leader’s Guide
Section titled “Get the Leader’s Guide”Once the camp is chosen, find its leader’s guide. Most camps publish one: a large PDF covering everything about the camp, including logistics, program, deadlines, and forms. Read it end to end once, early, rather than searching it under pressure later. Nearly every camp-specific deadline in the rest of this page comes out of that document.
Camps also commonly hold online information sessions over Zoom for troop leaders. Watch for the announcements, and send someone else if you can’t attend.
Key Dates
Section titled “Key Dates”Pull these dates out of the leader’s guide as soon as you have it and put them on your calendar. Most of the job is hitting them in order:
- Early-bird payment deadline
- Final payment deadline
- Merit badge signup deadline
- Troop and patrol program signup deadline
- Medical forms deadline
- Deadline to report dietary restrictions
- Pre-camp meeting dates
- Arrival time and check-in procedure
Reserve and Pay
Section titled “Reserve and Pay”You own the camp’s registration portal. That means creating the troop’s account, reserving the campsite, and keeping the registration current as your numbers change.
Camps usually offer an early-bird rate. Confirm that deadline as soon as you have the leader’s guide, and work backward from it.
All money moves through the Treasurer and the troop’s normal payment process. If the camp needs a check, tell the Treasurer early enough for it to arrive on time. Give the Activities Coordinator the details so the booking appears on the troop’s arrangements spreadsheet alongside every other event.
Registration
Section titled “Registration”Who’s Going
Section titled “Who’s Going”Scouts and adults sign up on TroopWebHost. Set a signup deadline that gives you room to meet the camp’s deadlines, and chase the stragglers. The roster drives everything else in this phase.
Merit Badge Schedules
Section titled “Merit Badge Schedules”Share the merit badge schedule and requirement prerequisites information with the troop. Collect each scout’s merit badge schedule requests and enter them into the camp’s system.
The scouts and their families are responsible for arriving prepared, and blue cards run through the Advancement Coordinator and the counselors at camp.
Troop and Patrol Program
Section titled “Troop and Patrol Program”Some camps take sign-ups for certain activities at the troop or patrol level in addition to individual merit badge sessions. The procedure varies from camp to camp, so look for it in the leader’s guide.
These choices belong to the Senior Patrol Leader and the PLC, not to you. Bring them the options and the deadline. Slots are often limited and fill early, so start the conversation as soon as possible.
Medical Forms
Section titled “Medical Forms”Summer camp runs longer than 72 hours, so every participant needs all three parts of the Annual Health and Medical Record, including Part C signed by a medical professional. Part C requires a doctor’s appointment, so this starts early.
Work with the Medical Records Coordinator, who handles collecting, validating, sorting, and submitting the forms. Your part is making sure they have the roster, know the camp’s deadline, and where/how to submit the forms.
Special Needs and Dietary Restrictions
Section titled “Special Needs and Dietary Restrictions”If any members of the troop have special medical needs or dietary restrictions, notify the camp medical coordinator and chef respectively, well in advance.
Do the same for any mobility or disability accommodations a scout or adult needs. Campsites and program areas vary widely in terrain and in how far apart they are, so the camp needs time to assign a workable site and plan around it.
Final Preparations
Section titled “Final Preparations”About two weeks out, send the attending families one consolidated message covering everything they need to know. It should include:
- The packing list
- Troop portrait order forms
- Guidance on trading post spending money
- Trailer loadup and departure plan
Transportation is coordinated by the Activities Coordinator, the same as any other outing.
After Camp
Section titled “After Camp”Get the advancement results to the Advancement Coordinator. Most camps now handle advancement through an online system, so this is usually a matter of pulling the troop’s report before your access to the portal lapses.