Camps

Camps

General

Any camp or activity away from the meeting location and/or the adjacent park needs a Adventure Application Form (AAF) prepared and signed by the Scouter in Charge, and approved by the Group Commissioner..

The Section Scouter needs to bring Registration forms and emergency contact details for all attendees (printout from myscouts, not just access to myscouts on your phone).

Ensure all parents who stay at the camp have all required training. Hold Harmless forms and Physical Fitness Certificate for Non Members forms are required for non-registered attendees. Note also that dogs are not allowed at camps.

For all camps, youth and leaders should arrive in full uniform and wear it for opening the next day.

For youth of all levels, camps are a good opportunity to work on badge requirements.

The Group's required gear depends on the camp.

Food

We typically budget ~$10 per person for a 2 day camp for food. On average this is a pretty good number, but it can vary depending on the numbers and the type of camp. In the Cub/Scout/Venturer Sections, the youth plan the meals. The older Section youth help shop as appropriate.

Typical Agenda

Typical agenda for a 3 day camp is as follows: Friday

• Arrive early evening on Friday so camp can be set up before midnight. If possible, a leader can go early to ensure we have access to the site, understand the camp layout, etc.
• Set up camp and the tents.

Saturday

• Breakfast
• Camp opening
• Morning activity
• Lunch
• Afternoon activity with snacks
• Dinner
• Sections prepare song, skit and cheer
• Campfire

Sunday

• Breakfast
• Closing ceremony
• Scouts own
• Leave camp before noon.

Campfire

The Saturday campfire is usually done as a formal campfire. Need to assign a campfire chief who keeps the activities flowing. During a formal campfire, everyone enters quietly, the fire is lit, people sing “fire’s burning”, Sections perform song, skit and cheer, the fire is allowed to burn down with no wood added, sing “Ging Gang Gooly”, and everyone exits quietly. Everyone goes for mug-up. People can return to the fire later informally.

There are lots of websites out there for song and skit ideas. A couple of examples are Scoutorama and Macscouter.

Songs

Some Songs are:

• Tom the Toad
• He jumped from 40,000ft
• Second story window
• There was a yellow bird
• On top of spaghetti
• Great big gobs of greasy grimy gopher bits
• Quartermaster store
• I’m looking over my old dog Rover

Some Action songs (“This is an action song!”) are:

• I’m a Beaver song and change up the animals.
• Do the hokey pokey
• Llama song
• Herman the Worm
• Grand old Duke of York

Repeat after me songs (“This is a repeat after me song!”) are:

• Boom Chicka Boom!

Skits

Some Skits are:

• Invisible bench.
• Sidewalk climbing
• Beam me up, beam me aboard (a board).
• Pickpocket (demonstrate different methods and last is a high speed camera version and a kid is picked up, held upside down and shaken).
• Candy store (climb ladder and get a piece of licorice and last is two pieces).
• There’s no fishing here! Is that you God? No, it is the arena manager.
• Help me find my knife/quarter/etc. Someone holds flashlight shining down. Where did you lose it? Over there. Why are you looking here? This is where the light is.
• Help look for a little green ball… everyone looks for it… can’t find it. Oh, well, I’ll make a another one and pretend to pick your nose.
• Row of kids sitting on toilets…. No paper.. all the way down. Last one has some paper and each wipes on the way back and the first one blows his nose.

Cheers

Some Cheers are:

• Was it a microwave? No! Was it a stove? No! Was it a fan? Yes! FANTASTIC!
• Was it a Honda? No! Was it a Chevy? No! Was it a Toyota? Yes! TOYOTALLY AMAZING!
• Was it a 3? No! Was it a 2? No! Was it a 1? Yes! WONDERFUL!
• Was it Great? No! Was it Fantastic? No! Was it Terrible? Yes! YOU SAID IT, NOT ME! (good for lame Scout skits)
• Was it Bologna? No! Was it Beef? No! Was it Stew? Yes! STUPENDOUS!
• Plant, bush, tree, TREMENDOUS!
• Seal of Approval
• Yell “Mosquito” and clap hands. Repeat faster and faster.
• Watermelon cheer - start by taking getting your watermelon slice ready in your hands. Then take 3 big bites out of the watermelon saying "chomp" each time. Then spit all the seeds back out by pursing your lips and vibrating them.
• Round of Applause. Everyone raise your hands palms together in front of yourself at just-above-face level. Start clapping and move your hands in front of you in the shape of a circle and make the Round (circle) of Applause (clapping).
• I found a can… what is it? it says a can of cheer. Let’s open it. Yeah!

Extras for Campfire Chief or leaders

Some ideas to throw in randomly are:

• Run in a panic around the campfire yelling “yelling it’s all around me!” Someone stops him and asked “What? What is all around you?” “My belt”.
• Attention!! Attention!! What??? I just wanted some attention.
• They’re after me!!!! Who? The squirrels… they think I am nuts!

Graham’s repeat-after-me specialty

The Announcer Test repeat after me:

• One hen
• Two ducks
• Three squawking geese
• Four corpulent porpoises
• Five limerick oysters
• Six pairs of Don Alfonso's nose hair tweezers
• Seven hundred Macedonian warriors lined up in full battle array on tricycles, no less
• Eight brass monkeys from the secret sacred crypts of ancient Egypt
• Nine sympathetic apathetic diabetic old men on rubber crutches
• Ten Heath police who dispelleth, dispatcheth and disperseth the riotous mob
• Eleven lovely ladies licking luscious licorice lollipops
• Twelve thousand red army ants marching single file through the crack in the stained glass window of Mama Pook's antique shop.

Campsites

A list of local camps can be found on the Coho area website here.

The following are ones that we have used over the last few years.

Mount Seymour Chalet

We have doing the Mount Seymour Camp for years and it is very popular.

There is a large chalet that sleeps about 50 or 60 and full kitchen. The Beavers and parents sleep inside, but no longer have room to accommodate all Cubs and Cub Scouters inside. We don't need to bring cooking or eating gear, but we do need to pack in water and firewood.

We also book the provincial campsite between the Chalet and the parking lot. This allows the Scouts to their own winter camp with cooking shelter, and allow a flat spot for the Cubs to set up tents. The Cubs eat at the chalet.

We have the Saturday night campfire and mug-up for all Sections at the chalet.

Camp Linley

For a number of years, we had an all-Section fall camp at the Camp Linley on the hill south of Cultus Lake at about N 49° 01.328 W 122° 00.017. The turnoff the to the camp is at N 49° 01.290 W 122° 00.460.

They have a tire swing and there is opportunity for hiking nearby (Teapot Hill). The lake is quite a drive away, so we never bothered to take the canoes.

There are a few small "cabins" for Beavers to sleep in, and a large eating hall with a fireplace. There is no power or potable water there. There is a kitchen-style propane stove/oven, but you need bring propane.

They sometimes have some firewood, but typically, we bring our own.

We usually rent archery equipment and set up an orienteering course with the compasses.

Contact is Marion Morrison (604) 795-7076, camplinley@scouts.ca

Camp McLean

On 16th Ave. in south Langley. This is often where Beaverees, Cuborees, kickoff camp, summer camps, training, etc. are held.

They have potable water, and depending on what you area that you want to rent, small bunkhouses are there.

Campbell Valley Park is just across 16th Ave. and is great for going on hikes. To safely cross 16th Ave., use the underpass trail that 100m or so east of the Camp McLean gate.

Camp Coyote

This is a Metro Vancouver camp on the property just west of Camp McLean. There is a large open-air shelter with a fireplace for cooking and eating, and a nearby firefit. There are lots of flat places for setting up tents and you can drive right to the shelter. There is lots of green space for wide games and forested areas to explore.

There is no power and we need bring our own water and firewood.

Campbell Valley Park is just across 16th Ave. and is great for going on hikes. To safely cross 16th Ave., use the underpass trail that 100m or so east of the Camp McLean gate.

Contact is Heather Bosiak, Visitor Services Assistant, Metropolitan Planning, Environment & Parks, Metro Vancouver, 604-432-6352.

Muskrat Meadows

In June 2009, we had a year-end all-Section camp in Deas Island Regional Park. They have room for a maximum of 40 campers overnight and have a fire ring. There was potable water, shelters for cooking, lots of flat area for setting up tents, and pit toilets. It was nice because it was close to home and there were opportunities to go for walks along the island, but the hikes were not too long. The fluff from the Cottonwood trees was overwhelming and hard on anyone with allergies.

Contact was Sue Mah, Public Programs & Community Development, Metro Vancouver Regional Parks, 4330 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC V5H 4G8, Tel: 604-432-6359 / Fax: 604-432-6296, www.metrovancouver.org

Ravens Nest in Tynehead Park

We have not used this as far as I am aware.

Watershed Park in Delta

We have not used this as far as I am aware.

Stave Lake Reservoir Lodge and Campsite run by BC Hydro

The campsite has space for 12 to 18 tents and up to 40 people. There is also a lodge which holds about 50 (on the floor in two large upstairs rooms, with a small room between with two single beds). There are nearby hiking trails. A group tour of the nearby Stave Falls Powerhouse can be arranged. It is right on the lake, so bring the canoes.

Reservations are only by phone at (604) 462-7533 on Mondays between 9:00am and 3:00pm.

Camp Cove (N 49° 22.281' W 121° 50.419')

It has been many years since we have used this site. It started to get in rough shape and has few amenities, so we have started to use other sites. It is on west side of Harrison Lake. Take the Hemlock Valley turn off from Lougheed Hwy. (Hwy 7), then keep to the right when the road forks. When the pavement ends for the second time, near the Weaver Creek Fish Hatchery, it is 9.9 km on the right. The contact is through the local Native Band. Scouts Canada dropped their lease from the Forest Service when the Natives claimed ownership. Leo (?) can be contacted through the band office which is located at the gas station just north of Morris Valley Road and Chehalis Road.

Camp Kwomais

Used by our group around 2000.

Sayres Lake

Used by Beaver Colony A in spring 2016. It is a few miles up the road from the Stave Lake Reservoir Lodge and Campsite run by BC Hydro.

Squamish Valley Campground

Used by Beaver Colony A in fall 2016. See http://www.campsquamish.com/index.html

Whonnock

This camp on Dewdney Trunk Road just north of Whonnock Lake was used for an all-Section camp in fall 2018 and fall 2019. There are areas for tent camping (off in the trees for the Scout and near the cabins for the Cubs) and also about 8 cabins (for the Beavers). The cabins have bunk beds, but no mattresses.

The lodge is large the the kitchen well stocked with large fridges, stoves and all the dishes/cooking gear that we need. This is an extremely clean camp and the caretaker lives on site. He wants to be paid in full when we leave the site, so we need to know actual attendance numbers (cost is per person) and have a cheque on the spot.