NEWER INFORMATION HAS BEEN UPLOADED ON 6/28
Update Sent on 6/15/21
Dear Camp NoBeBoSco Leader:
It is almost time for Summer! We are, of course, running an in-person camp, but are subject to State and Local Policies as well as Scouts BSA Policies. We have been in careful consultation with both our county health department and our state epidemiologist.
By now you have received the letter from the council, dated 6-11, outlining overall policies for all of the council camps. I have incorporated that information, but please be aware that changes are coming frequently from the various health departments. We will have what is most up to date at our June 28th meeting.
June 28th, at 7:30 pm we will be holding our pre-camp leaders meeting over Zoom only. At that time, we will be able to give any last-minute updates, so this is an important meeting. Council will be sending out invites with the meeting link to the email that is listed with your summer registration.
Arrival at camp will need to be different. We will do temperature checks at arrival. Drop offs will be just that—no leaving of vehicles other than the attendee. Cars will loop around, scouts will exit, cars will leave camp. Leaders who are staying will have their cars directed to a different location for parking. Thus it will be helpful and important if troops can all meet somewhere on the way to camp, and then come in to camp together. This way the leaders can park and help their scouts. We will continue our policy of one vehicle allowed to a campsite, but it will have to be based on the crowds in the parking lot.
Every adult and youth will need to go through our medical re-checks Sunday afternoon. They will not only need the usual medical with Part C signed by a doctor, but they will also need either proof of vaccination two weeks prior to arrival or a proof of a negative Covid PCR test taken 72 hours prior to arrival. (In addition, if they have had Covid in the last 90 days, they can provide a letter from their doctor giving this information in place of test or vaccination) That means the Wednesday before, at the earliest. Remember that these can be free, but the individual must make those arrangements. No one will be able to stay in camp Sunday without the proper medical and either the proof of vaccination, proof of disease in the past 90 days, or the negative Covid test. They will have to leave camp.
During the week of your stay at camp, a Covid test is required mid-week for all non-vaccinated scouts and adult leaders. These tests will be provided in-camp. Both the pre-arrival and mid-week tests are not optional this summer as per state covid mandates. Please be aware that the in-camp Covid test will be a nasal swab, but it is the “tickle in the nostril” test, not the more difficult deep in the nose test.
We will be allowed to use the dining hall and serve food at the tables. This was a major positive for us. Some conditions, though. Tables will need to be spread out. Scouts or leaders may not change tables. Troops may not be mixed at tables. Vaccinated staff and vaccinated leaders are allowed to sit with scouts at the tables. Unvaccinated staff and unvaccinated leaders will not. We will have to use the “Host” system, which old-timers may remember from many years ago. One person at the table will serve everyone else. The waiter is a different person.
In addition, at this point in June, we will all wear masks into the dining hall, but will take them off after grace. Hand sanitizer will be at every table and using it at the start of each meal is required. Masks will go back on for songs, but not for the song leaders, of course.
Mask will be worn by all when going into the Trading Post and inside a program area building. We won’t congregate inside the TP but will be allowed to be on the outside porch, without masks. For those of you who have not seen it, our new wrap-around porch is quite large.
Scouts will sleep in opposite directions in their tents, and flaps will always be kept open (except when changing, of course. In bad weather, flaps are down, but tent sides would be rolled up for fresh air). We will also have hand sanitizing stations for troops to use in the campsites. We added a number of picnic tables in 2019 and will add even more this summer so scouts do not have to squeeze together. Most important, every site will have access to flush toilet facilities, which will be kept clean as part of our daily inspections. We will not be using the open-pit latrines.
It is important that every scout try to bring a packable chair to camp, so that we can be spread out in classes and in the campsites.
Merit badge classes are normally out-of-doors, but for inclement weather we will have extra tables and canopies in place. Masks will be worn when we need to move indoors and there will be plenty of fans moving in fresh air.
Campfires can happen in the campfire site! The audience will be masked, but performers will be able to take off their masks.
Masks are not required as we walk around camp, nor in the campsites.
I do feel that adult leaders should plan to be vaccinated. If you have a leader who will not be vaccinated, troops should do everything they can do get substitute leaders. This is not required by the council, however. Leaders should not be changing each day and should plan to stay as long as possible in camp.
Looking forward to seeing everyone this summer at NoBe!
Sincerely,
Bob Johnson, Camp Director
rjohnson@gvsd.org - best method of contact!
(610-687-3152)
