Source:
https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2015/06/24/ask-expert-isnt-camping-night-camping-mb/
When it comes to finding a place to spend the night, Boy Scouts have
seemingly limitless options: tent, hammock, cabin, retired battleship,
museum, church gymnasium, baseball stadium, sleeping bag under the
stars.
All of these locations offer a great experience for Scouts, but only
some count as camping — at least when it comes to the Camping merit
badge.
Camping merit badge requirement 9a says:
Camp a total of at least 20 nights at designated Scouting
activities or events.* One long-term camping experience of up to six
consecutive nights may be applied toward this requirement. Sleep each
night under the sky or in a tent you have pitched. If the camp provides a
tent that has already been pitched, you need not pitch your own tent.
*All campouts since becoming a Boy Scout or Varsity Scout may count toward this requirement.
So just what is (and what isn’t) a camping night? Let’s ask the expert.
The question
I have recently become advancement chairperson of a small
troop. I am getting pressured to record an overnighter that took place
in the meeting place (in a church youth room) and also an indoor
aquarium museum sleepover towards the boy’s camping nights.
I don’t believe this fits the requirement for camping: “Under the stars or in a tent you have pitched …”
It’s been a hard sell. Could you please clarify what is and is not considered “camping”?
Thanks,
Christina
The expert’s response
This comes from Michael LoVecchio of the BSA’s Member Experience Innovation Team.
“The intent of the requirement is to
camp overnight in a tent or under the stars,” LoVecchio says. “This means
sleeping overnight in building/structure does not meet the intent of the requirement.”
More explanation
Still unclear? Here’s more:
“Camp a total of 20 nights …”
This means 20 overnights, so a weekend trip from Friday through
Sunday is two nights. Complete 10 such trips, and you’ve got the 20 you
need.
All campouts since becoming a Boy Scout or Varsity Scout may count
toward this requirement. In other words, a Scout doesn’t need a blue
card for the Camping MB before he may begin counting these nights. Any
nights as a Boy Scout or Varsity Scout are eligible.
“… at designated Scouting activities or events.”
This means the experiences are held under the auspices of some level of the BSA, and that “Scouting” happens on them.
For example, an individual family or a couple of Scouts and their parents heading off into the woods doesn’t count.
“One long-term camping experience of up to six consecutive nights may be applied toward this requirement.”
- A long-term camping experience is at least five consecutive
nights. The long-term camping experience must also be a “designated
Scouting activity or event.” This could be at a council summer camp or
on a troop’s own 50 miler, a Jamboree, high-adventure base, etc.
- Only one of these experiences is allowed, and up to six nights may
count toward the requirement. Example: A trip that lasts Sunday through
Saturday counts as six nights.
- If a Scout goes on a 10-night trek or a 20-night trek or a 100-night trek (!), only six of those nights will count.
- If a Scout goes to summer camp twice for a total of 12 nights, only one of the summer camps will count — for up to six nights.
- The remainder of the camping nights must be accumulated through short-term camping — normally weekend troop campouts.
- Example 1: A Scout goes to summer camp for six
nights. He can count all of those nights and now needs 14 more nights.
These 14 nights must come from short-term camping experiences — probably
seven two-night weekend campouts.
- Example 2: A Scout goes on a 10-night Philmont
trek. He can count six of those nights and now needs 14 more
nights.These 14 nights must come from short-term camping experiences —
probably seven two-night weekend campouts.
- Example 3: A Scout can’t make it to summer camp or a
high-adventure base. Over the course of three years he attends 10
two-night troop campouts, sleeping in a tent each time. After the 20th
night he has completed the requirement.
“Sleep each night under the sky or in a tent you have pitched.”
- All 20 nights must be spent under the sky or in a tent, so nights in cabins don’t count.
- If camping is done at a camp that provides tents that are already
set up, then all is good. If tents are not already pitched, the Scout
must pitch his tent. If he is sleeping in a two-man tent, then it would
be reasonable the he and his buddy set the tent up together. Sleeping in
a tent that Dad or the Scoutmaster, etc., pitched doesn’t count.
A final thought
Some parents have Scouts in troops that don’t do very much camping.
They can get in the long-term outing, but it takes a long time for their
troop to get out on enough campouts to make up the other 14 nights.
As a workaround they suggest they will send their son to summer camp,
but then take him home after four nights so the experience will not
count as a long-term camp. This doesn’t fulfill the requirement.
Short-term campouts provide variety in both preparation and
experience, and the Scouts are more likely to have to set up their own
tent and take more responsibility for outdoor living skills. A long-term
summer camp is still a long-term camp even if the Scout is there for
only a portion of the time. It’s an entirely different adventure and
usually doesn’t call for the same level of self-reliance required for a
short term camp.
