Troop 407 Summer Camp

Please note: The following information pertains to 2011 summer camp. The 2012 information will be posted soon, but much of the information and procedure will be the same.

Quick Index

Summer Camp Forms - In a Nutshell - Homesickness Prevention - Food service - Merit Badge Selection - Central Registry Clearance - General Information

Summer Camp Forms and Resources

Last-minute information

  • Make sure all your health forms and central registry clearance forms are turned in to Mr. Mancini! Scouts and adults will not be allowed to stay in camp without proper forms. Read on for health form and DHS registry clearance requirements.
  • We will gather in the Novi Civic Center parking lot at 9:00 AM on Sunday, June 26. Scouts who need rides to camp can meet up with their drivers at this time. Scouts who cannot come to the Civic Center should notify their patrol leaders of approximately what time they will be arriving at Camp Rotary.
  • The troop will meet at about 12:00 Noon or shortly thereafter at the McDonalds parking lot on Clare Avenue just south of US-127. Scouts should have lunch at one of the eateries in the area before we proceed to camp.
  • We are asked to arrive at camp after 12:30 pm but as soon after as possible. There are many things to do on Sunday afternoon: check-in, health checks, swim checks, dining hall assignments, campsite setup.
  • Our site (Curtis) is fairly close to the parking lot so personal gear can be carried into camp. There are wagons that will deliver gear as well. No private cars are allowed past the parking lot other than the vehicle towing the troop trailer.
  • Remember, the SPL is in charge of the troop. Adults do not lead, direct or "boss around" the boys except in matters of immediate safety. If you have something to convey to the boys, do so through the Scoutmaster. Adults also camp separately from the boys, not around or among them. We will camp in a separate part of our campsite.

Summer Camp 2011 In a Nutshell

Visit the Camp Rotary website for full information.

Health form clarification

The following information is from Camp Rotary:

We have been receiving numerous questions regarding the updated Annual BSA Health & Medical Record. As you may know, the new form is 13 pages in length, however, only parts A, B, & C are required for summer camp at Camp Rotary or Paul Bunyan Scout Reservation. Part D is required for participation in BSA's High Adventure activities at Philmont, Sea Base, or Northern Tier. Please make sure that ALL information requested in Parts A, B, & C is completed.

  • Part A - This section contains the basic general information, health insurance, health history, allergies, & medications information.
  • Part B - This section contains information regarding Informed Consent, & a Hold Harmless Release Agreement - Included in this section is the "Permission to Treat" language which authorizes a medical provider to treat in an emergency. This section also contains information regarding "Adults Authorized To Take Youth To And From Events" - which takes the place of the "Camper Release Form" required in previous years. Please make sure PARENTS LIST THEMSELVES if they will not be in attendance at summer camp.
  • Part C - This section is the actual physical examination to be performed by a Health Care Provider (certified & licensed physician, nurse practitioner, and physician's assistants). Sports physicals are NOT permitted as a substitute. If you exceed the "maximum weight for height" as outlined in the reference chart found in Part C, & your Health Care Provider is reluctant to sign the form, please have them review the "height/weight disclaimer" found at the top of Part C in the boxed-in area - Both Camp Rotary & Paul Bunyan Scout Reservation are within 30 minutes of an "emergency vehicle-accessible roadway" & both camps have letters of agreement on file with our local ambulance providers requiring a 30 minute or less response time.

For more information about the newly updated Annual BSA Health & Medical Record, please see http://www.lhacbsa.org/News/HealthFormUpdateJan11.

The newly updated Annual BSA Health & Medical Record is available on the National BSA website and also the LHAC website at http://www.lhacbsa.org/pubs/Annual_BSA_Health_Medical_Record_680_001.pdf.

Homesickness Prevention

Homesickness is an issue every year at summer camp. Usually it affects first-year campers. It need not be a problem if you properly prepare your Scout, and you observe certain precautions yourself. Please read the following articles:

If this is your son's first time away from home for this length of time, please read these articles and discuss the issues with your son. Note the reasons in the article why we discourage scouts from having or using cell phones at camp, and while it may seem cruel to cut off communication with home, a homesickness situation can actually be made worse by a phone call home. The adults spending the week at camp with your son have handled homesickness before, both in our own kids and in others. If there is a serious problem that warrants a call home, we'll contact you, but nearly all cases are handled right in camp. It's important to ensure that your son has the positive camp experience he deserves and that you expect (and have paid for!).

Sometimes, physical discomfort can lead to feelings of wanting to go home. This is why we encourage certain behavior at camp, which you can support during your time preparing with your son. Some of these are:

  • Drink plenty of water - Dehyradation can lead to stomach aches, lethargy or headaches. Drink before becoming thirsty! Tasty water is plentiful and readily available everywhere in camp. Your son should have a water bottle with him and drink water frequently.
  • Eat nutritious food - Three meals a day are served in the dining hall. If your son has any food allergies, is a vegetarian or has other dietary restrictions, let us know as soon as possible so we can make arrangements with the camp staff.
  • Wear comfortable shoes and change into clean socks each day - If shoes don't fit or socks are dirty, walking will be uncomfortable, and there will be plenty of walking during the week.
  • Take a shower - This can help lift his spirits. There are modern, private showers a short walk from our site.

Summer Camp Food Service

Camp Rotary has published the menu for the week we are at camp (Week #2). You can download it here.

The following is from Camp Rotary about food service: "Camp Rotary continually strives to make your dining experience a positive one during your stay with us. Great care is made to ensure quality, quantity, & variety in each meal we prepare. However there are also people who require special attention to their diet. We make it a practice to work with those who have special dietary needs. This can be done by contacting us at least 2 weeks prior to your arrival at camp."

If you have dietary concerns (allergies, vegetarian or religious, for instance), please contact Mr. Hood, who will include your information in our report to Camp Rotary. If you would like to discuss food service with Camp Rotary staff, please contact Camp Director Brad Murray at 989-386-7943.

Merit Badge Selection

Scouts: Your Patrol Leader has a form for you to complete and return so you can choose which merit badges you'd like to work on while at camp. If you have questions about which merit badges to take, talk with your patrol leader, SPL or one of the ASPLs, or Scoutmaster Heslop. Be sure to return your completed merit badge selections to your patrol leader no later than the June 7 troop meeting. Patrol Leaders: Be sure to turn these in to the SPL as you receive them.

  • You should visit the Camp Rotary website and download the Leader's Guide to review the merit badges that are available, pre-work requirements, and program costs, and choose the merit badges that you wish to take while at summer camp.
  • Pre-requisites (work to be done prior to camp) for those merit badges that require it can be found on the prework list.
  • When you have decided which merit badges you wish to work on at camp, make your selections on the selection sheet, and submit your choices to your patrol leader.

Merit badge selections should be completed prior to June 7 so we will have time to resolve any issues or problems and generate Blue Cards prior to summer camp.

Central Registry Clearance

Camp Rotary has stated that all adults attending or visiting summer camp must have received clearance from the Michigan Central Registry. The registry, mandated by the Child Protection law, is a list of perpetrators of child abuse and neglect. This clearance is obtained from the Michigan Department of Human Services. Complete the DHS-194 form and submit it, along with a copy of your driver's license for identity verification, to the nearest DHS office (for Novi residents, 195 Ladd Rd., Walled Lake 48390). Clearance takes up to one to two weeks to receive by mail (though some have received theirs in a couple days), or you can appear in person and receive your letter on the spot. Once you receive the clearance, give a copy of the letter to Mr. Mancini for the troop health and safety records. For more information, visit the DHS Central Registry site.

Get ready for 2011 Summer Camp!

It's time to look forward to Summer Camp 2011. Our dates this year are June 26 to July 2 and again we will be at the Curtis Campsite of BSA Camp Rotary just north of Clare.

For families new to Boy Scouts, summer camp is an essential part of the Scouting program. In the week spent at camp, boys not only work on Scouting advancement and merit badges and have the opportunity to take advantage of activities that may only be available to them at a Scout camp, they bond with their fellow Scouts, learn how to function as a Patrol, and learn personal responsibility, self-reliance and the meaning of compassionate leadership. Boys who experience summer camp advance through the ranks sooner and are more likely to stay active in Scouting than boys who don't. There is plenty of adult and peer support, and the boys will be so busy at camp, there won't be time to think of anything else. Scroll down this page to read last year's camp report and see what the boys are in store for!

About our camp: Our scouts have returned to Camp Rotary for the past five years. They like the program, camp spirit, dining hall, campsite, counselors and staff, and facilities. The parade ground and waterfront area are breathtakingly picturesque. Almost half of all the available BSA merit badges are offered. The first-year camper program (Primary Ability Training Huddle, or PATH) is one of the best. Our site is comfortably wooded and shady, with running water and central latrine facilities, located close to camp program areas. Tents, supplied by Camp Rotary, are two-man canvas tents with wooden floors, equipped with mattresses and springs for each scout. Camp Rotary, operated by Lake Huron Area Council (Bay City), has been in operation for over 85 years. Troops from LHAC and many other councils return to Camp Rotary for many of these reasons. In short, Camp Rotary is everything a Boy Scout Camp should be!

  • This year's summer camp cost is $320
  • The early-bird rate is $280 (registration and one-half payment is due March 1)
  • The early-bird rate also applies to Webelos crossovers and new Boy Scouts without having to meet the February sign-up date
  • If you registered and paid half ($140) in February, the final payment of $140 is due by the May 3 troop meeting.
  • Those who register after March 1 pay the full rate of $320, with half ($160) due on registration
  • Final payment ($140 early bird, $160 full rate) is due by May 3.
  • Registration and payment for Webelos crossovers and new Scouts should be received by April 26. If circumstances don't permit meeting that date, please speak with Mr. Hood.

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Site content last updated on February 2, 2012