What is (and what isn’t) a camping night for the Camping MB?

We often receive questions about what constitutes a camp night for Camping Merit Badge.  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.  Here are two excellent articles on the topic:

http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2015/06/24/ask-expert-isnt-camping-night-camping-mb/

and
http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2012/06/07/ask-the-expert-interpreting-camping-merit-badge-requirement-9a/

How Kids Stay Plugged-In Outdoors

As the nation’s foremost program of youth development, it’s important we stay abreast of trends.

Did you know young campers say having a smartphone is almost as important as toilet paper in the outdoors?! It’s hard to deny the nature of camping is changing. Although escapism is still one of the top reasons to go camping, completely unplugging from the world has become less of a reality for modern campers.

As the newly released 2015 North American Camping Report details, camping is the perfect way for people to reconnect with nature and the outdoors, reduce stress, and spend quality time with their families. And since camping and enjoying the great outdoors is what Scouts do best, your council might be interested to learn how camping trends are changing for families. But are today’s youth actually excited to sleep outside and explore nature? Are campers disconnecting from technology and sticking to good ol’ fashioned conversation at campsites? Read on to discover some of the report’s surprising, and not so surprising, findings.

LDS Cub Scouts CAN go camping!

From the Utah National Parks Council Blog

In the new Cub Scout program there are required adventures for all ranks that center around the idea of learning to camp.  The boys are required to participate in a campfire program, learn about the Leave no Trace principles, the outdoor code and more.  But wait… as per the“Green Scouting Handbook”, (page 4 section 6.1) Cub Scouts in LDS units are not allowed to go camping, right?  Let’s re-examine the statement in the LDS Scouting handbook a little closer because the “Cub Scouts can’t go camping” interpretation is not quite accurate.  What it actually says is: “No Scout-sponsored overnight camping should be planned for boys under age 11.”  Okay, so does it actually say that a boy under age 11 can’t go camping?  No!  Let’s get this straight… A Cub Scout age boy CAN go camping, just not with his den or pack, like would be done in Cub Scout packs not sponsored by the LDS church.