Scoutmaster Question?

**SCRedneck** · 07-14-2014, 08:28

I am a ASM for our troop in SC and I am glad to see this discussion. I like the general rules that are being posted as well. This is a good guide to help get rules established for my troop. I hammock camp and plan on having a hammock hanging demo for our troop next month. I am proud to be a member of Palmetto State Hangers and have enjoyed the events I have went to this year. At summer camp this year more than half of our scouts and leaders were in hammock and some were hung appropriately and some were not. I am making it my goal to have a set of rules in place for hammocks within the next month that will run parallel to our troop rules on tents. I love camping in hammocks and want to help our scouts have a similar experience with hammocks, but at the same time show them the ways to do it responsibly. I thank all the parents who are involved in scouting and am honored to be a ASM.

**bayview** · 07-14-2014, 09:15

SCRedneck, I like what you are saying, just make sure it follows also with the guidelines of Leave No Trace. This can actually be a project to align with the LNT award for scouts and leaders as a project possibly. I am wanting to do something like this in our troop yet can not get too many motivated to do much work. Where do you guys camp and also do summer camp? Seeing as you are from Charleston, I would love if the Yorktown would set something up on board for hammock options.

**dfscott** · 07-14-2014, 09:41

Ran into the issue with changing areas at a hang this past weekend. Being in the center of a group of hammocks and only having a diamond tarp, I had to go through some interesting gymnastics in my hammock to change in privacy. As a result, until I get a tarp with doors, I think my hammocking with the boy scouts will have to be put on hold...

**SCRedneck** · 07-14-2014, 17:40

Bayview, our troop is also a small troop and we normally go to Camp Hon Nah Wah for summer camp. However, the last couple of years we have went to Camp Old Indian in the upper part of South Carolina. As for the Yorktown, I do not see a hammock option anytime in the future because of liability concerns. Next month is when we have our camp out to make plans for the upcoming school year and I am looking for a few new places to take the scouts to camp.

**DuctTape** · 07-14-2014, 17:51

What does the PLC think?

**Beetle** · 07-14-2014, 18:12

For our troop it is the Scoutmaster the SPL and myself we plan on taking it to the PLC after we are done.

**dfscott** · 07-14-2014, 21:25

Originally Posted by SCRedneck

Bayview, our troop is also a small troop and we normally go to Camp Hon Nah Wah for summer camp. However, the last couple of years we have went to Camp Old Indian in the upper part of South Carolina. As for the Yorktown, I do not see a hammock option anytime in the future because of liability concerns. Next month is when we have our camp out to make plans for the upcoming school year and I am looking for a few new places to take the scouts to camp.

Not to derail this too far, but this is interesting since tonight our PLC was trying to decide on next year's summer camp and have narrowed it down to Woodruff and Camp Old Indian.

Curious as to your thoughts about Old Indian, since I'm trying to stay out of the discussion since I'm biased (I went to old Indian when I was a boy Scout).

**bayview** · 07-14-2014, 21:41

I have recently heard some negative stuff with Old Indian. A local troop said that program has gone to squat. Just hand out MB without much instruction. I still have a fan favorite of Daniel Boone. Great program and can not beat the location.

We are also a small troop. We have one patrol so PLC is basically non existent. When you ask where they want to go they just stare at you. You ask them to research summer camps on line and nothing is done. Would love to have a boy run boy lead troop, but at this stage nothing would happen.

**Postal** · 07-14-2014, 23:13

I am a Webelos Leader. I have been an ASM, CSM, And everything from Tiger to my present position in the last many years. The last positions were held as my son has moved up through cubs. Since he has started I found Shug and this site and needless to say we are all hangers. But my Council does have a hammock policy. It states that each camp has final say but that they are allowed provided the trees are a certain size and that tree straps of 1 1/2 to 2 inches are used. One camp states that they will allow 1 inch straps and another states you have to use stand offs, aka sticks, under your tree straps. So far so good and we do bunk beds with our youngest and until recently my son slept beside me using spreaders between us. Now that other boys are joining in on the hammocking fun he sleeps beside them.

**SCRedneck** · 07-15-2014, 07:27

As far as Camp Old Indian goes, last year was great. This year it was a totally different story. Every leader and Scout Master complained. Now we go the first week that camp is available, so there are always issues, but this time it was bad. We were assured that corrections were being made, but they would be not be completed before our week was up. With that being said, I still like COI, but we are looking at returning to camp within our council. I talked to a couple of our leaders last night and got a lot of good feedback about drafting up hammock camping rule similar to what is stated in this thread.