1. Scouting Prep Camp 1st Cedar Hill @CampBarnard August 25-27, 2017
Introduction
1st Cedar Hill in Victoria, GVA
Six active sections (2 Beaver sections)
Dave Nicolson current commissioner
1st Cedar Hill
@CampBarnard
August 25-27, 2017

2. Background Background
2 years ago we had an ad hoc camp of Scouters at Camp Barnard for anyone interested to get together to share ideas on the coming year and to explore new Canadian Path materials
No fixed agenda, people largely responsible for their own coming and going, food, tenting arrangement
Pulled out the templates (as they were then), charts, backgrounders, puzzled through them, came up with many ideas on how to incorporate
Got to know each other a little better, got motivated about the coming year

3. Reconnect with our Group Re-establish a Scouting context
Objectives:
Reconnect with our Group
Re-establish a Scouting context
Motivate Group readiness
In Why do we want to do this camp?
Reconnect with our Group
Most members take some kind of break during the summer: vacations, summer hiatus for Scouting. This is a chance to hear about each others’ summer.
This is ALSO a chance to meet some of the Scouters in your group not from your section
This is an opportunity for new Scouters to meet their peers, establish a context for their role
Re-establish a Scouting context
Getting our heads back into Scouting space: Our common contexts are Scouts Canada, the Canadian Path program; we support youth-led adventures within our groups with help from our Area, Geographic, Council and National teams
Getting reacquainted with Program Quality Cycles – how will we support a quality program?
Where are our annual touchstones, how will we anticipate them? - fundraising, annual camps, area events, banquets
Motivate Group readiness
Don’t spend your September catching up
Anticipate dependencies on your first group committee meeting, you section planning, and volunteer recruitment
Share ideas between sections, explore linking opportunities, get excited about what we can do together!

4. Details & confirmations
Planning meetings:
High-level goals
Framework & logistics
Details & confirmations
First meeting in July to establish high level goals and to brainstorm a model – 1CH Key 3 with service team members from Area, Island, Council and National (Andrew, Robin, [Dave, Mika], Ron, Ross, Melissa, Rachel, [Erin])
Priorities from National and Council: membership growth; Scouting safety; Program quality; Volunteer support; Organizational strength / group capacity
Who to invite: all volunteers + senior section youth (potential volunteers)
Workshop ideas:
youth leadership training
parent engagement
Fundraising
use of ScoutsTracker and other planning tools
scouter training, readiness
STEM activities
Group committee budgets, section budgets
Have a group committee meeting – 2 functions: get business done early; how could meetings be done better?
Actions:
Save the date to be sent, invite all interested to planning meeting, ask for ideas
Facebook event to be created in 1CH Facebook Group
Book venue – Camp Barnard, cabin circle and half kitchen – Andrew becomes our Camp Registrar
Second meeting in early August to finalize workshops, assign roles, develop a camp agenda
1CH volunteers – review first meeting, work out framework and logistics
Camp Format: hybrid – utilize the whole weekend, but put programming focus on Saturday workshops for people who can only come out for the day
Food: provide meals for Saturday lunch and dinner when you are expecting everyone; be self-sufficient for other meals – Dave becomes our Camp Food Service Coordinator
Budget: based on group camp in spring, $15-20 per person for camp and food
Group workshop priorities and who to facilitate them:
Section and group planning for the year ahead
Parent engagement
Budgeting and fundraising
Other camp activities – make this a “real” Scout camp:
Flag break / closing
Ice-breaker activities
Scout’s own
Campfire
Third meeting in mid-August to follow-up and finalize details – “Gear meeting”
When food would be purchased, by whom
Fire ban – bring a propane fire ring (and propane!)
Workshop supplies (flipboard, markers, post-its, laptop, projector, screen, extension cords, internet access)
First aider
Scouts Canada paperwork

5. Communication tactics: Email Facebook Group Event
Key messages:
Scout camp to get together with your Scouters to consider the year ahead;
Plan-Do-Review
Audience: Group volunteers, senior section members
Tactics: messaging, Facebook event with discussion, planning meetings

6. Saturday – workshop focus Sunday – bring it together
Weekend format:
Friday - social
Saturday – workshop focus
Sunday – bring it together
Friday - social:
gear to cabins
Ice breaker led by Rover
Mug up
Saturday – workshops and social:
Food services coordinator bought enough food for all meals; volunteer help greatly appreciated in the kitchen
All sections represented during the day
Formal flag break, welcome, agenda, housekeeping
One-hour workshops with breaks from and 2-4; planning session during lunch
Impromptu archery before and after dinner
Less formal campfire as fewer people stayed after workshops and dinner, but social and reflective
Sunday
Scouts’ Own reflection
Bringing together what we worked on Saturday in a Canadian Path structure Group Committee
Formal closing
Clean-up

7. Saturday Workshops: Your support team Youth-led training
Canadian Path program templates
Lunch - workshopping ideas for the year
Reconsidering group budgets for the year
Parent engagement and volunteer support
Final workshop agenda (Saturday):
Facilitated by group members (Dave, Grant, Gwyneth, Andrew) as well as area (Rachel) and geographic (Ron)

8. Sunday Workshops:
Scouts’ Own: Canadian Jamboree experience as a MedRover
rethinking our Group Committee meetings
anticipated top calendar activities for the year ahead (group and section)
Final workshop agenda (Sunday)

9. Feedback opportunities:
Closing ceremony feedback
Online survey
Brief discussion at September group committee

10. Budgets (group & section) workshopping for the year
Top rated workshops:
Budgets (group & section)
workshopping for the year
rethinking group committee meetings
Top workshops rated in the survey

11. Top findings: Camp Barnard was a good location
Overall date worked well - mix of all weekend and one day preferences
Favourite: Seeing each other again, and meeting other Scouters
we all face communications challenges, especially with parents
Top feedback findings from open-ended questions

12. Top findings: spent too much time inside
add at least one more outdoor activity to the mix
Budgeting/planning appreciated
Not looking for Scouting skills development at this camp – this is about planning for the coming year
do it every year (plan earlier, maybe at end-of-year group camp)
Top feedback findings from open-ended questions (cont.)

14. Thanks!
Questions?