Adult Chaperone's Field Guide - Roles, Duties, & Responsibilities for Troop Parents & Guardians

Troop campouts require a lot of coordination and planning with the end goal being a safe, educational, and fun experience for everyone. The Girl Scout Program promises many Outdoor Leadership outcomes for girls, and it is our role to understand what this looks like and how to support it not just for our own daughter, but for every girl who is present at the campout. We have an important part to play. To do this, we need a shared understanding of the campout goals and the specific tasks that can be undertaken by all adult volunteers to ensure the campout’s success.

As members of the Troop Adult Campout Team we agree that we will review this Field Guide, dividing the tasks and roles among us, so that everything goes according to plan.

 Be guided in all actions by the Girl Scout Mission, Promise, and Law.

 Support the Troop in providing a girl-led troop by encouraging and guiding girls to make decisions together and pursue their interests and goals.

 Support the Troop by encouraging girls to work cooperatively and providing them with opportunities to help them learn by doing.

 Practice mindfulness, adapt cheerfully, stay positive, and stay tidy.

 Model positive attributes such as reliability, flexibility, respect for others, inclusiveness, and a positive attitude.

 Support the Troop by providing supervision of girls (following council’s Policies and Procedures for Volunteers) and assisting with troop responsibilities.

 Maintain a GSNETX membership and registered volunteer position, including routine background checks and staying updated on current policies and procedures for GSNETX and GSUSA. **All volunteers are required to take TR402: Protecting Our Girls training once every two years.

As a member of the Adult Camp Team, I agree to:

• Independent Sleeping. Always support and maintain an all-girl atmosphere for sleeping quarters. Adults should sleep in adult quarters.

• Parent – Girl Sleeping. When parents are staffing an event, daughters should remain in sleeping quarters with other girls rather than in staff sleeping areas.

• Should a situation occur in which female adults are sharing the sleeping area with youth members, such as when the troop is camping in a lodge, there must always be a minimum of two unrelated female adults present. Adult-to-youth supervision ratios, as defined in Volunteer Essentials, must be maintained.

• Men must always have separate sleeping accommodations, located apart from youth members and women. Men should not walk through the girls’ sleeping area to get to the bathroom. When camping in tents or single room cabins, men must stay in a tent or cabin in an area separate from the girls and women.

Prepare for Sleeping in Camp:

• Mentally prepare for new surroundings. Cheerfully embrace a fresh experience. There will be some discomfort; be OK with that. The beauty and fun of the experience will override any temporary inconveniences.

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• Pack for comfort. Two things that often take urbanites by surprise on the first night of a camping trip: 1) How cool temperatures get after sundown, and 2) how dark the night sky is. So be prepared: Keep insulating clothing layers and a headlamp and/or flashlight handy.

• Appreciate the uniqueness of the moment. Most of us live tethered to modern conveniences that make life pleasant. When camping certainly do all you can to ensure your comfort, but also realize that for a few nights you can experience the world around you from a new perspective. Look at the stars. Listen to the quietness. Exhale. Relax. Now help the next generation appreciate the same thing.

• Wear dry clothing. Change out of any damp or sweaty clothes and hang them from a clothesline in your cabin overnight. A good sleepwear choice while camping is long pajamas, top and bottoms, plus clean socks. They feel cozy and give you a buffer of insulation when you awake in the morning and, maybe best of all, minimize the transfer of body oils to your sleeping bag.

• Respect others’ privacy when changing for bed / showering / etc. While some people may be comfortable changing in front of others, it’s best to have a way to do this in a way that respects everyone’s privacy.

• Drink some water. Do not overdo it, for obvious reasons, but keeping yourself hydrated aids blood circulation and diminishes the possibility of headaches at higher altitudes.

Overnight:

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• Avoid listening to night sounds too closely, particularly if you're new to the outdoors and are easily spooked. The night woods are full of strange sounds that can seem threatening, that really are not. Small critters can make a moose-size racket. Animals occasionally wander into campsites after sunset to search for food. Relax; these animals are more apprehensive of you than you need to be of them.

• Prepare for late-night restroom trips. Place a light source and a pair of camp shoes near your bunk. If you tend to get thirsty at night, keep a supply of water nearby. Wipe your shoes off before going back into the tent or cabin.

Surprisingly, it may be the adult volunteer's own daughter that displays disruptive behavior during troop activities! It is important to remember how difficult it can be for a girl to share her parent with so many other girls, who are seeking their adult volunteer's attention. Sometimes adult volunteers, trying not to show favoritism toward their own daughter, may inadvertently go to the other extreme and never choose their daughter for special jobs. Below are some tips which may help:

• Have the girls assist in picking camp names or nicknames for the troop adult volunteers that all the girls, including the volunteers’ own daughters, can call adults during troop activities. This removes "Mom", “Dad”, “Grandma” from the picture.

• Use a Kaper Chart or any other Kaper tool to assign tasks. Find a way to rotate responsibilities so you don’t have to pick or not pick your own daughter; she will have a turn when it is her turn.

• Assign adult volunteers to different patrols or stations during events. This gives the girls an opportunity to participate independently. If intervention is required, ask adults to intervene with other adult’s children, removing the parenting dynamic from the intervention.

• We discourage using your daughter to practice crafts or other troop activities prior to the camp events. Let her be surprised, too.

“GSNETX Camping” is a big step in a progressive plan to get Girl Scout Troops exploring the outdoors. The intention is to build upon the girls’ experience of leaving the meeting place and traveling as a group. Troop Camping experiences and memories make deep impressions upon girls. Girl Led, Cooperative Learning and Learning by Doing apply to planning and organization, too!

I Volunteered, Now What?

Every GSNETX overnight camp event requires at least one female adult with a current and applicable GSNETX Troop Camp Trained certification and at least one female adult with current First Aid and CPR certification, obtained from a GSNETX approved provider. Male volunteers can also be GSNETX Troop Camp Trained and First Aid certified volunteers, however, since men cannot sleep in the same area as the girls, they cannot be the only certified Troop Camp trained or First Aid volunteer at an overnight campout. Oftentimes, additional troop adults will be invited to come on the campout to fulfill increased adult to girl safety ratios. As an adult chaperone, you should rely on the GSNETX Troop Camp Trained Adult and the First Aider in your troop for guidance and policy.

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Everyone gets a job. This is true for the girls at meetings; and it is just as true for the adults on a Girl Scout troop campout. The girls are more engaged and invested in activities and events when they have a role and you will be too. This guide contains information about some typical volunteer roles. If the adult campout team has fewer volunteers, multiple roles could be combined or eliminated. If the team has more adult chaperones than roles, partners may team up to do a single role. A large, multi-level troop with capable older girls could be partnered with adult chaperones who could mentor and encourage the girl-led program.

Common volunteer team roles before, during and after a campout may include:

• Pre-Event Coordinator / Camp Registrar (Adult)

• Camp Leader, also known as the GSNETX Troop Camp Trained Adult (Required)

• Certified First Aid Trained Adult (Required)

• Grub Master (Adult or Older Girl)

• Camp Gear Coordinator (Adult or Older Girl)

• Badge or Activity Instructor (Adult or Older Girl)

• Kaper Captain (Adult)

• Patrol Leader (Adult or Older Girl)

• Songbird / Cheerleader (Adult or Older Girl)

• Driver (Adult)

All members of the adult campout team must be a registered Girl Scout member, have a clear background check, and they are to review the Safety Activity Checkpoints for Troop Camping on the GSNETX website for foundational understanding of requirements. In general, regardless of how many adults participate in the planning and organization of a campout, the number of adults traveling and overnighting with the girls must fulfill the required number of girl to adult safety-wise ratios.

• Works with troop (girls) and event planning team to ensure that events follow guidelines on timeline, quality program, safety principles and Safety Activity Checkpoints listed in Volunteer Essentials and Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas Policies and Procedures document.

• Ensures that all appropriate paperwork, including budgets, site registration, extra insurance, Activity Approval and Permission Forms are complete and approved.

• Confirms current membership for all adult volunteers and driver eligibility. Compiles required driver information. Provides each driver with other drivers’ contact information.

• Obtains sealed envelopes containing copies of both the girls’ and adult volunteers’ Health History forms from the troop leader. Ensures each driver has the correct Health History forms for each passenger in their car. It helps to have a photo on each envelope for identification.

• Ensures appropriate adult to girl ratios for the event activities are secured (See Volunteer Essentials). Ensures that tag-a-long siblings, friends, and parents are not registered for the campout, unless the event is open to these additional participants.

• Verifies troop roster accuracy. Promotes on-time event registration.

• Follows and upholds all GSUSA and GSNETX policies, standards, and procedures.

• Collaborates on the best route and prints maps for the drivers.

• Acts as the At Home Emergency Contact or recruits another adult to fulfill the role. Provides Camp Leader and First Aider with the At Home Emergency Contact information.

Overall Campout and Campsite Set Up

This role is often fulfilled by the troop leader but can be filled by another GSNETX Troop Camp Trained adult who takes the appropriate training and fulfills the role of Camp Leader. If the Camp Leader is not the troop leader, they may seek the assistance of the troop leader, as needed, but ultimately, the Camp Leader oversees the campout.

• Responsible for setting expectations with parents/caregivers, families, and volunteers about what to expect from the camp experience. This could be done during a pre-camp parent/caregiver meeting or via email or social media communication

• Works with adult volunteers and girls in selecting badges and other fun and interesting activities for the event. Works with troop volunteers and older girls to recruit instructors and create instructor plans for the event.

• Reviews the basic Girl Scout skills, as needed, and prepares girls and adult volunteers for the experience.

• Provides campsite management, ensures Girl Scout ways and policies are followed, coordinates the adult volunteer activities and assignments, and the girls’ camp activities during the event. • Obtains information for the “At Home Emergency Contact” person from the Pre-Event Coordinator.

Health and Safety Oversight

This role is filled by a female adult, with a current First Aid and CPR certification, obtained from a GSNETX approved provider. A male adult may serve as an additional First Aider.

• Completes a GSNETX approved first aid and child CPR training and delivers first aid services for event participants.

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• Participates as part of the event planning team to represent the health and safety aspects of the event.

• Obtains and reviews the original Health History forms for all attendees (confidential), as well as makes sure that the Pre-Event Coordinator has sealed copies of the Health History forms for the glove boxes of the cars being driven. It helps to have a photo on each envelope for identification.

• Obtains and maintains first aid supplies appropriate for the activities and size of the event. First aid supplies and medications should be age appropriate such as liquid meds and children's doses.

• Provides and ensures safe implementation of first aid care to participants at the event, within the parameters of your first aid training.

• Obtains information for the “At Home Emergency Contact” person from the Pre-Event Coordinator.

Forms and Worksheets

Jobs at Camp

 Keeps First Aid supplies nearby during all activities  Responds to issues and distributes medications, as appropriate.

Food Coordinator and Kitchen Set-up

(Can be a mentor to an older girl acting in the role)

• Works with the troop (girls) and event planning team to plan menus which are in keeping with the schedule, the activities, the nutritional requirements of the girls, and the event budget.

• Works with girls to create shopping lists, shops, and stays within budget.

o Estimates portions to be served (i.e., 2 eggs, 2 sausage, 2 pancakes per girl)

o Buy a little more food than you think your troop will need.

o Prepares ice for coolers; organizes food first meal on top, last on bottom, and ensures meat products are securely wrapped and in a separate cooler from other food items.

o Adheres to the budget and adjusts shopping list as needed.

o Keeps food allergies in mind.

• Works with the Camp Gear Coordinator to ensure that all equipment needed for food preparation is available and in good working condition prior to the event.

• Works with girls to organize and pack all the supplies for car load up and return, ensures good food hygiene practice and ease of access by the girls.

• Disposes of food wastes and replenish ice in coolers, as needed, for the trip home.

• Works with the Cooks Kaper Captain to setup the Camp Kitchen.

• May also assume the role of Cooks Kaper Captain

Forms and Worksheets  Meal Planning Worksheet

Grub Master Shopping List

Jobs at Camp

Sets Up the Camp Kitchen

May assume role of Cooks Kaper Captain

Monitors food coolers to ensure food safety

(Can be a mentor to an older girl acting in the role)

• Uses checklists to make sure nothing vital is left behind.

• Keeps all the troop/patrol gear in order and knows who has it.

• Works with troop girls and event planning team to make lists of equipment for event, including “troop gear”, “patrol gear” and “personal gear” lists.

• Examines gear that has been sitting in storage.

o It is better to discover any missing pieces while you are still home. Example: Look inside the tent stuff sack; are the stakes inside? Is your utensil assortment complete? Got all your pots and pans? Did you restock first-aid items used on your last trip?

o Involve the girls in the prep work. Present the checklists to them and ask them to examine the gear and inventory you have. Have them pack Troop Gear items a week or two before departure. Upon return, have the girls use the same checklist to inventory the return and condition of the gear. All troop cooking utensils should be rewashed, dried, and stowed away.

• Consults with the Grub Master and ensures all needed equipment is available at the event (inventory, borrow or purchase what is needed) and sees that it is returned in good order.

• Performs or coordinates bag checks before campout.

• Confirms the event packing lists (prepared by girl planning team) are inclusive and appropriate for the predicted weather. Be sure to find out the overnight low temperatures expected at your destination and confirm that the girls are prepared for sleeping comfortably.

• Works with troop (girls) to organize and pack all the gear for car load up.

Forms and Worksheets

Jobs at Camp

Plan, Prepare, and Present

(Can be a mentor to an older girl acting in the role)

• Instructs Girl Scouting skills as needed within the troop, working with the Camp Leader to meet badge criteria.

• Makes sure that all needed supplies are obtained.

• Prepares well in advance for teaching assignment, notifying the Camp Gear Coordinator of any special equipment necessary for the activities and the Grub Master of any special food supplies, if needed

Forms and Worksheets

 Badge or Activity Plan

Jobs at Camp

 Leads badge activities or stations in which the girls are participating

• Multiple adult chaperones will fulfill the Kaper Captain roles. Kaper Captains will work with each patrol of girls who rotates through the Kaper Captain’s assigned station.

• A single person can take more than one role, or two people can share a role if the group is very large. This depends upon the number of safety-wise adults you need to bring.

• With adult guidance, a Kaper Captain may be an older, camp experienced Girl Scout. Kaper Captains supervise and instruct the girls in the necessary kapers they need to carryout. The primary GSNETX Troop Camp Kaper Captains include:

Fire Kaper Captain

Cooks Kaper Captain (could be the same person as the Grub Master)

Hostess Kaper Captain (could be the same person as the Songbird)

Dishwashing Kaper Captain (could be the same person as the Cleanup Kaper Captain)

Cleanup Kaper Captain (could be the same person as the Dishwashing Kaper Captain)

(Can be a mentor to an older girl acting in the role)

• Learns songs, graces, ceremonies, yells, skits, and campfire programs.

• Works with troop, patrols, and event planning team to plan and prepare ceremonies and programs for the event.

• Makes sure that any supplies needed for special ceremonies are packed and present

• Leads (or advises with older girls) the ceremonies and programs (“Saturday night fun and games”) at the event.

Stays with the Girls of a particular patrol / Nighttime Preparation Coordinator / Bathroom Buddy

When the girls are young and/or new at camping the Patrol Leader is an adult who is modeling the duties of a Patrol Leader. As the girls mature, the Patrol Leader position may be passed on to a girl

• Works with the camp planning team to create a schedule for each patrol during the event, including activities and kapers. Keeps patrol members informed, accountable and on task.

• Prepares the patrol to take part in troop activities.

• Develops patrol spirit.

• Knows where the members of the patrol are always and helps the girls be present and prepared for activities, meals, and programs.

• Helps girls establish their camp, particularly later on when they progress to erecting tents.

• Upon return, make sure girls have their personal gear and get checked out with their parent(s) or caregiver(s).

Jobs at Camp



Helps girls to organize and set up their personal gear, if needed.

 Encourages girls to take a bathroom visit before bed or before leaving for the return home trip

• Must be at least 21 years of age.

• Maintains current GSNETX membership, driver’s license, vehicle registration, and state required insurance coverage.

• Follows and upholds all GSUSA and GSNETX policies, standards, and procedures

• Checks lights, signals, tires, windshield wipers, horns, and fluid levels before each trip, and rechecks them periodically on long trips.

• Never transports girls in flatbed trucks, in the bed of a pickup, or in a camper-trailer.

• Always wears a seatbelt and insists that all passengers do the same. Follows all state guidelines regarding children sitting in the back and/or using booster seats.

• Follows all the established rules of the road, including the speed limit.

• Plans rest stops every few hours and never drives more than 12 hours in a day.

• Does not drive when tired or taking medication.

• Does not, necessarily, attend the event. Though often, since they are going anyway, drivers fulfill other campout roles.

Set-Up Step #1: Checking In

• Promptly set up sleeping quarters and cabins.

o Guide and encourage the girls as they unload the gear from the cars. Remember, this is the girls’ responsibility. Offer suggestions to the girls on how they could work together when something seems too heavy for one girl to do on her own.

o Engage the girls in choosing which cabins and bunks each girl will use. This is an opportunity to live sisterhood, so some adult involvement may be necessary to ensure that all girls are included and that cliques are not reinforced.

o Add homey touches. Set a piece of artificial grass or indoor-out door carpet in front of the cabin door to wipe their shoes on before entering

• Set up the Camp Kitchen space

o GSNETX Camps have a shared kitchen in each unit or lodge. Remember that you may be sharing that space with another troop and plan accordingly. If it happens, this is another chance to show sisterhood.

o Inventory what is stored and available for use in the camp kitchen. Organize and store your groceries and troop camp kitchen boxes. Are girls around? Involve them in helping.

o Do not leave food unattended. Mice creep into unit houses. Raccoons can strike swiftly. So, can deer and blue jays. Racoons can open ice chests with flip locks. Critters are out there, but they are not really interested in you. It is the food they want. Anything you can do to keep food odors concealed in air-tight containers is ideal.

Everyone is involved in setup – grab a "buddy” pair of girls (or a patrol of girls) and GO!

Adult Volunteer – Camp Leader and Patrol Leaders

Adult Volunteer – Cooks Kaper Captain and Grub Master

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• Locate a suitable space to set up the Dish Washing Station and store the gear

o Bathrooms or drinking fountains may not be used to clean dishes. Do not kill the flora with hot, soapy water. Use bio-degradable soap, and only dump gray water in designated areas or where it will do no harm.

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Set up the Garbage station

o Always keep a clean campsite. Collect all litter and keep it gathered away from the tents or cabins in a location out of reach of any of the local critters or pests. GSNETX properties ask that all trash be placed in tied plastic bags and placed in the onsite trash bin or dumpster. At the end of a camping weekend, dispose of all trash in the bin or dumpster.

o If the bin or dumpster is full, leave tied trash bags inside the unit shelter/lodge and notify the camp staff. It is a good idea to bring extra plastic garbage bags and change them daily.

o Locate all items supplied in site unit shelter (brooms, dust pans, cleaning fluids if any, etc.)

Fire Station

o Locate all items supplied in site unit shelter (rakes, buckets, outdoor water supply)

o Locate suitable fire circles to use for the weekend and make ensure the inner and outer fire circles are in good condition

Adult Volunteer – Dishwashing Kaper Captain

Adult Volunteer – Cleanup Kaper Captain

Adult Volunteer – Fire Kaper Captain

Guide girls through this process:

1. Follow program delivery steps for fire safety presented in the TR301: GSNETX Camping course. GSNETX Troop Camp Trained adult should supervise and guide the Fire Kaper Captain until they are comfortable in their responsibilities.

2. If fires are to be used, the Troop Camp Trained adult will teach the girls how to build a fire and work with them on outdoor cooking before the campout. This may also be incorporated into the campout schedule as a block (or several blocks) but it cannot be omitted.

3. Gather wood, sort into piles by size onto heavy tarp. Cover. Might be done by the whole troop at the beginning of the trip and used for all meals.

4. Gather safety equipment - shovel, rake, and a bucket of water.

5. Prepare fire circle, arrange grill, then build fire (A-Frame open to wind)

6. Light fire, feed fire. USE BUDDY SYSTEM AND NEVER LEAVE FIRE UNATTENDED!

7. Extinguish only after dishwater has been warmed. SPRINKLE WITH WATER AND STIR with rake.

Fire Building and Fire Safety Information

Because not all the Safety Wise Adult Volunteers may be familiar with Girl Scout outdoor cooking and fire safety processes, it is a good idea for the Fire Tender to review this material so that the adult is familiar with Girl Scout Ways.

Safety Procedures

• Before lighting the fire always have a bucket of water next to the fire

• Clear fire area 10’ back of any leaves, pine needles, etc.

• Use fire pits and fire rings always

• Ensure girls know how to correctly light matches, striking away from themselves.

• Use the fire for cooking or campfire. Never play with fire or around fire

• Tie long hair back and cover with a bandana. Avoid wearing dangling, loose, or flammable clothing/accessories

• Maintain discipline around fire site

• Never leave a fire unattended

• Anytime everyone leaves the site the fire must be completely extinguished

Adult Volunteer – Fire Kaper Captain

• Fires are only started with matches and homemade fire starters – never with gasoline, kerosene, etc.

• Make the fire only as large as you need to meet your cooking needs. Avoid large flames above rim of fire pit.

Extinguish Fires

1. Let the fire die down as much as possible. Do not keep it going just so you don’t have to start it again.

2. Use a shovel to break up and spread-out coals within the fire ring.

3. Stir coals with a rake or shovel, sprinkle with water, and stir again. Sprinkle, Sprinkle, Rake, Rake…

4. Repeat until there are no live coals or gray ash.

5. Hold your hand over the fire and count to 2-5. Your fire is out if you feel no warmth.

6. Place large logs that may still be warm in a bucket of water and place the bucket in the inner fire circle.

7. Do NOT dig up dirt in fire circles.

8. Dispose of ashes (please check with your site or property manager for proper disposal)

Breaking Camp

Clean the Campfire circles

o Make sure that all campfires are out. Leave ashes in the ring. If ashes are overflowing the ring, scoop cold ashes out and scatter lightly in low vegetation areas.

Guide girls through this process:

1. Gather utensils, pots, pans, potholders.

2. Soap the outside/bottom of stainless steel or aluminum pots and pans to keep soot from sticking if you use them to cook on a fire. Soap the cooking pot used for heating dishwater. (Note: do NOT soap cast iron!)

3. Gather cooking water, all ingredients and prepare food.

4. Tend to food carefully. Hot coals provide more even cooking.

5. So that you have hot water ready for dishwashing, fill 1 or 2 cooking pots with water and place over fire or propane stove while cooking and eating. This could be the responsibility of the Dishwashing Patrol.

1. Have girls frequently wash their hands. Set up a Hand Washing Station at the campsite if you are camping some place other than a GSNETX property without a unit kitchen and bath house. Keep area clean and stocked with soap and sanitizer.

2. Follow common sense food handling and storage strategies.

Basic Food Handling

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Use only clean and sanitized utensils and equipment (or plastic/paper ware)

• Clean and sanitize, with a mild bleach and water solution, all surfaces used during the preparation and serving of food

• Minimize the time that foods remain in the “temperature danger zone” (40 to 140 degrees F)

• Keep hot food warm and covered until just prior to service

• Keep cold food refrigerated or on ice until just prior to service

• Cover left-over food and store in a manner proper to the food item

Adult Volunteer – Cooks Kaper Captain

Staying Healthy – Sanitation, Food Handling and Cleanup

Guide girls through this process:

1. Make centerpieces for the tables. Do NOT use materials from plants or trees that are alive.

2. Prepare serving plates, serving utensils, and help cooks keep food warm.

3. Set up food line, service ware, napkins, drinks.

4. Plan and start a song grace with the girls or guide them in saying a few words of appreciation for the meal

5. Serve food do not forget people tending fire.

6. Cover and store food when done serving.

7. Provide trash bin/clean as you go.

Adult Volunteers – Hostess Kaper Captain

Guide girls through this process:

1. Work with the Cooks Patrol to put 1 or 2 cooking pots of water on the fire or propane stove to heat for dishwashing.

2. Set up a Dish Washing Station and a clothesline (Dip Line) for dunk bags.

3. Hang up the dip line in a convenient location and not in a walking path.

4. Create a trash station for scrapping off dishes near the dishwashing station.

5. Dish Tub 1: Fill large dishpan ¾ full of hot wash water and moderate amount of dish soap.

6. Dish Tub 2: Fill large dishpan ¾ full of warm rinse water

7. Dish Tub 3: Fill large dishpan ¾ full lukewarm water. Add small amount of bleach to dish tub 3 for disinfectant (1 Tablespoon of bleach to 1 gallon of water)

Order of Operations – 5 Steps

1. All girls and adults scrape, wash, rinse, dunk, and hang their own dishes in a mesh bag on a Dip Line.

2. Girls on the Dishwashing Kaper Patrol scrape, wash, dunk and hang cooking utensils, serving bowls, pitchers, etc.

3. Girls on the Dishwashing Kaper Patrol scrape, wash, dunk and dry pots, pans, griddles.

4. Girls on the Dishwashing Kaper Patrol strain water of large food particles and throw the food particles into the trash.

5. Girls on the Dishwashing Kaper Patrol dump strained water in designated area away from the campsite and trails to prevent muddy areas.

Adult Volunteer – Dishwashing Kaper Captain

Guide girls through this process:

1. Gather leftovers store or toss?

2. Be sure all utensils and serving plates are passed on to the Dishwashing Kaper Patrol for washing.

3. Load all perishable food into cooler.

4. Collect extra paper products.

5. Load equipment in cars if necessary.

6. Throw away all trash and “leave no trace”.

7. Whisk out the cars and trucks of any debris upon return home.

Understanding Animal Behavior

Human food is powerfully attractive to wild animals that inhabit North American wilderness areas squirrels, chipmunks, mice, raccoons, blue jays, deer, and even bears.

These animals are instinctive foragers and are not naturally inclined toward the foods people consume. Yet when people become careless with their food or worse, when they intentionally offer critters their cheese puffs or other manufactured edibles wild animals get a taste of something new and intense, and their customary food-seeking habits are negatively transformed. When an animal gets a taste of human food, it's going to want more lots more and will go to extremes to get it. Raccoons show remarkable determination and ingenuity in their pursuit of a free lunch.

Ways to Protect Food, Safeguard Animals:

Land management agencies, including the National Park Service, endorse no single food-defense strategy. Each unit of the Park Service establishes an individual policy appropriate for its resident wildlife. The rules become especially important when you progress to camping in more rugged territory.

Adult Volunteer – Cleanup Kaper Captain

Some guidelines, however, do apply to all food storage situations:

1) Never leave your food unattended at any time of day, even if it is still in your ice chest. Raccoons are very adept at opening all kinds of containers.

2) Never bring food into your cabin.

• Avoid wiping your hands on your clothing

• Try to avoid leftovers. Store any exposed food item in a zippered storage bag.

• Everything with any kind of aroma goes in your food stash, whether the item is edible or not. So do all pots, utensils, and trash, especially food wrappers. Even the chemicals in the adhesive of tape and cute stickers can intrigue animals!

• Widely disperse the rinse water far from your sleeping area, and do so on rocks, if possible. Traces of salt may linger, and marmots, rodents or goats may come along and shred plants in a search for a foodlike scent.

• Never leave food scraps behind. Food scraps reward animals inclined toward food-snatching. Keep a scrupulously clean camp.

• Never feed a wild animal, no matter how cute it might be. If you do, you are disrupting its foraging instincts and rewarding unnatural behavior.

Guide girls through the following tasks at unit houses on council owned property:

Arrival –

1. Inventory all items supplied in site unit house (brooms, rakes, grills, buckets, etc.) Notify the site manager if something you need is missing. 2. Sweep floor. 3. Set up table and chairs 4. Wipe off tables.

Departure –

1. Wipe off tables. 2. Return chairs or wooden benches as you found them. 3. Sweep floors and outside porch areas. 4. If floors are muddy, rinse them off with mops and buckets of water. 5. Empty garbage containers and put in new trash bags, secure lids. 6. Return brooms/rakes/buckets to storage closet. 7. Do a final inventory of all items. Does your list match inventory upon arrival? 8. Turn off lights, air conditioner or heater per camp’s instructions. 9. Close and latch doors to all cabins, latrine, and unit shelter.

10. In the latrine: Clean the sinks and counters. Sweep and mop floor. Restock toilet paper and hand soap

Adult Volunteer - Unit Kaper Captain

All good things sooner or later come to an end, and the same goes for camping. When it comes time to pack it up and head back to our homes, consider preparing and practicing with girls in advance of the trip on how to break it down.

Guide girls through this process:

• Clean the Campfire

o Make sure that the campfire is out. Clean any unburned coal/fuel out. Leave the ashes (leave the dirt!). If the ashes are overflowing the ring, scoop cold ashes out and scatter lightly in low vegetation areas (like lesser used walkways).

• Stow the Gear

o Use a whisk broom and/or rags to wipe off gear as you stow it. Try to pack your gear as you had it when you came to the campground.

• Check the Food Coolers

o Dispose of any food wastes, empty out excess water (well away from walkways and camp areas), and replenish the ice, as needed, for the trip home.

• Gather all Trash

o To state it simply, "leave no trace!".

o A broom and a leaf rake come in handy for grooming the campsite and gathering up the last of any litter.

Adult Volunteer – Fire Kaper Captain

Adult Volunteer – Camp Gear Coordinator

Adult Volunteer – Cook’s Kaper Captain

Adult Volunteer – Cleanup Kaper Captain

• One Last Bathroom Break

o Before leaving, take advantage of this opportunity to have the girls take a final bathroom break and to wash up a bit.

• Final Walk Around

o One last check, walk around your vehicle and look around the campsite to see if anything was missed.

Adult Volunteer – Patrol Leader

Adult Volunteer – Camp Leader

Before the families come to pick up the girls, build in time for unpacking the cars, organizing things, and putting them away. Here is a list of tasks for your Adult Chaperones:

Guide girls through this process:

• Unload Gear

o First things first, unload your cars, trucks, and vans and separate everything used on the camping trip.

• Personal Gear

o Make sure girls have their personal gear and get checked out with their parent(s)/caregiver(s).

• Troop Gear

o Gather “troop” gear and take inventory. Did you leave anything behind?

o Wash the troop cooking dishes and utensils. Even if you did it at the campground before leaving, it's still a good sanitary practice to wash them again.

o Stow Away the Gear. Shake out all your gear too. If any gear is wet, lay it out or set it up to dry before packing it for storage. Mildew is much easier to prevent than it is to remove.

• Food and consumables

o Empty the cooler. Remove all food from your cooler and place it in the refrigerator, then rinse the cooler and allow it to dry.

o Store Food Items. Return all remaining foods to the pantry or cupboard.

Adult Volunteer – Camp Leader

Adult Volunteer – Patrol Leader

Adult Volunteer – Camp Gear Coordinator

Adult Volunteer – Grub Master

• Trash

o Dispose of Trash. Gather up and dispose of any remaining trash. Also, this is a good time to whisk out the car or truck of any debris.

• Do the Laundry.

o Before washing, shake out all your camping clothes and bedding.

• Wash the Dishes.

o Even if you did it at the campground before leaving, it's still a good sanitary practice to wash them again.

Adult Volunteer – Cleanup Kaper Captain

Every Participant - Girls and Adults

Every Participant - Girls and Adults

Every Participant… Both Girls and Adults:

Every Participant… Both Girls and Adults:

• Evaluate with the girls. Talk about what went well and should be repeated, what could be done differently, what they want to do next time. Share a recap with anyone who missed the evaluation session.

• Reminisce. Until the next camping trip ...

Every Participant… Both Girls and Adults:

With your Adult Chaperone Team, ask yourselves if you noticed any of the following:

1. Girls excited about outdoors or nature (OUTDOOR INTEREST)

What it looks like:

Every Participant… Both Girls and Adults:

• Makes physical connections with the world

• Unplugs and centers herself in the present

With your Adult Chaperone Team, ask yourselves if you noticed any of the following:

• Be free to explore and play

• Be comfortable in nature

• Explores and discovers the natural world

With your Adult Chaperone Team, ask yourselves if you noticed any of the following:

2. Girls who learned something new or better than before in the outdoors (OUTDOOR CONFIDENCE)

What it looks like:

• Increases her comfort with being outdoors

With your Adult Chaperone Team, ask yourselves if you noticed any of the following:

3. Prepare for outdoor or nature activities, such as how to keep safe (OUTDOOR COMPETENCE)

• Learns outdoor skills

• Discovers how to take care of herself outdoors

• Capable of managing herself outdoors

• Confident tackling outdoor activities

• Comfortable with unknowns

• Unafraid of the natural world

What it looks like:

• Practices skills outside

• Builds practical and tactical skills

• Solves problems outdoors

• Can be independent in a dynamic environment

• Is responsible for herself and her surroundings

• Can lead and cooperate outdoors

• Demonstrates taking care of each other outside

4. Help care for the environment (OUTDOOR STEWARDSHIP)

What it looks like:

• Leaves things better than she found them

• Takes responsibility for her environment

• Talks about preserving nature and protecting natural resources

• Uses resources wisely

• Values the health of the planet

• Considers human interactions with nature