First Year Camper

Build Skills. Gain Confidence. Start Your Scouting Adventure.

Camp Chawanakee’s First Year Camper program is designed for newer Scouts who are still developing the fundamental outdoor skills needed for the early Scouts BSA ranks.

Throughout the week, Scouts receive hands-on instruction in skills connected to Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class requirements. The goal is not simply to check off requirements—it is to help Scouts learn, practice, and demonstrate skills they can use throughout their Scouting experience.

What Scouts Will Learn

The First Year Camper program brings together advancement skills from Tenderfoot through First Class.

Depending on the week’s program and the Scout’s individual progress, instruction may include:

• First aid and emergency response
• Knots and lashings
• Knife, axe, and saw safety
• Fire building and fire safety
• Hiking safety and the Scout Basic Essentials
• Map and compass skills
• Orienteering
• The buddy system and what to do when lost
• Weather awareness
• Flag etiquette
• Swimming and boating safety
• Water rescues
• Personal safety and bullying awareness
• CPR concepts and emergency situations
• EDGE method and other fundamental Scouting skills

Scouts should arrive ready to participate. Many of these requirements involve demonstrating a skill, not simply listening to an explanation.

A Typical Week

The First Year Camper program follows a progression of skills throughout the week.

Monday — First Aid
Scouts begin with first aid skills and prevention, including cuts, burns, bites and stings, bleeding, shock, dehydration, heat-related emergencies, hypothermia, choking, and other common situations.

Tuesday — First Aid, Emergencies & Personal Safety
Scouts continue first aid while learning about emergency response, CPR concepts, accident scenes, personal safety, and appropriate responses to bullying.

Wednesday — Orienteering & Hiking Safety
Scouts work with maps and compasses while learning hiking safety, the Scout Basic Essentials, the buddy system, what to do when lost, weather awareness, and outdoor hazards.

Thursday — Flags & Fire
Scouts practice proper American flag procedures and learn fire safety, tinder, kindling, fuel, fire-starting methods, and how to safely build and maintain a fire.

Thursday Evening — Waterfront Skills
The program moves to the waterfront for swimming, boating, and lifesaving skills. Scouts learn Safe Swim principles, reach and throw rescues, boating precautions, and basic canoe and paddle knowledge.

Friday — Check-In & Catch-Up
Friday provides an opportunity to review progress and catch up on skills or requirements that may need additional work.

Knots of the Day

Scouts also practice important knots throughout the week, including:

• Square knot
• Two half-hitches
• Taut-line hitch
• Sheet bend
• Bowline

Instruction focuses not only on how to tie each knot, but also when and why it should be used.

Scouts working toward First Class may also receive instruction in the timber hitch, clove hitch, square lashing, shear lashing, and diagonal lashing.

Advancement Opportunities

The First Year Camper program helps newer Scouts build skills associated with Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class.

Scout Rank

For Scouts just beginning their journey, the program reinforces foundational Scouting knowledge and skills such as the patrol method, the buddy system, basic knots, Scouting ideals, and other skills that prepare them for advancement into Tenderfoot and beyond.

Tenderfoot

Topics include tool safety, basic knots, first aid, hiking safety, the buddy system, what to do when lost, the EDGE method, and flag etiquette.

Second Class

Scouts may work on more advanced first aid and emergency response, personal safety, knots, fire building, swimming safety, and water rescue skills.

First Class

Instruction may include lashings, advanced first aid, CPR concepts, map and compass work, orienteering, boating skills, water safety, and emergency water treatment.
Participation does not automatically complete a rank or requirement. Scouts must demonstrate the required skills to the satisfaction of the person authorized to approve the requirement.

The emphasis is on quality over quantity. Scouts should leave the program understanding and remembering the skills they learned—not simply with a list of completed requirements.

What Scouts Should Bring

Scouts participating in First Year Camper should come prepared each day with:

• Scout Handbook
• Water bottle
• Notebook and pencil or pen
• Appropriate closed-toe shoes
• Sunscreen
• Daypack
• Any personal advancement records their unit uses

For waterfront activities, Scouts should also have their swimsuit, towel, and other required aquatics gear.

First Year Camper & Merit Badges

First Year Camper is not meant to take over a Scout’s entire week at Camp Chawanakee.

New Scouts should still have opportunities to experience the rest of camp, participate with their troop, enjoy open program areas, and begin earning merit badges.

When building a schedule, units should balance First Year Camper instruction with merit badges and other camp activities appropriate for the Scout’s age, experience, and interests.

A first summer at Camp Chawanakee should be about more than advancement. It should give Scouts the skills and confidence to succeed—and enough adventure that they cannot wait to come back next summer.