Through the European Camp Staff program, young leaders from the Boy Scouts of America have the opportunity to learn more about Scouting in Europe by working at a European Scout center.

The aim of the European Camp Staff program is to assist young people in developing their leadership skills and to encourage intercultural learning. This is achieved by providing the individual with a residential experience as a volunteer staff member at a Scout center in another country.

Scout centers in Europe do not operate in the same way that BSA camps do. The staff members of a typical European Scout center are usually involved in many different aspects of operating the center rather than specializing in one particular area. This is different from the situation in a BSA camp, where staff members are usually assigned to a particular activity or skill with which they work for the majority of their time at camp. In addition, Scouting in Europe normally operates on a coeducational basis, with males and females having the opportunity to be equally involved at all levels.

All participants in the European Camp Staff program must be between 18 and 30 years of age and must be volunteers registered with the Boy Scouts of America. To ensure that the experience is a worthwhile one, participants should be prepared to commit themselves to work for a minimum of six weeks.

The interested person should obtain a detailed booklet from the Boy Scouts of America's International Division, review the booklet, and contact the Scout center of his or her choice. the center will then send the person an application that should be completed and forwarded to the International Division for national office approval.

The International Division returns the approved application to the Scout center. (The applicant must be a registered Scouter who has approval from the local council.) After the application has been forwarded to the host center, all inquiries, correspondence, and decisions will be directly between the interested individual and the host center. Once a participant has been accepted by the Scout center, the European Scout office will become involved, but only in a support role.

After an applicant has been placed, it is the responsibility of the host center and the participant to contact each other and organize all practical details. These will include the exact dates of attendance, travel arrangements, equipment required, and any other information necessary to ensure the placement is a success.

Each host center will aim to provide a worthwhile placement for young leaders from the Boy Scouts of America. a major priority will be the full integration of the participant into the Scout center's staff team. The host center will also endeavor to allocate a suitable amount of time for the participant to experience the culture of the host country through a number of social and tourist activities. As a minimum, appropriate accommodations and full board will be provided for the participant for the duration of the placement.

It is the responsibility of the participants to pay their own travel to and from the Scout center. The European Scout region will refund 50 percent of the individual's travel costs. The refund will be made in autumn, once the placement has been completed and the participant has returned home.

The BSA provides each participant with camper's accident and sickness insurance.

In the United States, the European Camp Staff program is administered through the national office of the Boy Scouts of America. For more information about the program, contact the International Division.

The Boy Scouts of America

http://www.bsa.scouting.org