European Camp Staff Program

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 worthwhile, participants should be prepared to commit themselves to work for a minimum of six weeks.

Interested participants should complete the BSA’s European Camp Staff Program application and submit it to their local council for the Scout executive’s approval. The application should then be mailed to the International Department for processing.

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/International/ecamp.aspx