The big reason we go to summer camp, or at least why our parents pay for it, is the Program Areas. For many Troops this is where we learn most of our Merit Badge skills and can put to practice our outdoor advancement skills.

Scheduling:

In prior years, Wente has varied its schedule from a very rigid class structure with set times to totally open scheduling. What we have learned from this experience is no two Scouts are alike, so there is no one way of scheduling that is going to work in every case. Some Scouts need a rigid schedule while others flourish in a more open system. As a result Wente uses a hybrid system with set times for merit badge sessions in the morning and early afternoon, and a more open program in the later afternoon and evening. There are some badges that have limited resources or are affected by environmental conditions (such as Small-boat Sailing, where the wind tends to blow only in the late morning and afternoon) that must adhere to a strict schedule. Some of the badges we offer only as drop in, which means they can be taken only during open program time. All of Wente’s merit badges, with a few exceptions, run on a four-day schedule with Friday open for make ups. This allows Scouts the chance to participate in activities that might cause them to miss a merit badge session and still complete the badge. Refer to the Merit Badge Schedule on the resources page to see a brief description of all the notes and oddities of each badge see the Merit Badge Info form

Signing Up For Merit Badges:

Merit Badge sessions fill quickly, we urge your unit to register on Doubleknot as soon as possible following the pre-camp leaders meeting in April.  NOTE:  You must register as a unit and not as individual scouts.  It is highly recommended that you review each scouts schedule at your weekly troop meeting prior to registration.  Hint: have first and second choices selected in case the activities your scout chooses are full.