Instructions for Choosing Electives & Choice Form
What is an elective? This is an activity that is NOT one of the “core four” activities. The core four (Agility, Shaping, Trails, and Water Safety) will be conducted during the scheduled times for those activities (see camp schedule.) Returning campers are free to choose advanced levels of the core four activities without requesting them as an elective on the elective choice form (if a choice form is used.)
During the Dog Scout class, and during the evening hour set aside for a repeat camper elective, you will have an opportunity to work on merit badge activities that require advanced skills. To earn the merit badge, you must have completed the prerequisite merit badges, so that we know that you have the skills necessary to begin learning the new skills required for that badge. The prerequisite for earning any badges is, of course, the DSA badge, so if you have a new dog, you’ll want to attend that class every day, and forget about the electives offered during that hour for advanced campers. During the Dog Scout class, you not only learn about your dog’s skills, you are learning about your role as the parent of a Dog Scout and the responsibilities and expectations that go along with that title.
First year campers are welcome to come, watch, and even try some of the stuff as an activity. Our goal is to have each camper come and learn about as many new activities to do with his or her dog as possible. However, the class time will be focusing on teaching the advanced skills required for the badge. It’s not that we’re expecting you to show up for camp already knowing how to do the badge. However, we DO expect you to show up for class only if you and your dogs have completed the requirements for the prerequisite badges.
In other words, let’s take the example of Water Racing, for instance. The prerequisites are that the dog can swim (Puppy Paddlers—first year badge), and that the dog can be controlled on the beach while waiting his turn to go, and will retrieve (Beach Buddies—second year badge), and that the dog is reasonably not likely to attack the other dogs on the beach (Dog Scout Badge). When you show up for class, please do not expect the instructor to be teaching your dog how to swim and how to retrieve and how to do leave-its on the beach. These are skills that you would have gained to get the previous badges (prerequisite badges.)
How do we decide which badges to offer during the Dog Scout class (when repeat campers would have nothing to do, since their dogs have already received the Dog Scout Certification)? Almost every year, we come up with at least one new badge. The dog world is always coming up with new things to do with dogs. Sometimes these new badges require advanced skills, and sometimes not.
If you are a repeat camper and do not want to try for one of the new badges, you can try for a different badge that you haven’t earned yet, during that time slot. For example, if you would like to earn the Frisbee Throw and Catch badge, you can request that one. If you would like to try for the Frisbee Freestyle badge, and have earned the prerequisite Frisbee Throw and Catch badge, then you can request that one. By requesting, I mean you will “VOTE” for the badges you would like to take at the upcoming camp. Obviously, with over 40 badges available, we can not offer EVERY badge at every camp, so we will tally up the number of campers that request each badge activity, and we will drop the ones with low enrollment (just like a college course.) We will narrow it down to 3 or 4 electives offered at each camp. This may happen before camp, or during the check-in process.
To see what each course involves, and what the requisite skills and/or prerequisite merit badges are, we have our badge curriculum (also similar to a college course offering catalog) listed on our web site. These are very brief descriptions and for any that you think you might be interested in, you are encouraged to look at the actual badge requirements on the check-off sheet found on the badges page of the DSA website. Some of our new badges may not have the course outline on there yet. After you think things over and look at the various badges to choose from, you will need to state your choice for the upcoming camp by filling out the Elective Choice form below.
If you’re happy with this year’s choices, you don’t have to vote. Only vote if there’s something that you wanted to learn that is not on the schedule.
Use the ELECTIVE CHOICE FORM below to vote. Please copy the info on the next 4 lines, fill in the blanks, and email to Lonnie before May 15th
Owner’s Name:___________________________________________
I’m enrolled in Camp number 1 2 3
1st Choice Elective _______________________________________
2nd Choice Elective_______________________________________
Multiple dog owners still get just one vote, since you can only be in one place at one time. You are welcome to try the activities with both of your dogs, if they are both at the level required for participation in that activity.
If you don’t have a regular email account, you can snail mail the information to:
Dog Scout Camp,
