Health Lodge

Wente provides a well-equipped Health Lodge run by a qualified Health Officer. All injuries and illnesses must be immediately reported to the Health Officer. Most minor injuries and illnesses can be handled by the Health Officer. Serious injuries or illnesses will be taken to a local medical facility where the camp has made arrangements for treatment. Transportation to the medical facilities is the responsibility of the unit, unless emergency medical treatment is necessary.

Medical Forms

As part of check-in, each individual will have a health screening. During this screening, each participant’s medical forms will be reviewed. All Scouts and adults attending resident camp are required to have a BSA Medical Form, regardless of how long their stay in camp may be. If you do not have a current medical form you may not attend camp. There are no exceptions to this rule. It is recommended that you bring photocopies of these forms to camp and that the unit keeps the originals for future use.

In instances where medical evaluation is against religious beliefs, the requirement for medical examination forms can be waived. This requires written statements from the camper’s parent or guardian and church officials that a medical examination is a violation of religious belief.

Youth
The Boy Scouts of America have issued a new medical form that replaces the Class 1 and 2 Forms for youth and the Class 3 from for adults. Both Scouts and adults now use the same form.

The medical form issued by the San Francisco Bay Area Council authorizes:
    •    The camp to provide medical treatment
    •    Participation in camp activities such as waterfront, COPE, and climbing
    •    Participation in use of firearms
    •    The San Francisco Bay Area Council, BSA and the National Council, BSA to use            photographs taken at camp for promotional purposes.

The Boy Scouts of America recommends that all youth and adult members have annual medical evaluations by a certified and licenced health-care provider. This new form must be signed annually by the participant, their parent or guardian in the case of a minor, and by a certified and licensed health-care provider. Wente Scout Reservation highly recommends the use of this form for the 2009 camping season. The Class 1, 2, and 3 forms will be accepted, but their use will be discontinued by the BSA in 2010.

Medications

Boy Scout national policy states:
All prescription drugs (including those needing refrigeration) are to be kept in locked storage in the health lodge. An exception may be made for a limited amount of medication to be carried by a camper, leader, parent, or staff member for life-threatening conditions, including bee-sting or heart medication, and inhalers, or for a limited amount of medication approved for use in a first aid kit.

Each prescription medication taken at camp must be accompanied by a Medication Information Form for Summer Camp. If you are using the newly issued BSA Medical Form this form is not necessary, as it contains the needed information. All medications and medication forms need to be available during the health screening.

Backboard practice