Water Sports Merit Badge Campout (T)

PLEASE READ ALL INFORMATION BEFORE REGISTERING!

link to register:  https://bsatroop218.membershiptoolkit.com/packet/4414

Watersports Merit Badge and Campout

Campout Location: Sunflower Area 2 Day Use at Hillsdale Lake

Merit Badge Location: KC Watersports

25825 Edgemore Rd, Paola, KS 66071

Campout Planner: David Kraft 913-706-8724; dkraftlaw@gmail.com 

Event Description: 

• Watersports Merit Badge; this Merit Badge is limited to the first 20 Scouts who sign up through the KC Watersports website and troop website and pay all required fees.

• Cost:
  • Total:  $52.40
    • $34.20 Merit Badge Class Fee (PAID DIRECTLY TO KC WATERSPORTS)
    • $18 Camping & Food (Paid in Membership Toolkit)

Date: July 26-27, 2025

Important Notes:

Date change - The Watersports Merit Badge through KC Watersports is only available on select dates. We will now camp Saturday July 26^th and attend the Merit Badge on Sunday the 27^th

Swim test Required – For this Merit Badge successfully passing the BSA “swim test” is required, before attending the Merit Badge class. If your Scout had a blue swim band at Bartle last month, they have met this requirement and can be signed up. If your son did not have the blue band but would like to take a swim test before the campout so they are able to participate in the Watersports Merit Badge, please reach out to David Kraft.

General Information:

Attendance at this campout gives our Scouts the option to earn the Water Sports Merit Badge by attending this two-hour workshop on Sunday, July 27^th from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm at KC Watersports in Paola, Kansas. The first portion of the class will be conducted in a classroom setting, and the 2^nd portion will be held in the lake to give the Scouts an opportunity to learn how to wakeboard or kneeboard.  KC Watersports will provide equipment (helmets and boards).

PLEASE NOTE that this is a first-come, first-serve campout because space is limited for the Merit Badge class to 20 Scouts, and although all 20 spots were available as of today, other Troops/Scouts may book their attendance before us, reducing the maximum number of our Scouts who can attend.

Signing up for this campout is a three-step process, which we recommend you do at your first opportunity:

1. To reserve a Scout to attend the merit badge class, go the following website, where you’ll find information relating to the merit badge class, and use the green “Book Scout Days” button to reserve a Scout for the class. You will be required to pay their $34.20 fee.

https://www.kcwatersports.com/scout-days--kcw.html

2. In order to participate in the Merit Badge class, all Scout participants will need to have a waiver form completed through KC Watersport’s website, which can be found at this link:

https://waiver.smartwaiver.com/w/5eb4271335ba2/web/

*** Once you have completed registering for the Merit Badge class and completed the liability waiver, you will receive two confirmation emails for each step in the process. Please forward your confirmation emails do dkraftlaw@gmail.com so the Troop can verify your Scout is signed up and fully set to go. This will insure we don’t have any glitches or problems before the Merit Badge class.

3. To sign up for the Troop campout, please do so as you would normally, using the Troop’s website registration option. The cost of this campout is $18 per Scout which will need to be paid at the time of registration.

* Please note that if your Scout is only interested in camping only and not taking the Merit Badge class, please reach out to David Kraft directly at dkraftlaw@gmail.com.  Scouts who want to camp but do not want to take the Merit Badge class will be responsible for arranging for their transportation home from Hillsdale Lake before the merit badge clinic on Sunday.

Schedule:

Saturday:

Depart Church: 2:00pm
Arrive at Hillsdale Lake/Setup: 3:00pm
Free Time/Disk Golf: 3:30-6:00pm
Dinner (Patrol) Preparation/Meal: 6:30 pm
Troop Campfire/Flag Retirement: 8:30 pm
Lights Out: 10:00 pm

Sunday:

Wake Up:7:00am
Breakfast (Patrol) Preparation/Meal: 7:00am
Campsite Breakdown/Pack-Up: 9:00am
Depart Hillsdale Lake for KC Watersports: 10:00
Troop Lunch at KC Watersports:10:30
Water Sports Merit Badge Class: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Depart KC Watersports for Hy-Vee: 1:15 pm
Arrive at Hy-Vee: 2:00 pm

Packing List:

Class A – wear Saturday when traveling
10 Essentials
swim suit
Swim towel
Sleeping bag/pad/pillow
Flashlight
Food if signed up for a patrol meal
Frisbee/Football for around camp
Change of clothes for after watersports