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We appreciate that visitors are conscientious
and submit score forms in a timely manner.
As we review these score forms and listen
to the challenges of our visitors, we have
identified challenging areas from the score
forms. This year, we received 911 score
forms at the national office. Of these,
150 (16 percent) required calls to visitors
to correct errors or clarify scoring issues.
Here are the primary reasons for calls
to visitors:
- Missing or confusing comments is the
leading cause for a follow-up phone call.
Since every "no" score requires
a comment; if a "no" score
is missing a comment, expect a phone
call. Additionally, if you change a score
from "no" to "yes," (usually
because of the 72-Hour Rule) this must
be indicated with a comment. Occasionally
those reviewing the score forms are confused
by a comment that indicates one thing
and a score that indicates another. Comments
and scores need to agree with one another.
- Standards left blank are the second
highest cause for calls to visitors.
Here is a tip: As you finish the visit,
take a deep breath and sit down one more
time. Turn the paper horizontally and
slowly review the score form from this
perspective. All items need to
be marked in some manner; any item that
is not a "yes" must have
a "no" or "DNA" score.
Consider having the second visitor and
camp director do this as well. Seems
silly, but it is amazing what a new perspective
can do to catch the dreaded blanks.
- Inappropriately marked DNAs is the
third highest reason for a call. If you
are uncertain during the visit process,
re-read the entire text of the standard
carefully. Things are often gray or have
an odd applicability. Please remember
that you are welcome to call your standards
chair or the national office during the
visit if there is confusion over the
applicability of a standard or group
of standards.
- Profile/Modes and scoring patterns
that do not agree comes in as the fourth
leading cause for phone calls to visitors.
This is most often caused by inconsistency
between the camp profile, the mode or
modes indicated on the score form, and
the standards that are scored. Begin
your visit by talking with the camp director
and determining what modes the camp operates
with and the activities they actually
offer. Then make certain that the profile,
the modes indicated, and the scoring
reflect the correct modes of operation
and activities offered.
- Staffed Public
Facility confusion is the final reason
for calls to visitors. Remember,
staffed public facility standards are
only to be scored when a person or persons
other than camp staff are responsible
for the supervision and conduct of a
given activity. These calls were typically
related to the aquatics section staffed
pubic facility standards more than the
other program sections. More often
than not, a visitor scored a few of these
standards when the campers would swim
off property but were guarded by their
own staff. In these cases, the
entire sub-section should have been scored "DNA" because
the applicable standards (in these instances)
were scored earlier in the aquatics section.
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