Description: C.O.P.E. is an outdoor program designed to promote effective teamwork and develop leadership skills. It comprises a series of outdoor challenges, beginning with basic group initiative games and progressing to more complicated low-course and high-course activities. Some of these events involve a group effort, whereas others test individual skills and agility. Participants climb, swing, balance, jump, and rappel as well as think through solutions to a variety of challenges.

This course will provide leaders with the skills necessary to facilitate groups through the C.O.P.E. program at Camp Whitsett. These skills include pre-use inspections & reporting, safety measures & accident prevention, life safety systems, warm-ups & initiative games, trust activities, low & high course activities, managing fear, sequencing & processing, and more.

This course serves as initial training for new C.O.P.E. Level 1 instructors as well as retraining for existing C.O.P.E. Level 1 instructors whose cards have expired.

Cost: $50 covers lodging, food, learning materials and administrative fees.

Physical Requirements: This training course involves participation in a wide variety of physical and mental challenges that are comparable to activities with which you may be more familiar. Much of the time, you will be engaged in activity of “moderate exertion,” which is comparable to normal walking, golfing on foot, raking leaves, calisthenics, or slow dancing. For short periods of time, you will be engaged inactivity of “vigorous exertion,” which is comparable to fast walking, slow jogging, heavy gardening, or shoveling snow. With provided safety equipment, participants must be willing to climb and work at heights up to 40 feet.

If any of the above activities are difficult for you, discuss your participation in the activity with your physician. If these are activities in which you regularly engage without difficulty, you should be fit for participation in the program.

Pre-requisites:  

• Participants must be at least 18 years old
• Participants must be registered with the Boy Scouts of America
• Participants must have completed Youth Protection Training within the last year.
• Participants must supply a copy of Parts A & B of a BSA Health and Medical Record.
• Download the Belay-On! manual to a smartphone, tablet, or laptop and bring it with you. There is a lot of material to cover in a short time. Before you arrive please read the following from Belay-On!: Chapters 1-2 and 4 -7

Lodging: Housing will be provided, bring your own sleeping bag, bedding, and personal hygiene supplies.

What to bring: Participants should bring a pen or pencil for taking notes, water bottle or other refillable container for water and rain gear. Clothing should be comfortable, suitable for working outside and allow for a full range of motion. Close toed shoes such as sneakers or light hikers are required. Remember to dress for the expected weather. Consider hats, sunglasses, sunscreen and bug spray.

Meals: Participants should have eaten before the beginning of class on Friday evening. There are a few local restaurants in the Kernville/Lake Isabella area. Meals will be provided from Saturday breakfast to Sunday lunch. Participants are invited to bring snacks if they wish.

Additional Note: During the same weekend is the Friends of Camp Whitsett’s Service Weekend, if you have youth that would like to participate on the COPE course and are needing service hours, this is the perfect weekend. During the COPE training, the instructors and students will be running the Climbing Wall for service volunteers on Saturday evening as well as the COPE Course Sunday afternoon. (The FOCW service weekend is a no-cost event with food and lodging coverage, find more information at www.whitsett.org )

Contacts: Daniel Fassbender (661)794-0252 daniel413264@gmail.com

May 19-21, 2023 Course Times: Friday: 7:00pm – 10:00pm & Saturday: 8:00am – 10:00pm & Sunday: 8:00am – 3:00pm

Location: Camp Whitsett, Forest Rte 22S82, Kernville, CA 93238 We will hold indoor classroom sessions and the C.O.P.E. low and high courses for practical training.