Fall Camporee

[P_Swigs]

Fellow Scouters,

 

We just completed our Spring Camporee with a First Aid theme. It was very well done and the Scouts really responded to it.

 

My question... We're looking for a theme for our Fall Camporee. Anyone have any great ideas that have been used in your council or district? What events did you have? How did you run it? I'd love to hear about them. Thanks.

[ASM7]

It's great that the scouts enjoyed the First Aid theme. We are also having a Fall Camporee. I have always thought that a camporee was to involve the scouts in all the scouting skills, where they compete on the patrol level. Fisrt aid is just one of them. The theme could be anything you think would enhance the experience.

[OldGreyEagle]

Our Troop sponsored a Camporee in the fall of 1999. We used the Y2K angle. We set the scenario as all the computers were gone, GPS didnt work so they had to use orienteering skills. To transport the sick they had to make a stretcher and carry them over the obstacle course we set up. They had to use all their scout skills because computers were gone. It was called Y2K, but you could set it anywhere.

[rlb]

Fall camporees shoud be base on patrol competitions.. They shoud be based on tenderfoot to 1st class requirements. Adding a twist to the events adds fun and teamwork to problem solving skills. I have run the last 4 district fall camporees and now have about 400 Scouts expected this year. Examples: Clove hitch around a tree, Blind tent pitching, of course 1st aid ( moke disater) and string burn ( boil a cup of water in a paper cup), kim's game( plant indentifacition) are some ideas. Any questions post it and i will answer the best i can.

[P_Swigs]

rlb,

Your type of camporee is similiar to the ones I experienced as a Scout - patrol competition at each event with awards at the end of the day for each event, as well as a camporee champion. Winners got nice homemade awards and it was a source of pride for the winners, as well as a great learning experience for everyone.

 

I've heard that BSA discourages that kind of patrol competition now. Can anyone share any information regarding this?

[rlb]

BSA discourge this.Scouting mag.just published my last Camporee The Tussahaw Night Hike Camporee.It was picked as one of two nation wide. Sounds like BSA approves of this type of camporee. Also JLT training has this type of events as part of the training. Also the OLD Woodbage course had adventure trail events.

[Mike Long]

How have they discouraged patrol competition? Is this just a word of mouth thing or is this being taught to leaders at training events or even worse, in a BSA publication?

 

I really don't want to believe that this is true on a national level, I just thought that my district was full of "Buffet Boys" and lamers. The last few camporees I went to seemed to NOT encourage the patrol method and any activities that should have had a recognized winner did not. For those reasons my Troop is organizing our own Camporee and inviting all like minded troops to attend.

 

Wow, the BSA discouraging the most basic of American virtues, competition. Please tell me that I misunderstood what you posted.

 

Oh Yeah, I completely agree with rlb's description of what a camporee should be. Special themes are nice and all but totally unnecessary. As Scouters we try to put on a good program for our boys and get wrapped up in stuff like themes when what really matters is a well run camporee. The theme is always Scouting and the motto is Be Prepared that should be enough.

[eisely]

Eliminate all competition? If national is trying to eliminate competition, why does it sell all those fancy ribbons and streamers? Makes no sense to me.

[jbroganjr]

I completely disagree with the idea of not using a theme. All patrol competitions can be tailored to a theme. A theme makes things "new" and can be used to help promote/sell the idea to the boys, so that not only do they just show up, but, can grab ownership of the idea/theme and prepare for the camporee.

Themes are also important in carrying over to the cub side of things. Our district has made the mistake of splitting cub/boy scout camporees and in doing so have thrown out a great recruiting tool.

Having run the the last three camporees I wholehearted encourage all scouters not to be lazy, but use the a theme...it gets the brain working!!!

yis

 

[yarrow]

Themes work. We all see the same skills at camporee. A theme makes them seem fresh.

 

Patrol and troop competitions are harmless; however, for fairness a troop that brings mostly older boys should bear a handicap when competing with a troop that has mostly younger less experience scouts. I have seen it happen a lot. One troop has only older scouts come or participate and has the younger scouts do rank work. As a result the troop that let everyone participate pays for it by never placing.

 

Our most recent theme was pioneering/Y2K also. Good fun. We even had a conastoga race.

[eisely]

Fairness in camporee competitions, and the judging of them, is a whole new thread. One could probably get as much feedback on this as one gets on a posting on the gay issue. Our own district has a long way to go in this, but I haven't spoken up because I don't want to get asked to do camporee. Just not ready for that.

 

Be that as it may, some kind of minimal ability grouping, such as "all new boy" patrols just for camporee competitions, makes a certain amount of sense. It adds an extra layer of complexity to administer, but where I have seen it done, I think all the boys feel better about the entire camporee.

[P_Swigs]

As the originator of this topic, I thank all who have responded. Please don't stop. Ideas come from all corners and can all be utilized for the benefit of the boys.

 

A few questions however. First of all, I'd like a definitive answer on the competition aspect of a camporee. The patrol method seems to be the winner here, if in fact competition is still allowed. From what I've heard, camporee programs are encouraged to be learning experiences and not competitions. I don't agree with that, however.

 

Secondly, in regard to Eisely's comments about "new boy" patrols, etc., I feel that having a good mix of older and younger boys in a patrol makes for great learning and leadership opportunities for all. Even if the patrol consists of all new Scouts, the opportunity is there for leaders to step forward.

 

If our camporees had competitions, the Troop meetings leading up to the camporee would involve practicing the events with the older Scouts helping the younger Scouts learn the skills. Then, when the time comes to actually do the event, all the boys know what they're doing and the older Scouts can lead as they're expected. Older Scouts tend to stay away from Scouting events because the events tend to be slanted toward the younger Scouts. Competition and leadership opportunities are what the older Scouts look for.

 

And as far as a patrol of older Scouts coming in and winning everything, I don't have a problem with that, as long as it's done in the spirit of Scouting. Not everyone can be a winner, nor should a camporee be skewed so everyone goes home with an award. Each participant DOES get a camporee patch and the experiences of being there that he will have forever. A great Scoutmaster will lead his troop in such a manner so they improve their Scouting skills and do their best. The only patrol you have to do better than is your own.

 

Thirdly, I don't have any problem with themes. It's kind of natural to build a camporee around one. Look at the patches and t-shirts from camporees and Scout camps we've all attended. In many cases, but not all, there's a theme of some sort. Is it a flat-out necessity? No. Does it add a flavor to the event? Yes. I say, if it makes sense, do it.

 

Lastly, if anyone has any more ideas for events at a fall (or spring) camporee, please add them to this forum. It is greatly appreciated!!

 

 

[jbroganjr]

Here are a few ideas, some will take some effort in preparation.

Medieval Themed - there are re enactor groups out there who would gladly come and help. Some activities - archery, catapult competion, storm the the castle, axe throw...

Civil War Themed - lots of time needed to get re enactors lined up. We had one in 2000, North and South, troops were participants in the drills and re enactments. Use period cooking recipes, methods. Even had a 1863 church service with an antique organ in the middle of the field.

Here is one I am working on now, it is not complete - the Posh Resort Inn Camporee - Each patrol or troop will come up with: outdoor restaurant, with ambience, furniture and settings, prepare a 5 star meal, outside, complete with waitors and maitre dee and menus. I want to get area cooks to come in the morning (yeah that will be fun for people who work nights like chefs) to do cooking demo's. I also plan a simple district wide game(s) to blow off energy.

 

Pioneering - different task for different level scouts.

Our district is holding a mountain man camporee next year, w/ re enactors, rifles, lumber competitions, etc.

 

Also big w/ cubs/boy scouts - Rockets, science themes (wizadry), pirates, "Survivor" type competitions, jungle themes, For cubs - I personally like to have a slide making station at all our camporees for something other than a patch to take home. I have found that taping together 50-100 refigerator boxes guarantees hours of fun for boys, launching pumpkings off catapults is another fun activity, district wide games, scavenger hunts (nature, etc). Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) is big in October [Ham Radio]

For cubs/and some boy scouts, the Big Book of Fun has great ideas to anchor events and set the tones.

Always have more to do than is possible!!! and have a back up still.

I hope that helps

[eisely]

I'd like to respond further on the competitive aspects of camporee and, to use my own phrase, "ability grouping." The problems I have seen come from the other end of the spectrum. I have seen stacked patrols where no boy in a particular patrol was less than a life scout. I also know of one troop that does not allow its first year scouts to even go to camporee. This also results in stacked patrols. I don't know of an effective way to address this problem. One has to assume that the adult leadership of each unit is approaching camporee in a consistent fair minded manner, but there is no effective way to control that without a huge intrusive effort, even if one had a mind to do so.

 

Competitions can be healthy ways to develop patrol and troop spirit. But if the boys perceive that other units are approaching the competitive aspect with winning by any means being the dominant attitude, the boys in units that are not doing this will be turned off.

 

Camporees should be first and foremost just fun. Unfortunately I have seen that spirit lost on more than one occasion.