Camporees - Ae they a thing of the past?

[ynotcamp]

Our district has spring and fall camporees as well as a venturing camporee at the end of summer. All are well attended.

 

Activities that draw participants are the climbing tower, shooting, and GPS.

 

They had a pack challenge at one camporee that took several hours and tested a wide array of skills. The last camporee challenge was in orienteering.

[EagleBeaver]

Our district offers spring and fall camporees and is trying something new for planning them this eyar after two years of 'not too well attended' events.

Each troop has been asked to provide 1-2 scouts to serve on a group to plan the camporees for the year (along with district leaders). The scouts just had their first planning meeting for spring camporee at roundtable last week.

The two scouts from our troop each have research tasks to perform befor

[srisom]

My District has been having three camporees a year for at least the last 45 years; since I was a Scout. Some are better attended than others.

Units know the dates for a year so they can plan for them. For some units this is the only time they get to camp. For other, it's just the activity for that month. Some of the camporees are Scout Skill based, some are MB based and others are for fun.

At the Spring Camporee, we also hold a Weekend for the Webelos along with the Troops. We hold a cross-over at the Saturday campfire.

We have had a committee that planned the camporees, but we are now getting input from the units about them. Also, for some of the camporees, we get a Troop to host the event.

We have also had a couple of camporees along with another District.

Our Council has a Council Camporee about every four years.

All this seems to give the units plenty to do. We do not replace their plans, only add to them.

[anarchist]

Our district has three camporees each year- Fall, Winter (klondike-even without snow), and Spring. Planning and themes are important...First Aid, Leave No Trace, Air flight, Cooking, Canoes/Water base, Mountain man, and Orienteering, Search and Rescue and Teamwork, are all topics we have seen in our region.

 

Success usually revolves around good planning/planner and communication to the troops in the district... It also really requires the planners to give up a few days for 'on the ground operational details'. Making sure the site viable before you book it, lining up the necessary help ...in advance, rather than just drafting participants to 'help-out', setting up check-in and basic infrastructure...in advance, assigning troop campsites...in advance rather than winging it, (being ready on-site for the first arrivals) requires, maybe taking a day off (I know it hurts but...) and finally with a large bit of luck thrown in for good measure it might go off well.

 

These 'events' are usually on the "charts", in our district, for the comming year by the 'end' of our scouting year (summer camp -though the year never really ends ...does it?) or right after, to allow troops to start planning their calendars (though it is not always in time). Some times conflict do arise and participation suffers unless troop get flexible.

 

I agree that it becomes almost a full time job and like all jobs/projects, sometimes it fails due to a less than stellar planning/execution effort. Good topic, greating planning and some 'seat of the pants' operational creativity can make these things absolutely great...leaving the event up to luck and 'quick thinking' means less success or even failure.

 

Are three - too many? Not really. One per quarter means; one month per quarter the troop needs to plan 'around' district...so you only have one outdoor troop activity that month...no biggie...what? you only plan one campout per month...tisk, tisk, tisk! If these things are done well our boys talk about them for weeks... (months?)

 

And boy do they talk about the 'less than successful' camporees! A scary thing to think about..all you district types listen up... the kids know who the camporee planner(s) is/are...by name! They read the newsletters and they start wanting to avoid events planned by the 'parties concerned'. It is scary sometimes to listen at PLC when they hear that so and so is doing the first aid camporee this year...and he 'blew it' on the scout craft camporee two years ago 'even the campfire was a flop'...So, lets go camping on our own that weekend,,,anywhere but the camporee...or 'WOW! Mr. wonderful did that awesome camporee at the Airfield in 2002 and he is doing "On the Water" this Spring?....LETS GO!'

 

Camporees aren't dead...just some of us planners seem to be....

good scouting!

[EagleInKY]

Great reply Anarchist. While I think 3 a year is a lot, you've given some great advice at even making one a year successful.

[cliffgolden]

Camporees are alive and well in our area.

 

We have a fall and spring camporee, with a Klondike Derby in the winter, and most troops also participate as staff in the Cuboree in late spring.

 

Our council runs a council-wide Camporall every 3 years. In October we had over 5,000 camp together for a weekend of fun and fellowship at DeKalb County's Sandwich Fairgrounds.

 

We have different troops take turn sponsoring our district camporees. Our troop website has camporee program links at: http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/9857/links.htm#camporee

 

Our troop has also sponsored a couple camporees that had night-time events.

http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/9857/mission1.htm

 

Several other districts around the country have done similar camporees since.

 

I don't believe camporees are a thing of the past. We just need to keep things fresh and provide a quality program.

 

YIS,

Cliff Golden

Scoutmaster Troop 33

DeKalb, Illinois

[Trevorum]

Our District has also taken to running parallel events for Scouts and Webelos. The Webelos camp/dine separately from the troops but are invited to observe troop exhibitions. (We also invited them for cobbler.) However, because we lost the close Pack/Troop interaction, we have initiated a special Webelos Invitational Campout. Last month, 23 Webelos from our "feeder" packs and their parent(s) camped with our troop and were able to see how we do things in a 2

[Trevorum]

... do things in a "real" campout. It was a highly successful recruiting event!

 

(sorry for the truncated post)

[Fuzzy Bear]

Our last Camporee was poorly planned just prior to the event, understaffed, and not communicated very well. One Scout commented to me about a month later that it was the best Camporee ever. Sometimes these things just can't fail no matter how hard we don't try.

FB