Great Camporee Competitions

[SeattlePioneer]

Our Camporee staff encourages each troop to present a competition for the Scouts during the Camporee. Twenty to thirty minutes is suggested as a maximum time, and it's first come, first served ---you don't need to be able to cycle every patrol through your competition.

 

Who has favorite events they'd like to suggest?

 

I have two that I'm considering:

 

1) Map and compass. This might have several different parts, with patrols getting points for having a compass with them, being able to locate true north, being able to locate where the Camporee is being held on a map, and giving a good description of a route on how they will get home.

 

The final element would take advantage of the fact that Mt Rainier National Park has a 90 mile long trail that goes entirely around the mountain. A map would be provided with the trail marked out. A picture of the mountain would be located someplace visible, along with a sign indicating that they are on the Wonderland Trail someplace in the park. The Scouts would then be asked to treat the picture as if it were the actual mountain to locate where they are on the trail.

 

 

2. My second favorite idea would be to give the patrols an opportunity to bake cinnamon rolls in a Dutch Oven, using hotcake mix, sugar and cinnamon. They would be given a simple recipe, bowl, a cup of Bisquick or hotcake mix and given directions to make a dough, roll it out using a rolling pin, sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top, roll up the dough and slice it into rolls. They would then follow direction on baking it in a Dutch oven, leaving a Patrol member to monitor baking and returning for their treat in 20 minutes or so.

 

Option 2 is probably a little too lengthy and complicated. I might offer the option during the second half of the day when the Scouts are free of competitions and have various activities they can choose to participate in.

 

I'm big on encouraging Scouts to improve their cooking skills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seattle Pioneer

[evmori]

My district held a Compass Camporee. The entire camporee was a compass course that took the entire day. The Scouts loved it!

 

I am working on a plan for a cooking camporee. My thoughts are to have the Patrols cook all day using different methods - wood fires, propane stoves & in dutch ovens over hot coals. Haven't worked out the details completely.

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[EagleBeaver]

At our district's fall camporee, our troop hosted a tomahawk throwing competition. It was fairly popular.

 

I would think a flycasting or lure casting competition for accuracy and/or distance would be fun, simple, and promote the fishing merit badges.

 

Using a set supply of poles and ropes, lash a bridge that your patrol uses to cross a 10 foot wide stream.

 

Have your patrol line up facing directly south without using a compass, GPS, or other such tool.

 

[CA_Scouter]

Our Camporee has some fun activities.

 

Pancake Toss - Scouts have to build a fire, cook a pancake, run about 10 yards, toss it over a line strung between two trees, eat it, then run back. They do this for 3 pancakes, and its rip roaring fun for the scouts, especially when the designated eater misses the toss and has to pick up the pancake off the ground and eat it. ( this particular activity worked very well a couple of years back when we had a disabled scout.. he couldn't run, be he could eat! ).

 

 

Log Lift - Scouts have 10 or so logs of varying weight, with the goal to lift as many logs as possible in x minutes. They start by throwing a line over a tree limb, then lifting the log using a timber hitch, and finally tie the other end to a stake with a clove hitch. Repeat as many times as possible, each log has a point value... logs are 10-30 pounds in weight or so.. good team work, though more than 4 scouts might be too many.. you either have to limit it or split the patrol and do an average time...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[frank10]

We drill holes in a 2X6 and stand "strike anywhere" matches in the holes. The scout is then given a set number of swings with a hand ax to light a match by spliting it.

 

Another fun one is to fill a kiddie pool with hay and have the scouts search for needles (six inch landscaping nails with blunted points).

[CaveEagle]

My favorite Camporee as a boy, was a 1st aid competition.

 

There were multiple scenarios with sets, props and victems (some actors, some dummies). A moderator would prep the patrol with some information and tell them when to enter the challenge. Each patrol was graded on how they handled the situation. After completion, the judge would give the patrol pointers on how they could have done better, and instructions not to share any information with other patrols before the competition was over.

 

This was really cool ! and probably the most effective way I have seen to teach / reinforce 1st aid knowledge and skills.

 

CE

[ScoutNerd]

One camporee I remeber attending as a scout was first aid based as well. Adult leaders from every troop would gather for a meeting the night before (friday after everyone is settled) and each be given an ailment on which to "interactively pop quiz" every patrol they could find on. They would find patrols at the competition the next day (in the midst of walking around the camp between competition sites) and quietly tap one of the guys at the back of the group on the sholder, and whisper in his ear what he was just inflicted with. Then this scout would have to know what the symptoms of the ailment are like, or if it was simple, he'd have to make a big deal of it ("I think i broke my arm guys!") that kinda thing. and the patrol would have to use resouces they had on them to do first aid.

Somehow at this camporee, there was a whole bunch of left over experienced scouts, so just for fun, we formed a patrol to compete with. (I don't remember, but I don't think we would've let ourselves be scored, becuase we realized it would've been unbalanced.) This was a whole lot of fun for us... one of the ailments one guy was inflicted with was a splinter. and we got to make a big deal of it, all while still doing things properly (if not a bit...over the top) :-D "This man has a splinter!!! Treat him for shock!!!!" :-D

-Curtis :-D

[Miami_Chief]

My District recently held another awesome spring camporee. The competition was divided into two areas:

1. For the morning activities, each patrol was challenged to come up with an inventive piece of camp furnature using only wood and lashings. (a chair, table, recliner, etc) The usefulness had to be then demonstrated by the Scoutmaster. (i.e. testing the not-so-steady-looking chair)

 

2. For the afternoon, the patrols were each given a roll of duct tape. They then had to make a useful gadget using only the duct tape, cardboard, and paper. The patrol also had to put together a presentation to try and "sell" their product to the judges. It was an awesome time!