We sure missed our older Scouts at the fall camporee

[gwd-scouter]

Hi everyone. Returned from last weekend's Fall District Camporee. Excellent camporee. A complete change from what we've had for the past few years, which were more individual games and professional entertainment for the campfire.

 

This year's was all about patrol competitions. "Shotgun" start with all the patrols scrambling off to find an empty station to begin completing their score cards: first aid, emergency prep, cooking, knots, orienteering, citizenship, canoeing, nature identification, fitness, communication skills. Patrols also received points for putting up gateways at their camp sites and for having skits during the campfire.

 

I'm told that our District now plans to hold this event every fall. The campfire program was a lot of fun. I haven't been to a camporee with scout provided skits and songs for a long time. Who says boys won't do skits? Who says boys won't sing songs. It was a marvelous program and from the sounds of laughter and enthusiastic applause from the audience, I'd say everyone had a good time. At last night's Scout meeting, our guys did their skit for those guys that weren't able to come to the camporee.

 

The only downside to the weekend was the rather small number of scouts. Out-of-town marching band competitions took a good number of boys away in addition to Clemson's homecoming game. For us, our three older Scouts, and the guys we rely on to lead the other boys, were gone to band competition. Couple of other Scouts were at Clemson homecoming. We only had four Scouts with us: 1 2nd class seventh grader, and 3 6th grade new Scouts. What an interesting weekend it was.

 

Gotta give credit to our 2nd class Scout who took the reigns of responsibility and really did try to lead and help the others learn what to do. I overhead him telling our newest Scout (just joined the Monday before we left), "don't worry that you don't know how to do anything, you'll learn as you go." Very nice, I thought.

 

Husband and I were a bit worn out after the weekend. Returning home we sat and talked and wondered why we were so tired. Everything went well, we had beautiful weather, boys had fun. Aha, we said together, the older boys weren't there! Yep, we've turned the corner and our older Scouts are actually running things, keeping the younger guys on task, helping and teaching them. We were tired because those guys weren't there this weekend and we had to do so much more teaching and guiding the younger boys.

 

This is not to take anything away from the four Scouts we took to the camporee. For four guys that really didn't know what they were doing, they caught on fast, were eager to learn, made many mistakes, and had fun all the while. Indeed, they were not too enamored with their soggy cold french toast Saturday morning, or the fact that they didn't think of cooking the sausage that was to go with it before hand, but they learned something in the process. At last night's meeting when they were telling the older Scouts about the weekend, one of the things they mentioned was that they need to learn to cook better. I really liked that. Not, "we'll never make french toast again," but, "we need to learn to cook better."

 

Older Scouts had their PLC last night and are planning a couple of meetings about basic cooking skills. So, next week, they're starting the meeting a little early, letting the guys know not to eat before coming, and older Scouts will teach younger Scouts how to plan for and cook pancakes and sausage.

 

Excellent.

 

 

[eagle90]

Gwd - I know where you're coming from!

 

Last month we had a campout and invited the Webelos and dads from our associated pack. 13 nine and ten year olds and their dads! We did have 17 of our scouts with, but unfortunately we hit Homecoming weekend at the local High School, and out of 7 junior leaders, only one went camping!

He sure had a challenge as did our assistant patrol leaders.

It was good experience for them tho, but you're right, the adults do work harder when the older scouts aren't there!

 

Dale

[Lisabob]

gwd, how exciting to hear that even though your older scouts weren't able to attend, they've listened to those younger scouts who were there, and are now planning a program where they will teach the younger scouts to improve their skills! Isn't this EXACTLY how things are supposed to work, and proof positive that this whole "boy led" business works when you let it! Kudos to you and the boys for getting to this point and having fun along the way. And here's to better breakfasts...

[mtm25653]

Make sure the PLC has a copy of all relevant school calendars when they do their planning - including the band schedule (that's a big one for us, too.=)and big local events. If the PLC plans something big, like the Webelos camping with you, on a weekend the adults realize will have a conflict, the adults should point that out to the PLC (that's a good learning opportunity for them.) In my experience, the PLC will reschedule some things (like the Webelos) and decide to go ahead with whoever is available for others (like camporees.)

[mtm25653]

(hit enter too soon.)

And, we have an informal policy that the SPL and ASPL shouldn't both be in band - if they are, the troop may decide to have 2 ASPL's (one not in band) so there is hope of some leadership being available at fall campouts.

[gwd-scouter]

Eagle90 - ouch! that certainly was a challenge for your single junior leader.

 

LisaBob - yep, that "boy led" stuff does work if the adults are patient and keep working toward that goal even with the setbacks and have a sense of humor along the way.

 

MTM-our PLC had no choice on the schedule of the District's fall camporee so we had not control at all over the fact that it was the same weekend as their band competition. We do schedule all of our own troop campouts around adult leader's schedules and school calendars. Also, with only 9 guys in our Troop, the fact that the three oldest Scouts and leaders are also in marching band is something we just can't help. No competitions in November so we're looking for a full contingent on our campout for that month.

[Ohio_Scouter]

Conratulations, gwd-scouter,

 

"I overhead him telling our newest Scout (just joined the Monday before we left), "don't worry that you don't know how to do anything, you'll learn as you go."

 

and

 

"we need to learn to cook better."

 

Those are priceless words coming from young scouts in charge of things for the weekend. Yet more evidence that it's worth all our time and effort, and that your leaders are going a wonderful job.