Bring back Campfires at Campouts

[OldGreyEagle]

does a fire ban mean that there can be no singing, or skits, or story telling? The scoutmaster of my youth could talk about a bird he found that was so unusual he named it Rarie for 20 minutes and how it go so large he had to use a lever to dump it in the grand Canyon just so he could say that at times you have to go a long long way to tip a rarie.

 

He could tell the story under a tarp in a rain storm or before a lit votive candle or a flashlight stuck in a bucket. A campfire program needs a camp fire as much as a cracker barrel needs crackers and a barrel.

[evmori]

Camping ain't camping without a campfire! In my opinion, that is the best part of camping!

[SR540Beaver]

OGE,

 

I'm pretty sure BP had crackers and barrels (or biscuits and crates) and therefore, we must now.

[SR540Beaver]

Some of the best campfires we have had has been the few times that the scouts in a patrol actually took the time to create original material.....which is rare. There have been some skits and songs done so many times that the PLC has outlawed them.

[OldGreyEagle]

as long as the barrles are 33.3 yard from each other, I guess its ok

[clydesdale115]

I LOVE a great campfire program!

 

We always had such fun with them at Cub Pack campouts. Then we got to Boy Scouts and ... nothing (except for summer camp and the occasional camporee). There's always a fire going at a troop campout, but no evening program at all. Once in the last (almost) year and a half, we did a flag retirement around the fire. But no planned programs, no skits, no songs, no inspirational story as the flames are dying down. I did get the boys to do "Roses, Thorns, and Buds" as we sat around the campfire at our last campout, but that's it.

 

We always have boys in the troop working on the Communications MB but they do the (scripted) COH instead of leading a campfire program. I have really encouraged my son to take on the campfire program when he starts that MB. When they were Webelos, I let them choose what we did at campouts, including having one act as Master of Ceremonies for the campfire. That meant he had to use a campfire program planner, have skits pre-approved, have cheers ready, lead songs (there's nothing quite like hearing your parents bellow out the Tooty-Ta song), opening and closing. I know my son can do all these - he did them as a Webelos - so who knows? Maybe it will start a new tradition in our troop.

clyde

[BrentAllen]

We have campfires on Saturday nights, unless some other program takes precedent (camporee). Many times the patrol skits are planned at the last minute, but that's fine. I often make a dutch oven dessert for the campfire. We usually have skits and sometimes a story. Thorns and Roses usually wraps up the night. Our Troop has 25 boys presently.

[Buffalo Skipper]

I started this thread two weeks ago with an upcoming campout that weekend. I had strongly encouraged the SPL to set it all up, and he said all the patrols were prepared. Unfortunately, just after dinner, we had a significant enough injury to require a hospital visit, so I missed the campfire, but I discussed that already in another thread. I was told that it went well, and that the patrols did their skits and songs.

 

Maybe next time.