Theme Camping?

[Scoutfish]

At our recent leaders meeting, a DL asked us why we had Pack Family camping instead of taking the pack to Council Camp. He then specifically brout up the Parent/Son weekend camping that (of the 3 weekends, 1 weekend ) was the same weekend as our pack campout.

 

So the ACM and myself explained that the pack did not try to hold a pack camping in place of the council, but offered an affordable option to coucil camping.

 

As it is, the upcoming council parent /son campout is $60.00 for 1 registered scoutand 1 parent.

 

Extra parent wants to show up? Then it's extra $$$

 

Siblings and sister want to go? TOUGH! They are not allowed to go.

 

Now, t our pack campouts, we charge $15 per scout and $5 per parent. Any non registered siblings or sisters are $5 extra.

 

The $15 for the scout covers any and allfood, materials, supplies, beltloops, pins, advancement or rank patches, badges, ribbons, etc...in the fall, it covers new neckers at crossover.

 

The $5 for parents and additional siblings covers just the cost of food.

 

So I mentioned to that DL that I put every council event pertaining to cub scout aged boys on our web site. Any and all parents and scouts are not only welcome, but encouraged to atend any camp, camporee, webeloree, day camp, or roundup, or fun day the counci ofers.

 

Then I mentioned that this years Parent/son weekend was dinosaur trhemed. Everybody thouth it was a cool theme.

 

Then that DL asked why we didn't theme our Pack camping.

 

WEll, I don't know. I never thought about it before, and nobody else ever said anything either.

 

So long story short, we are going to have a pirate theme this Oct. .

 

Pretty easy choice, we are on the coast, we are 5 mins from Topsail Island, NC, live in the greater Topsail area,our schools are : N.Topsail Elem, S.Topsail Elem, andTopsail Elem. They are the Topsail Pirates.

 

OKay, rambling now...

 

So, have you themed your pack campouts? I suppose it's normal, it's just that we haven't before.

[trainerlady]

My pack doesn't really theme its family camps. We have done one that centered around the farm that was at the Metropark we were at and we just had a Webelos outdoorsman weekend (it's only the Webelos den that camps anyway, everyone was invited to come).

 

One pack in the area has a pinewood derby camp. Go to camp get your kit, cut it, paint it, tweak it all you want, then they impound the cars. The race is later that week at the meeting hall. Great way to make sure the boys make their cars.

 

That's all I'ver heard of for themes in this area.

[dg98adams]

If you have a BALOO trained adult they can help make a campout/campfire lots of fun.

[Scoutfish]

I am BALOO trained. And we do all kinds of stuff. But we just never themed it.

 

Not saying it's strange, it's just that we never did it.

 

I guess our theme was family.

[Eagle92]

The only "theme" camping I've heard of is council activities, i.e. Spook-a-ree, Webelos Woods, and the various day camps. Also some council's have a Cub World, with fixed themes: Native American, Wild West, Pirates, etc.

[shortridge]

It's one thing to say "Oooh, let's have a theme because dinosaurs are neat!"

 

It's yet another to actually put the themed programming in place to make it actually work. Doing real themes takes a lot of effort and planning. It's more than just an outdoor skills instructor saying "OK, we're going to tie, uh, caveman knots that you could, uh, use to tie up your dinosaur!" If someone has some concrete ideas, let 'em flow. But don't force it or think you have to do a "theme" every time.

 

From my years on Cub resident camp staff, I recall stumbling over the theme concept quite a few times. It's difficult work to match achievements and electives to such categories as Pirates, Knights, Outer Space and Wild West. But when it clicked, it really clicked - and it was tons of fun! We dressed up in costumes, created elaborate program areas (cut-up cardboard boxes, old worn-out canvas tarps, old pieces of plywood and fencing, plenty of rope and lots of spraypaint can make pretty much anything) and opened up plenty of books on the topic to brainstorm.

 

Most importantly, we threw out the playbook (and handbooks), and didn't try to force the square advancement peg into the round fun-for-fun's-sake program hole. That's what you have the luxury of doing with your pack camping.

 

But since your fees are so low, it doesn't look like you have much built in there for resources and program costs. Better keep a firm eye on this DL and anyone involved in the planning and make sure they don't blow out the pack budget trying to create a life-sized paper-maiche Blackbeard!

[ntrog8r]

We did themes back in our Cub days. Following are examples and the MAIN event of the theme.

 

Fossil Camp - Hike to Mastodon kill site

Space Camp - Fired rockets and studied the constellations

Trail to Eagle - Camped by lake with nesting eagles and Webelos crossover

Sports Camp - included an NBA game

Cave camp - hike to local cave inhabited by a (real) dragon, no really, I swear! Honest...

Swim Camp - I bet you can guess this one

 

These themes were all supported by activities at the Den Meetings prior and things we could do in our local area.

 

 

[Scoutfish]

WEll, the pirate theme isn't so bad. Like I said, we live on the coast. Our CO is about 1/2 a mile from the intracoastal water way and 8 minutes ( by hiway) to the actual beach.

 

WE have those big box beach stores too: Wings, Waves, Eagles,Shark Attack, etc...

 

You can but a plastic pirayte sword and eye pacth for a $1.50.

 

Pick up a bandanna at almost any gas station or dollar store for ..a dollar!

 

Well build simple "treasure chests" out of plywood or shelving board to meet craft skils and woodworking achievemnts.

 

Since we are so close to the beach, we can shoot over to the beachby dens and combine Pirate Hikes along with tteasure hunts( clean up trash off the beach and offer prizes for the rarest pieces of "treasure trash".

 

We might even do a compass class and make up maps and "X marks the spot" treasure maps for each den.

 

Overall, I think the worst part will e listening to a bunch of adult leaders running around and saying : "Arrgh, me laddies. What advancement have ye in mind today"?

[SSScout]

Heard about the new movie about the mountain climbing pirates?

 

"Pirates of the Caribiner"

[OwntheNight]

Overall, I think the worst part will e listening to a bunch of adult leaders running around and saying : "Arrgh, me laddies. What advancement have ye in mind today"?

 

Better that than all the Jack Sparrow clones running around and saying: "Where's the rum?"

Nothing wrong with that either, I've pulled "Captain Jack" out of ye old wardrobe ev'ry now and then for the boys!

 

"I think weve all arrived at a very special place. Spiritually, ecumenically, grammatically."

 

"Me? Im dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. Its the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when theyre going to do something incredibly stupid."

 

"I love those moments. I like to wave at them as they pass by."

 

"When you marooned me on that god forsaken spit of land, you forgot one very important thing, mate: Im Captain Jack Sparrow."

[Eagle92]

Somewhere on the old 'puter, I got a pic of CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow in a Sea Scout uniform yep borrowed part of sis-in-law's costume and wore it to conclave one year as that was the theme. We did pirates last year for CSDC, and my wife the storyteller borrowed the costume. It was a huge hit, and hope to have her borrow the armour for Knights next year.

 

Too bad sis-in-law couldn't make it. Last time I was with her in the costume, the police stopped her in the mall, gave her a field sobriety test, and told her to stop acting drunk.

[OwntheNight]

E92:

CAPTAIN Jack as a Sea Scout?!?!? LOL!!! >) Absolute Genius!!!

 

Real Men aren't afraid to wear mascara, as long as you have dreds and a 4" beard to boot! And maybe a puffy shirt, as well!

[Oak Tree]

Sure, themes are great. Use them if you've got 'em, BALOO-trained or not.

 

We didn't always have "themes" for a whole campout, but we might do part of our campout on one topic or another. Mini-themes, or sub-themes.