Monthly camping question

[clemlaw]

I've already confessed that, as an Eagle Scout, I've forgotten how to tie a clove hitch the right way! I remember how to make a figure 8 and slip it over the top of a post, but I don't remember how to tie it if you can't slip it over the top. I'm sure that if I stood there with a piece of rope long enough, I would eventually figure it out. But the fact reamins that I've forgotten this skill!

 

Now, I'm wondering whether my troop was actually one of those dreaded adult-led Eagle Mills that didn't go camping often enough! This was during the 1970's, so I'm inherently suspect! But in our defense, we really didn't pay much attention to that new "hip" version of the Boy Scout--oops, I mean Scout-- Handbook. One historical curiosity of that era was that there was no such thing as a Patrol Leader's Council. We did have one, and we decided what to do with our program (with the gentle nudging in the right direction by our Scoutmaster). But those who were around back then might remember that the name had changed, to the "Troop Leaders Council". Of course, that actually sounds more important, until you get tired of writing, and want to abbreviate. I'm glad to see that they've gone back to calling it the PLC.

 

Now that I'm back as a Tiger Den Leader, and starting to have some exposure to scouting again, I have been pleasantly surprised at how active scouts are, and that the new improved scouting that was rejected by my troop has been universally rejected. But I still wonder a little bit about the prevailing wisdom that "good" troops go camping once a month, because we did not.

 

In our troop, and most other troops that I had dealings with, the norm seemed to be that a troop went camping four times per year. There were three weekend outings, generally known as "fall camp", "spring camp", and "winter camp". Sometimes these were district camporees, and sometimes they were troop events. We also had summer camp, which our troop alternated between council camps, and semi-high-adventure. (I say semi, because they were set up such that new 11 year old scouts were usually able to be included.)

 

There might have been a few extra camps squeezed in (for example, a few "shakedown" weekends prior to the high-adventure trips). But in general, that was it for actual overnight camping trips as a troop.

 

But I've noticed that there does seem to be one big difference between then and now. Back in the day, there was usually pretty close to 100% participation in these four camping opportunities. They were not "required", but almost everyone always went, unless they had some kind of unavoidable conflict. And the unavoidable conflicts seemed to be pretty rare. I think there were about six scouts in my patrol, and as far as I can remember, all six of them were present at every camping trip. It was just what everyone did--if you were in scouts, you went camping when the troop went camping.

 

Initially, I was a little bit awed by the fact that so many troops go camping every month these days. But on this forum, I'll occasionally see things that make me realize that we did things pretty well after all back in the day. Basically, it looks to me like 100% participation is no longer the norm. I'll see someone comment that they had 15 scouts last month, 12 scouts this month, etc. In short, it seems more like a cafeteria, where scouts pick out which camping events they want to attend.

 

Am I reading this right? Does the typical scout in a "good" troop really go camping 12 times per year? I suspect that in a few years, my son will be one of the gung-ho scouts who actually goes camping 12 times per year, because he likes doing "dangerous" things. But is that really the norm?

 

Or does the typical scout actually go camping about the same number of times that I did, but he just picks and chooses the opportunities that meet his interests?

[CalicoPenn]

I know my Troop didn't go camping every month - but we did have some kind of outing every month - some of it within the Troop, some of it a District event. I suspect most Troops don't go camping every month - and some folks are using the word camping when they possibly mean outing.

 

Our typical schedule was:

 

January - Klondike Derby (District Event) - this was before it became common to camp overnight at Klondike - our Klondikes were held at local forest preserves where camping was not allowed.

February - cabin camping (which we didn't really consider camping - it was more of a winter sports weekend - cross country skiing, sledding, snowshoing, etc.). Sometimes Cave Camping (Eagle Cave).

March - First Aid Meet (District Event). (None of the Troops in our area camped in March - one reason - Mud).

April - Troop camping trip - usually Grant Pilgrimage (We would camp at Mississippi Palisades - going to Galena was optional - people could stay back in camp and hike around the palisades - most people went to Galena at 11, 12, & 13 (new & exciting) - stay in camp at 14 & 15, (been there done that) and go to Galena at 16+ (check out the girls).

May - Spring Camporee (District Event - and we always went to Spring Camporee - a good portion of the OA Call-Out team came from our Troop, and call-out was always at Spring Camporee).

June - Patrol camping trip - yep, each Patrol was to have their own individual camping trip).

July - Summer Camp (2-week session - always included a rafting trip and an overnight horse trip).

August - Canoe trip (usually a day trip, sometimes an overnight depending on where the river was).

September - Troop camping trip OR Fall Camporee

October - Fall Camporee OR Troop camping trip (Sometimes the Fall Camporee fell in September, sometimes in October).

November - Overnight to Brown County, Indiana for Bicycling/Hiking (a farmhouse trip - we stayed in an old farmhouse where meals were provided - the area offered one bicycle trip and a number of different hikes - one could go for 6 years and never repeat the same hike twice - this was a favorite of the Troop - some new members of the Committee suggested doing something else once - almost had an insurrection among the youth - we'd give up Summer Camp before we'd give up this trip - and we loved the Summer Camp we went too).

December - Day Hike - at least 10 miles.

 

Taking out the "cabin camping", and not including Summer Camp, the Troop went camping 4 weekends per year - the Patrols went camping on their own at least 1 weekend per year.

 

Often, we had extra one-off events like shotgun shooting at a nearby farm on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

 

If you were active in OA (as those of us who were in OA were (kind of expected of us), or were a Den Chief, then you also had Fall Fellowship (OA work weekend/make-up ordeal/brotherhood/vigil), Spring Ordeal (OA work weekend/ordeal/brotherhood/vigil), Winter Banquet (OA), Spring and Fall Webelos Camporees (usually held on a separate weekend from the Boy Scout camporees to make it easier for Packs to borrow equipment from Troops and to make it easier to get staff from the Troops), Cub Scout Day Camp, Webelos Weekend (a Council-wide weekend at the summer camp in Wisconsin), etc.

 

We always considered ourselves an average Troop when it came to outings - your mileage may vary.

[Stosh]

Instead of tying a clove hitch, just tie two half-hitches on the rod. It'll hold just as well.

 

Stosh

[sailingpj]

Or tie a midshipman's hitch on the rod, it'll hold much better than that two double half hitch. ;D

[clemlaw]

For many years (when nobody was looking, of course), I used what I thought might be the dreaded "granny knot" to tie things down. It turns out, the know I was using was actually the "trucker's hitch". I was extremely relieved to learn that my knot had an actual name, thus making it an official knot. (It works a lot better than the taut line hitch, but it can be practically impossible to untie.)

 

Calico, thanks for the list. It sounds like your troop made it camping slightly more often than we did, but that looks pretty similar to my old troop's calendar.

 

Whew. What a relief. Not only am I not tying granny knots, but it turns out I didn't come out of an Eagle Mill after all.

 

(And last weekend, another guy and I had to tie a clove hitch. I did it with the "figure 8" method. I don't think the other guy had ever seen it done that way. And truth be told, I bet he didn't remember how to do it the "right way" either.)

[IM_Kathy]

my son's troop does have a campout every month unless a district event gets put on a non-traditional weekend and the boys decide to go to it rather than our troop campouts near that time. They do week at summer camp every year for 1 of those months outings, and every other year they do a high-adventure trip.

 

as to what % attend it does vary. We have a couple of boys that are life scouts and really only like to go camping when activities include fishing or canoeing. We have some that hate tenting in the winter. Others it just depends on what season it is with band, sports, choir, etc... the schedule is set with the troop so that other than summer camp, high adventure, and district events that we camp on the 3rd weekend of the month. If there is some other event then the boys will decide which they go to.

 

My son is one that will go just about every month, though his favorites are always the ones that his buddies also attend.

 

Me, I attend when I can and when they need another adult.

[eisely]

Personally I have taken that goal as aspirational. Our troop does not go camping every month, but tries to execute a significant outing every month, which may or may not involve camping. For example, it is difficult to organize a camping trip between Thanksgiving and New Year's due to the number of family and other competing events during that season. We usually calendar an urban hike or similar activity during that period.

 

Similarly, we usually do not put anything on the calendar during August other than possibly a backpacking trip. We normally calendar two backpacking expeditions each summer and resident summer camp in July. Often the second trip will fall in August, but not always. About every other year the second back back expedition is an expedition to Philmont and it is very difficult to influence that calendar. If we miss an outing in August does that make us a less active troop? Hardly.

 

During the school year we will often do two events during some months, not necessarily camping.

[SR540Beaver]

Our troop camps every month of the year regardless of weather. We've done a float trip in August when the night temp was around 98 and so was the humidity. We've camped in Kansas in January when the high for the day was 5. We had one campout this past spring where it rained solid the whole campout. The ranger had to use his tractor to pull our trailer out of the campsite because it had gotten so muddy. We've only cancelled a few campouts over the years due to icy road conditions. Do we get 100% participation? No. But with a roster that runs between 50 to 60 per year, you won't. Some of the kids are involved in sports and some in band. The really dediciated ones come to camp late Friday night or early Saturday morning after a game. Then we have the fair weather kids who pick campouts based on how hard the activity is or what the weather will be. Only a few of those last long term. They weren't in to it to begin with.

 

On top of our monthly campout, we do a high adventure trip each year.

 

Until my 17 year old son started working, he never missed a campout. He did two jamborees and three high adventure trips. He went to summer camp each year and staffed cub resident camp for two years. It has been a while since I've seen a report out of TroopMaster than shows his nights of camping, but it is nearing 200 I believe. He went for his Eagle BOR for his project approval back in October. There was another kid there who was doing his final. He was 16 or 17. He had 24 nights of camping total. Total! He comes from a troop that does family trips and stays in hotels and only musters 5 or 6 real campouts per year. Some of those are one nighters. Sad.

[raisinemright]

Our former council (moved out of state) had something called the year round camping award. The council we are in now doesn't offer it but my boys are still going for it. One son has nearly completed his fourth year of camping once a month for a year. The other is nearing the completion of his first one. When there is no troop trip, we either take a family outing or they sleep out in the yard. In September, they almost missed it. They ended up sleeping out during a Tropical Storm. We were set to bring them in if it got nasty but it was the tail end of the storm. Got 10" of rain that day.

 

I believe a troop should offer frequent and regular camping weekends. Of course not everyone will attend, but when they do, the responsibility and fun is irreplaceable.

[qwazse]

Troop shoots for 12 overnight events, averages 8. There's a little bit of "have to do's" (fundraisers, scout Sunday's) that come into play.

 

Also, our crew tries to schedule its outings on weekends different than the troop. For the crew, I've been shooting for 4 and averaging 6 overnight events/year. Every couple of years we toss in a high adventure.

 

Also, the OA chapter sports a couple of nifty events.

 

So older boys have a chance to get out a lot more.

 

Youth participation is usually the determining factor. Although, given the increasing paperwork load to register as an adult. Leadership availability may soon come into play.

[SMT224]

We also camp every month except December. Most of these are weekend camping trips, leaving on Friday evening & returning in time for Church on Sunday. And of course we spend a week at summer camp in July.

 

Over the past couple years we have started doing extended summertime camping trips in June and August. In June we leave on Friday evening and return late on Monday. In August we leave on Friday morning and return late on Wednesday. This allows us to go farther away and really explore our surrounding. We also work on merit badges such as Camping and Hiking that require specific outdoor activities. These have become very popular and surprisingly well attended. We leave camp for a nearby town on Sunday morning for Church and then stop by a grocery store to buy food for the rest of the camping trip. This requires that the Scouts to do careful menu planing and shopping by Patrol within a specific budget.

[shortridge]

My troop usually averaged between 8-10 camping trips a year, including summer camp. Two were District events - spring Klondike and fall camporee. We usually wrote off the period from mid-December to mid/late January because of the holidays and school breaks and family vacations, and I don't remember doing a whole lot of camping in August, the month after we returned from summer camp. Mileage also varied depending on OA weekends, as the adult leaders were active there.

[Oak Tree]

We camp every month. Sometimes we'll even have an extra event. We probably offer 15-16 outings per year on average.