Tent Camping- how many per year?

[noname]

I just compared last year overnite outings(cabin, basement or tent). We are down 40% in opportunities and 40% less scouts as well. We got 2 out of a den of 8 crossed over, the leader told me that the other 6 were intimidated by the 'amount of camping' we do...Wow. Thanks to all, always good stuf here!

[perdidochas]

noname,

 

Is it the kids or the adults who are intimidated by your camping schedule?

 

[dennis99ss]

summer camp in july. take august off. one weekend in Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec., Jan., Feb., March, April, and may. A total of 10, including summer camp but excluding Philmont crew outings, wilderness survival nights, etc.

[Buffalo Skipper]

We do 12 weekend campouts per year. Summer camp is tacked on to the end of a weekend campout. Holiday weekends, we will often take the extra day. One summer weekend campout is usually 4 or 5 nights. That comes out to roughly 33-35 nights of tent camping a year. Most years we also do 1 or occasionally 2 lock-ins. The PLC will do a weekend of cabin camping for our leadership training. A scout who participted in everything would have 35 nights of tenting, plus up to 4 nights of cabin camping. Active OA members will add 8 more nights a year. Philmont crews would add 12 more.

[OwntheNight]

For those that winter camp in buildings. learn to make Igloo's or quinze's or even Ice block shelters. The boys have a blast making them and sleeping in them.

NLD,

Igloo's are cooler's right? I'm sure the boys would love to make shelter's out of Frozen Oklahoma Red clay during our winter camp. They're not riding in my car on the way back though 

 

[noname]

I've told my son that we can move on to more adventures troops but he has freinds here. I was told by the incoming SPL that there would be no more camping added as per the 'request'(orders) of the troop master for the rest of the year. Field trip outings I guess for now...

[Beavah]

I've told my son that we can move on to more adventures troops but he has freinds here.

 

Yeh can do both. Encourage him to stay with the current troop but go to outings and meetings for a few months with a new troop as well. Then let nature take it's course.

 

Along the way, drop a note to your district commissioner to let 'em know your current troop needs some help.

 

Beavah

 

[perdidochas]

Only one tent campout in a year? How does the Scoutmaster ever expect a boy to have the opportunity to get the Eagle required camping merit badge (which requires 20 nights, only 7 of which can be summer camp). At 2 nights camping a year, it would take 6 1/2 yrs to get the other 13 nights.

[SMT224]

noname -

 

Making such a change in the Troop will be HARD!! As you have reported, the SPL will NOT want to do. Sit down with him, and let him know that changes are coming and that the Troop will be doing tent camping from now on. The Adult leaders will need to stick together and let the Troop know that there will be lot's more tent camping, and that's that. It's important for the Adults to be committed to doing this, despite the whines and complaints of those Scouts (and even worse, parents!) who are used to doing things the old way. And a few may even quit! Big deal, so what? You'll be much better off with their whining. It will take at least 2 years for the new tent camping protocol to become part of the Troop culture.

 

Instead of giving the Scouts in your Troop total control of all activities and outings, sit down with the PLC, or better the entire Troop, and ask where they would like to go camping - not whether or not they'd like to go. Do your homework first and come up with a list of near-by State and National Parks as well as potential off-season Boy Scout camps. Let them decide based in part on camping associated activities for rank advancement and merit badge work. For example, several of our camping trips include 10-mile hikes for those working on the hiking merit badge.

 

When I took over as Scoutmaster in our Troop some 12 years ago, there were 4 or 5 camping trip a year, all decided by the adults sitting around over beers every couple of months or so. There was no Scout involvement. The dates for trips were very random and based on what worked for the adults. I really caused a stir when, as the new Scoutmaster, decided that our trips would always be on the 2nd weekend of the month, and we would hence forth have an annual activity planning session with the entire Troop. I was called a dictator and worse, and several threatened to quit. But, in a couple years it was so much a part of the Troop culture that all objections were forgotten and it was just what we did.

 

I also added a lot of preparation time for each and every camping trip - 2 weeks before the trip we plan all menus by Patrol (even if there are only a couple Scouts going from a Patrol) and get the chuck-boxes packed. A week before the camping trip we check all equipment, set up all tents, and tag who will be using what tent. That way when we arrive at 10 pm in the dark & cold & wind & rain or snow, the Scouts know they have a good tent, are familiar with setting it up, and can do it quickly with out fuss. At the meeting after the trip we do a good/bad/changes debriefing and look a pictures of the trip.

 

You may (sorry, WILL) have a difficult few years making these changes, but it will be well worth it!!

Remember, as has been said often on this forum, "Boy run does not mean boy run into the ground!"

 

[noname]

Smt224- thanks for the advice- I found out that there is council event of camping on the field after a ball game.

Sad but this would meet the criteria for camping merit badge- tent or under the stars at a scouting event-- I just may have present this to everyone, to show the troop what we have become...

[perdidochas]

Well, for part of the camping merit badge. hard to see how your program will ever meet b of the following:

 

Show experience in camping by doing the following:

 

a. Camp a total of at least 20 days and 20 nights. Sleep each night under the sky or in a tent you have pitched. The 20 days and 20 nights must be at a designated Scouting activity or event. You may use a week of long-term camp toward this requirement. If the camp provides a tent that has already been pitched, you need not pitch your own tent.

b. On any of these camping experiences, you must do TWO of the following, only with proper preparation and under qualified supervision:

 

1. Hike up a mountain, gaining at least 1,000 vertical feet.

2. Backpack, snowshoe, or cross-country ski for at least 4 miles.

3. Take a bike trip of at least 15 miles or at least four hours.

4. Take a nonmotorized trip on the water of at least four hours or 5 miles.

5. Plan and carry out an overnight snow camping experience.

6. Rappel down a rappel route of 30 feet or more.

 

c. Perform a conservation project approved by the landowner or land managing agency.

[noname]

How is scout nite at the ball game is Not a scouting actvity?Sponsered by scout council, only scouts alowed to camp, they would pitch a tent or sleep under the stars. Im joking but why wouldnt it count of 1 of the 20 nites?

[bshealy]

10 Fri-Sun tent camping trips, summer and winter camps, a high adventure trip, 2-4 high adventure training treks for Philmont and Northern Tier years, and OA Conclave and ordeal weekends.

 

We are kind of camping crazy! 52 nights last year and that was down from usual because we don't train for Sea Base!

[perdidochas]

Noname,

 

That wasn't my point. My point was that while they count for one of the twenty nights, simply 20 nights of camping isn't sufficient for the Camping merit badge. You need the two outings that include some adventure (well, a little anyway).

 

I'm trying to piece together the story. Who is it that is discouraging camping in the troop? Is it the SM, the outgoing (or gone) SPL, or the current SPL? From talking to your son, what do the boys think about this? My "ground" truthing of the state of the Troop is talking to my sons about it, as well as the scouts. Also, are you a Committee member? If so, have you asked the boys about it at BORs?