Attn Adult Leaders: Camp Commissioner seeks Advice

[mreineck]

I am the Camp Commissioner @ Camp Frontier, Erie Shores Council. One of my new goals this year is to provide activities for adult leaders to participate in while at camp. Ideas include:

Golfing (make your own golf club)

Frisbee Golf

Scoutmaster cook-off (chili, dutch over, or other)

Special Meal for Leaders only etc...

 

I'm looking for ideas along these lines as well as your opinion on if this is even necessary.

[Proud Eagle]

This is a good idea. Just make certain it doesn't take away from your other duties.

 

The make your own club golf is a fun thing that I have seen done at several camps. On the other hand another camp actually had a golf outing to a local country club.

 

Scoutmaster cook-off could be particularly interesting. They key would be getting info on that out ahead of camp so everyone brings the stuff needed. (Or you could require it be done with no utensils and with only given ingredients.... hum...) You could tie this in with a cooks night off, or with the Scoutmaster dinner.

 

I would say a Scoutmaster dinner or something of that nature is almost a must. Try to make certain the dinner is attended by the other members of the camp leadership. Use it as a time to get some feedback, have some discussions, and role out new ideas for next year. Some councils bring members of the district key 3, or even the council key 3 down for these. At one camp I attended the Scout Executive even came out and cooked the steaks for the SMs and used it as a chance to talk with the SMs.

 

SM activities are a great idea, just make certain they don't take away from opportunities for the youth and don't take the SMs away at critical times.

 

Some other ideas could include SM shotgun, rifle, or archery competitions.

 

Strange competitions such as a greased watermelon wrestling competition in the non-swimmers area of the lake could also be interesting. (winning SM's troop gets the water-mellon) This can be a lot of fun for the entire camp to come down and chear on.

 

I have also seen SM v. staff competitions and things like this.

 

The most original idea I have seen is on Monday morning the daily paper, a thermos of coffee, and free mugs were delivered to each campsite. I wouldn't really reccommend this, but it was original.

 

Finally, don't neglect the possibilities of doing roundtable and training activities at camp. Make certain all the leaders go home better able to put on a quality program.

[mreineck]

Thanks for your comments, I have been approached about setting up a Youth Protection Training course for leaders during the week. We already have a Scoutmaster Shoot on Thursday Leader Boating and Swimming, as well as coffee socials and leaders meetings happening every day to keep in touch and socialize. What kind of roundtable and training activities would you recommend?

[frank10]

Over the years I have seen camps offer:

Youth Protection, Safty afloat, Safe Swim, CPR and first aid.

 

For fun we have a pie eating contest, V-ball leader vs staff, leaders joind in on the staff hunt and big splash/ belly flop contest.

 

Leaders BBQ is also a hit.

[fotoscout]

As Wingnut mentioned above, we do all of those trainings each week for any adults in camp. Some weeks it becomes a one on one session, but we do have leaders that look forward to the opportunity to do some training while at camp.

 

I am particularly fond of the SM Sleep-off. It has a very simple set of rules.... the SM must be seen sleeping in a "public" area of the camp. The porch that surrounds our dining hall is a favorite.

[CubsRgr8]

Since many adults go to summer camp, even in uniform, who haven't had the chance to get trained, how about a couple of classes?

 

How about the classroom components of SM fundamentals, spread out over four or five days, an hour or two each?

 

How about a two hour class that reviews the Aims and Methods and let the leaders provide feedback?

 

How about any class you've ever seen offered at a PowWow (walking sticks, leatherwork, etc.)?

 

Sounds like it's going to be a great summer at Camp Frontier.

[Aardvark]

At the camp we go to (Camp Rainey Mountain, NE GA Council), lots of stuff for Adults.

 

Friday breakfast is a buffet for the adults (SHow up with the Scouts, have a cup of coffee, release then to the SPL, then dig in!). Wenesday Supper is a steak dinner (same procedure as Friday)

 

Also have a Scoutmaster Clay shoot, horseshows, golf and SM vs Staff volleyball (Old Farts kicked butt last year)

 

Also an Award to earn; requirements such as checking your email, visiting the camp website, properly using the rocking chairs on dining hall and admin porches for 30 minutes (your's truly got his picture taken "Testing his eyelids for light leaks"!-which was displayed for all to see at the COH afterwards!)

 

I'm sure I've missed a few things!

 

Our Troop enjoys going there!

[mreineck]

What great Ideas! thanks much! Stemming off of this award idea, what are some good representations of scoutmasters that could be made into an award. Rocking Chair Etc. A rocking chair, it's been done, give me some new fresh ideas please and build on the requirements if you would. I've seen those listed above, but i want to give these scoutmasters a really good time. Thanks for the comments... keep em coming.

 

 

[Sandyt888]

Our summer camp holds a Pinewood Derby for adult leaders. They get to build/decorate cars during the wk and race on Thursday or Friday. Also is the "Chicken Lips" SM Cook-0ff.

[Eamonn]

While all of this sounds like a lot of fun, I do have some concerns that we might forget why we went to camp in the first place.

When these activities become more important than the program we have to rethink them.

Eamonn.

[ScoutNerd]

I know this is thread is a bit on the old side, but my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE thing to do as camp staff for special adult activities is Water Polo (or at least the scout camp version). We would hype it up at about 3 meals over the course of the week, and then fri afternoon after all is done (merit badges, paper work, etc), we would play water polo in the deep end of the pool, Leaders vs Staff, where each team could have as many substitute players as they wanted. I'm proud to admit we've been undefeated for 2 summers now (and no I don't mention it often, since we're young and in our prime -so to speak- and well aclimated to the 8000 ft elevation going up against leaders who haven't been that high in years, so it's kind of tilted in our favor, I know)

What makes it espeically fun is the majority of the scouts in camp crowd in onto the bleachers overlooking the pool. And a lot of the families comming to spend the last night usually show up just in time to watch their husbands and fathers and other such loved ones get creamed. :-D