Troop doing its own new scout program at summer camp

[scottteng]

Our camps pathfinder program has the boys doing specific rank related items which are signed off by their patrol guide in a pamphlet which is sent home from camp they also earn three merit badges First Aid, Swimming and choice of one of the easy craft mb's offered in the free time period. Just First Aid and swimming MB cover rank stuff too. They do cover the stuff but as for the boys retaining it well they don't retain the stuff they learn in troop meetings or campouts much better! See how many of the older scouts can remember how to tie a taut line hitch. It used to be a knot they used every month not any more equipment has changed.

[gwd-scouter]

Back from a wonderful week of summer camp. Our four new Scouts did not attend the Pathfinder Program, but rather took merit badge classes that they were interested in. All took swimming and all but one finished the badge. The rest of their days were spent on such things as woodcarving, leatherwork, art and sculpture, nature, Indian lore. What they seemed to enjoy the most were reptiles and amphibians - especially going on a hike at night and "frog stalking." We did not put on a formal new scout program ourselves as were had originally intended. Rather, the boys spent their free time playing ultimate in the meadow, volleyball, exploring the creeks, swimming, carving their woodworking projects, playing games in our camp site, or just generally hanging out together.

 

Our older boys had their share of adventure as well and provided such marvelous leadership and encouragement to the new Scouts that the other leaders and myself really had nothing to do. Our SPL told the boys about the Honor Troop award and they worked together to earn it. SPL went through the OA ordeal so passed the leadership to his assistant. First time for the assistant to have such responsibility and he did it very well. We went rafting on Friday morning and had to leave by 6:00 am. His decision the night before (and I didn't know about it until it was happening) was to get everyone showered and in their bunks by 10:00 - a full hour earlier than usual. What really surprised me was that the other boys all followed.

 

After our first night when I mentioned to SPL that the American Flag was still on the pole at 10:00, I never again had to remind him to lower it at dusk. Even if I wasn't in the campsite, I'd come back some time later to find that they had taken care of it on their own without any leaders in camp to remind them. Raised it in the morning on their own too.

 

What a marvelous week. This was the first time I can remember that I never heard "I'm bored," "I hate this merit badge," "there's nothing to do," or other similar comments. Also, for the first time, EVERY Scout said he couldn't wait to go back again next year.

 

We all came back from camp exhausted, but happy and re-energized, and looking forward to our planning meeting in August to make the calendar for the next year.

[3EaglesDad]

Our District several years ago started a Trail to First Classs (TFC) program at cub day camp. The just crossed over youth came back to Day camp one more time, but as a TFC group, they had different shirts and program. The leader of this program is a long time Scouter and he has a staff of Scoutmasters and Venture youths that go over the "harder" TFC req.'s such as lashings and bug's and plants. We have a great Scout Skills program at DC along with a very good Nature program. We just kinda of double dip the TFC boys into the already established schedule for the cub campers, it also allows the TFC boys to do a couple of fun things such as BB's & Archery.

Another advantage is the parents pay $45.00 for our TFC program for a week of concentrated focus on TFC req.'s and then when the youth goes to summer camp he can take a full load of the MB to advance. The parents then are paying for their son to have more fun at summer camp instead of sitting in a group not getting anything signed off or haveing to go over everything twice to get it signed off.

This is a program our local service area is trying to get all districts to take up..your know the recruit and retention thing again..

 

3ed