Cub Camp cooking

[Renax127]

I was looking for some guidelines about what exactly Cubs are allowed to do as far as helping with cooking duties on camp outs Our pack doesn't let any of the boys do anything and I'm just trying to find where it is spelled out.

[ScoutLass]

Well, I didn't see anything in the G2SS stating cubs can't cook. Webelos need to prepare and cook an outdoor meal for their den as one of the Outdoorsmen requirements. Bears have a similar requirement for achievement 9G. Wolves have prepare and cook an outdoor meal for achievement 8E. So really, Wolves on up should be cooking outdoors at some point, under adult supervision. Except for Tigers, it is spelled out that the boys should be cooking outdoors.

 

I'd be asking my pack leadership how they expect the boys to earn rank if the adults are too afraid to allow the boys to do the necessary work. Is leadership handing out rank badges without the boys actually completing all the requirements?

[Renax127]

Well this is my first year and I was the tiger leader and didn't honestly pay much attention to the other dens. I started the same day my boy did and didn't have a lot of time to learn what was what but now that we are moving into Wolves I want to make sure I'm ready before hand.

[weblinger08]

We just went Family Camping this past weekend, we had the boys put together the ingredients for omlettes in a bag (leaders did the boiling water part), then we made buddy burners and had the boys cook on them with parent/leader supervision for lunch. The boys had a blast, and really liked that they were involved with cooking, not just served something.

[ScoutLass]

Gotcha, Renax. Sorry if I jumped the gun, I get a little uptight about rule-adding. I'm a Roundtable Commish and I spend half of each roundtable dispelling myths. Some packs come to me with retainment problems and when you look at all the rules they have added, it's no wonder that the parents and boys are jumping ship!

 

Yeah, Tigers don't have an outdoor cooking requirement, so I'd say it's up to the parents/pack rules in that case. Our pack allows Tigers to roast marshmallows over the fire, supervised of course, but they don't typically prepare meals.

 

As for Wolves, unless you have a group of boys that shows up for every campout, be prepared to stage an outdoor cooking during a den meeting or picnic. All our original Tigers came to every campout during wolf year, but some of the new families just weren't ready to camp yet or were too busy to attend. We had an outdoor cookout at the CO so all the wolves and bears that didn't attend the campouts could still knock out the cooking requirement.

[ScoutNut]

Cooking, as with just about everything in Scouts, is progressive. Tigers help to make a snack. Wolf Cubs help cook a few meals. Bear Cubs have the opportunity to do a bit more hands-on cooking with adult help. Webelos get more into outdoor, camp cooking. Boy Scouts plan, purchase, prepare, and clean-up all meals themselves.

 

As a Pack leader, you should be attending the monthly Pack Leaders/Committee meetings. When the subject of the next Pack campout comes up, ask the BALOO trained person in charge of the campout what the thinking is behind not letting Scouts help with the meals at all. See if you can convince them to get the boys more involved at some level.

 

Better yet, take BALOO training from your council/district, get on your Pack's camping committee, and help in the planning of the Pack campouts.

[CNYScouter]

 

Check Age-Appropriate Guidelines for Scouting Activities

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/ageguides.pdf

 

It does show that outdoor cooking is for WEBELOS and older

[ScoutLass]

True, CNYScouter, but that has to mean full on scout-style, minimal adult supervision cooking. Wolves and Bears have outdoor cooking requirements in their BSA-approved handbooks. Of course, it isn't the first time that the left hand didn't know what the right was doing. I'd err on the side of the handbooks in this case.

[Renax127]

Scoutnut - Yeah I plan on taking BALOO this year. Also I do attend all the committee meetings but there are SO many rules it's tough to learn them all and run a Tiger program, go to work, sleep etc so you have to rely on the more experienced leaders. I figured even if it wasn't correct more conservative for the tigers was just fine. However as we move into Wolves I want them to do as much as they can, which may take some bucking the established "rules" that are more like traditions.

 

For instance the Denner/Assistant Denner position has always been just for Webelos in our Pack, I have already made everyone aware that next year the boys will all be rotating thru the positions.

[ScoutNut]

Yep, I understand doing a lot with limited time. I was a Cub Scout den leader, Girl Scout Troop leader, Popcorn Kernal, Cookie Chair, Pack Advancement Chair, PTO volunteer and board member, and more, all at the same time, and while working full time.

 

There are not actually all that many rules. BSA training gives you a good overview. The Guide to Safe Scouting, and your Tiger/Wolf/Bear/Webelos Handbooks, pretty much covers the basics for Cubs. If you want to learn more, there is the Cub Scout Leader Book which goes into more detail.

 

You do not have to memorize everything, just know where to look, and don't be afraid to ask questions.

 

Not letting Cubs help cook is not a BSA rule. It is simply something that your Pack does. Probably to make it easier on the adults. Especially if yours is a large Pack.

 

I suggest bringing up the question at the Pack Leaders/Committee meeting where the next Pack campout is starting to be planned. New ideas should always be welcomed.

[AnnLaurelB]

The beauty of the "hobo packets" or foil dinners (if you have enough cooking space to deal with the challenges of them), are great for this, because EVERYONE can assemble their own meal.

 

We did the ziploc omelettes*, and each boy cracked his own eggs in there, added goodies, mushed it up, etc... so they were "cooking" even though the adults manned the boiler.

 

What also works for us is putting a team of 2, 3, 4 families in charge of each meal. If you have a larger Pack, you rotate it the next time. The families for, say Saturday breakfast, decide what they're going to serve, split the grocery list between them, and THEIR Cubs are to help those parents with that meal, in whatever way their parents feel they're capable.

 

 

 

 

 

*(I know, I KNOW, but I don't think twice a year cooking in a plastic bag is going to kill anyone. There was a skillet to use if someone objected to the baggies)

 

 

 

 

[Scoutfish]

When we go pack camping, we use two double burner propane griddles.

 

You know the type? They are on 30" adjustable legs..they take apart and will fit into a 32" X 15" X 6 " box.

 

WEll, we give the boys serving gloves and let them drop sausage patties on the grill, pour pancake mix from a ladel onto the grill and they will tend to and flip and remove the sausage and pancakes when they are done. Same for hamburgers and hot dogs.

 

WE do not let them lighgt the burners or any cooking appliances. We do not let them work with huge pots of boiling water ( for grits, potatoes, beans or whatever you cook in water).

 

WE let them drop dutch ovens into coals with a custom handle we made, and let them use a full size( handle) shovel to cover the DO with coals.

 

Then there are the smores, marshmellows, hotdogs, etc...that are cooked on sticks o0ver the fire.

 

But everything we let them do, they have full adult supervison.

 

Again, they do not light anything, and we use only a campfire or regulated gas propane devices - no kerosene, white gas, or other liquid cooking fuels.

[Scoutfish]

Ooops!

 

I didn't mention it's dependant on the age too.

 

Tiger prety much only do the marshmellow over the fire with a 36 inch stick. Wolves might mix and help prepare foods, then cook hot dogs on sticks. bears will help with DOs and hot dogs and burgers on grills. Webelos do all of it.

 

WE go by age and how well they seem to be able to handle trhemselves.

[Renax127]

Yeah I guess there aren't that many rules really but my family has always camped and the differences can catch you so I was always nervous I'd screw something up. I'm more relaxed now and realize that a lot of what I have been told were rules is not correct.

 

Never having been a cub scout (I was a boy scout) I had no idea what the program was like and it made me pretty nervous. Heck our Cuboree was only 5 weeks after my first meeting. Having all the parents ask what was going on when I was as clueless as them was an experience to say the least.

[ParkMan]

I've been down this same path in the last year.

 

In the absence of rules on this, first I'd think about safety. Then, I'd just ask yourself, "what was my son able to do at that age?"

 

Some ideas from what I've seen:

- if you've got a large pack, cook by dens or program level (i.e., all the Tigers cook together). Then, you can have the parents jump in as appropriate at that level (i.e., Webelos are pretty self sufficient, but Tigers mostly just help or do simple tasks).

- if you've got a small pack, split responsibilities by program level. In this instance, Tigers do simpler things, Webelos do more complex things.

- find a leader/parent or two to organize the meals and purchase food. That way, you can have an experienced person develop age appropriate plans. Don't assume this person is a den leader - in fact, it likely will not be.

- have some practice sessions. If you've got a unit where scouts have never cooked before, some camp cooking practice is a great use of a den meeting or two. That way, when they show up at camp they are more at ease with doing it for real.

 

Have fun!

(This message has been edited by parkman)