Camp Promotions

[Eagle92]

I am just curious how other lodges do camp promotions? Also if you use technology, what do you do when it doesn't work or is not available? I ask these questions to get ideas to improve camp promotions and to see how a situation that arose last nite should have been handled. I tell that story at the end.

 

In reference to the first question, in one lodge I was in, they had an automated slide show that they produced every year. Grant you

that was before the age of cheap videocameras and dvds, but it worked. It was updated with new photos every year and the OA was completely responsible for making it and presenting it.

 

In my current we use a DVD that is produced by the council. My problem is that they are using the same one that they made last year, so all but the new scouts have seen the video already. Another problem is that not all units have access to a DVD player and TV that is large enough for the unit to see the movie.

 

In reference to the second question, when the technology doesn't work or isn't available, I try to get the youth to talk about their camp experiences. Unfortunately there have been times when the youth with me has not been to the local summer camp (half the units in my district go out of council) and I used my camp staff experience to do the promo.

 

Now for the situation. We do a "unit visit" where we do the unit election and camp promotion on the same nite. Our visitation team consisted of two adults and three youth. A last minute emergency came up and the youth and adult with the equipment could not make it. I told the other adult to talk about his experience at summer camp since the two youth are from units that go OOC. The other adult decided against that, did the unit election and skipped the camp promotion. Your thoughts.

 

[scoutldr]

We ask the unit to provide the A/v equipment.

[OldGreyEagle]

The Council I serve has Video Projectors available for loan, about 4 of them. Call, reserve one with the reason, and you pci it up from the council office and retrun in 2-3 days. Works great for Power Point type and DVD presentations

[shortridge]

I'd probably get swatted down if I suggested this today, but camp promotions doesn't just mean promoting your council camps. OOC camps qualify as well, IMHO! Camp is camp!

 

My council has a DVD. I can't imagine a situation where a unit wouldn't be able to provide a DVD player and TV if given proper notice. It's a few years old, so everyone has seen it, probably multiple times.

 

The Scouter you referenced may have had good reason for not wanting to talk - the OA is youth-run, and he's an adult; perhaps he's not a good public speaker; maybe he didn't have a good experience at summer camp and didn't feel he could represent the experience positively in good faith. I'd give him the benefit of the doubt. The OA youth members should have been the ones talking, anyway.

 

P.S. Don't forget a "Where To Go Camping" guide or Web site with details on local campgrounds and state and national parks in your area, updated regularly.

[Eagle92]

Yes camp promo is more than just the local summer camp, and I know why alot of troops go OOC: costs more than XYZ camp, ABC camp is closer, bad staff expereince in the past, HIJ camp has cooler weather, ad nauseum. But some of the leaders haven't been to the local camp in years. And I am also of the opinion that as long as scouts go to summercamp, any scout summercamp, they are good to go.

 

But the last SE had made summercamp a priority. He causes alot of controversy with logging the sections of the camp, but he also made major improvements with the money. I do Ordeals at the camp and the improvements in just 2 months between them is staggering.

 

Also with staff problems in the past, the SE made staff selection and training a priority, with the staff getting paid for the training weekends prior to staff week. Unlike the time I worked staff when they were desparate and would take anyone, the selection process does its job an ensures we get quality staff members.

 

In reference to the adult, public speaking is not a problem: in fact if you mention the word "Philmont" in any conversation, you won't shut him up heck anythign to do with camping and the outdoors will get him going as he is 110% Scout. What is upsetting is that this is one of the troops that always go OOC, and they have a new leader. The old one hadn't set foot at the camp for years and doesn't even know about the improvements. So it was vital to do the promo to show them what's new.

 

Further the OA is not very active in this unit. This is the unit in which when the chapter did the unit visit last year, of the 16 eligible Scouts, 8 said they didn't want to have anything to do with the OA. And of those elected (4) only 1 went through the Ordeal. So we were also trying to make a good impression, and the adult knew this. So by not doing the camp promo part of the unit visit, i think it will leave a very bad impression of the OA,and I don't know if they will let us back to do the camp promo.

[cookiemonster]

Camp promotions? Never heard of it. It is assumed that you will attend the in-council camp and that is that. Otherwise, you're on your own.