Summer Camps with Troop Style activities

[mashmaster]

I was looking at a summer camp for our troop and one camp had a cool concept troop activities in the afternoon.  They do the normal merit badges in the morning but activities together in the afternoon.  Anyone know of any other camps that do this?  It seems like a really great idea.

[Maric]

In the northwest, every summer camp I have been to has had a similar program.

[mashmaster]

Anyone know of any in the Texas area?

[blw2]

yeah, it seems like a great idea in theory anyway.

Do you have any examples of what they were doing for the afternoon program?  What sort of troop activities?

 

I personally did not like the overly structured and full agenda of summer camp, and think a troop would be better served to do their own thing..... a week on the Appalachian trail for example.  Perhaps a down day or two thrown in there for some skills work, swimming, or something else...

 It seems like scouts and adults alike, are both so ingrained to think that summer camp must be a merit badge school.

[mashmaster]

yeah, it seems like a great idea in theory anyway.

Do you have any examples of what they were doing for the afternoon program?  What sort of troop activities?

 

I personally did not like the overly structured and full agenda of summer camp, and think a troop would be better served to do their own thing..... a week on the Appalachian trail for example.  Perhaps a down day or two thrown in there for some skills work, swimming, or something else...

 It seems like scouts and adults alike, are both so ingrained to think that summer camp must be a merit badge school.

The one place I saw it said that the afternoons would have many options to choose from like (COPE course, Shotgun skeet tourney, Canoeing, Hike, Sailing, Archery & Tomahawks, Climbing tower).

 

I like that the whole troop does something together rather than eat and sleep.  I agree with you on just going and doing a trek (like hike into the Grand Canyon and river raft for example) but as you said most people look at it as a merit badge school.  What fun is that......

[Eagledad]

You don't need a camp program that specializes in a troop program, just schedule troop programs yourself. We do it every year. We usually schedule at least two troop activities during that week. We have done all the shooting sports, swimming, canoeing and so on. In fact, we have done every activity on your list over the years. We even did a troop polar bear swim in the cold waters in Colorado.

 

We also do our own troop campfire in the middle of the week so the patrols can compete against each other with songs, skits and jokes. It's a great time for the scouts. The winning patrol performs their skit, song or jokes at the camp campfire. You (SPL) just needs to get with the camp director and make the requests. While this is unusual for camps to schedule an hour or two specifically for a troop, we have never had one turn us down. One camp like the idea so much that they added troop activities to their program the next year. We usually trade the camp with a service project for their kindness, but service projects are fun and part of scouting.

 

We also push the scouts to schedule a lot of camp activities (other than advancement) on their own. We do our own advancement, so the scouts don't have the pressure to advance at summer camp or district colleges. It's all about fun for us.

 

Troops don't realize how much independence they have at summer camp. You can use their facilities to do just about any troop program you can dream. Hey, adult training? Go for it. Other troops might even ask if they can participate. 

 

When it comes to picking camps, look for one with a lot of fun activities. Then build your troop and patrol program around your desires, not their agenda. 

 

One last thing, our troop traditionally does a fun activity after camp. Depending on what camp we attended, we have done, Amusement parks and rafting. It highlights the end of a long week. 

 

Barry

Edited January 4, 2017 by Eagledad

[JasonG172]

We have Troop Competitions at Kia Kima

 

Boat Float to name one.  Build something that will float and paddle it to victory.

 

Kia Kima

There are two sides to Kia Kima, Osage and Cherokee and the difference is on the Osage side you are fed by our great staff is our brand new Dining Hall and on the Cherokee side you cook your own meals. 

 

http://www.kiakima.net/

 

Just left Winter Camp!  BTW we have (that I know of) 3 troops that come from Texas every year for Summer Camp.

 

There is also a Program called L.O.S.T, page 35 of the leaders guide...Its really cool

Edited January 4, 2017 by JasonG172

[MattR]

Troops don't realize how much independence they have at summer camp. You can use their facilities to do just about any troop program you can dream.

I agree with most things you say except for this. At least at the camps I've been at most resources a fun activity might include are booked for merit badges. Rock climbing, shooting, anything on the water.  Another problem is camps are getting away from letting scouts schedule their own merit badges. You tell them what merit badges you want and they tell you your schedule. So if you want your troop, or patrol better yet, free in the afternoons it's just luck of the draw.

 

Next year we're going to a camp on a big lake that is all about water. The following week we're going backpacking. So, MBs only if the scouts want them along the way.

[blw2]

......

I like that the whole troop does something together rather than eat and sleep.  I agree with you on just going and doing a trek (like hike into the Grand Canyon and river raft for example) but as you said most people look at it as a merit badge school.  What fun is that......

except I would twist this to patrols instead of just the "troop".  I really wish in our troop, that we all thought more in terms of patrols 

 

.......

 

Troops don't realize how much independence they have at summer camp. You can use their facilities to do just about any troop program you can dream. Hey, adult training? Go for it. Other troops might even ask if they can participate. ......

 

I'm guessing a lot comes down to the desire of having it already done and set-up for them, rather than having to think it up and make it happen.  Good or bad depending on perspective, but there is something to be said for ready-made and spoon fed once in a while....

I agree with most things you say except for this. At least at the camps I've been at most resources a fun activity might include are booked for merit badges. Rock climbing, shooting, anything on the water.  Another problem is camps are getting away from letting scouts schedule their own merit badges. You tell them what merit badges you want and they tell you your schedule. So if you want your troop, or patrol better yet, free in the afternoons it's just luck of the draw.

 

Next year we're going to a camp on a big lake that is all about water. The following week we're going backpacking. So, MBs only if the scouts want them along the way.

I was thinking that it might be very tough if even not possible, to get troop or patrol time at the range, for example.

Last summer, we had many scouts (and me too) than never or rarely got into the lake as an example.  There just wasn't much open free time available.

[Eagledad]

You tell them what merit badges you want and they tell you your schedule. So if you want your troop, or patrol better yet, free in the afternoons it's just luck of the draw.

 

Have you tried, because we have been doing this for 20 years. You might not get the activity you asked for, but the camp usually tries to be accommodating. 

 

Barry

[mashmaster]

I like a lot of these ideas, I am a first time Scoutmaster for a brand new troop.  Our previous troop was very troop-based and didn't do much patrol method which we are going to focus on.   The camps we have been to, don't seem to have the ability to have ranges or towers that are open to troops but we haven't tried.  I really like the idea of adding on a fun day at the end to top off the camp experience.  

 

We are actively searching for a summer camp for the summer since we just formed on the 1st and aren't going with the previous troop..  It is difficult in some aspects because we just started but very exciting because we are much smaller and committed to focusing on following the program, specifically the patrol method. 

[blw2]

....... I really like the idea of adding on a fun day at the end to top off the camp experience.  

 

.....

not really the kind of thing this thread is about, but your mention of "fun day experience" reminded me of what will probably stand out as a highlight memory to our scouts.... even though it's not really a "scout" activity

 

During summer camp, we had a couple storm fronts roll through.  The fist one caught several of us in camp, where we hunkered down under the dining canopy watching a gully washer run through our camp blowing tents wide open and generally soaking out the place.  When the next storm was coming (we were watching radar) it was the night the camp had set up as troop's cook in their sites with food provided by camp....and it was just as were were about to start KP.... so the SM says, we can hunker down hear and try to cook in the rain, or we can go to town and hunker down in a restaurant, so we took the scouts to Pizza Hut!  There was another troop there with the same idea and the scouts really had a blast.

 

The reason I bring this up.... the troop activity wouldn't necessarily have to be at the scout reservation.  Is there a whitewater rafting tour company nearby?  Maybe a horseback riding place?

[mashmaster]

not really the kind of thing this thread is about, but your mention of "fun day experience" reminded me of what will probably stand out as a highlight memory to our scouts.... even though it's not really a "scout" activity

 

During summer camp, we had a couple storm fronts roll through.  The fist one caught several of us in camp, where we hunkered down under the dining canopy watching a gully washer run through our camp blowing tents wide open and generally soaking out the place.  When the next storm was coming (we were watching radar) it was the night the camp had set up as troop's cook in their sites with food provided by camp....and it was just as were were about to start KP.... so the SM says, we can hunker down hear and try to cook in the rain, or we can go to town and hunker down in a restaurant, so we took the scouts to Pizza Hut!  There was another troop there with the same idea and the scouts really had a blast.

 

The reason I bring this up.... the troop activity wouldn't necessarily have to be at the scout reservation.  Is there a whitewater rafting tour company nearby?  Maybe a horseback riding place?

I love it!   

[NJCubScouter]

Mashmaster, I would prefer the kind of setup you are talking about to the camp that our Scouts decide to go back to, year after year. They attend a camp where everything is so structured and scheduled on an individual basis (including the non-merit-badge activities), all day and into the evening, that there is really room for only one troop activity, and that is a one-day (really half a day) rafting trip on the Delaware River. But the focus is so much on merit badges that the result of the rafting trip is that many kids have to "make up" the work they "missed." That sounds like the tail wagging the dog to me. The kids are made aware of other options and different kinds of camps and activities but they keep voting to go back to this camp. (I guess it will sound a bit less bleak if I mention that over the past 10 years or so, the associated Venture crew did go to Philmont three times, with the result that about 20 different kids have gone to Philmont while I have been involved with the troop, some of them twice or even three times.)  We want to (and do) let the kids make the decision, as we should, but the fact that they keep rejecting the other options and keep choosing the same-old-same-old is a bit disappointing at times.  One would hope that teenagers would have a bit more creativity and yearning for adventure.  The same-old stodgy attitude of let's do it this way because we've always done it this way is something I would expect more from adults.  

 

The summer camp experience I remember from my youth is much different.  There was way more free time and the Scouts themselves usually came up with the "troop activities", including what was available at the camp but also including a pickup game of soccer or whatever with another troop.  And it was usually two weeks!  (These days it's a "week", but it's really six days.)  Merit badges were an occasional thing and it was only the outdoor badges plus first aid.  And I remember going to four different summer camps, plus Philmont.

Edited January 4, 2017 by NJCubScouter

[qwazse]

...  One would hope that teenagers would have a bit more creativity and yearning for adventure.  The same-old stodgy attitude of let's do it this way because we've always done it this way is something I would expect more from adults.  

We often underestimate how much youth value tradition ... be it a tradition of "visit a different camp every year" or "visit the same camp every year."

 

The annual pencil-whipping you describe is part of that tradition.