District Event Staff Food Service

[4CouncilsScouter]

At our last district committee meeting, I was tasked to serve on our spring district camporee committee. Specifically, my responsibility is staff coordination, e.g. recruitment, placement, and support.

 

One of the ideas I was suggested to implement was offering food service for staff. Normally, this isn't a huge concern, as a dining-hall style for participants is usually done. However, we decided to emphasize the patrol method and return cooking back to troops. This presents a concern for staff members who may not be attending with a unit but are attending the entire weekend. The current plan is:

 

Friday Night: Staff eat dinner before arriving.

Saturday Breakfast: Staff eat an hour before program areas open up.

Saturday Lunch: Staff eat sack lunch prepared at breakfast.

Saturday Dinner: Staff eat an hour after program area closes.

Sunday Breakfast: Staff eat an hour before check-in opens up.

 

I'm curious if any other councils/districts have encountered this and have any menus, ideas, suggestions they'd be willing to share.

[Chisos]

Depending on how many staff you have, maybe ask the various Troops "host" them for meals?

[blw2]

personally I wouldn't care for that.  Units could be all over the map as far as food goes.  I'm reminded of my first few trips out with our troop.  First couple times was as a guest when son was WEBELOS.  Back in those days, the SM of the time had it set so that the SM's and visiting adults just ate whatever the patrols ate.  For one, I didn't much care for the feeling that I was mooching from them.... not their job to work for me, and all of that..... but more than that the quality of food and cleanliness was ....well an adventure.  I said to myself then..."never again, I'll bring my own food form now on...".  Later, the new SM changed it up so that the adults would do their own thing as a patrol, and that seemed much better in my thinking form all angles.

 

So, I would think it better for the staff to do their own thing.

 

I have no experience on that side of things but it seems to me the choices are

1. every man for himself
2. form up staff patrols that take care of their own in small groups
3. or, do up a bigger production in the dining hall for all staff together

[ItsBrian]

Personally I doubt many staff members want to be bothered with that. They will be sweaty, tired, and be in no mood to make anything.

[ParkMan]

I'd suggest one of two things:

1. recruit a staff cook team. You can have staff that supports the other staff.

2. partner up with a really strong unit and see if they'd be willing to host the staff.

 

I like #1 myself. Gives you a good opportunity to build some camaraderie amongst the staff members.

[ItsBrian]

I'd suggest one of two things:

1. recruit a staff cook team. You can have staff that supports the other staff.

 

I like that idea as well. Possibly with a little pay for incentive of being apart of the staff cooking team.

[CalicoPenn]

Here's what I would do:

 

Step 1:  Recruit a head cook - he can recruit his own staff.

 

Step 2:  Determine how many staff will need to be fed.

 

Step 3:  Determine your budget for staff food.

 

Step 4:  Tell the head cook how many people and what the budget is and let him/her do the rest (menu planning, making sure they have the equipment they need, food procurement, etc.).

 

Seems to me the hardest part for you is recruiting a head cook.

 

I do have a couple of suggestions:

 

1.  Don't prepare sack lunches at breakfast - Cook and crew have enought to do with making and serving breakfast.  You can still have sandwhiches for lunch if you want but get together in the "dining hall" and have lunch together - Cook and crew will have plenty of time to put a spread together by lunch.

 

2.  If you don't have a tradition of a cracker barrel on Friday Nights - start one - Cook and crew can put together a cheese, cracker, snack spread about 8 pm or so for staff - a good way to get together before the hard work of the next day.  Invite Scoutmasters and other adults down too if you want.  At our camporees, camp announcements for SPLs and Scoutmasters is Friday night - we do that with a cracker barrel with staff, SPLs and Scoutmasters all partaking.  It really seems to set the tone.

 

3.  (I know, I said a couple - so I can't count) - consider doing a post campfire/callout (in my District, OA callouts are held as the camp-wide campfire in spring) cracker barrel just for the staff - it can use up any leftovers from the night before.

Edited September 23, 2017 by CalicoPenn

[desertrat77]

I like Parkman's suggestion of a staff cook team.  I've seen that work well in a couple different places.  There are scouters who don't necessarily want to staff events but they'd welcome the opportunity to keep the fire going, the coffee pot hot and full, sit around and shoot the breeze, and whip up great meals.

 

The district I'm in now is very small and everyone is double-hatted with a troop or crew.  So during district camporees all of the staffers dine with their home troop/crew.

Edited September 24, 2017 by desertrat77

[Stosh]

Any event whether it be a scouting event or Red Cross relief operation, I always stop by Walmart and buy a large bag of trail mix before I leave.  Then I never have to worry about where my next meal is coming from.  I was in Houston and after 4 weeks, finished off my trail mix on the plane ride home.  An airline bag of peanuts and half a glass of cola wasn't going to cut it for supper.  It doesn't take a lot of organizational skills or menu planning to buy trail mix at Walmart.

[Back Pack]

My district has a back door where a staff-sized setting of whatever is being eaten is set up family style. They can come and go as they need to with no line, no waiting and no fuss. They get in and out on their time. They have one of the kitchen staff who eats with them restocking as needed.

[krikkitbot]

I like the idea of troops hosting a few staff members for each meal. After all, a scout is courteous, kind, and friendly. At NYLT, NAYLE, and Wood Badge, the troops host guests so it's not that strange a concept. 

 

If some don't like to eat with the scouts, then they can bring their own food.

[Stosh]

I never eat with the boys, I don't like Pop Tarts for breakfast, hot dogs for lunch and god-only-knows for supper.

[ItsBrian]

I never eat with the boys, I don't like Pop Tarts for breakfast, hot dogs for lunch and god-only-knows for supper.

Really? I’ve never had a simple meal on my troop, always have eggs & cheese on a bun with meat for breakfast, stews or Dutch oven and more for dinner.

[Chisos]

Yeah, I'd be kind of bummed if I was on staff and got offered pop tarts!  Staff could eat with a troop's adults--we always eat good. 

 

Or, make it part of the camporee competition--don't surprise the patrols, tell them they'll be having some "guests" who will be scoring their cooking.

[Stosh]

After 50+ years of cooking over an open fire, I can cook as well if not better than I do at home.  The boys are allowed to make their own decisions when it comes to meals. 

 

It takes a long time to change the culture of a McDonald's generation.  I've eaten a lot of good meals over the years and Micky D's isn't even on the chart.

 

On a canoe trip, the boys ate boiled hotdogs and I ate sweet & sour pork over fried rice.

 

I once anonymously entered entered my chocolate chip cheese cake in the camporee cobbler contest.  It won and no one was heading home first thing Sunday morning because they were all waiting around to see who was going to claim the dutch oven it came in.

 

While they were burning propane right and left at summer camp, I cooked all my meals on a rocket stove using twigs from the woods.  If it wouldn't cut with a knife, it was too big to use.

 

I lead by example, and I never want to set the example that Pop Tarts are okay for breakfast. 

 

The boys boil corn on the cob, I roast it on an open fire.  My first meal I cooked at a Boy Scout event was rib eye steak, mashed potatoes and roasted corn on the cob on a fire I made cooking in my mess kit.  I was 11 years old at the time, still wearing my Cub Scout uniform because I was just visiting.

 

Why in the world would I want to eat what today's kids call "good food" when I know better.

 

Do I teach cooking?   Yep to every boy that asks.  Not many do.