Camping on a Block Schedu

[qwazse]

As I do at the end of the week of camp, I take he evaluation form that the CD gives to me and hand it to the SPL/ASPL to complete. They usually gather a few scouts and ask how they should rate everything. This year, they worked very hard to spell out what they felt didn’t work for them: block schedules. Instead of a 1-hour classes for five days per MB, the camp switched to 3 hour classes for two days, with Friday as an open program day to wrap up MBs. (There we’re also open evenings at aquatics and shooting sports.) My scouts knocked it, a lot!

• For starters, many MBs did not require that much time — especially for older scouts. But, scouts were told that they could not be dismissed from the program area.
• The camp commissioners told us that they would try to help the staff fill the time. But scouts told us a different story … They emphasized that it was not the camp staff’s fault. Most MBs simply do not require six hours of counseling.
• Furthermore, we always counted on some older scouts being back at camp during slack times so that they could teach crossovers and first years.
• The camp provided a Trail to First class program. But we do not send our crossovers to it. Imagine being committed to one area for 6 hours! That’s grade school, not scout camp!

Anybody else camp on a block schedule? Different experience?

 

[Jameson76]

We had discussion with the camp director in the later winter at the council camp concerning Block Schedule or Cohorts, that was NOT in their plan.  They wanted to have a NORMAL camp or maybe not at all.

They are in week 4 of 8 now.  We went week 2.  Maybe 1,000 scouts a week.  Basically ran like normal.  Maybe more emphasis on hand washing before meals, but no real changes.  Scouts had a great time.  Very very few masks, but we are in the Southeast.

If they had programmed with block schedules or required cohorts we would have run our own summer camp like we did in 2020

[Eagle94-A1]

When we conducted our own summer camp last year, we did a block format for the entire troop. They did not like it, but understood why it was done, and the complaining was minimal. But there was some. Some things that helped was that A) we got some input from the Scouts. B) we adjusted the schedule as needed.

While the adults did the bulk of the planning, i.e. the adults  were rushing find a place, get MBCs out there, put together a plan etc, we did have a PLC meeting to go over everything that was being planned and see if they liked it, had alternatives, etc. Program was changed based upon their input (NO to Environmental Science, YES to Cycling MB). Overall they were glad to be camping and having fun.

And yes we adjusted the schedule to suit their wants. and weather. The day the survival camping was planned was supposed to have thunderstorms, so we moved it up a day. The Bike ride took longer than anticipated, and wore them slam out.  We let them have the afternoon off to recuperate. The only thing that we could not change was BORs. We had a hard and fast time for those because the committee was had a set time to visit us for them.

Unless it is an absolute emergency, I would not do block scheduling.

[MattR]

I think a block format would be great, if I were doing summer camp activities rather than merit badges. A 3 hour hike is a hike. A 1 hr hike is a rush. 3 hours of fishing would be fun. An hour is barely enough time for me to get anything tied. 3 hours at the pool is what summer is about. Merit badges? Not if that's the focus of camp.

[mrjohns2]

3 hours ago, MattR said:

Merit badges? Not if that's the focus of camp.

Also, some skills and new knowledge, at least for me, takes time to percolate. A day in between helps me a lot. 

[qwazse]

3 hours ago, MattR said:

I think a block format would be great, if I were doing summer camp activities rather than merit badges. A 3 hour hike is a hike. A 1 hr hike is a rush. 3 hours of fishing would be fun. An hour is barely enough time for me to get anything tied. 3 hours at the pool is what summer is about. Merit badges? Not if that's the focus of camp.

 That’s what I had thought. But if the scout finishes a hike/catches the minimum/swims the day’s laps … whatever … in two hours? Would you let him/her go back to camp or visit another program area? If you would, then that’s not a block schedule.

Regarding the three hours of fishing … I remember fishing with my father-in-law. I’d just get to relaxing and he’d pull anchor. If they weren’t biting after fifteen minutes, he moved on. More than three of those in a row, and we were on our way to the nearest sausage egg McMuffin. The good news was that we generally had bait leftover for the evening.