How do you plan campouts?

[Eloisefig]

We are part of a medium sized troop, maybe 25 scouts. Our campouts average 12 people. 
The entire troop spends around 45minutes the Monday before the campout voting on/planning a menu, which to me, is ridiculous, as it’s too many cooks in the kitchen, especially when less than half the troop is going. 
     How do you all plan campouts? How far in advance do your scouts plan? Do all scouts plan, or just the ones going? Just looking for ideas to make improvements. 
thanks 

[curious_scouter]

Earmark weekends and "big" themes (canoe trip, campsgiving, district camporee) at annual planning conference.

At APC they come up with a prioritized list of locations they want to camp.  Outdoor activities chair and I (adults) work off that list to get sites booked throughout the year.

PLC meets monthly and plans specifics based on where we land for campsite.  We used to try to earmark specific sites for specific months, but found the popular sites were often hard to get.  So we just try month after month until we get it.  Then that's where we'll be and the PLC determines the theme/activities for the campout based on all the facts.

We are (now) strictly Patrols on campouts.  Cooking included.  No exception and I NEVER split patrols.  Either they just deal with the fact there's only 2 or 3 of their patrol going or the Patrol decides to team up with anther Patrol.  But it's the entire patrol teaming up.  I don't permit patrol mates to be separated.  And I usually encourage them NOT to team up and to just roll with it.

It's not perfect, but it's youth lead and Patrol method and IMO that's the way.

[fred8033]

12 hours ago, curious_scouter said:

We are (now) strictly Patrols on campouts.  Cooking included.  No exception and I NEVER split patrols.  Either they just deal with the fact there's only 2 or 3 of their patrol going or the Patrol decides to team up with anther Patrol.  But it's the entire patrol teaming up.  I don't permit patrol mates to be separated.  And I usually encourage them NOT to team up and to just roll with it.

Great answer.  I've even seen it as patrol of one going it alone.  

[DuctTape]

Great answers guys.

To add to them, each patrol creates their own menu. Best is having one person in charge of it, the grubmaster. This is the patrol member who knows what everyone else likes, dislikes, allergies etc... they also instruct other members how to create the menu, compile amounts, generate shopping list, etc... When a member is ready to complete the menu planning requirements, the grubmaster lets them take the wheel. 

[Eloisefig]

Do they plan during a meeting, or a separate gathering-before/after the meeting?  These “planning sessions” are taking nearly an entire meeting, and serve no purpose for the scouts that aren’t going.

How far in advance are they planning food? We meet Monday, so I feel that attendance for the campout should be finalized 2 Mondays before the campout, so that the person cooking can have their meal plan options itemized, priced, and ready to present to their patrol the Monday before campout. 

[DuctTape]

Ours is the Monday before. The time sink is having too many ppl involved in the process. At the troop meeting, the PLC has set aside some time (20 minutes) for patrol meetings. Here, the patrol plans their campout, not as a whole group, but by specific roles. The patrol leader helps each member with their specific task to plan. APL helps PL. Each role might have an assistant.

Grubmaster plans menu.

Hikemaster plans activities.

QM requisions needed gear from troop QM.

Cheermaster plans campfire.

Having a group discuss bacon or sausage for twenty minutes is a time sink.

 

[mrjohns2]

On 9/30/2024 at 8:41 PM, curious_scouter said:

We are (now) strictly Patrols on campouts.  Cooking included.  No exception and I NEVER split patrols.  Either they just deal with the fact there's only 2 or 3 of their patrol going or the Patrol decides to team up with anther Patrol.  But it's the entire patrol teaming up.  I don't permit patrol mates to be separated.  And I usually encourage them NOT to team up and to just roll with it.

It's not perfect, but it's youth lead and Patrol method and IMO that's the way.

Amen, amen, AMEN, aaamen! AMEN! This is the patrol method and how Scouting NEEDS to be done.

[qwazse]

So funny. When I was a PL, we raided our parents’ pantries for what we would need for the weekend. Each member was responsible for an item. Stopping at the store was usually a Thursday evening activity.

My kids recently described me as “chaotic good.”

[curious_scouter]

On 10/1/2024 at 1:36 PM, Eloisefig said:

Do they plan during a meeting, or a separate gathering-before/after the meeting?  These “planning sessions” are taking nearly an entire meeting, and serve no purpose for the scouts that aren’t going.

How far in advance are they planning food? We meet Monday, so I feel that attendance for the campout should be finalized 2 Mondays before the campout, so that the person cooking can have their meal plan options itemized, priced, and ready to present to their patrol the Monday before campout. 

Outing signup is so messy.  I don't have a good answer except I want max attendance, so I do not want to put unrealistic expectations on early signup.  We let it go "as far as practical".  Menu planning happens in the monday meeting before the outing.  Someone leaves as grubmaster, they usually shop Thursday.  We cut off self-serve signups on Tuesday AM but allow people to contact me right up to Thursday afternoon as long as I can confirm with the grubmaster's parent that they can add one for shopping.  My goal is to get as many of my scouts on every outing as possible so I'm probably TOO lenient on this, but in my experience teens/parents don't commit weeks ahead and the last minute excitement of the planning in the meeting and post-meeting chatter on their group chats, etc. results in those who were not passionate about going suddenly caving into FOMO and wanting to jump in.  Not uncommon for example that a Patrol plans their menu on Monday for 4 scouts and ends up shopping on Thursday for 7 because 3 more from that patrol go "What the heck, I guess if so and so and so and so are going - I may as well".