So What Do You Do To make The Outdoors Method Work?

[Eamonn]

At first glance I would think this is one very easy method to follow. But looking at some of the troops in our district, it just isn't happening.

So What are you doing to put this method to work in your troop?

Eamonn

[2Eagle]

Take the boys camping. Our troop is bordering on hyper-active. A troop event every month plus 6 OA events every year, summer camp and just starting a Venture Patrol. OA is great to keep older boys interested. Other troops in our area are not as active. They have fewer boys and recruiting and retention troubles. I reckon I'm in competition with the sports teams and other extra curricular activities and I know that what Scouting offers is better than anything else out there. Sports teams have practice every week and game on Saturday. I can do that. Takes lots of adult help. I got that.

[SeattlePioneer]

Camporee May 13-15th

 

Cub Pack Overnight Camp (Troop camping & hopefully new Webelos Scouts joinging and camping with the Troop June 4-5

 

Bicycle camping trip with Sag Wagon support for hauling gear June 25-26.

 

Then summer camp July 24-30.

 

 

All car camping trips so far. These Scouts still need practice in organizing themselves for these outings and conducting them in good style. Also, there hasn't been any demand for backpacking type trips or high adventure trips from the PLC, but some adults are getting antsy.

 

They are learning --quite a lot, really. But we haven't seen anyone with a real leadership flare take charge to really nail problems consistantly.

 

 

Seattle Pioneer

 

[acco40]

A troop outing every month (a given).

 

Patrol outings highly encouraged.

 

Troop meetings held outside as often as possible (small winter hike, rock climbing wall, rocket launches, cook-offs, etc.)

 

Trying (but not succeeding) - hold some of our COHs outside.

 

One thing that saddens me is that I'd like to see more troop meetings held in the local city park (only about 1/2 mile from our CO meeting room). The younger boys love it but some of the older boys are mortified to be seen in "public" in their Scouting uniforms (field or activity).(This message has been edited by acco40)

[SMT376Richmond KY]

Monthly activity this year Klondike in Jan (it was -8 with wind chill of -40 boys loved it!) February couldn't do backpacking trek due to everyone sick from Klondike! March indoor swimming at the local Y to get swim tests done prior to SC. April lockin and movie night for early rise pancake breakfast May spr camporee canoe and hiking treks (all enjoyed). June cliff climbing (boys still not totally committed $$). July SC. August Camping @ Ft. Knox. September Kings Island amusement park (boys still not committed $$).

October fall camporee.

[Eamonn]

One of the things I miss most because I'm one of them "District Types" is being able to get away with the Scouts and going to camp.

Talking with a friend of mine the other day and he said that you really get to know someone if you share a tent with them for a week.

I think that doing things outdoors is what Scouting is all about. To my thinking it is impossible to properly conduct a Scout program without going outdoors.

Scouts and Scouting isn't school and we don't learn or teach things in a classroom setting we get out and learn them by doing them.

I really do hate to visit the Troops that week after week meet for the weekly merit badge class.

Someone once said to me that the art of camping is making yourself as comfortable in the outdoors as possible. It must mean something as I have remembered it for a very long time.

Making the method work well does take a lot of planning and if done badly will result in Lads leaving.

There seems to be a trend in our District for the troops not to provide tents. Instead Scouts are going to Wal-Mart or K-Mart and buying real cheap good for nothing junky tents. Which are next to useless (Yes one of my pet peeves!!) I really think we owe it to our Scouts to have the best possible equipment.

We need to educate our Scouts and their parents about what equipment they need. Sure the Power Ranger sleeping bag they took to resident Cub Scout camp, last July when they were in huts was fine, but it isn't much good when a Lad is laying awake at 4:00 AM, on a frosty morning in March, awake because he is cold.

We need to really train our Scouts how to be comfortable when they are camping.

We also need to remember that they might not be as well equipped as we the adults are, sure I'm nice and cozy in my $150.00 dollar sleeping bag, with my top of the line underwear and all that good stuff. They may not be as lucky.

Buying good quality Troop camping equipment is very expensive and it does need looking after. I felt so strongly about this that the only adult I took to the PLC with me was our Troop QM.

We made sure that each Patrol had it's own camping equipment and they were the people responsible for it. Sure we knew that things wouldn't always go according to plan and there were times when tent stakes didn't make it home or things got broken and there were times when the QM got upset and even a little mad, but better they incur a few harsh words from him than take a tent that didn't have any poles to the next camp out.

Adding variety to where you go and what you do is very important. Going to the same old place and doing the same old same old gets old very quick. In a recent post Barry said about making dreams come true, he was so right. We can help this along by listening to what our Scouts are saying.

When I was a kid and we all went back to the start of school in September people used to ask me if I had gone to the continent on holiday (vacation) I hadn't but had spent as much time as I could away camping.

Many of the Scouts we take away to camp are doing things that they have never done before. Even very simple things. I was with a Lad last summer who had never ever cracked an egg before. Needless to say he had never made French Toast before.

I also like bringing in people who know what they are doing or experts in their field to help expose our Scouts to things that I'm not good at. I can find the North Star, but that's about it, bringing in a person who knows his stuff can help make the outdoors a lot more inviting.

It is important that we do keep the activities that we do within the capabilities of the Scouts that we have. While older Scouts and leaders might be up for a 12 or 15 mile hike our younger Lads are still small and may not be ready. This also helps to keep the challenge in what we are doing.

Eamonn.