Mounting a Corporal's Guard Overnight

[SeattlePioneer]

The issue of having a late night watch while camping out was raised in another thread.

 

Eamonn, you raise an interesting issue by noting that some Scouter groups may have a late night watch for "issues" and problems.

 

A year ago when I was with another Troop, there was a combined Boy Scout/Venturing overnight with mostly new campers/members that were a definite handful. The next morning(at a state park) we found that the toilets and washstands in the bathrooms had been broken apart.

 

There was anedotal evidence that a group of people unrelated to our group came into the park and did this damage, but I've always had my doubts.

 

Last weekened at a joint Troop/Cub Pack Overnight, we had a couple of boys who apparently got up at night to wander around, and might have gotten themselves into trouble. Also, while Cub Scouts were accompanied by parents, they weren't necessarily sleeping in the same tent with them. It's always possible boys might have tummy aches, be frightened or have other problems.

 

Under what conditions might you find it desireable to schedule adults to keep watch over the camp and deal with possible problems? What hours might you have such a watch conducted?

 

 

 

Seattle Pioneer

[SemperParatus]

A few years back there was a boy from our state that was on safari in Africa with his mother. A pack of hyenas (or lions - I can't remember which)entered his tent and dragged him away as a meal.

 

A couple of years ago there was a murderer on the loose within 20 miles of our home, that was supposedly living out in the woods, escaping capture by the police.

 

I guess I could see posting a guard in these cases (better that an adult get mauled or killed then a scout - right?). I would never ask folks to stay up to make sure that mischief isn't happening, when our philosophy is that we are teaching scouts to be responsible, respectful and trustworthy. Seems hypocritical to model and teach trustworthiness, only to watch over them while they sleep because we are not sure we can trust them. As a light sleeper, I hear just about everything going on in and around our campsite all night long. In nearly 20 years, nothing has happened of any consequence (other than headaches and hurting tummies).

[Bob White]

I am trying to imagine asking a parent to stay awake while we sleep because we know there is a dangerous murderer hiding in these woods!

 

I would bet the sound barrier would be shattered as he or she grabbed car keys and son and sped for home.

 

I'm going on thirty years as a unit leader and I have never had scouts sneak off in the night or anyone attribute damage or mischief being done by the scouts I served.

 

Maybe it's just luck, but I don't believe it is.

 

 

[EagleInKY]

Way back when I was on camp staff we had an escaped convict in the area. We had an outpost campout going on with a bunch of young scouts. We decided to rotate a night watch.

 

On a campout a year or so ago, we had tornado warnings in the area. My weather radio started lighting up like crazy. I ended up sitting up until the weather cleared.

[OneHour]

Since I'm a light sleeper ... I ended up "guarding" the camp any way. As with EagleInKY, I usually stayed up until the storm passes. I have a concern with having an adult staying up guarding the camp. Most of the time, we have enough adults for ridership, which resulting in 1 driver/ 1 vehicle. Asking the adult to stay up means that we will be creating an unsafe driving condition for the adult on duty for the return trip if it happens to be the next morning.

 

I know, because I had to take a fire watch on a carrier sleepover (I drew the short straw from our Pack). I was very tired the next day for the return trip and had to stop every hour upon the hour for 300 miles. What was suppose to be a 4.5 hours trip turned into a 6.25 hours trip. I forgot how many gallons of coffee I had to drink. Granted that the only scouts who were with me were my own sons, but after that episode, I made sure that every adult who is driving will get plenty of rest the night before the return trip. As my body grows older, it seems that the more rest I need. It could just be coincidental!

 

Also, we are currently fortunate to have a great SPL who keeps a "watch" over the younger guys (also several good Troop Guides as well)! Of course there is always a concerns when it comes to the younger guys, but we made sure that they know where the SPL's tent is, where the troop guide tents are, where the adult tents are, and where is buddy is at all time (should be next to him and if he isn't, that's when they need to wake the SPL up, the troop guide, and then eventually the adult in charge of the trip).

 

1Hour(This message has been edited by OneHour)

[Eamonn]

I am very much a night owl.

The Troop members knew this and knew that I wasn't going anyplace till they had quietened down and nodded off.

However once I do go to sleep, as a rule I sleep the sleep of the dead.

A few years back I was staffing a Wood Badge course at Camp Mountain Run,Bucktail Council. At that time they had a bear that paid nightly visits to the dumpster area. The Bear seemed to grow bigger with each sighting.

I was sleeping no where near the dumpsters and He didn't bother me and I didn't bother him. We got along just fine.

At the time there were no Scouts in camp and the Summer Camp season was over.

Eamonn.

[Lynda J]

I could sleep through the house falling down around me at home. But on camping trips I sleep so light that I know when any boy gets out of his tent and which direction he walks. Last camping trip we had a coyote come into camp about 2 a.m. Everyone was asleep. I eased open my tent and stepped out. The second it saw me it ran. But I heard it walk into camp.

[mclaught]

One thing that I have found is that things go much smoother if I stay up a little while after all of the Scouts go to bed. I normally don't go to bed at home till around midnight anyway so it isn't a real big issue for me. That and it is kind of peaceful to quietly watch the campfire die down to embers by yourself.

 

The first couple of times I did it I was very surprised how much movement takes place after the Scouts were supposed to be asleep. At various times there were a couple boys who were going to switch tents, others did the flashlight under the sleeping bag, others were having late night snacks. (I won't even get into the time at a conclave where the boys snuck out to a nearby golf course and rearranged the flags so the flag for hole #1 was in hole #4 and so on, the golf course people were NOT amused, that was kind of what started this).

 

Anyway, the Scouts have now learned that I stay up for awhile after they are supposed to be asleep, and that I have the ability to stay awake longer walking around outside then they do when lying quietly in their bags. They finally nod off while hoping for me to go to sleep.

 

One thing that everyone should experience is this: very quietly walking up to a tent where the scouts are supposed to be asleep and listening to them for awhile (they never learn how far sound carries at night). Then after a Scout says something that he would probably prefer that you didn't hear (usually regarding girls), put your face right up to the side of the tent and say something like "aren't you guys supposed to be asleep?" It is really funny to listen to the very loud silence after that. Then you just stand there for awhile and then one of the boys says "how long do you think he was standing there?" And once again with your face right up next to the side of the tent (the voice from on high or something like that) you say "long enough to hear everything you said, now go to sleep". That usually ends that for the night.

 

Ahh, we don't get paid a lot, but the laughs are sometimes more than enough payment.

 

Ted