Camporees - Whos in charge - Who runs them

[Eagle Foot]

Our district has decided to cancel our upcoming fall camporee because of conflicts, because of other activities that are not on that weekend but near. They feel that attendance would be low which could have overruns in expences.

 

Yes the fall camporee had 20 attendees, the sping had 325, the privious fall camporee had 165, and so on and so on.

 

The Key 4 the Program Chairman, District Ex, Dist. Comis, and Dist. Char. have decided or have had it from another source that they will make the decisions as to who, what, when, where, and how the camporees will be conducted and operated. I was under the understanding that allthough it is not the Boy Scout camping chairmans responsibility, (which is how it has always been done in our district) that no longer will I or that position be the responsible for setting up the camporees. We have tried letting the troop be host, but in the end we just had an expensive camping trip. Finding adults and scouts that will undertake this is hard and far between. The complaint is that everything seems to be at last minute,,,they are right...getting a comitment form enough folks to organize is often hard if not impossible. You never know who is going to bail at the last minute. Everybody has an idea, but they are not willing to commit to helping. Our past camping chariman had the same problem, you just have to deal with it. In larger districts this does not seem to be as big of a problem.

 

Just how does your district do this?

 

Edited by Eagle Foot

[Eamonn]

Couple of thoughts.

Never heard of a Key 4 before?

 

All of our District Camporees are the same weekend of the same month every year. Troops know this and can use it when making an annual plan.

 

When we (The District Committee) noticed that attendance was down, we looked at the programs we were offering!!

They were really bad!!

We looked at what didn't work. (Troops going back to their sites for lunch!!)

We seen that there was very little planning. More that we had a theme and on Friday night a meeting was held to see if we could make it work - Most times we managed a half hearted, half miss-mashed kinda something.

 

We looked at communication. It wasn't very good. We started to invite SPL's to R/T to help plan the events.

 

We made sure that who ever the Activities Chairman had got to plan the event gave a full report to the District Committee before and after the event.

 

We seen that we were trying to do everything at a set price. It didn't work. Different programs may at times cost more, so we priced the event accordingly and provided lunch in the price.

 

I swore if I ever saw another String Burning Contest at a District Camporee I'd go nuts!!

 

I had a hard time trying to get the District Committee to see that it was OK if some Troops were busy and couldn't attend and it was our role to offer activities that would support the Troops not get in their way.

 

It worked we seen about 100% increase in attendance.

 

My pet peeve is Venturers (As Crews) at Boy Scout Camporees. It's a Boy Scout event and if something needs done get a Boy Scout to do it. Sure a Venturer can pass on his skills if he has any.

Let the Crews and Ships do their own thing.

Eamonn.

[SR540Beaver]

Hey, I like the string burning contest!!!

[Cubmaster Randy]

We get involvement by distribution of the responsiblites to each of the troops in our district. No one troop is responsible for putting it on and all troops particiapting have a role. (Ownership sparks involvement)

The Camporee is structured around a central theme (that the boys pick) and the Program Activities are designed to support that theme (by the troops). Outside experts and resources have been used to advance core objectives of the theme. The main objective of Camporee is to promote fun of outdoor scouting activities.

 

Leadership and Staffing

Each troop takes responsiblity for an area of responsiblity as well as a troop activity. The troops will pick what they want to do by size of unit, the resourses to get the job done, as well as the interest level of the troop

 

The Camporee Camp Director is a volunteer and is approved (recruited) by the District Program Committee. Working with him is a camporee SPL, who picks several ASPL's (from the other troops) to help run the event with the help of the reps. The Camp Director and Camp SPL are supported by a volunteer staff from the troops in various critical areas including:

 

Program Development

Health and Safety

Logistics Coordination

Communications

Registration

Finance and Accounting

Recognition and Awards

Facilities Management

 

 

 

 

Troop commitments

Each Troop provides a Scout as a representative to the Camporee planning committee, with an adult leader to assist. We meet monthly starting about 6 months from the camporee date and when we get closer sometimes have an extra meetings

We encourage every Troop to plan on attending Camporee as part of their major activities plans. For the past couple of years, we have had 450-500 people attend camporee.

 

 

 

[jr56]

My council is currently planning a fall camporee. A special committee has been formed to plan and run the camporee.