Klondike Derby - Getting units to spend the night

[CNYScouter]

Our district is looking for new ideas to encourage units to stay overnight at our Klondike derby.

Most units come for the day and only a few stay overnight.

It is usually very cold and very snowy.

Cabins are available but most go unused.

There is a heated buildng available but the kitchen is closed during the winter.

 

So we are looking for activities to do that would encourage units to make this maore than a daytime activity.

 

 

 

[Nike]

Why is the kitchen closed?

[moxieman]

For the past five or so years, we've offered an overnight experience as an option for our district klondike derby. Those who stay overnight are scored separately from those who attend only during the day. We have an award ceremony for the day trippers and then we have a separate one for those who brave the night. We have held it on the grounds of school so that we have access to a heated space where some of the activities are held. Units that spend the night are still being judged right up through breakfast. The patrols are not informed of this until the following morning.

 

Additional activities we've done include:

Astronomy/star gazing

A campfire program where each patrol must put on a skit/song (or lose points)

They are observed during their evening meal: are they cooking/working together as a patrol? (score points)

Boy Scout Hollywood Squares--use nine scouters as the 'stars'. Scouts work as a patrol. If they want a square, the scouter is asked a scouting related question which he/she answers and then the scouts have to determine if he/she is right or wrong--just like the old tv game show. This has been a hit.

We wrap-up the evening indoors with a Klondike-themed movie before sending the scouts off to bed in their shelters.

 

I can't think what else we do as I'm usually busy setting-up the AV or participating as one of the squares. We have at least four activities going on at once--half indoors and half outdoors--the patrols rotate through them. Then it's the campfire program, then the movie.

 

Come morning, staff feeds everyone. Again patrols are judged on if they eat as a patrol, say grace, etc. Each patrol is assigned a time to arrive for breakfast. Again, arriving at the correct time scores points.

 

Award ceremony: We don't give trophies. We give away troop gear such as stoves, lanterns, coolers, cook kits, etc. Top patrol gets first pick. Then second place, etc.

 

We also split judging into two divisions: Younger scout patrols (up to 13yrs old) and older scout patrols (14 and above). IF there is a mixed-age patrol, which division they are in is determined by the oldest scout in said patrol.

 

We've only had one year where the majority of the scouts were not allowed to sleep outdoors. It was -25F during the day, never mind how cold it got that night. I say majority for two units did sleep outdoors. They had Maine Guides (which go through very, very rigorous training to get licensed as such) among their adult volunteer leaders who had taught them how to prepare shelters for such extreme cold--and those shelters were inspected by staff before they were allowed to do so. Those scouts still talk about that year. "You remember when we stopped at that station and the judge was trying to cook his lunch, put the pot the steaming pot aside for five minutes to work with us and then found an inch of ice in his pot?"

 

Good luck!

[shortridge]

Snow caves/igloos.

 

Make-your-own-mukluks.

 

Snowshoeing.

 

Tracking and trailing.

 

Ice-fishing.

[CNYScouter]

The kitchen is closed during the winter months (Dec-April) because the pipes will freeze if water is used.

The Kitchen/Dinning Hall is a large building with no heat.

Dinning Hall has 1 fireplace and 1 wood stove and is usually not used during the winter.

 

During Feb. when the Klondike is held, temps usually don't get above freezing for the entire month.

 

 

[Nike]

I think a lot of the activities suggested by the other posters would be great hits. Providing dinner and breakfast for overnighters would seal the deal for me.