Proud Scoutmaster

[gcnphkr]

We had a multi-district Camporee/Webeloree this weekend. About 1200 scouts and scouters. The troop had a fairly good turnout, about half of the troop mostly younger scouts. We just went to have fun. The space was tight with patrols right on top of each other. We build a barrier of tables and supplies between the scouts and the adults just to enforce some separation. The adults were really good about not interfering with the scouts. I would visit the patrols during meals just to see how things were going and visited the SPL a few times during the day. He and his assistants spent a good part of the day planning the next campout and running our activity. At one point I took most of the adults into town to Tastee Freeze because it was hot and there wasn't really anything for us to do. (Sorry, John. I'd have taken you too if I had found you). A couple of patrols placed in an event or two and a first year patrol did a skit at campfire. Overall I was very pleased with them.

 

I was way in the back talking to an MC when one of my ASMs poked me in the rib and told me I had to go down front. We had won the Spirit Award for the Boy Scouts. You could have knocked me over with a feather. Teach the scouts what to do, let them go and they will find a way to surprise you.

[Gunny2862]

Yea!

Good job!

Get 'er done...

[gwd-scouter]

Congratulations to your boys. Love that spirit award!

[gcnphkr]

It is that time of year again and once again I am a very proud SM. This was a district camporee this year and for some reason we managed to win the Spirit Award again. I've no idea how because at least one of the patrols spent a good deal of their time storming away. I guess they kept the storming at home and remembered to behave when in company.

 

The campsite arrangement was the best I've seen at a camporee since I was a lad. While it was in a camp ground, it was big enough that each of the patrols had a separate site. While not 300', 75' is sure a lot better than 0'.

 

We've given up on the campsite awards, they were always based on gates that served no purpose, camp gadgets that no one used and axe yards when we were not allowed to have fires. This year they even scored on having the tour permit and G2SS out. When we saw our score we had the attitude of "Whatever" and proceeded to have fun the rest of the day. Awards time came and they gave us the Presidential award for the campsite. Evidently the sites were so clean, well organized and yet clearly patrols, that they decided to give it to us anyway.

[BartHumphries]

That's awesome, jet526! I can't believe they were scoring based on having the G2SS out. Are people's memories that bad that they need constant reminding of what's inside it (or was this the first time that most people had cracked it open and thus they really needed to learn what was actually inside)?

 

I'm glad you all were rewarded on what (in my opinion, at least) really matters to a campsite. I mean, most of our camping is done in areas where unless we pack in branches ourselves we can't go build gates and we certainly wouldn't have a tour permit out in the open -- that goes in the pack pocket with the first aid kit and the other essential things that you have to have but you hope and pray you'll never have to use.