District equipment?

[CNYScouter]

Do any of your districts have any equipment to use at District Events (Camp-o-rees or Klondike Derbies), Roundtables or Training?

 

I am talking about things like a First Aid kit, clip boards, easels or stands, stop watches and other small items that are almost always used at these types of events.

 

Our District has none of this kind of stuff and it seems that we are always scrounging for these items (or trying to borrow from troops) to use at District events.

 

How does your District handle getting these things for events?

 

[srisom]

In point of fact, the District can own no equipment.

 

In our District, the items you mentioned are sometimes in the hands of the DE. Most of the time it depends upon the event. Then it comes down to whoever is in charge of the event had the responsibility of getting the needed equipment for the event or at least getting others to help and they supply the items.

 

We have been fortunate for several years when it comes to such things as Camporees, Gold Rush, Pinewood Derby, etc. Our prior Boy Scout Activities leader purchased a trailer and along with others outfitted it with equipment for District events. When he left the trailer left. However, his replacement also acquired a trailer and through donations has outfitted it to handle most District events. It is mostly used for Camporees and Cub Camping events. There has been some reference to it being called in for Red Cross use. That's how good it is.

 

All of this has been out of the pockets of the gentlemen and helpers.

 

[SSScout]

"What has the District done for me lately?"

Yep the District can "own" nothing unto it self, but yet it can, as a Scout is Trustworthy.

I presently have probably $500. worth of equipment in my shed that by rights is the Districts (or some Districts, we've been reorganized and amalgamated three times in the past five years). It was bought with fees from CSDC, Camporees, and Web Weekends. It is brought out and used as needed. It will go onto somebody elses shed eventually.

Out our way, Camporees and WWeekends are sponsored and organized by local units. The stuff needed comes out of their trailers and Scout dads' sheds. And then it goes back. Jake knows that Sam has XX and Pete remembers that John T. has a PPP that we can use. It gets done. "the way opens" and things worth doing get done. By Somebody, doesn't it?

 

Around here, we do not think of the word "scrounge" as a bad word.

 

Just remember to put a NAME on the popup shelter so it can go back in the right garage.

[AnniePoo]

Just curious, srisom, what's in the trailer?

[Eamonn]

srisom is right about Districts not owning stuff.

But...

A Council can own stuff and the District is an arm of the Council, so the Council can provide stuff for District use.

 

I have organized District events (Which are depending on how you look at it really Council events??) And as part of the budget for the event bought stuff that will be used again often in the same event.

It might be said that this stuff does belong to the Council, as the District is an arm of the Council.

 

Cub Scout Day Camp Directors have been known to go so far as to buy stuff for next years day camp, before sending in the final account for this years camp. - Normally this is done when they have extra money and will meet the projected budget.

 

Our District Cub Scout Olympics has over the years managed to purchase everything they need for the event. In part because the Olympics has been going on for about 30 years.

To keep everyone happy everything is inventoried and a copy is dent to the Council Service Center.

Most of the people involved in /with Training tend to buy the equipment that they need. In part because even when times were good getting money from the Council was a real pain and in part because the people involved with training's want to keep the cost down for the participants.

Ea.

[ReneScout]

From what I gather from district people, almost all that stuff belongs to two parties: the troops, and the council.

 

Stuff for Camporee is pretty much kept by the ranger of the camp (from logs to signal blares to watches to the trebuchet ), with the rest brought by the troops who run the stations. Klondike is mainly all done by the troops, though, since that place is not a council camp. For stuff like MB fairs, the church where we have the event loans us all we still need after the instructors set up shop (easels, boards, etc). Roundtables and training use stuff brought by the people participating, like videos and

 

And actually, this 'reliance' on the troops has never failed the district, and we've never "scrounged." We've never been short on supplies and equipment, though I suppose it's because we have well-stocked troops with ready leaders.

[Twocubdad]

There's policy and there's how stuff works. This is just how stuff works. One of the sessions I teach at NCS is "Resouces" or how to scrounge for stuff. If we are taught to get creative in scrounging for stuff, I see no reason to not get creative in how we hang on to the stuff we already have.

 

Every day camp director worth his bug juice and gold fish has a garage full of stuff that "belongs" to the day camp. For years we played the game of dolling stuff out to packs who "owned" day camp stuff. We finally found someone with an empty corner of a warehouse who keeps all the stuff for us. It would probably fill a 20x20 storage unit that would cost us well over $100 per month if we had to pay for it.

 

Official council policy was that after camp all equipment and materials were to be taken to the council camp for canibalization -- uh, I mean storage. Strange, though, nothing was ever there the next year. Archery stuff would disappear, whole 10x20 canopies would walk off. Interestingly, the council camp's inventory of similar stuff was always on the money. The council refused to provide secure storage for our stuff, so we just did a work around. Our DE did his Three Little Monkey routine while day camp stuff was put away for the year. Analyze, adapt, overcome.

 

Last year I was in a properties committee meeting with the our new Scout Executive when the subject of storage for day camps came up. The new SE says, "what, don't all your camp directors just squirrel stuff away like they do in every other council?"

 

EGADS! Get that man a red jacket! He's one of us!

 

 

[shortridge]

Twocubdad,

 

Would you be willing to post some ideas or suggestions from your NCS sessions here? Or perhaps start a new thread?

 

I consider myself a fairly good scrounger - I'm definitely a pack-rat type. But even a Flight Lt. Bob Hendley can learn some new tricks.

 

Thanks!

[srisom]

The trailer contains such things as:

80 Gal Water Tank with spigot

Industrial style Propane burners (5) which can be set up anywhere

2 Large Tarps with poles and sides

Brooms, Bow Saws, Shovels, other tools

Volleyball Equip., Softball Equip., Frisbees, other play equipment

Lots of cook gear - Pots, Pans, Cast Iron Skillets, Dutch Ovens, Utensils, etc.

Tables, Chairs

2-Way radios, Compasses

One end has a desk and work area

One side is lined with cabinets which contain the Cook Gear along with:

Cooking Supplies - Cups, Plates, Utensils, Napkins, Bowls, Cans of food, Spices, etc.

Water Jugs, Coolers, Lanterns

Extra Blankets, Sleeping Bags, etc.

Just about anything that is needed. Certainly have not listed all of it. But you get the idea.

 

Trailer serves as the District Headquarters for Camporees and Cub events. Has room for 2 to sleep on mats on the floor if needed.

 

Contained equipment has been used to feed a couple hundred at Cub events.

 

OA Members help at Cub events.

[Eagle92]

Last year I was in a properties committee meeting with the our new Scout Executive when the subject of storage for day camps came up. The new SE says, "what, don't all your camp directors just squirrel stuff away like they do in every other council?"

 

EGADS! Get that man a red jacket! He's one of us!

 

Unless he already has one, or has one of those nifty plaid PEDRO jac shirts! Sounds like you have a SE that you pray to stay a long time. We got one of those now and it's an awesome expereince.

 

 

[Twocubdad]

Roger that, E92. He's still fairly new on the job and I know is focused on the staff and money side of things. I pray for the day that he starts to shake up the program side.

 

Shortridge -- I will spin this off to another thread for you.

 

[OldGreyEagle]

See, now when I think of scroungers, I think of Lt. JG Nicholas Holden

[Twocubdad]

Okay, I tried several times over a couple hours to post the spin-off thread but keep getting an error message. So I stick with it here.

 

The camp school session is mostly a discussion where the participants share their local resources. It comes with the usual warnings which apply to fundraisers (that is, before contacting a business for a contribution, be sure to clear it with your DE, less your request for scrap foul up a big-buck cash contribution).

 

Most of the suggestions seem to relate to materials -- a cardboard manufacturer for large sheets of cardboard, a company that makes dog collars and horse tack for leather scraps, lumberyards and building material wholesalers for scraps (as a contractor I always warn folks to NOT scrounge building sites for scrap material -- many places it's illegal and dangerous), paint stores for mis-mixed paint, Lowe's and Home Depot both have grant programs where you apply for corporate money to cover the cost of the stuff you then buy from them; bakeries and food manufacturers for snacks; military surplus stores always have cool stuff, even if you have to pay for it; printers and newspapers for paper scraps and roll ends; carpet manufactures and retailers for carpet scraps and really huge paper tubes; camp school.

 

I also remind folks to think in terms of other organizations that can provide ready-made programs and volunteers: everone has probably used the local police, fire or medics for stuff (climbing on a firetruck is always fun, I don't care who you are); local historical societies and reinactment groups, like Stosh's Venture crew, can add a lot to a program; one camp had a "boot camp for boys" theme and had a drill instructor from a local army reserve unit come out and lead exercises for the boys every morning -- Smokey the Bear hat and all.

 

I alway conclude the session by warning folks not to burn out either their volunteers or contributors by going to the well too often. Why spend hours and hours scrounging an item you can buy for a few bucks. Be sure to spread the wealth among the local businesses and send them some actual business when you can.

 

Like I said, the NCS session is more of a discussion sharing ideas among the participants. What are you favorite sources?