activities for older youth on campouts

[scouter6]

I'm a ASM, we would like to try and get more of our older youth onto the camp-outs. What kind of activities do you suggest/provide to get that excitement back into the camp-out for them? They seem to do the same thing over and over again, and are looking for for something more. But they are not sure what that is. ANY Ideas out there????

[gwd-scouter]

I would start by asking them what they want to do.

 

Our Troop now has the Awesomeness Patrol, made up of the SPL, ASPL, Quartermaster and JASM. These guys set up their own campsite, somewhere between the adults and the patrols. They plan the campout activities depending on the theme for the month. They may set up an orienteering course, plan a nature scavenger hunt, plan and run the campfire program, games. The adults stay out of their way and they really do like being the take charge guys. They provide challenges and competitions for the patrols.

 

They also have the opportunity once a year to do a adult-free hike and campout. Other scouts not in the awesomeness patrol can also do this hike based on their experience and maturity. Awesomeness Patrol makes that determination. We take all the scouts to the hiking area and the older guys take off in one direction, everyone else goes another. Everyone meets back up again in the morning and hikes out.

 

Also, once a year, a few of the adults and older scouts that want to, may take a long weekend 30 or so miler along the Appalachian Trail. At this year's planning weekend, the older scouts said they wanted to take a whitewater trip to one of the more challenging rivers.

 

Fun times.

[Beavah]

Hi scouter6, welcome to da forums!

 

When someone tells me about older boys fadin' out in participation, da first thing I always think is that they need to look at how they use patrol method and youth leadership. I think it's partly a myth that older fellows need some glitzy high adventure guided tour, eh? What most teens are lookin' for is to be trusted, to be recognized as competent, and to be put in charge. They're lookin' to begin their move to adulthood, so da troops that treat 'em as real leaders - the ones that treat 'em like adults - they get their older boys as full out active participants.

 

So I'd say first step is to take a real good look at how you're doin' youth leadership, and whether yeh have too many adults in the way. Things like what gwd describes, eh? Do your patrols hike and camp alone, without adults? Are the "Awesome" boys treated like that, and do they really run the outing for the younger fellows?

 

Now, if part of what you're sayin' is that the troop program is a bit stale (goin' to the same place doin' the same thing every year), then I think as adults if you want to improve that you have to drop some seeds in the soil, eh? Boys are a fairly conservative lot, they usually don't have enough experience or know-how to do somethin' new from scratch without having seen it before, so they fall back on the tried-and-true as a default.

 

There are all kinds of ways to drop seeds, eh? Bring a few proposed plans/brochures of new stuff to the next PLC or Annual Planning session. Better yet, talk up a few options with boys on da car ride to a campout, and give them da brochures so they're thinkin' about it before a PLC or annual planning meetin'. Better yet, take a small group of older "Awesome Patrol" fellows off on their own special weekend to explore a new activity or location. Once they see and do something themselves, they have a vision of it, eh? And they're no longer afraid that they might not succeed. Then they can plan the event for da rest of the troop, and get that special feelin' of being the cool-guys-in-the-know.

 

Beavah

 

[Stosh]

I like the ideas presented so far but would like to emphasize the "flood them with information". Having too many good things to choose from isn't ever a problem.

 

Kayaking, canoeing, rafting, hiking, museums, backpacking, winter camping, dogsledding, spelunking, climbing, biking, etc. etc. etc. The internet is packed with ideas. Drop a handful of ideas in their lap every week! Every time one gives these out, the boys receive a tacit approval that what they choose is going to be okay with the adults.

 

What a lot of older boys feel the lack of what's acceptable and what's not. If it's something the adults found on the internet it's okay. If they find something they might be interested and there's nothing wrong with it, simply say, "That's a great idea" and put the adult stamp of approval right then and there.

 

One can also take the tried and true ideas and improve on them. Okay, next camporee they're going to be doing the string burn for the umteenth time! Oh wow, how exciting? Suggest flint and steel with making their own charcloth, or drill and bow, or something that takes the hohum and turns it into a challenge that they can be proud of.

 

How about getting out the old 1911 handbook reprint and challenge the boys to make tents, packs, or other gear the historic boys used to do. That might sell well in the centennial years. Their patrol shows up equipped with all this old hand-made equipment and does a seminar on each thing they did for the other modern boys to ooh and aah about.

 

Maybe as a patrol, they take the Red Cross First Aid training and set up and man a first aid station at events. Nice publicity and gives the boys something worthwhile to do.

 

Make everything they do even if it's stale and make it over the top.

 

My boys made a whole winter campout themed on Morse Code and did the flashlight thingy at night and made flags for the daytime. They researched the internet and got all kinds of guides and lessons and had a great time. Be prepared to be up all night looking for batteries. Hint: the older flashlights have the signal button on them that work better than on/off switches. Otherwise, hand over the light works well too. Let them experiment and try out different things. Yep, they even tried the smoke signal thingy that didn't work out as well as they had hoped, but they had fun trying anyway.

 

Oops, almost forgot, take two canoes and turn them into a catamaran sailboat.....

 

We had a cub pack make fold-up kayaks one time.

 

Maybe a contest to see who can come up with the best backpack kitchen for the patrol.

 

The ideas are endless!

 

Stosh(This message has been edited by jblake47)

[Eagledad]

>>So I'd say first step is to take a real good look at how you're doin' youth leadership, and whether yeh have too many adults in the way. Things like what gwd describes, eh? Do your patrols hike and camp alone, without adults? Are the "Awesome" boys treated like that, and do they really run the outing for the younger fellows

[Frank17]

We generally split our scouts into 2 groups when we camp, so as to make it more challenging for the older boys. The younger ones may do a 5 mile day hike, while the older ones backpack 10+ miles with their gear. For bike trips, 10-15 miles for the younger scouts; 50 miles for the experienced ones. Similar for canoing and rafting. Seems to keep their intereset well.

[gwd-scouter]

I will respectfully disagree with Frank's approach. I've seen that done in many troops as a way to keep the older guys interested. Separating them from the younger scouts. Nothing wrong with it a couple of times a year to give the older guys an adventure of their own, but taking them away from the younger guys on a regular basis, takes away their opportunities to teach, mentor, and lead those younger guys. Former SMs in our troop tried that approach, setting up a Venturing Patrol. Problem was, those guys essentially checked out of the troop and involvement with the younger scouts. That led to an adult run troop and it was a disaster.

 

Our older Scouts own "their" troop and the younger boys are "their" boys. They take great pride in watching them learn and grow. Now, as our most senior boys are in the last years of high school, they are watching those once new scouts step into their shoes and begin to take charge of the troop. It's a wonderful thing to watch.

[scouter6]

that's part of the problem. Some don't want the responsibility, some feel that they are babysitting the younger ones, some don't want to be around the younger one's anymore.

Our main camping season for the troop is Sept-May up here in Mich. They don't know what they really want to do on a camp-out. Suggesting the Scout themes haven't worked out so far.

What have your youth done on camp-outs? I'm trying to get some ideas to bring back to them to take off from.

The one winter camp-out they really enjoyed is the ski-slope where they go tubing and snowboarding.

[gwd-scouter]

Hate to say it, but if your older scouts have that attitude, it will be very difficult to change. When I became SM in our troop, I focused on the younger guys and changing the culture of our Troop. Started training the next generation of junior leaders and building the expectation among them that it is their troop and they will be responsible for planning and carrying out campouts and other activities. It took several years, but here we are now with those once 12-year-old scouts working on training their replacements and getting ready to hand over the reigns.

 

Have an annual planning weekend campout. You will have to jump start the guys into thinking beyond doing the same old things they've done before. Before the weekend, task all your guys with coming up with at least thing they'd like to do that they haven't done before. Lay all the ideas out. Rule out those that are G2SS approved, but don't rule out anything else right off. For instance, the first time we did this, the guys were talking about going to an amusement park for a day. A couple of the older scouts said that there was no way Mrs. B. would let them do that. Guess what? Mrs. B. most certainly did let them do that and we all had a great time. Over time, a common statement heard from the guys in our troop was "if we plan it, we can do it."

 

That's how we got started. Please remember though, once you get these guys thinking it is their troop and they make the plans, get out of their way and let them go.

[scouter6]

What do you mean by planning and carryout the camp-out? Are they doing the leg work to getting the place for the camp-out and then plan all the activities? getting the list of who's going and making sure enough adults have signed-up?

currently, the boys plan out the monthly camp-outs in feb and march for the following sept-august.

[gwd-scouter]

The planning weekend lays out the calendar for the upcoming year. It is mostly just what they want to do for a particular month - rather broad idea. Then each month, the PLC gets together to make more detailed plans for the following month's campout.

 

A typical month in our Troop getting ready for a campout. I'll use the upcoming December trip, already decided during the annual planning weekend to go to our council camp.

 

An adult sends in the reservation form for that.

 

PLC decides what activities will happen on that trip. Orienteering is a great activity when we're there so that's one of the main activities for this annual campout. PLC will decide who is in charge of setting up the course. Other activities for the weekend are also decided at the PLC meeting held one month prior. I've overheard them talking already about having a patrol cooking competition this year. The PLC will also plan the meeting activities leading up to the campout.

 

Meetings leading up to the campout may include:

 

discussion and demonstration of proper cold weather clothing and preparation and first aid.

 

In this case because they have orienteering planned, the guys will go over again the proper use of a compass for another meeting.

 

If the guys do decide to have a cooking competition, I imagine they will have part of a meeting to give the patrols ideas, cookbooks, website info, on interesting menu items.

 

Last meeting before the campout, the patrols plan their menus, pick whomever will buy the food and collect money from their patrol members. SPL or ASPL goes over the menu with the PL and grubmaster. PL makes up the roster of who is going, makes the duty roster for the weekend, and turns in money to the Treasurer. PLs let me know how many guys in their patrols are going so I can make sure we have enough drivers and send in a tour permit.

 

Hope this helps.

[scouter6]

"The planning weekend lays out the calendar for the upcoming year. It is mostly just what they want to do for a particular month - rather broad idea."

We do this already.

 

The area we seem to be lacking in, is in planning as to what will happen on the camp-out. The patrols will plan, buy and cook their own meals. Sometimes make a duty roster.

I'm still looking for ideas that other troops do for older youth activities.

 

 

[John-in-KC]

How big is your Troop?

 

How many older (let's use over 15) youth?

 

What are they doing now?

 

What are your typical camp weekends now? Does the troop fall in on the same tentpeg holes every few months? What are your winter camps like?

 

And ... are you doing what Beavah said in his post: "to be trusted, to be recognized as competent, and to be put in charge. They're lookin' to begin their move to adulthood," (his emphases removed)???

 

It's easier for us to help you if we know what you're doing now...

[gcnphkr]

They are happiest when they can camp as far away from the other scouts as possible and be left to do what they want. Given a choice 100 yards is not far enough.

 

The current "venture patrol" likes to play Magic, The Gathering and D&D. They are planning something along the lines of SCA with padded swords, staves, etc and want to learn tracking and stalking. They are also planning the next campout which we will have with Webelos scouts.

[scouter6]

Thanks jet for a couple of ideas.

 

We just hit 53 youth in the troop. We have 8 at 15+ and are working on their Eagle with 3 that have just earned it.

The Jan. (winter) is a tubing/snowboard at a ski hill( they love this one). The Dec. and March is a cabin camp-out with not much planned by anyone. The other ones are tent camp-outs in the woods with one being attended by the Webelos.

When asked, the older youth say they don't know what they want to do. And suggestions that have come up, get voted down. A couple ideas that they have had- they did not follow through with. As Jet526 says " happiest when left alone to do their own thing."