How is the food going to be prepared? Is it precooked? Is it brought to the Patrols? How is it packaged? For instance is the rice already cooked or do the patrols have to boil the water and cook it from scratch?

[Crossramwedge]

Are the patrol meals precooked or do the boys have to cook their food from scratch. In other words how hard is it going to be for these kids to get the food cooked in a timely manner? Is the food brought to their campsite?

[Basementdweller]

The potatos and rice is the instant kind. It was not precooked in that it was a warm up or boil a fair. The meals were ok as I remember and pretty typical camp kinda food. The directions were pretty good, One of our patrols refused to follow the directions and had a couple of failed or really late meals.

 

Scratch potatos are the kind you peel the potatos and boil for a real long time. Real rice cooking is an art form as well. Mine is rarely right, so I just use instant.

[Crew21_Adv]

Crossramwedge,

 

Greetings!

 

In 2005, the breakfast and dinner meal were issue and pick up from the subcamp commissary. (within walking distance), but the cook/asst cook need to pick up on time. Box Lunch was an individual pick up from any one of the nearby lunch issue commissary kiosk.

 

The food issue did not require cooking, only warming.

 

In 2005, At least on one day, fried chicken was on the menu to be delivered for dinner. The contracted kitchen did not prepare it thoroughly. The Jamboree food inspectors found the fried chicken to be slightly raw and uncooked. But the DOD and U.S. Army stepped in and provided a squad meal (8-10 person).

 

So a SM/ASM team would have to be concerned about a fair duty roster, but the KP would probably work more than the cooks.

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

[Basementdweller]

My experience was more than a few years old...... We had to cook in the camp site.

[Crew21_Adv]

Fellow Jamboree Scouters,

 

 

Yeah.. I was an ASM during the 2005. The 2005 Jamboree Food Service Group had some pretty decent planning to really facilitate convenience. The meals did not require alot of cooking, it was mainly warming. The Jamboree Food Service Group was well aware, that troops cannot easily substitute a raw or burnt meal. Alot of good planning, with unfortunately one error.

 

The still half-raw fried chicken was an error on the contracted caterer. It angered many participants, but it was not the fault of the Jamboree staff; and a substitute was provided in time.

 

The lunch contract was in error though. They briefed that they had 9 kiosk lunches (arrival day and 8 program days), but they had actually contracted just for 8. (Arrival day and 7 program days). I don't think the Jamboree food staff was actually aware of the contract error until the morning of the final program day.

 

On the final day program day 8, An hour after 0900, the start of the program day and departure from the campsites, most all the Scouts were on the streets exploring the last day of Jamboree. Around 1100 on the final day, the Subcamp Commissioner staff and Subcamp Commissary staff came running thru announcing the lunch contracted ended the day before (program day 7) and there would be no Lunch Kiosk on the final program day 8. It was too late to recall the Scouts, and have them pack whatever snacks they could grab.

 

That evening, the Scouts happily devoured the dinner meal on the final night of Jamboree.

 

But my bottom line. The food issue was good, the subcamp commissary (fellow Scouters) was professional, and the Scouts were able to cook and KP without any problems. Just 1 disappointment out of 27 meals.

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21_Adv

[Basementdweller]

Is this one of the aspects of the Jambo that is driving up the cost?????

 

Why aren't the troops cooking in the camp site??

[emb021]

"Is this one of the aspects of the Jambo that is driving up the cost?????"

 

Keep in mind that the Jamboree costs about $600-700. Anything beyond that is what the local council is charging for their costs.

 

"Why aren't the troops cooking in the camp site??"

 

To cut down on time spent in camp to give the kids more time doing the Jamboree activities. What do you want the scouts doing, having fun or cooking meals?

 

[Venividi]

"To cut down on time spent in camp to give the kids more time doing the Jamboree activities. What do you want the scouts doing, having fun or cooking meals? "

 

If done with the right attitude, cooking as a patrol is one of the most fun memories of camping. For most activities, scouts go out in pairs or threes. With cooking, the entire patrol works together to prepare a meal, and then sits down together to eat it as a patrol, with a feeling of accomplishment that "we did it together".

 

I suspect that it is more likely that Jamboree would provide pre-cooked meals because either it is easier logistically for the huge crowd, or that it would be the lowest common denominator so as to accomodate scouts that haven't really learned to cook.

 

 

[Twocubdad]

Crossramwedge, I assume you're asking as an interested parent or Scouter, since by now all the participants have completed training and shakedowns and have been trained on meal prep.

 

There will be some "real" cooking, but not a lot. The equipment list for each patrol emphasizes catering steam trays for heating up the meals. Consequently, we're assuming there will be a lot of heat-and-serve meals. The menu for the shakedown weekend (which was provided by national) included canned beef stew and green beans for one dinner and burgers and baked beans for the other. The stew and beans had to be heated and, of course, the burgers cooked. The bigger job was clean up. Personally, if the beef stew had come in a disposable aluminum tray to be heated in the steam tray, it would have been okay with me. One less pot to clean.

 

As for details, a complete menu and food prep guide will be distributed to all the boys with their first food pickup Monday afternoon.

 

Now if you're looking at this more theoretically, the current meal system works pretty well. No one goes to jamboree to spend time in the campsite chopping veggies for a scratch-made stew. Frankly, the way jamboree is set up and how the program is run, cooking and cleaning is just overhead. The real programs take place out of the campsites.

 

Working as a patrol is given its due, considering that these are contingent troops, and not regular patrols. Patrols are required to set up duty rosters and work together to prepare meals. Each patrol has a large table and sits down together for grace, the meal and conversation. Seems to be a pretty good application of the 80/20 rule.