Food

[spork]

I am curious as to how other troops handle patrol food (costs, etc).

[dan]

In my son troop, the patrol picks a grubmaster for the campout, the patrol writes out a menu and duty assigments. the grubmaster collects 10 dollars from each patrol member attending the campout. The grubmaster purchases the food. This troop does not have leaders eat with the patrols, the leaders cooks as there own patrol.

[evmori]

In my Troop, each patrol has a QM who is reaponsible for the patrol gear as well as the food for camping trips. He doesn't always buy the food but can assign the tsk to another scout(s) in the patrol. He determines the cost by the menu, usually $10 to $15 per trip.

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

[bugle344]

We collect an outing fee and parent signature at the "business table" (manned by an adult or boy Treasurer). This fee includes any permit fees, etc. We add $1 to each outing fee for Troop misc (fuel, new gear).

We budget $2 per meal, per Scout, and write a check to each patrol grubmaster. The adult Treasurer likes this recordkeeping.

We leave Friday's at 5 pm. Many times we are setting up in the dark, so we have the Scouts bring a sack supper. This helps simplify an already hectic day. If it's a long drive, we can stop for a break and have our supper along the way.

Adult Patrol operates the same way, independently of the Scouts. (but we eat better stuff!)

[scomman]

We are a troop from the poor side of town and how we handle food costs is a bit different. We fundraise through out the year and put all monies into the troop budget to be used as needed. We charge a small fee to the kids to make them realize that if they cancel they are out of luck and have to pay usually no more than 5.00 per outing. The troop pays all other fees and purchases equipment as needed. We also do jobs around for our charter partner to help them out and they help us out with a yearly donation over and above what we raise.

 

If we didn't do it this way we would not have anyone to go on outings.

[bugle344]

scomman - thanks for helping me keep my perspective!

[Double Eagle]

I think Dan and I are in the same troop. The one thing we (adult patrol) use is the same budget as the scouts. Usually $10 each. This way they see what we spent it on (usually not chips and munchies)and the possibilities. If there is a troop snack/cracker barrel, it usually comes from troop funds approved at the committee meeting prior.

[dan]

My son troop also has a rule of no hot dogs, hamburgers, BBQ chicken, poptarts or cookies unless they are made from scratch.

 

The leaders also has a 10 dollar budget per scouter, but they usually go over that.

 

The troop has decided that the leaders will show the scouts how good they could eat it they wanted to really put forth the effort, I was talking with one of the older scouts about what we where eating, and he said Oh course you have to try to outdo everyone again didnt you! Sounds like the plan backfired!

 

 

[Double Eagle]

When we have our meal, there is usually enough to offer some out. We kinda plan for this. Having some is better than looking and smelling it. Kept in a friendly spirit, we often sample some of theirs too. Not a competition just different tastes, so to speak.

[ScouterPaul]

Not much to add here. We charge $10 per outing. 50% of all fund rasiing dollars goes into the Scouts account which he can use for any scouting related item including the outing fees, dues, and camping gear. The Troop will not let a boy stay at home because the family can not afford the cost of the outing.

 

The leaders also pay $10 and we cook seperately from the boys.

[cheesywezzy]

we charge the girls 10-15 dollars depending on what we decide to have. this includes, food for meals, activities we plan (if we need any special supplies), and to cover the camp rental fee we have to pay. then we have the girls bring a drink and snack to share with everyone. we find that this works best, as we alway end up spending out of own pockets to buy food, sometimes we still do, but not as often.

[gfavre]

Our Troop uses the Patrol Method exclusively when dealing with food. The boys in the patrol take turns making the menu and getting patrol approval. After approval, the grubmaster takes his list to the store and prices the items on his list. Two weeks before the campout, he notifies his patrol members how much the cost will be. One week before the campout he collects the money. He then goes and purchases the food. If someone does not show up, he gets no refund. If any money is leftover, it goes into the patrol funds for the next campout. The SPL and then the SM must approve the menu before the patrol can purchase items. This helps in case something may have been miscalculated or left off the list. Just a check though, maybe a few suggestions too along the way. Using this method allows the boys to get items signed off, having to do with preparation of menu, pricing, and cooking for patrol. If they mess up or forget some food, then they will survive. As a last resort, they can come and ask the SM for the PB & J he always seems to carry in case of emergencies. But then they have to listen to my critique on their menu planning and buying skills, so therefore my PB & J stock lasts all year. They learn from doing and making mistakes along the way. About the only thing we do is make sure the food is cooked poperly, i.e. no raw chicken, etc. Our adults eat together as a patrol using the same method as the boys. We rotate each months campout, with a different grubmaster each month.

[spork]

Thanks for the help!!!

[LGBraden]

In our troop each patrol creates the menu and the campout grubmaster does the shopping. All menus must be approved by the scoutmaster. We make sure they are actualy going to be cooking. I had an older scout that wanted to bring pre cooked food for dinner. Review of the menu and shopping list is a must. Now the patrols all have a guests for the day or weekend. We split the adults between the patrols. This gives adults a chance to make sure that they are actualy rotating the duties as listed on the dutry roster. Plus it gives us a chance to interact with the patrol while it is functioning. The boys work harder at cooking when they know that a guest will be coming to dinner.

 

 

[ScoutPerson]

Ive done several approaches which have been mentioned here which all work. But now I have the kids plan the menu prior to the outing. Steak, chicken, pop-tarts, etc. whatever they like as long as its balanced. My wife then asks for volunteers to join her shopping, usually after everyones gone once or twice she goes herself as they have their requirements completed, usually this is about through each year. When there are no volunteers she goes herself which by then shes ready to do alone and enjoys shopping as she does other shopping too. But, when the kids go she only shops for the troop.

 

I did use to make each patrol do it individually but that started costing more and really just started making other issues to deal with. She works with the youths and stops at several places along the way to Sams Club (which every parent does not have a membership too) getting the best price possible on the items needed. In the past, some parents would shop at the 7-11 etc. As many have pointed out on this website the adults are often more of a problem then the scouts.

 

She does a good job along with MB counseling and teaching them how to properly manage a budget and shop etc. The patrol method was fun to watch as a youth returned with chips and soda and junk food for the weekend, but it just got to be expensive. We charge $15 for every campout and there are no limits on what you can eat. We eat good and many eat better on campouts then they do at home. Every campout runs in the hole and the difference comes from the general fund.

 

We also have done patrol cooking and had patrol boxes and everyone needed mess kits etc. This worked, but started to take on a never ending battle of getting the patrols to cleanup etc. Often too much time was wasted doing dishes etc. and the older kids and some adults started turning it into a contest of always out doing each other. And yes, they started cheating like bringing or spending more, the adults started bring crystal mess kits, cloth napkins etc. so we went to troop cooking as a group with paper plates, cups, etc. and run the cooking as a troop dinning hall just like summer camp. A patrol, or members of different patrols all report to the scout kitchen for each meal and they cook it and we eat family style.

 

If its bad, its bad for all and Ill tell you Ive eaten many crunchy eggs. But its a level playing field. Also, since they cook it and do kitchen cleanup the bacon has been removed from the breakfast menu ever try cleaning up greasy equipment from bacon in a rustic camp area? One or two of those and the kids quickly learn to take it off the menu. BBQ Chicken was one on the menu too, but once they learned that required 4 hours of watching and cooking instead of playing and having fun etc. it too went to the bottom of the list. Along with steak, each year the new scouts start with lets have steak. Ok, we do as it comes up occasionally. Ever have a steak cooked by an 11 yr old? Mine is usually chewy, and requires a chainsaw to cut and this too becomes low on the list. But it does make for fun campfire talk as we all talk about the time Joe made the steak that nobody could eat, and they say but do you remember the home-fries Billy made where he dumped in all that chilly powder and you needed a fire extinguisher to eat them, etc. etc.

 

My advice is to allow the kids to do it and adopt whats best for your unit. Keep the adults out and make every adult get trained as soon as possible.

 

At our next meeting, after the campout, the SPL makes all the kids fill-out a quick survey of the camping trip rating several key areas on a scale of 1 to 10. The meals are rated and an open discussion is held on what worked, what didnt, and what would have made the trip better. The youths also rate the adults and are asked if any adult should be asked to NOT continue or are not allowed to go again (maybe just that type of activity like an adult is to out of shape to ride the bike etc). This is a critical part of our program because the adults are in a probation period when they first join and are required to get trained, during this time we weed out problem adults (we are just not too quick in signing up every adult that comes along). Surprisingly, theyre assessment of adults sometimes sounds similarly to the adults assessment of the scouts. I handle this and it has caused some uncomfortable moments, but I always tell them they run the program and Ive had to tell parents that theyre no longer allowed to go on any more campouts, it has happened. But, normally I recommend we send them to additional training, talk to them, workout a corrective plan etc. It works and its actually fun and adds value. In one case my ASM was Mr. Grumpy on the outing, bad week at work etc. etc. The kids complained, they will not fire someone after they get of probation and trained as those types get weeded out prior; but the kids gave Mr. Grumpy latrine duty the next campout to improve his attitude. He made a joke out of it and my next campout almost required a bus because every kid went to see Mr. Grumpy clean the latrine which was supervised by the kids. He was a good sport about it even when they took the white glove approach to inspecting his work.

 

Best of luck and let the kids run the program.