Grocery Shopping for Campouts

[Mike F]

Our troop uses Patrol Grubmaster as described by others. No money handled at the troop level. Patrols encouraged to collect ahead of time and proceed at own risk if they decide not to do. Scouts who cancel after food is bought do not get refund.

 

We used to have all patrol members and adults going on a campout meet at one grocery store on a selected night prior to the campout. What we saw was very little pre-planning and lots of wandering around the store trying to figure out what they needed. We had the same confusion about buying for guys who weren't there that night and it always took a long time for a lot of people - big waste of time. Now the patrols do a better job of planning and will send an experienced scout with a new grubmaster to show him the ropes. (They learned this after a couple of young, skinny scouts brought enough food to feed small guys their size, but the 16 & 17-yr old "horses" were starving by the end of the weekend.)

 

I've noticed some comments about also collecting camping fees with food money. We used to do that, but now pay all camping fees out of the troop treasury. Rationale: Campouts are the troop program and are paid for by the whole troop - even those who don't participate. This doesn't apply if there are additional expenses, like canoe rentals, but does apply to all campsite entrance fees.

 

-mike

[MarkS]

Our patrols use a grubmaster to buy food too. The patrols try to figure out who is most able to do the shopping keeping in mind that they should be fair and try take turns. If they can't figure it out, the PL assigns the job like any other duty roster job.

 

No budget is set. Patrols decide on their menus and figure out about how much it will cost. If necessary they settle up shortages or surpluses after the campout but usually they're pretty accurate. Money never passes through the hands of anyone outside the patrol (well, maybe the grubmaster's parents, but he's still supposed to do the shopping--sometimes first-timers in a NSP might shop with the TG but usually the TG just answers questions of the parent of a first-timer). Patrols try to keep it to about $10 per weekend campout that would typcially be about $2.50 per meal. However, if they want to have rack of lamb with parisienne potatoes and asparagus wrapped in carrot rings and lime sorbet for dessert, they can.

 

Our Scoutmaster does not approve menus. Instead he works thru the SPL by having the SPL review them for nutritional balance, whether or not they can be prepared (including eating and clean-up) in the anticipated time available, and making suggestions. If the SPL is not sure, he talks to the SM, the SM makes suggestions, and the SPL gives them to the PL.

 

Our troop fundraising pays for everything on our monthly weekend campouts except food. For the most part, all the patrols do the same activities at one of our campouts. Because the general activities are planned by the PLC, the patrols don't have full responsibiity over those activites. However, we treat meal preparation as strictly a patrol based activity that combines, planning, leadership, teamwork, and fellowship. That's why food money is not part of our budget, we don't want to limit the boys.

 

It seems to work for us.(This message has been edited by MarkS)

[momofcolin]

I want to thank everyone for their thoughts on this topic. I presented the Scouts with many of your suggestions and than we left it up to each patrol. Many opted for a grubmaster and asst. grubmaster one patrol liked shopping as a patrol. I have heard positive comments from those that have vaired their routine of everyone going camping shops. This forum was incredible useful. THANKS!!!!!!

[BrotherhoodWWW]

Even though this is an Old topic I feel the need to respond. I'm not sure how my son's Troop's Patrols do it now since they have not had a campout yet since he crossed over.

 

I do however remember how it used to be done when I was a youth. Prior to the camping trip after a menu was planned a shooping list was created. One or two patrol members would go to a local grocery store and price all the food. A total was then diveded by the number of patrol members going. With that amount rounded to the next whole dollar the fee was collected by the one or two shoppers. In this way there was always plenty of food. Scouts did all the planning and shopping. Valuable life lessons were learned by all about budgeting and shopping. This shopping responsibility was passed from scout to scout each campout. In a couple years time each scout had done it. Some may think pre-pricing is a waste of time. Before jumping to that conclusion think what it teaches about shopping vs buying. It also gives a Scout one more oppurtunity to actually do a Scouting activity. That alone seems better than some other possible activities a youth could be doing. BTW when I was a youth we walked to the grocery store to do all this. I learned at a young age how bread is not the easiest thing to pack for camping.

 

Once the shopping was done the meat was frozen and the menu planned in such a way as to only allow enough time for the meat to thaw prior to cooking. We always purchase powdered milk and made what was need for each meal. Some things we commonly refrigerate in our homes do not require it, eggs would be one example. Most of my earliest campouts were without the use of an ice chest(coolers were for rich folk back then!)

[Gunny2862]

We've been fortunate on the cash handling side, most prepay, I've yet to see fees not paid before departure. Unit funds are shuffled around in order to facilitate this payment arrangement, but it seems to be working. We average $10 per scout for a Fri(1 meal), Sat(3 meal+ dessert), Sun(1 meal) trip.

 

On the shopping side, we go camping monthly, year around, and the scout/scouts who need for advancement to prepare a menu, budget, shop and prepare a meal do so not just once but for the entire weekend, although we do rotate KP. If no one needs it for advancement then the PL's rotate through the cook duty each month. The SM or an ASM go with the shoppers (primarily to facilitate the use of unit funds, if necessary) but if all they buy is candy, thats what the boys eat for the weekend - I'm told it has only happened once in the last ten years.

[Stosh]

No one can starve to death in 3 days. Food is optional. If the boys wish to avoid being hungry, they may consider the suggestions provided in the early rank requirements. If they don't figure this out on their own, then leaders, parents etc. will end up taking over the responsibility of the boys.

 

I hear of parents paying, leaders in attendance when shopping, adult directed menus, etc. which all detract from the ability of the boys to assume leadership responsibilities.

 

I have attended many events where I brought my own food. It's not difficult to shop for oneself and let the boys learn leadership skills along the way. Hunger can be a great motivator.

 

Stosh

[Gunny2862]

I certainly can shop for myself. So can each of the boys. But if the boys want to shop as patrols, if they have put together a method that works, even if that method asks an adult leader to come along to facilitate payment from unit funds, then why by your own logic would we step in and change it because we see how it could be done differently/better?

 

Isn't letting them do it the way they want to part of the fail and fix it yourself concept here?

[Aquila]

We rotate within the patrols. Each patrol sets its menu, the adults commit to eating with one or the other (usually whomever has more meat!), then they shop on their own. They have $8 per person for the weekend (4 meals), and they are reimbursed up to that amount. If they go over, they're stuck with the balance. Scouts who sign up to go are liable for the food cost, whether they end up going or not.

 

Patrols that contain Scouts with special diets get no extra money -- it's been pretty interesting to see how the boys deal with "no pork", "Kosher", or "ketonic" diets. They manage. And frankly, I much prefer to eat with the Kosher patrol than get stuck with the invariable weiners and macaroni & cheese (blecch!)