Golden Spoon Award for cooking and camping

[Exibar]

I just wanted to spin off a new thread from a previous thread. I'm about to have my first campout as ScoutMaster, and thusly this will be my troops first campout as patrols. They've always had a sort of free for all campout, and the adults provided food, the most cooking that was done was a foil meal and that's about the extent of it. Breakfast was always bagles and donuts because the previous leadership thought cooking breakfast was too much work ;-(

Everyone seems to be looking foward to camping "this new way", even the adults (old goats patrol!).

Part of what I want to introduce is the "golden spool award" for the best prepared meal among the two patrols.

anyone have any other nice little incentives for the scouts for a campout? I want to make it fun for the boys, but they'll also be working on totin, firem'n, etc. They'll also have time to finish up their patrol flags (everything is better when you do it in the woods!).

 

I'm going to google to see if I can find a good list of what should be in the patrol boxes as well, but if anyone has a good solid list that they use, and wouldn't mind sharing I'd be appreciative. Yah, I have a pretty good idea of what should be in them, but a list to go by would ensure I don't forget to supply the patrols with some critical item I'm not thinking of :-)

 

thanks all!

Mike B(This message has been edited by exibar)

[SSScout]

Most excellent, o nascent Fearless Leader!

 

Let's narrow this down a little for us advisers/counselors/Old Goats/critics-from-afar... Hike in? How far? Unload the car within sight of camp? Back yard of the CO?

You speak of a Patrol Box. Is thisthe storage back at the CO or a carry-it-with-us box? We can talk about splitting up the Patrol supplies among the Scouts or doing it pallaquin style, a "BOX" carried by two or more Scouts.

 

A good breakfast and a lesson in quick co-operative clean up is a real step in the right direction.

[SctDad]

We did something similar to your golden spoon. We called it Iron Chef Troop XX. Worked out ok. One patrol would have won hands down if they had worked as a team.

 

We gave them a package of ingrediants and they had to come up with the meal. One patrol got italian sausage and egg noodles, the other got stew beef and rice. There were aso apples, onion, and a pepper. The first patrol just made like a stir fry. The other tried to make a pretty cool sushi "looking" dish. They had the it put together in llayers. Pepper on bottom, layer of onion, then some beef. Served it on a bed of rice. THey kinda baked the apple Their down fall, NO TEAMWORK

 

The other team won the Iron Chef Award. It was a plate, fork, spoon and knife attached to a plaque. The plate had a decal in the center that said Iron Chef Troop XX.

 

I think that a good competition is good for the boys. As long as they have something to show off. It will cause the other patrols to work harder for the spoon next time.

[Exibar]

We'll be camping in our camp that we're fortunate enough to have to ourselves. about 40 years ago the troop was lucky enough to have this camp ground leased to us for a dollar a year for 75 years. It's a really nice spot, with a "cabin" (drying house with firewood stove, and a few tables), huge campfire area, 2 latrenes, water access, pleanty of room for tents and what-not.

The patrol boxes are of the type that two scouts would carry over to their patrol camping area. I haven't seen these boxes ever used, and I don't recall ever seeing them in the cabin. But I'm told they have fold down sides, shelves, and would be about the size of what two scouts would carry.

 

the troop works pretty well together so far at least. Pretty much I'm gunna model it after my Outdoor Leadership Skills training and take it from there... see what happens :-)

 

what I'm thinking: The golden spoon would be awarded to the best patrol meal for each campout. At the end of the year, the patrol name gets put on a plaque perhaps named "golden Spatula" or something like that. I want this to be something that the boys WANT to win... I've found friendly competition brings out the best in kids, but only if it's fun :-)

 

I'm certainly trying hard and putting in a lot of time into the troop.. more so than when I was voted in as CubMaster 5 years ago... I'm hoping it pays off for the kids...

 

Mike B

[dylfrick]

In my troop each patrol had two different "patrol boxes." One was a chuck box that contained all the cooking materials, and had a fold down front that doubled as a cutting board and had shelving inside. In one of these you would need your basics: paper towels, utensils (both cooking and eating), some small pans/pots, spices, soap, stove etc. It's the patrols kitchen in a box.

 

Now each patrols second box was a large metal container that consisted of 4 troop tents, an ammo box with stakes, a patrol tarp, a propane tree, and a stove rack. The poles for the tarp were on the trailer or if we needed to we could tie it between trees.

 

Here are some plans for chuckboxes:

http://www.troop168.net/forms/patrolboxa.htm

(This message has been edited by dylfrick)

[SSScout]

In as much as the 13th point of the Scout Law ("A Scout is Hungry") is by far the easiest for a Scout to follow, I think a Patrol cooking award is a fine idea. A consideration might be how far the Patrol has to schlep it's gear. A beef wellington that is produced 50 feet from the Troop trailer needs to be weighted against the peach cobbler cooked from raw peaches 5 miles up the AT. And proper sanitation and camp gadgetry taken into the formula. Judging: Are you just pleasing the SM or is there a vote among the PLC?

I remember a "Salamagundi" I attended as an OA staffer( I was one of the fire marshals). There was a Troop that had, I think, 3 Patrols, and each had set up a camp kitchen and lashed up tables. The Scouts had camp stools they carried in. The Patrol cooks actually COOKED, and all had good meals, I forget the details, but I remember baked potatoes and one patrol, something smelled of fish. I remember this, because one of the Patrols had a really big fire and I had to ask them to knock it down, as we were in a drought condition. They were making coals, but too much!

Perhaps a cooking contest in a "neutral" spot, a public park and a "impartial" judge, and definite rules and limitations (no steel stoves, only wood and/or charcoal, "only what you can carry in a backpack", whatever is appropriate...). If it is a big enough affair, call in the local press!

 

Bon appetite!

[Exibar]

We'll be basically "car-ing" in our troop, so they're on equal footing for packing in their gear.

 

I had one of my prelim meetings with the troop tonight, trying to get them excited about camping using the patrol method, or as some parents call it "the new way". I broke it quickly to the parents that they are "discouraged" from camping and I also mentioned that they are NOT prohibited but simply discouraged. I explained that if they must camp out, they will do so as a member of the "old goats patrol" and not with their sons. I got a lot of smiles and nods from the parents, I'm pleased ;-)

 

I must say, that the younger patrol is really shining. Their PL went to NYLT, and it certainly shows! He is really coming into his own as PL! Not to mention his APL as well, he was a quiet lad but he's coming out of his shell and taking on the leadership role well.

The older scouts are doing well also, they are taking a bit more motivation but certainly heading in the right direction.

 

I think the golden spoon is helping them and I certainly am happy to have that as an incentive.

 

wow, BSA's biggest myth is certainly "it only requires 1 hour of your time a week!" LOL

 

Mike B

[jwest93]

We have the exact same award in our troop, usually for car camping. Patrol with the best overall food. We look at teamwork, cleanliness (ug!), and if they are somewhat using different food groups. We have adult 'judges' that go around and watch and test each patrol during the outing. At the end of the outing, usually during a Scout's own, we have the judges announce the patrol who has won. The SM even went and purchased a good sized plastic spoon and spray painted it Gold. We present this to the patrol and they can attach it to their flag until the next outing. They love it and to their credit, some of them have come up with some good menus (shis-ka-bobs, buffalo burgers, etc)We had one patrol who made strawberries and chocolate for dessert, which sounds great, but was pretty bad given the chocolate was overcooked. This wasn't even on their menu they just gave it a try. They got points for the trying part for sure.

As far as patrol boxes, my suggestion would be just think basic!

[Mike F]

Exibar,

 

We have a single Golden Spoon which is awarded to the winning patrol for best cooking at the end of every campout. It has a leather loop which they use to attach it to their patrol flag. Staff are the judges.

 

For the actual cooking, we do different things - usually establishing a theme for Saturday night dinner. It's been fun to watch them cook meals from "Spam Hawaiian" to "Holiday Feast".

 

A few times we have done an Iron Chef competition where they brought stuff to prepare with an unknown meat. Then we hit an exotic food market and really surprised them.

 

The guys enjoy this and it's a way of rewarding some effort in the kitchen.

[red feather]

Congrats on the Scoutmaster thing. The caveat that it is only one hour per week is true, the fine print (very fine) is 'per boy'.

 

 

We also have a cooking award for the patrols, the Golden Skillet. The back is covered with tape and the winning patrol gets to write their Patrol name on it and the date. Usually get a year plus on the back. The skillet is displayed in the troops trophy case for all to see and the winner after each overnight is of great interest. The judge(s) for the award are the SPL (or acting) and the ASPLs (or acting). Cooking, total patrol participations and all is included. We have had winners include a one scout patrol put on a great meal for himself and just outdid all the the others, had a duty roster up and just did a great job.

 

Have fun, have patience and sit back and enjoy the ride.

 

red feather

[Buffalo Skipper]

We have a "Golden Spatula" award. I go down to the Dollar Store and buy a cheap metal spatula, and spray it with a metalic gold paint. I then use fabric paint to label the year. Patrols can hang it from their flag just like other award ribbons. Of course the younger scouts really get a kick out of the Sponge Bob reference.

 

In fact, we have had to reschedule the campout for this month and the PLC ended up including a cook-off, so I will be sure to make one this week.