Camporee

[ScoutmasterJerry]

We are getting into the Camporee season.. Thought I would bring up a topic that is stirring up much debate in our District.
Camporee formats.
TO COMPETE or NOT to COMPETE.. that is the question.
I have seen Camporees in every shape and form, everything from Orienteering to Pioneering and just basic Scout skills. Emergency Prep to Cooking.

SO what do you think about Camporee's..
How should they be run, scored, and themed?
AND (not letting you off that easy).. who runs it? Is your Camporee boy run or Adult run?

[CommissionerTim]

I have some ideas for a few camporees... first, some councils are trying out new ways to bring in new interests by taking the boys out of council to special hot spots such as an aircraft carrier that has been decommissioned.

Secondly, I feel a camporee should be ran by the boys... plain and simple! Organize the district units on a rotating basis to take the lead in coordinating the camporee either in the spring or fall... then in the opposite season the district/council activities committee would be in charge of coordinating the camporee.

If a troop is small, then that troop can invite another small troop and/or the OA to help organizing the camporee that season.

When the boys are involved first-hand, then and only then will you see more units participating at the camporees... and as an end result later on in the year, the district will see the over-all membership percentages go up... all because the boys are running it... not the adults.

Ok... so now I hear the arguement the boys don't know what their doing or don't have the initiative to follow through with such a big event. This is exactly why the boys need to be running the show, not the adults. What the boys put into it is what they will get out of it... the adults will of course be on the sidelines giving some help and direction, but should never be doing it all for the boys. This also gives the boys some experience in leadership, communication, and a few other skills they need later in life. But most of all, because the boys did it... it will be the most fun they'll ever have, and they'll tell you just that too.

[WB Bear]

Here are my thoughts about a district camporee. I think it should be staffed by district committee people and also the commissioners. You can also use some of the Scouters within the units also to assist with events. The events should mainly be Scout Skills and also fun events. For example compass courses, fire building, knot tying or identification, Kim’s game, First Aid scenarios, measuring are some that come to mind. If fact you might even have some shooting and archery competition. You can also have some competition on Patrol flags and even campsites. There can also be some events just for fun. Baden Powell had published some “Scouting Games” which you can find on the internet.

The key point is having the boys utilize the Patrol Method throughout the Camporee. The boys will have a great time and it will promote pride in them, their Patrols and Troops. You might say “it’s a game with a purpose”.

[ScoutmasterJerry]

I really wish our district would imbrace this idea.
We have been kicking it around, and I think next year we are going to make a run at the Boy Run Camporee. Using the OA Chapter in the District to run it.
This way it will involve Scouts from all the Troops.
I also love the idea of assigning a Different Troop each year to Spearhead the Camporee. Spread the wealth and get everyone involved.
Right now our District has 42 Troops and we get about 29 out for Camporee. Personally I think that is terrible, some say that it is to be expected.. I do not agree. I think 100 % is what we need to shoot for even the LDS units need to come out to Camporee, even if it is a day trip for them.


Thanks for the input.. great ideas!

[FRUSTRATED SCOUTMASTER]

Jerry:

In our district we have three Camporees a year. Two are done by the District Camping Commitee and one is done by the OA.
The Winter Camporee is run by the OA. The boys start planning it in April and pull it together by October. It is great to see the Chapter come together.
Unfortunately this year, the prior Chapter Officers did not plan anything. It took the new Chapter Officers to pull it together in just three months. Of course, we as Leaders helped them because of the shortness of time.
We had the boys in the OA do Campsite Inspections, Uniform Inspections, and Campfire Program. They ran the Senior Patrol Leaders Meeting on Friday night along with a Chapter Meeting. They also ran the Leader's meeting on Friday night where they asked for volunteers to man the gamed and classes during the day. It seemed a bit hectic leading up to the event but the boys pulled it off. The OA has been doing this Casmpout for at least 5 years now.
I feel once you get the OA involved and make it their Camporee, you will see the cream rise to the top. The boys will be enthused and look to make it better next year.
I hope that everyone has their District Chapter of the OA plan a Camporee. If not, get them involved.

Bob Klimas
Concord Chapter Associate OA Adviser
Concord District Camporee Committee

[Scouter_58]

Jerry,

Here's a summary description for an upcoming "competitive" camporee in our district:

"The second annual district 'Scout Olympics' will be held over a spring weekend at the council Scout reservation. Scouts [sic] of all ages from Tigers to Venturers are invited to participate. For these 'Olympic Games,' Scouts will not compete as dens, patrols, packs, troops, or crews but as teams of Scouts from Tigers right up through Venturers. The teams will be selected and formed by the 'Olympic Committee' prior to the event, so pre-registration is a MUST! Units must have their official 'Olympic Rosters' and registration submitted to be eligible to compete."

This event was well received and had moderate success with attendance and representation across Scouting age-groups. :( I'm sorry to say that I've not been involved in this particular camporee in any capacity, so I don't have more, first-hand information to offer....

Scouter_58

[CommissionerTim]

I love the idea of having a "Scout Olympics" every year... however, it does sound like a lot of work and with a dedicated committee to make it happen, I'm sure it would be a lot of fun... Does anyone have more info that we can take back to our activities committee?

[1st Mate]

Competition is a good thing to have in scouting and camporees are a good place to use it. Youth at this age like competion. It is a natural characteristic of development. While some may not enjoy sports they are often involved in some form of competion. Again, it is a naturally occuring characteristic.

The trick is in making the events, fast, fun, and easy to score. Avoid subjective scoring. Event judging needs to be objective. They did an element right or they did it wrong, They succeeded at the challenge or they did not, They were the fastest or they were not.

BE CAREFUL in how you write the instructions! I remember a first aid camporee where the patrol was given a blaket and two poles. They were told to "Make a stretcher. Pick up your patrol leader and carry him across the finish line. Take the stretcher apart and return the parts to where you found them." They had 1 minute to prepare.

I watched a very young patrol huddle in stategy and then when told to begin, two Scouts made a stretcher while the others picked up the patrol leader in their arms and headed for the finish line. By the time they were halfway there the stretcher had been made, taken apart, and put back where it was. They won.

The judge was not happy but then he gave poor instructions. He based them on his thought process and not on those of a teenage boy.
The instructions should have been. "When the clock starts, carry your patrol leader across the finish line in a stretcher you will make from a blaket and two poles. Once you have crossed the finish line take the stretcher apart and return the pieces to where you found them. This is a timed event."

I can think of dozens of such events where the adults felt that the scouts "messed up" when in fact it was the improper communications on the adult's part that was at fault.

SO! Boy run or adult run? Why must it be one or the other? I have had the opportunity to chair 6 camporees and in each the chairman ran the program (that's why you have a chairman) but I always had a program committee made of adults and youth. Remember the scouting program is not "Youth run". Troop and Patrol activities are Youth LEAD.

There is no reason why District Boy Scout and Venturing activities can't make use of both youth and adult leaders.