Games on Campouts

[EagleBoy62204]

When i speak of games i do not mean electronic handheld, I am refering to games like D&D and War Hammer. Role Playing Games (RPG) like these.

Our troop is a very big RPG fans.
They go as far as breaking away from the troop during activities at our biggest campouts such as The December Family Campout and our Webelo Campout in January without the knowladge of the senior leadership or the adults..

As a former SPL of the troop, these kids normally the older scouts of the troop, would argue for me not allowing any games of any type at campouts.
This was a rule for a couple months because of the reason that the troop began to become segregated. The older ones would seperate and play these games leaving the younger ones alone and no knowing how to do some skills.

Have you had this same problem in your troop?
Any suggestions on my ruleing?
Do you agree with troops banning these types of games?

Why/ Why Not.

Please no flaming if you are a scout and are interesting in this stuff.

[Guneukitschik]

Our troop keeps a fairly tight schedule when on campouts...don't get me wrong there is some free time...but no role playing games...no card games...no video games, etc. There are plenty of other games and activities that keep them busy.

As far as not allowing any games...That's a troop decision but I think you need to schedule more activities rather than just allow them to sit around all day playing games. Or at least play some games that get all the scouts involved.

You could even have the older scouts teach the younger scouts some skills?

Many Troops are chartered through a religious organization and would most likely frown upon any playing of D & D

[scoutmasterbob]

Seems to me that there are better games to be playing than role playing games at camp. Games that build troop and patrol spirit.
My troop cant get enough of steal the flag when we are camping or ultimate frisbee. We have even organized a chess tournament for campgrounds where we need to be quiet after 10:00pm, but it includes the whole troop rather than just small groups in some ones tents. I even bring a prize fro the winner, candy bar or something.

There is so much more that can be done on a campout rather than hide in a tent and play in a make believe world, when the real world is just outside the tent flap.

[EagleBoy62204]

"There is so much more that can be done on a campout rather than hide in a tent and play in a make believe world, when the real world is just outside the tent flap."

WOW! I never knew so many people think the way i do!

Our troop campouts are usually skill organized.
We break the scouts into skill level.
THe more advanced, faster paced scouts (older and younger alike) would get make a plan of what they want to teach based on the theme of the campout. They are given an hour or less (depending on how big the skill and attendence is) to come up with a plan. Then take the plan into action.

The SPL rarely teaches but stays back into the background observing the kids and catching the mistakes.

However. The kids are beginning to wise up to this and beginning to revolt.
Some of the rewards are playing capture the flag, football, soccer.. fun games like these.

However. Team effort and having a game without cheating or arguements is very rare.

I dispise having games to do with anything besides fun and fitness (like the ones mentioned above). We do alow MAgic the gathering but no Yugioh.. These are only allowed during free time or before meals for those who do not have a chore.

[commish3]

A well planned program is better than a lot of rules. If the scouts have interesting and adventurous activities to do, they will not need to have games where they pretend to have adventures.

At least that has been our unit's experience. We have never had rules other than the those of scouting and it has never been a problem. A lot will depend on the units ability to plan well.

[don]

A Scout campout should have something to do with scouting not card games, IMO.
How about if you have seen things that worked well on campouts, post it here. My sons troop has gotten pretty boring just going the same thing at each campout. What are some games (scout related) or teaching methods that you have seen done, that work well? And was FUN.
Hopefully I am not taking this post the wrong way? It seems to fit in with the original question, and maybe give each of us some ideas we can take back to the SPL.
Or if you know of any websites that have this info, please post it here.

[evmori]

My Troop love Capture the Flag - especially when they gets us old guys to play!

[wagionvigil]

I must be doing someyhing wrong. My guys are so busy during the day with the camporee program or what we are doing as a troop they just want to sit around the campfire at night. I will say everyone is up between 5:30 and 6:00 for a morning run then breakfast. Lashing contest ,first aid practice, who can tie a double grapevine with their eyes shut etc.

[EagleBoy62204]

I must be doing someyhing wrong. My guys are so busy during the day with the camporee program or what we are doing as a troop they just want to sit around the campfire at night. I will say everyone is up between 5:30 and 6:00 for a morning run then breakfast. Lashing contest ,first aid practice, who can tie a double grapevine with their eyes shut etc.

!!! o.o !!!
5..30 .. 6 am!! on a campout?! wow.. thats insane.. i wake that early for school.. we usually wake up around 7.40 / 8pm...

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some sites with games is:

www.usscouts.org
thats a big one, i based alot of stuff off my leadership as spl from that site.
helped big time.

like i said before the way our troop runs the campouts is from the theme of the current month.. or something that we are planning on in the near future.. like december is our Frankenmuth Family Dinner Feast dinner campout.. we have a cabin we rent out from Port Huron Council in the middle of Frankenmuth (big german city in michigan here for all who dont know what it is)

we usually have the kids shop the town but first we have them prepare for the skiills they will be presenting at our January Campout which is our Weeb Weekend.

they have to bring all their supplies and present it like they would be infront of them
once the older leadership is happy in the way all of them look we let them go.

during regular campouts . the main activity would be something like a review of what they learned at the meetings.
each month has a theme and during each weeks meeting is a different sub theme involved with the main big theme.

thats how we do it here

[BM_Crawford]

6 is about the time we wake up in the morning

[Guneukitschik]

Our wake up times vary depending on what's on the schedule for the day...but typically the cooks are up first and the entire troop is up no later than 7 am....

The whole idea is to keep your schedule full and fun so the scouts don't get bored and not want to attend the next outing.

[hacimsaalk]

at our campouts, we usually play games like capture the flag and card games. We then give then give the scouts a choice to play, or stay at the cabin with the adults. Also if anyone has any ideas we listen to what they have to say. I find that if we remain a little lax, it seems to work just fine. but if things get out of control, things become more strict. there is also time that the adults take care of the younger scouts and us older scouts can go off by ourselves and do what we want (with in reason). u sually though the younger scouts leave the older scouts alone, if asked. we don't have much problem that way.

[ICanCanoeCanU]

If during the day time is open like after lunch, the troop does outside active games like capture the flag, kickball, touch football, snowball fights in the winter. But one particular campout in the winter at a lodge, later after dinner they usually break out cards for games of Euchre. That's about it for sitdown type games.