New scout campouts

[diamondbackAPL]

this is shane, and I was thinking about organizing a new scout campout fo when the second year Weebs move up. this way, I can get leadership experience as well as finish my camping merit badge. If anyone has any recommendations on what to do please let me know.

[Mrw]

Helping the new boys to learn their initial basic camp skills would be a good focus. Basics like how to set up a tent, how to organize a campsite and the very beginnings of cooking outside.

Even if you are going cabin camping for the first time out with them, the basics of tenting is a good place to start. Keep in mind that many of them have probably never used a tent or cooked anything. What did you most wish someone had helped you with?

Look back at the Tenderfoot badge and that should give you an idea of what to teach or practice first.

[hops_scout]

I was thinking about organizing a new scout campout fo when the second year Weebs move up. this way, I can get leadership experience as well as finish my camping merit badge.

Sorry, but I'm going to nitpick here- there will probably be at least a few who will disagree with me, but oh well..

As a leader, you shouldn't be organizing something so that you look better and you get YOUR requirements done. I like that you want to organize a "New Scout Campout" but not your reasoning. If you look back at it, the first thing that came to my mind was: he doesn't want to really help the Weblos, but rather finish his requirements.

Now let's see if I can be of some actual help:

1) BUDDY SYSTEM-- this should be the absolute first thing they are taught outdoors-wise. Otherwise, you will have boys wandering off before you even get started.

2) Tents-- like mentioned above, many will not have used tents before and if so, most likely not the kind of tents your troop uses.

3) Cooking-- again, they have probably done minimal cooking; much less cooking outside. Start with cooking procedures IE: cleaning hands, using the knife to cut meat LAST instead of first, etc


Those are the top 3 things I see. What about a packing demo? Some of this could be done at a troop meeting, other stuff done at the campsite.

[diamondbackAPL]

sry, I could have worded that better. I really do want to help the Webelos and get my rquirements done, but the weebs are the first priority.

[616kayak]

heres some pointers
1) show parents how the program will benifite the kids-
Parents sometimes leave when they see the comittment it takes
2) have a wide variety of activities
Take them canoeing or on a trail for part of the day
3) Avoid classroom setting
for the obvious reasons
4) Activities Activities Activities!!!
Make this camopout something very active for them. Do not have lots of downtime.

[EagleBoy62204]

keep them as active as possible. if it requires making everything into a game to keep their attention then do it. Like said above, avoid the boring lectures that will just bore them. you are working with kids that are 11 - 12yrs old, they wont know much about what you are talking about, so make sure you have plenty of visual and hands on aids to help you.

We just had our first year campout, and since I was in charge, i turned everything into a game. Tent set up time trials for exaple.

Pair your boys up into teams of two or three. Without showing them how to set up your tents, have them try. The fastest group wins.

Then try to challenge them by keeping the same teams, but working against just one of you alone setting up the tent. More teamwork the better. Remember these boys are going to be in the same group for years to come. They have to get to know each other and work with each other to get the best product out of them.

[Mrw]

Take them canoeing or on a trail for part of the day

No canoeing with the new kids until they can prove they can pass the swim test. Besides, if I remember carrectly, they are in New York. A bit chilly for that yet!

[diamondbackAPL]

wait, who's in New York?

[Mrw]

I obviously confused you with someone else. My bad! Sorry.

[MaScout]

Our Troop puts on a "New Scout Campout" every year for the new Scouts. One year during the annual PLC planning meeting, I questioned them as to, "Did they want to do that again this year?" Wow! That really upset the older boys! OF COURSE THEY DID! WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?! THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST FUN ONES THEY DO ALL YEAR!" Truthfully that delighted me.

The older Scouts teach various skills during this campout, depending on the skills they come in with. Sometimes we focus on woods tools, firestarting. They help them learn to set up tents, how to start the cookstoves and lanterns, what "setting up camp" involves, basic cooking skills, and usually we include a 5-mile hike. We often have them hike a mile, where some of the boys have a teaching station set up. Then they hike another mile, stop at another station, etc. While hiking they cover such topics as the buddy system, safe hiking practices, identifying animals & plants, etc. We have included some orienteering and first aid in the past, but usually this is tooooo much for one weekend. Oh, yeah...knots & lashings too. And lots, lots, lots on camping etiquette, like how to properly wash hands in the washtub without leaving all your soap and dirt in the tub, what goes in the fire stays in the fire, if it's not yours don't touch it, stay out of other people's tents, yadda, yadda, yadda.

[616kayak]

No canoeing with the new kids until they can prove they can pass the swim test. Besides, if I remember carrectly, they are in New York. A bit chilly for that yet!

Didn’t realize that. Here in Florida we go canoeing and kayaking year round, Its great. Though in the summer it’s pretty hot, too hot for camping comfortably.

[SM-890]

Our new troop is planning a Webelos camp-out this year. Until this year, there was not a troop in our area and the Webelos that went into scout, spread out and went in all different directions. We are going to use this as a tie-in between the troop and the pack. We plan to buddy the Webelos with a scout and let the scouts teach teh Webelos the few requirements that they need for their Webelos rank. (knots, cooking, etc.) We are also considering the event planning for next year to be done during this camp-out, so that the Webelos are excited about the coming year.

[wagionvigil]

All remember that the New Policy is Swimmers only in a canoe! NO EXCEPTIONS!

[stevenscout]

I thought a that a boy could canoe with his dad regardless of swimming ability.

[wagionvigil]

Not any more.
By the by everyone must pass the swimmers test not just the boys. If an adult fails the swimmers test they also are excluded from the canoe.

[stevenscout]

that makes sense

[ASM-142]

All remember that the New Policy is Swimmers only in a canoe! NO EXCEPTIONS!

The exception to this is if the second person in the canoe is a lifeguard