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Re: Tent management
Anthony J. Mako (ajmako@NLS.NET)
Mon, 16 Nov 1998 08:35:15 -0500
<Stephen wrote>
I inherited a troop that already had a good supply of tents on hand. If
I had been there from the beginning I would head down the road where the
boys supply their own tents.
[snip]
</Stephen>
All of your reasons for preferring Scouts supply their own tent are
sound, but it really depends on the make-up of the troop. Unfortunately,
it also depends on the economy in which the troop must work. I think,
however, that this discussion has missed a very valuable point. Yes,
maintaining troop equipment is a hassle and can be very expensive, but
it's usually no more of a hassle than maintaining advancement records or
many of the other administrative things we have to do.
<Stephen continued>
I see some troops where it is all handed to the scout on the campout.
It is all troop gear from tents, to cooking gear, etc. Troops where the
scout only has to show up to the campout and all the rest if provided to
him. I think those scouts are missing a valuable learning opportunity.
</Stephen>
Speaking as one who was handed everything on campouts when I was a
Scout, I would suggest that I learned a VERY valuable lesson. Yes, my
family could afford to provide a tent for me, but they didn't have to.
We worked pretty hard every year earning the money to maintain our
equipment, which is one thing that made it easy to keep the equipment in
good order. The troop provided tents, cooking gear and eating utensils,
but I had to care for them. It taught me to respect other people's
property. To treat it as if it were my own (because if I didn't it would
be my own). When I was the guy who signed for our patrol equipment it
was a pretty good incentive to make sure it was properly cared for and
returned in good condition. As a result, the bulk of our troop equipment
lasted more than seven years. Most of that equipment was still in good
condition five years ago when the troop was reformed, and it certainly
made life a lot easier for the new Scoutmaster. I have not been so lucky
as a Scoutmaster.
YIS
Anthony J. Mako, ajmako@nls.net ,Scoutmaster, Troop 381
http://members.aol.com/Scouts381/ "Home of the Unofficial Boy Scout
Desktop Theme!"
Great Trail Council - Akron, Ohio
"I used to be an Eagle (C-7-97), but I'll always be an Eagle (1981)"
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