We rarely have a campfire.....Generally the guys are playing capture the flag or ghost in the grave yard.

The old guys just hang on the side lines and enjoy the banter.

Answer: All the above.

We sometimes have the scouts plan a campfire program for camporees, scheduling a little time for awards regardless of if there is a fire or not (due to fire banning).

We sometimes have adults plan a campfire program and give it to the scouts to execute.

On normal campouts, when we have a fire, we do not do campfire "program" as boys will normally be playing around but they can practice skits or whatever if they like.

My $0.02
Rick

Each monthly campout is planned by a patrol. Part of that planning includes a Saturday night campfire. They usually solicit skits and/or songs from other patrols, but sometimes do the whole thing. The patrol leader of the planning patrol reports his progress to the PLC the couple months before the campout date.
Sometimes, a scout doing the Communication merit badge will plan a campfire program.
I don't recall ever having adults plan a campfire. We have participated with a skit or song occasionally when asked.

Summer camp: really structured campfire program. One adult (a very senior ASM) leads most nights. One or two nights the youth lead. The adult passes the lead to him.

Other nights: entirely at the boys' discretion. We do try to encourage the SPL to go over "Thorns and Roses".

Planning and MCing such a thing is a Communications MB requirement and a good experience. Sometimes our scouts plan them and sometimes they "plan" them. They seem to have fun with it either way.

Most campfire program planning was done above troop level - Camporees and the like. I've never seen a formally planned Patrol campfire program. For Crossover Ceremonies, its usually planned by the Pack with the troop participating - at least that's I how we did it when I was in CS and after we moved to BS.

A question.

Who wants the campfire program? Is it the youth or the adults?

I suggested it and the PLC shot it down.

Basement,
sometimes scouts shooting an idea down stems from tendency of boys to stay with the familiar. I had something similar when I wanted to introduce patrol competitions based on scout skills into troop meetings. Scouts shot such games down, wanting to continue to play basketball or football during what had become known as "game time". I offered to PLC to plan a couple of interpatrol competitions, and they were happy to let me. They had fun and adopted started incorporating scout skills competitions into troop meetings.

You might try something similar with campfires. Or simply extend an invitation to the boys for them to join your campfire. You will likly have a few scouts drop by as they tire of ghost in graveyard. Have some campfire stories ready to tell, and you may have boys looking forward to a campfire at future campouts.

I'm introducing it for this campout. The SiC of the subsequent campouts can decide whether or not to plan their campfires.

we have a campfire program Saturday night (or if just staying friday night then on friday night).

the meeting before a campout is patrol meetings and meal planning. Each patrol does the following:

checks on progress of ranks of boys in patrol and what they are missing if under 1st class

asks what MB each scout is currently working on or is wanting to start (in wanting to start they are then told to get with SM before end of meeting)

plan out campout which consists of:

who is cooking

what is menu (approved by SPL)

what are ingredients he needs to shop for

what is equipment he will need

partol chores

patrol only activity (each patrol picks their own seperate from troop activities and only members of that patrol can participate - has really helped in building stronger bonds among the patrol members)

patrol's song or skit for campfire.

At the campfire each patrol has their own snack from their menu and do clean up then each patrol performs their skit or song. to end the evening our chaplain aid will do a few readings and then it's off to the tents! Adults will hang by the fire a little and then make sure it's out before going to bed themselves.

Troop has special awards for certain things for patrols to win and they go on their patrol flag - one is for best skit or song so each month that gets moved from flag to flag or stays put depending on who wins. Makes for a nice little compition and the campfire program makes for a nice way to wind down the evening.

It varies from campout to campout. If a scout needs it for the Communications MB, he plans a campfire program. SOmetimes its just ad ad lib kind of thing as the night goes on. Other times the boys and adults just like to sit around the fire and BS. Of course some of the scouts are so tired from a super active day that they are in bed already! That is a good campout!!

I find the form is used for big events like Camporees. Within the Troop its a simple question of 'What are you doing around the campfire on Friday night and Saturday night?' rather than a form with lots of planning. Usually consist of a simple campfire cooked snack and game or activity like playing cards, a game or doing skits and songs. Sometimes it might include a flag retirement ceremony.