mlg0171

We're all concerned about merit badge factories and this troop found a way to deal with it. Is it the best way? Who knows? But it sounds like their implementation is a problem (3MB were awarded for 25 scouts; you didn't know until the CoH). So, you found a troop that doesn't run perfectly. Welcome to the club. What to do now? Try to change everything at once? Piss off the leaders by coming in with a flame thrower? I joined a troop years ago that had some issues, but what troop doesn't? I lived with it and slowly made positive changes. Those changes were welcome because

I'm not sure I understand your point, Beavah. Yes, in my troop the scouts plan the program. If they want to go on a canoe trip, we go on a canoe trip. I just don't call it Summer Camp.

Oneweekmy, Respectfully, I don't think the trip you are describing is "Summer Camp". Instead, you have a canoe trip that happens to be a week long, in the summer. That's an awesome trip to take, but you should also go to Summer Camp, which is a structured experience, different from other campouts. My troop ran our own summer camp twice (details in another thread http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=132845) but we structured it like a BSA-run camp.

Like most troops, we allow scouts to use their account for uniforms or equipment. If they quit or age-out, their money is put into the general fund, or more precisely, the hardship fund we maintain for needy scouts. This fund is sizable just from years of forfeitures. (We don't often need to use it, thankfully.) We would never give cash to these scouts because the fundraising was in the context of benefiting scouting, not to mention the tax implications.

Why is it important to get all the troops? Do your best for those who show up. BTW, 300-400 would be a huge camporee for our district. I hope you are spread out (e.g. at different campsites at a BSA camp). I've seen some camporees away from our BSA camp where everyone camped in one field. Tenting next to 400 of my closest friends is not my idea of camping.

We ran our own summer camp for the last two years. We are proud of what we accomplished, it was very rewarding for the scouts and adults, but it was a lot of work. Don't do this without a lot of consideration and a large group of capable adults. You can't afford to pull it off halfway. If it turns into a week long camping trip without MBs, First Class Emphasis, swimming, boating, and shooting, it is not Summer Camp and you failed the boys. Will we do it again? Probably, but not every year. One of our reasons for doing this was that we needed something different. Now we've done i