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 registered, took the bad with the good, and put in time helping the troop wherever it needed help (not focusing on my scout). I earned their trust and then made polite suggestions. Now I'm a driving force instead of the guy spitting into the wind.

Unfortunately, our human instincts often send us on a course of animosity. This is outrageous! Call National! Teach him a lesson! Whenever you find yourself plotting to put someone in his place, think long and hard.

You could start by offering to help with the implementation process, not trying to kill the whole thing (at which you'll likely fail).

So now you have a decision. Take the long view or find another troop. Only you can judge which is right for your situation.

Good luck.

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 it two years in a row and don't want to get in a rut, even if it is a great rut. (The boys don't know how good they have it, so they'll still get bored.) We'll likely find a BSA-run camp for next summer or the year after.

HIGHLIGHTS:

- 30 MBs were offered to scouts. The scouts signed up for approx. 20 of those, so 10 were dropped from the schedule.

- New Scouts worked on FCE, Swimming MB, and First Aid MB.

- Second year scouts who were not 1C usually worked on FCE for part of the time and MBs the rest of the time.

- One year, the older scouts were given the option of a backpacking trip in the area. We didn't see them until they backpacked into camp near the end of the week. (We didn't offer this the other year because the older scouts got back from Philmont just before leaving for summer camp.)

- We found a place where we could swim, boat, fish, and shoot. Without these activities, we didn't consider it Summer Camp.

- A 2-hour block in the afternoon was reserved for swimming/boating/fishing/shooting. No MBs were offered during that time. Each scout had to be doing one of these activities. No moping around the campsite allowed. If they are in MBs every waking hour, they are missing out on some of the important parts of Summer Camp. Some people have lost sight of that and want their scouts to earn endless MBs when they should be having fun with the friends.

REWARDS:

- We have sixty scouts. It is difficult to get to know all their (non-registered) parents beyond greeting them at troop meetings. But we needed many adults to run this summer camp, so we got to spend a week together, getting to know each other. It made our troop stronger.

- In a large troop, it is difficult to get to know all the new boys well. A week of summer camp where we were the MB/FCE counselors allowed us to interact more with the scouts.

- Because we were the MB/FCE counselors, we feel the scouts really earned the badges. Our local camp has turned into a MB factory. This was a major reason we left.

- We had access to boats, shooting ranges, etc. without competing for availability with x-hundred other scouts.

- We did what we wanted to do, on our schedule.

- WE ATE REALLY WELL!

- We charged scouts the same rate they would pay at our local camp, charged adults estimated expenses, and had money left over. Yes, adults would not normally pay at our local camp, but they had a meaningful, rewarding experience and considered it the cheapest vacation they ever took.

DOWNSIDES?:

We've discussed the need to be around other troops at summer camp. We're not convinced it is a major reason to go to a BSA-run camp, but it is something to think about. Our desire to keep things fresh will lead us back to a BSA-run camp. I expect we'll switch back and forth.

If you are seriously considering running your own camp, feel free to contact me by clicking the "Send Private Message" link.