Campsite Gateways

[Owl62]

I would like to read some opinions on campsite gateways.

 

I have never been too keen on campsite gateways. I think they are unnecessary, involve unnecessay materials, labor, and expense, and are contrary to Leave No Trace. While they may help teach knots, lashings, and pioneering and other skills, I think the time and effort could generally be put to better use.

 

It seems that some units nearly always construct campsite gateways, especially when they are camping where other Scouting units are present. Some are very simple, most are somewhat elaborate , and others are very elaborate. I have even seen units surround their entire campsite with fence rails or rope. Sometimes they are a "scoreable" item on campsite inspection sheets.

 

My feeling is that a units camping should try to "fit" into the local environment, as inobtrusively as possible.

 

 

[Gold Winger]

Your complaints about gateways indicate, to me, that you've missed one of the primary reasons for having a gateway, what MBAs call "Team Building."

 

Many things in Scouting are done to foster a sense of team, teamwork and support. Gateways, patrol flags, patrol yells . . . all there to foster a team spirit. Sadly, too many adults involved in Scouting are always looking for efficiency.

 

Cheerleaders stretch a banner across the exit from the lockerroom before every football game and the players run through it. Why bother? It's ruined now and was a waste of time, right?

 

Every basketball coach on the planet does the "put your hands in, on three . . . Hamsters" And everyone puts their hands in and shouts "Hamsters!" Why? That extra three seconds could have been used for coaching.

 

In a team environment, no exercise that fosters team spirit, team unity or team identity is ever a waste of time.

 

Unless its at work where they just want to pretend to build a "team" to avoid giving raises. "Hey guys, look at the new shirts!" "What about our raise!" "Can't hear you, too much noise. Great shirts, eh?"

 

 

[HiLo]

Maybe we need a camp where the gateway are is assessable item, but they have to demonstrate the best use of recycled materials.

[scoutldr]

I agree with Owl. Unnecessary and goes against LNT. I think a conservation service project could be an excellent team building exercise.

[Its Me]

 

Gateways are the Pink Flamingos of the camping world, unnecessary, out of place and out of fashion.

 

 

[Gold Winger]

The only place that I've ever seen a gateway is at summer camp and at camporees and neither of those are LNT.

 

As for out of date and out of fashion, so is marriage before having kids but that doesn't mean that it should be discouraged.

[hops_scout]

The only time I've seen it was summer camp and Jambo. Jamboree I think it actually makes sense.

[Eamonn]

"Gateways are the Pink Flamingos of the camping world, unnecessary, out of place and out of fashion"

With all the respect in the world!

Bull!!

Of course there is a time and place for Gateways and a time and place not to have them.

Still they can be a great way of giving knots, lashings and rope-work real meaning.

They can teach a lot about working as a team (Patrol)

Take a look at some of the gateways John Sweet has designed they are outstanding.

Scouts who get involved building them, enjoy the challenge and when they are done see the fruits of their labors.

Eamonn.

[SSScout]

Gateways have their time and place. Consider ...

Building comeraderie, team spirit, Patrol/Troop spirit, pride of belonging, memories, encouraging creativity, pride of accomplishment, sense of space, skill acquired, leadership and working together experience.

 

Hiking the AT, aloooong time ago, my Troop once came up to a shelter site that already had another Troop encamped. We took a less desirable area, but we made it ours, at least temporarily, by instantaneously creating some "streetsigns" a "welcome to" gateway and labeling the cooking area a "restaurant", the SM and SPL tents "city hall". Lashings and notepaper and sticks. The other Troop looked on in wonder. We had a joint campfire later.

 

Camporees, Jamborees, perhaps longer-term sites are better suited to such efforts, but I remember the fun. Next morning, before lunch time, we dissassembled it all and were on our seperate ways, having left only footprints and fire circle ash (duly scattered).

[Gold Winger]

Anything that promotes teamwork is a good thing.

 

If your gateway is something kept in the trailer and assembled by the adults, that's not good and does nothing. If the SPL and scouts look for deadfalls to build tripods, that's a good thing.

 

 

[BuffaloSR793]

I like them, Not those prebuilt units fabricated months in advance by the leader, but the units which you can tell the boys had the idea and built preferably from onsite materials.

 

I prefer ones that are simple and lashed together.

 

Some things considered "old fashioned" are good things. Does the word Tradition mean anything?

 

JR

[hamer82]

I really do not see ANY damage by having a troop or pack design, buld, and display a gateway. Not only does it foster teem work, but it also fosters creativity, showmanship, an opertunity to think outside of the box, and most of all a sense of pride. I don't think you all should be so hard on gateways. And by the way, LNT is great but you can't let it run your life. You know what they say Opinions are like..... And yes everyone has one.

 

Hamer82

[prof]

I still have a piece of the gateway my troop used when I was a scout (late 70s early 80s). Brings back fond memories. As I recall, our gateway placed in competition one year.

 

As others have suggested, we only used ours at camporees and at summer camp. Those seemed appropriate occasions, as it let people know who we were. Often, campsite looked alike. Using a gateway was similar to putting your name on the mailbox in front of your house. It lets people know whose home it is.

 

We never took the gateway out on weekend camps where we were the only troop in camp.

 

Steve

[Gunny2862]

So far our Troop Flag, depending on location and weather the National Ensign, and occasionally a Lantern have been our Gateway. I'd like to get kind of a Troop Guidon to take on hikes for backwoods campsites - even though there are those that say even that violates LNT principles. But since we aren't wearing Camouflage...

 

I think I agree about the idea that a Gateway, if any, should be an on-site found materials affair and that at Summer Camp and Jamborees is probably not anything I'm concerned about for LNT (as long as it's disassembled)- It's almost certain that there are bigger fish to fry for either of those events. While I encourage camp gadgets we haven't branched out into these yet, but if I see one more Pot Rack I'm going to hurl/spew, etc. I do see how a large lashing project could build teamwork, but would tend to favor a "useful" project like a low, lashing or rope, bridge rather than what I'm thinking of when I think Gateway. For what I'm visioning I don't see enough work in a gateway to provide the team building experience.

 

I, am not going to be building a prefab gateway anytime soon. If one of the Scouts does - it's not to big a burden - and it's intended for the "Trailer" camps then it might even get used. But I don't see that happening without encouragement - which isn't going to be forthcoming anytime soon.

[acco40]

For those who think gateways are either appropriate or not appropriate, I suggest you talk to one of your 1st Class scouts about 1st Class requirement 7a.