What constitutes camping

[Basementdweller]

ahhhhh, cub's can't participate in the national camping award. Lets see my cub camps 2 nights per month with the BS. Family backpacking during the summer for 14 nights, Resident camp for 4 nights. two council family campouts

 

46 plus nights a year camping not too bad for a 9 year old.

 

Just curious, why is it so tough for the boys to meet these requirements 20 days is easy.

[raisinemright]

I was just talking to another ASM. We might just give each new scout his camping blue card at crossover. This is to kind of show them that earning camping should be a no brainer for any scout

[Lisabob]

You asked what other troops mean when they say they go camping every month.

 

While the troop my son is part of is far from perfect, when they say they go camping, they mean in tents, away from the comforts of home. They cook outside, play outside, and generally live outside the whole weekend, one weekend a month. (exceptions in December and August)

 

They also do a lock-in event every year, but that's in addition to that month's camp out.

 

That is at least one troop's definition of what it means to go camping.

[dlearyous]

"Just curious, why is it so tough for the boys to meet these requirements 20 days is easy."

 

Because they must be done as a Scouting activity. If you aren't in a good Troop then it isn't so easy to knock it out in a year. At our rate it's going to take three. Now if they counted family camping then we'd be set.

[dlearyous]

Thanks Lisabob. That's definately what I would expect. Just wasn't sure on the cabin or other building 'camping'.

[DeanRx]

dlearyous,

 

You don't have to have a good Troop, but you do need to have at least a good PATROL with a couple of trained adults as ASM's. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but most of the camping requirements that state they must be completed on a unit campout can be done as a PATROL. Get a couple folks trained and registered, then talk to the PL about doing Patrol campouts to meet the requirements.

 

You just might start a new trend within the Troop once the other Patrols find out the fun stuff your son's Patrol has been up to.

 

Your location states "Ozark Trails", I take that to mean southern Missouri somewhere? Man, some of the best camping in the country!!! If your unit isn't getting out in the woods, what a shame.

(This message has been edited by Deanrx)

[dlearyous]

We only have two patrols. And if I'm not mistaken one is for the older boys and the other for the younger. That doesn't make sense to me at all though. Is that the way it normally is done? Where is the mentoring?

 

They recently re-elected the Patrol & Sr Patrol leaders. And we have some new parent volunteers. I'm hoping this will encourage some change too.

[Lisabob]

Many troops do age or grade based patrols these days. Some do mixed age patrols instead, but I suspect it is less common than it used to be. One reason I have heard is that the older fellows really aren't that interested in hanging around with the younger guys all the time. Both methods have their advantages, and both can probably work, if done well. Of course, done poorly, both have significant problems associated with them.

 

Patrol camping is a good idea and can work. But let's not kid ourselves. If you are working with a troop where adults in charge aren't supportive, then it will take more than just a couple of parents who are willing to go with a patrol, to change that troop's culture.

[Buffalo Skipper]

A troop camps 12 months a year. One of those camps is a 6-night long term camp, and the remainder is Fri-Sat-Sun camping (2 nights) then a troop would camp 28 nights a year. If a scout makes 2/3 of the campouts then that averages to about 18 nights a year per scout. I would not expect a scout to typically work toward the camping MB at the end of his first year. In fact, I would expect it to often naturally occur sometime during the 3rd year (age 13ish). By then a scout should have experienced certaintly 30 campouts (even if he only makes half the activities).

 

Yes these are average, But I just looked up some stats on Troopmaster:

 

1 mostly active scout finishing his third year (is working on the camping MB):

Scout 1: Attended 69% for a total of 59 nights (excluding lock-ins)

 

2 mostly active scouts finishing their second year (neither has the camping MB):

Scout 1: Attended 58% for a total of 44 nights (excluding lock-ins)

Scout 2: Attended 67% for a total of 44 nights (excluding lock-ins)

 

2 somewhat active scouts finishing their first year (neither has the camping MB):

Scout 3: Attended 41% for a total of 15 nights (excluding lock-ins)

Scout 4: Attended 41% for a total of 10 nights (excluding lock-ins and did not attend summer camp)

 

1 very active scout finishing their first year (is working on camping MB):

Scout 6: Attended 92% for a total of 29 nights (excluding lock-ins)

 

Sure we have a fairly active troop, but look at the example of the first year scout who attended only 5 campouts (less than half) and missed summer camp. He is already 1/2 way to the total required for Camping MB. I don't see that as bad at all.

 

On the other hand, we had a 17 year old scout with nearly 90 camping days who, 3 months before his 18th birthday, began working on and completed his Camping MB.

 

It's not rocket surgery, friends. Promote a good program, and the scouts will do what they can. This isn't a race. It happens when it happens.

[Basementdweller]

If I remember correctly one of the guiding points of the patrol method was having boys of similar ages and interests in the patrol. That is the whys of the the Troop Guide POR.

[IM_Kathy]

my son's first troop we went on their winter cabin trip as webelos. after cross over we had summer camp, 1 camporee, and 1 campout and that's it during about a year. VERY disappointing... and would've taken these boys forever to complete their camping MB

 

we switched to a more active troop that also had better bahavior and rules for behavior... we camp once a month. 1 each year is for sure indoors when we have the new scouts just crossed over in the winter. The others are typically outdoors, though it depends on what the boys have chosen for activities. We did a climbing night where they have a program for scouts and they have the boys sleep inside the building. We've done an aviation day at a nearby military base and they have the boys sleep inside. But those are just a once in a couple of years things.

[Gonzo1]

I suppose yu could count camping in a cave, lean to or under a tarp too. I would not count anything in a building, including a cabin.

[acco40]

First, I must, every night of my life I've slept under the sky.

 

Now, nothing says troop or patrol - it says Scouting activity or event. Go solo to a district camp-o-ree. Go with another troop. Have a patrol outing (with no adults!!). There should be no barriers to earning this merit badge.

 

Requirement 9 of the Camping Merit Badge (for reference)

Show experience in camping by doing the following:

a. Camp a total of at least 20 days and 20 nights. Sleep each night under the sky or in a tent you have pitched. The 20 days and 20 nights must be at a designated Scouting activity or event. You may use a week of long-term camp toward this requirement. If the camp provides a tent that has already been pitched, you need not pitch your own tent.

b. On any of these camping experiences, you must do TWO of the following, only with proper preparation and under qualified supervision:

1. Hike up a mountain, gaining at least 1,000 vertical feet.

2. Backpack, snowshoe, or cross-country ski for at least 4 miles.

3. Take a bike trip of at least 15 miles or at least four hours.

4. Take a nonmotorized trip on the water of at least four hours or 5 miles.

5. Plan and carry out an overnight snow camping experience.

6. Rappel down a rappel route of 30 feet or more.

c. Perform a conservation project approved by the landowner or land managing agency.

 

[Jay K]

Hi! I'm a Camping Merit Badge Counselor, Scoutmonster, and a member of OA. (the Camping Honor Society.)

 

Camping is in a tent, or on the ground out side,(or, I suppose, a platform) not in a tent, in the jargon, "under the sky." I'll count sleeping in a cave. For unit activity, perhaps a cabin, but that won't fulfill any but the barest of requirements.

 

Actual practice, and you can flame me all you want:

 

Scout "A":

"To fulfill my last three nights of camping for this (Camping)Merit Badge, I want to go with my sister and her husband to Rushing-water-deep-in-the-woods State Park. Can I count that?"

 

Yes, I say. He is going with them specifically to work on Camping Merit Badge. Therefore, it is a Scout Activity: working on Camping Merit Badge. I know that his sister and her husband are hard core backpackers. They will add to his camping knowledge. I talk to her and tell her, that for the nonce, she is my assistant Merit Badge Counselor. I wish I could go, too! Go Scout! I think that ANY Merit Badge work, under the direction of a Merit Badge Counselor, is Scout activity.

 

Scout B: "I went camping with my family last summer, can I count that?" He's missed 7 possible nights of camping with the troop in that year. He didn't clear it with me, the Counselor, beforehand. I know nothing of his family's camping style. I say "I'm very sorry, no!"

 

Scout "C" comes on all the Unit campouts, goes to Summer Camp, and finishes it just fine.

 

If I look at the program with a global eye, yes, we HAVE TO Camp. WHY? It builds teamwork, comraderie and citizenship like NOTHING else. Camping isn't the purpose, it's the tool. Rerquirement 9 is meant to encourage Unit camping by allowing only 7 nights of Camp to be counted.

 

As far as Camping 12 times a year: In Minnesota, we say, and this comes from Council, through the Quality Unit paperwork, 12 "Activities," 8 of which should be "Outdoor" So we go skiing in February, camping in March, April, May, June, July, etc. In December, we usually go to an indoor climbing wall and in January, a "Lock-in." Most of our Scouts get Camping Merit Badge pretty quickly. Events should drive the advancement.

 

I think that you should, in a friendly, curteous, and kind way, gently move the troop back to a camping orientation. "Eighty percent of Scouting is Outing!"

 

Jay

[Gunny2862]

I can't see this as an issue, we camp according to the MB and Individual NCA award 10 months a year and do a rustic cabin that even though it has electricity we don't make a lot of use of it - no TV, radio etc. And have a major December fundraiser that we skip camping for. W/o the cabin camp we still average 27 nights or 37 days of camping annually without OA or Lone Bear(ToLB) events(a local thing). If a Scout joins at the beginning of age 11 and stays through age 17 they can EASILY accumulate 162 nights or 222 days of Camping just by doing the regular program, w/o OA or ToLB. With ToLB and OA add as few as 18 nights and 36 days, for 180 and 258 minimum.

And that is with a whole year still available for those who love Scouting and stay active as youths for the 17-18 year.

My son will easily double those numbers,as will I .

 

Rarely does a first year in our Troop ask about the Camping MB unless preparing for summer camp when they often find they will be one or two nights short by the end of Summer Camp, but by the time they do as second years they find they normally have already long ago accomplished the days and nights requirement.