Pack Campout

[jamist649 10]

We are planning our second PACK (just us) Campout for late next month. Last year, participation was "spotty". Baseball practice, other obligations, too cold, etc.....

 

We've tried to plan it this year to maximize attendance. Here are a couple of modification from last year:

 

-Taking it from a 2 night event to a 1 night. Arrive Saturday instead of Friday night and leave Sunday AM. We just don't do well with 2 night events...usually end up with half of the Pack leaving after night/day one.

 

-Making it more structured. Beltloop events, firm schedule, contingency plans. A few complaints surfaced last year about "downtime".

 

-Providing lunch and supper on day one. This keeps some Scouts from eating lunchables and being done in 5 minutes and some taking an hour and a half to prepare a 6 course meal. Thus, more downtime.

 

Any more suggestions? What is your average rate of participation in Camp? In our area, it's all over the map. Some Packs get almost 80+% with some only have 2 or 3 show up. We average about 50%. With a few more trickling in during the daytime for activities.

 

On that same note, are there any "tricks" I could use to get more Scouts to overnight camp? Nothing wrong with Daycampers, but I really want them to get the full experience. I was thinking camp patches, late night/early morning events, etc. Any suggestions on this?

 

Thanks!

[clemlaw 55]

Well, I think it's the _parents_ who need to be sold on the idea of camping. I'm sure that if you ask Cub Scouts if they want to spend the night in a tent, then about 99% of them will say yes. But if you ask the parents, then the percentage is probably a lot smaller.

 

IMHO, one night is much better than two nights. Again, the parents need to be sold on the idea, and in many cases, this might be their first camping experience. Setting up a tent after dark is _not_ a good way to start your first camping trip. In fact, if possible, I would make sure that you have a few experienced campers around to help out the newbies, and make it a pleasant experience. But if you start on Friday night, and people have to work, then they will be setting up in the dark, which is no fun.

 

Also, have a contingency plan for rain. You and I will probably do OK if it rains while we're camping. But if it's their first camping trip and they get all wet, then it will probably be their last camping trip. Basically, this probably means having a cabin available. The trip needs to be fun, even if it rains, if you want them to come back next year.

 

Eating as a group is also a good idea. In fact, I don't think I would even consider having families cook for themselves, unless they have some experience camping. I'm not normally a fan of dining halls, but for Cub Scout parents who are new to camping, it might be a good idea. In fact, if someone else makes the coffee, I'll happily stumble over there myself to get my first cup in the morning, even if I would rather cook my own food.

[Tampa Turtle 1011]

I agree with one night. I was with 2 different packs with my son and on the 2 night camp-outs 90% of the families stayed one night. We moved from 4 to 3 to 2 Pack campouts a season over the years for the same issues.

 

Group cooking is a must as some families are intimidated by that and the on-cookers can bring the chips, etc.

 

Also you need a lot of programmed activities or today's parents will see it as a waste of time. If the boys are busy and the parents get to relax they seem much more favorable.

 

Sadly many parents today are very wimpy and many have never been camping. Most of the boys love it.

[AKdenldr 33]

I'm interested in the concept of day campers..... Is that common where you live? I'd drop it.

 

The idea is that the boys who come and camp do the things and earn the advancements. Those that don't, don't.

 

Announce date early and often. Then promote and market it.

 

 

[Shilue 10]

The first campout we went on as a pack, we had 300 people. We've got a pack with about 100 boys in it, and usually get a good turnout. We do 2 nights - arrive on Friday, leave on Sunday. People are responsible for their own food Friday night, but we do S'Mores. The pack provides cooked breakfast Saturday, lunch (sandwich)Saturday, cooked dinner Saturday, and cereal for breakfast on Sunday. We do charge $25 per family to offset costs of food and campsite rental.

When we started with the pack as Tigers, most of the parents in the Tiger dens hadn't camped before. The pack got together with them and helped them figure out what gear they needed, and what they didn't. It was raining that first night, but the parents who had done this before were right there waiting for the new familes to help them get setup quickly.

The program is well planned and thought out, with various activities throughout the day. There is some down time for the boys to just be boys, but it's not a significant time. Everyone seems to enjoy the campouts.

For our meals, we break up responsibility by rank. Webelos get up Saturday morning to cook breakfast (with parents), tigers are responsible for lunch, bears do dinner, and wolves do Sunday breakfast. Since we have 2 dens of each rank, usually 1 den does the meal, the other den does the cleanup, and we alternate among our 3 campouts per year.

[Scoutfish 16]

WE do two nights as well. Arrive Friday, leave Sunday morning.

 

But Friday is a fend for yourself night. There are no offical pack activities nor is attendance critical.

 

A few of us adults will do some Dutch Oven cooking demonstrations, and other cool food ideas for parents new to scouting. We ( a handfull of leaders - not the pack) also have hotdogs and smores ingredients availabkle for the kids.

 

Saturday morning has a more stringent time schedule..but not without plan B,C. and D on standby in case something happens.

 

We assist and supervise older scouts cooking ( the tamer stuff) while younger ones help serve. Duties are broken down into different groups who work the 3 different meals of the day.

 

We allow at least 30 minutes after breakfast for food to settle and event leaders to get their affairs in order. W do activities until lunch. After aloowing 45 mins for lunch, we have an hour down time. WE do after noon activities until about 30 mins before supper.

 

After supper we kinda go into chill mode. Tell stories around the campfire, skits, misc info sessions. and smores again. Then we do a night hike.

 

Sunday we have juice/coffee/hot chocolate and honey buns/ cinnamin rolls. A short scouts own and then we police the camp/ LNT and break camp.

 

The thing is, we usually have at least 4 or 5 different activities set up so there are no long lines or so scouts do not do "the same dull thing" as last year.

 

All activities are usually belt loop activities and not neccasary for advancement ...But individual dens may elect to finish or work on advancement activities themselves instead of other activities.

 

 

The biggest thing is this: We do not demand that scouts participate in the activities. They are free to just hang out with mom or dad or their freinds and just enjoy the camping in itself if they choose to do so.

 

You do not want scouts bored because there is nothing to do, but at the same time, do not control every minute of the day or you will suck the fun out of camping.

 

I bring a Nerf football and a soccer ball. The boys love it , and myself and another leader will watch the boys while mom and dad can just sit and socialize and laugh. Yeah,those are suck up brownie points - but it helps keep the boys in scouting!

 

Sometimes, just letting them run around, having fun and burning off energy will make that camping trip the coolest thing ever. If it happens at a scouting event, then scouting stays cool .

 

 

 

 

[Scouting4Ever 11]

Last year, this is the schedule that we used for our first campout in a few year. It went well and the kids are excited about doing it again. The next fall we tripled the amount of Scouts and families that went on a Council sponsored two night camping experience.

 

We are going to use this same schedule, except offer two belt loops at a time, so that they get to choose.

 

I would suggest camping somewhere that has a playground. The older kids wanted to keep playing kickball, the younger ones were happy to go to the playground and play. Bottom line, it kept everyone busy.

 

The only complaint that I had was that it rained. I talked with a long time Cubmaster and his input was that the parents may gripe, the kids will love it. Well, he was right. The kids loved it and none of the parents complained.

 

During the family time the Scouts grabbed their poles and went fishing!

 

Day 1

11:00 a.m. Scout Arrival and Set Camp

Noon Lunch on your own

1:00 pm Kickball Belt Loop

2:30 p.m. Break

3:00 Hiking Belt Loop

4:30 Family Time

5:00 p.m. Dinner (Official Uniform)

5:30 p.m. Family Time

7:00 p.m. Campfire

8:30 p.m. Midnight Hike

9:00 p.m. Free Time

10:00 p.m. Lights Out

 

Day 2

7:00 a.m. Reveille

7:30 a.m. - Breakfast

8:00 a.m. Scouts Own Service (Official Uniform)

8:30 a.m. - Camp Cleanup

9:00 a.m. Tent Break Down and Departure

 

[jamist649 10]

Excellent ideas! Keep em coming, please. I especially like the sample schedule. Thanks!

[Lisabob 13]

jamist, it might be a bit late in the game for you, but do you have anybody who has done BALOO? BALOO teaches a bunch of useful things about how to plan a pack camp out that would probably be helpful to you. Since you need to have a BALOO-trained person at your campout anyway, you might want to pick his/her brain while you are still in the planning stages.

 

Aside from that - I agree that the real trick is to convince parents to participate. Depending on what the pack has available, you might want to offer that you can help equip parents who lack the appropriate gear.

 

You might also consider joining up with a local troop for a little help. Not that they have to camp with you, but maybe they'd be willing to lend gear, or host a campfire at the campout (maybe only for those who stay overnight?), or take your webelos hiking as part of the program, or cook one of the meals for the pack, or do a joint service project with you at the campout, something. Of course you can probably do these things on your own too, but sometimes there's an added cache that having those older boys there can lend to your program.

 

 

[saschuster 10]

We have done both the two night and the one night and we usually have a great turnout but we have the advantage of having property close to all of our homes we share with the troop.

 

The key for me when planning a camping trip is to keep the boys and the parents busy!!

 

I try to have each den provide something for the boys to work on during the morning. After lunch we have an amazing story teller that takes the boys on a hike and leads them to the "Indian Burial Ground" and later in the afternoon we work on one of the harder or not so interesting belt loops. After dinner is smores and skits or songs.

 

If your pack does the Regatta race, camping is a great time to hold this event. We have had it at our scout hut the past tow years and we run out of parking we have so many participants and the non campers get to see all the tents and run the property with the boys that do camp and that gets them excited and motivated.

 

I was never a camping person until a few years ago and now that I am committee chair, we camp every other month and our families love it!

 

Good luck with it!

[Eliza 11]

Good luck! I think you have some great ideas.,,,

 

I think a biggie for first-time campers is knowing what equipment is needed. Bring in and show tents, sleeping bags, etc. Give people an idea of costs, where to spend and where to save, what to look for and what to avoid. I have heard so many parents say that they want to go camping, but don't have a tent. At first it can be overwhelming, but if you can break through the barrier of confusion, you may get some more campers.

 

By all means, give patches out at the pack meeting following the campout -- the nicest patches you can get.

 

Welcome families that can only come to part of the campout -- because of scouts/siblings in sports or parents coaching, religious obligations, etc. Maybe they will like the campout so much that they will put it ahead of sports next year. I have seen schedules that say to arrive at 8 am and heard parents say that they would like to camp, but can't be there so early.

 

Welcome siblings. This can be a deal breaker for parents who are alone -- single parent, spouse working, spouse in military, etc. By welcome I don't mean a formal sibling program, just a welcome in announcements and emails. Some parents may not have heard the term family camping.

 

And tell people what the bathroom facilities are like. Maybe most 9 year old boys don't care, but parents might want to know.

 

Make sure to let people know that help is available for putting up tents.

[Basementdweller 608]

Good luck with showing people decent gear. You will still have familys showing up with the 39 dicks tent special and walmart sleeping bags.

 

 

We tried to to gear education for years. people just don't care until they are soaking wet and cold. After that they will never camp again.

[Scoutfish 16]

I use a $39 Wal-Mart special tent when we go pack camping. Since I camp only 3 or 4 times a year total....I haven't felt the justification to buy a $100.00 tent.

 

But the trick is this: I also buy a tarp to cover my tent and one to go under it too. A $4 for under works greeat and around $30 for the rainfly tarp.

 

THis way I have a very breathable tent if it's not raining and the rain tarp( I always put it up) creates a nicer temp control to the tent when it's hot and sunny.

 

Again, if most families only use it twice a year, I'll tell them to spend around $30.00 to $40.00 on the tent, but buy a nice tarp since most rainfly's barely cover the mesh area anyways.

[jamist649 10]

I've had BALOO, as has my assistant, and two of my DLs...however we focused more on cooking, gear education, and safety more than activities and schedules. Maybe I just had a marginal instructor LOL.

 

When I refer to "daycamping" I'm talking about the Scouts/families who don't want to/are afraid to/can't afford/fill in the blank camp overnight, so they show up in the morning and stay till lights out and then go home. Again, I will-of course-welcome anybody who comes but I really wanted to boost our overnighters...it just makes for a better camp.

 

I was thinking a special patch for overnighters or having a ceremony late at night (10ish), I don't know. I'm kind of at a loss as to how to get folks motivated enough to sleep in a tent. When my son joined, I remember telling him that he could join Scouts all he wanted to, but he would need to find me a tent with a thermostat and running water if he wanted me to camp with him. All it took for me was one night in the tent and realizing it wasn't that bad.

 

Thanks for your replies!

[Scoutfish 16]

jamist649,

The very first time my son went camping also was at our pack campout. It was in October.

 

Sometime during the middle of the night, he wakes me up and asks me: "Dad! What was that?"

 

I ask him what, and he just says: "That." I have noidea what he's talking about so we both get real quiet. He then says: "there it goes again!"

 

Turns out he was hearing leaves fall to tye ground, and every now and then, one would slide down the side of the tent.

 

I told him what it was and he said something along the lines of - Everybody should be able to hear that.

 

He's been hooked ever since!