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Breaking Camp on Sunday


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There was a couple of posts in the Scout Cooking topic that talked about breaking camp on Sunday and what time people head home.  I admit that we are a troop that breaks camp and leaves around 9 or 9:30, which is not the earliest in camp, by the way.  However, the one thing that I noticed is most camps around us want troops to check out by 11 with some as early as 10.  Like I said, I guess most scouts are gone by then anyway, but for those who want to stay it is hard when the camps are kicking troops out by mid-morning.

 

For those who said they don't break camp until later, are you at scout camps or other types of camps that you can stay later, or do your scout camps stay open later?

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It varies.

Camps with full-time Rangers seem to be more flexible.

Camps with camp masters or volunteers ... Not so much.

State parks have specific rules about reserved campsites, but that just has to do with breaking camp, if the boys wanted, they could use other facilities (fishing, hiking, etc ...) after the campsite is clear.

Farmers, well they all are different with how they want their land to be occupied on a Sunday.

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Keep records of which camps do what in regards to checking out.  Usually there are not a lot of camps around here that worry about Sunday check out because they aren't that busy and if one wants to hang around on Sunday, no problem, they don't have reservations to fill for Sunday night anyway.

 

If a camp or resort make a fuss about the check out, they get crossed off the list of available camps to use.

 

The nice thing about late check out on Sunday is that it is guaranteed that the boys will have unstructured free time that isn't heavily programmed by some over zealous scouter who planned the weekend.  :)  Our last camporee was planned by a scouter and his wife who left the middle of Saturday afternoon.  The rest of us got together and did the campfire and had a great time, probably better than if they had stuck around.

 

My boys are usually the last ones out of camp, not because they goof off and don't break camp, but because they have all day to get home and no adults barking at them to get their things packed up.

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Our local scout camps want you out by 2pm. State parks are by noon but you can negotiate later departures. We cannot arrive before 12 noon at our church (to let church traffic leave) and there is pressure from parents to get kids home before 2pm to get homework done. We usually do a hike or play patrol games if done early. Sometime we just let them "chill". They usually don't get much down time from mom and dad.

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We don't seem to have these camp restrictions around here. Or if we do, it is something new. But remember the important objective of putting scouts in outdoor situations is letting them deal with the realities and making decisions so that they grow from the experiences. My angst with some programs is the scouts aren't allowed to be creative and make decisions with the situations presented to them. And sometimes the pump of creativity needs to be primed by the SM, but even then the objective is for the scouts to learn and grow from their decisions. 

 

I remember on the trail at Philmont, the next days hike took our crew through two activity areas that the scouts wanted to participate. One was fly-fishing, I don't remember the other. Anyway we would have to hike aggressively to participate in both activities and it appeared there wasn't enough time in the day. The other adult and I sat back rubbing our tired feet as the scouts came up with ideas to get both activities in the day. Turns out we had to get up at 4:00am, but all the scouts bought into the plan and dragged their adults on the trial by 4:00am.

 

If time is a limitation, ask the scouts for help with ideas to make the best of the day. Even if they don't come up with a solution, keep them in the discussion so they know they were part of the team. Get them in the habit of fixing problems. Our scouts learned to always bring an idea for every problem presented. After a while, very few problems are presented.

 

Barry

Edited by Eagledad
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All depends on the weather.....

 

If first thing Sunday when they get up the tents are dry then they get dropped and packed ASAP so they don't get wet again. If first thing they are wet then they stay up as late as possible in the hope of getting them dry.

 

The Eskimos may have 97 words for snow, we Brits have 10 times as many words for rain in all its many and glorious forms......

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...

The Eskimos may have 97 words for snow, we Brits have 10 times as many words for rain in all its many and glorious forms......

FYI: Inuit has no more words for snow (or any kind of precipitation, for that matter) than does any western language. They use adjectives just like the rest of us. Although, when it comes to rain, I'm sure the Brits' adjective choice is far more colorful!

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Rain

 

Sprinkling

Drizzle

Deluge

Cloudburst

  

 

:)

 

Oh we have far more variations than that!

 

I'm a particular fan of what the Scottish call Harg... it starts off as a particularly thick mist that gets you pretty damp. As it gets heavier it turns to rain, without you really noticing. Before you know it it's been raining for two hours and you never knew! Some English call it "mizzle".

 

Or there's that funny summer rain, the stuff that comes down deceptively gently but gets you far more wet than it has any right to. It's what we call "wet rain".

 

I could ramble on all night....

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Our local scout camps want you out by 2pm. State parks are by noon but you can negotiate later departures. We cannot arrive before 12 noon at our church (to let church traffic leave) and there is pressure from parents to get kids home before 2pm to get homework done. We usually do a hike or play patrol games if done early. Sometime we just let them "chill". They usually don't get much down time from mom and dad.

 

I would agree, Krampus. I get pressure from parents to get kids home earlier. I've found that our late arrivals on Sunday and/or camping 3-4 hours from home was a primary reason that some boys were not camping as often. 

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Our Charter Org doesn't want us at the church earlier than noon, so that we don't interfere with 2nd service traffic - that impacts our timing at some local camps. 

 

As the adult leader, I like to be home early afternoon at the latest, just so that I can grab a nap to play catch-up before starting my week.

 

We have never been chased out of a camp due to timing.

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