Same camp every year, more than one, or switch?

[SpEdScouter]

Do you all attend the same summer camp every summer, more than one in the summer, or switch around camps?

 

Who decides?

[Horizon]

Troop tradition is rotation. Adults pull the list of what is available and the cost, boys vote on where to go.

[Stosh]

The boys research the area camps and decide where they want to go.  Any BSA Camp is on the list of those able to be attended. Adults aren't involved in the process.

[qwazse]

Our boys absolutely refuse to consider any other camp (and campsite) than the one they've gone to for decades. Even after merging with a majority of boys who went to a different camp, seven boys held fast to their tradition. In fact, this year a dad came who had been in this troop at this very camp (on this very site) as a youth!

[T2Eagle]

We go to the same camp each year.  The boys decide not the adults, we've looked at the other camps in our area and our council's seems the best, none of the others offer any real difference in the program available.  We've also looked at some more distant camps like Blue Ridge but neither the boys nor the families really took to the idea.

[Stosh]

With all the Cub camp activity going on by the time the boys get to boy scouts, they are pretty burned out on the council camp.  I haven't taken the boys to council camp as Boy Scouts for a little over 10 years.  This year's cross-overs selected a non-council camp for their first camp.  I didn't participate in the decision in that I haven't been to this year's camp for about 15 years now.

[Hedgehog]

We do the same camp every year.  I"ve talked to a lot of parents and a lot of boys about the posibility of changing and the unanimous answer is they want to do the same camp.  We don't have a formal decision but there is absolutely no inclination to change camps.  I have to agree with all of them, the camp we go to is pretty good and I think it would be hard to find another camp that has a full turkey dinner served on Friday night with the waiters being staff dressed up in costumes.

[Stosh]

Yeah, I can see the problem, summer camp located 6 miles outside of Yellowstone with Wednesday off to go into the Western Museums of Cody on Wednesday and catch a rodeo that evening with a swing through Yellowstone before heading home is of no interest to most boys. 

 

Turkey dinner?  Yep, that has it's appeal, the one camp we have attended had to settle for a full pig roast with all the fixin's.    They're the ones who own the whole lake (second clearest in the state) and have canoes, kayaks, and sailboats.

 

Sometimes what one doesn't know doesn't hurt them, sometimes it does. 

 

The reason we go to so many different camps is because the boys spend all winter researching all the camps in the area....and beyond!

Edited July 23, 2016 by Stosh

[Hedgehog]

Sometimes what one doesn't know doesn't hurt them, sometimes it does.  

 

Why do you think I've asked that question so many times? 

 

Although I may get in trouble if I keep asking because my son is intent on being a counsellor there next summer.  

[Stosh]

My former troop went to a "new" camp after having a poor experience at the council camp.  They did their own thing, boy led, patrol method, and it must have caught the eye of the camp director somewhere along the way because somewhere along the way, my acting "SPL" gets an application to join the camp staff without even asking for it.  He went the next summer as the Assistant Director of High Adventure and pretty much had a blast for the summer.

 

The Servant Leadership style of leadership has a noticeable impact on those around, even if all they are doing is observing.

 

By the way the boys didn't go back that next year because they found another camp they wanted to try. 

 

Scouting "careers" for the individual scout may not always be in line with the troop plans.  It's always good to experience life outside the troop when it comes to scouting.  It shows that one can stand on their own two feet without being propped up by the troop. 

[Hedgehog]

They did their own thing, boy led, patrol method, and it must have caught the eye of the camp director somewhere along the way because somewhere along the way, my acting "SPL" gets an application to join the camp staff without even asking for it.  

 

 

Son had talked to the Program Director, our campsite Commissioner and several counselors who head up the various areas during the week about being on staff.  The campsite Commissioner came up an told me "There are boys who want to be counselors and there are boys who are just natural born boy scouts.  Your son is a Boy Scout."  He borrowed the camp baseball hat I bought at camp and while he was wearing it on Friday he was mistaken several times for a counselor.  

 

 

It's always good to experience life outside the troop when it comes to scouting.  It shows that one can stand on their own two feet without being propped up by the troop. 

 

 

My son actually enjoys being with scouts outside of our Troop a lot.  He has loved his experience with OA and loved hanging out with the counselors at camp.  I guess he feels at home with other guys who are as "scouty" as he is.

Edited July 23, 2016 by Hedgehog

[WissX]

My Troop does 2 a year. We go to the counsel one and a out of counsel one.

 

Anyone Camp Staff of a camp?

[scoutermomks]

We alternate going to the council camp one year and an out of council camp the next.  In the past the scoutmaster always chose the out of council camp.  Since I've recently taken over as scoutmaster I'm going to give the scouts a list of camps to choose from for next year.  We're working on becoming boy led but I don't want to overwhelm them by saying "ok, pick any camp in the country for next year".  I've done some research and picked 6 within a reasonable driving distance with a reasonable cost, I'll let them take it from there.

[Stosh]

My boys were not satisfied with the local Council camp after a really bad experience with them.  I told them to find a new camp to attend.  They got on the internet and came up with a camp an hour and a half away that was owned by an OUT OF STATE council. 

 

Train 'em, TRUST 'EM, let them lead!  - love that line, it works! 

[Eagle94-A1]

I would love to say the Scouts, but it's complicated.

 

3 years ago, it was suggested to try something new by one of the ASMs. Boys agreed, and we went there and had a good time. When it came around  to last year, unanimous decision was to go back to that camp, which we did.

 

This year got interesting. I don't know if one of the ASMs got involved or not, but the SPL put his foot down at the planning meeting with the PLC saying we needed to go back to our home camp this summer, which we did. I know the adults talked about trying to convince the Scouts to go back to the home camp, so I don't know if this ASM had a word with the SPL or not. Good news everyone had a great time, and talking to everyone all but one Scout, mine, wants to go back again next summer. But that same ASM made a comment about going to a camp in the mountains. I have mixed emotions. One on hand the camp is new and has some great programs. On the other hand it is a drive, and much more expensive than the home camp. And I will have 2 Boy Scouts at that point.