Goodbye Camporees, WFW's hello SAW's?

[qwazse 4342]

I wouldn't call it a course per se, more of a compass scavenger hunt. Targets of varying values, team continuity, time limit...more than a compass course. If it was just a compass course, I don't think there would be the international interest there seems to be generated. My Australian nephew has his whole family involved and they are out 2 to 3 times a month in their summer season. Their kids were well versed in map and compass before they started school.

The Aussies definitely do it right! But that opinion was not new ...

 

My SM would not give us anything less than what today would be called a "mini-rogain". Anything more straightforward was just "calibration" to him.

 

That attitude seems to have sunk in more than once. My SPL's son was on camp staff a couple years ago, and one evening I had a moment to chat with the young man about his scouting career. He said Dad was SM for a while, and it generally worked out pretty well ... "but, we sure did a lot of orienteering."

 

When I first started with the local orienteering club just a few years ago, the whole notion of advancing to controls in numerical order was new to me. That's where I met Europeans who grew up doing this stuff, and they basically had the equivalent of our cross-country teams which revolved around orienteering.

[Eagle94-A1 2687]

The way the course was set up was the following. Courses 1 and 3 had the same controls, just coming from different directions. Courses 2 and 4 were the same way, but Hurricane Matthew destroyed a key component of the course, plus several control points. Course 2 was done on the fly the day of the event, but to my knowledge was not used

 

Control Points, in addition to being in a certain order, also had false control points. The idea was to make sure the Scouts could accurately do a compass course without running down a trail to the first control point they saw. The though was if they went to the wrong control point and got lost, they could backtrack to the last accurate gate, and reshoot the bearing. Sadly folks quit. 

[pchadbo 60]

Got flack from my oldest venturer coming on the next outing:  "Why can't we go on the shorter hike with the rest of the troop? And, why do you add an orienteering course to it?"

 

 

 

Not to be the Nudge here, but why are you, the adult, doing anything other than being a safety officer in a Crew?  This is THIER program not yours.  You should not be planning or "adding" anything to their program.  That is the job of the Crew President and officers.

;-)

[Eagle94-A1 2687]

I was able to chat with the PL of the patrol that won the orienteering course. He said it was pretty good, just a little too long for the time allowed. And from a Webelos who did it, "It was pretty easy. The fake control points were tricky though." And yes, he was one of my Cubs a few years back and I taught him how to use a compass.

[Eagle94-A1 2687]

As y'alll know, I'm camporee chief again next year. I got a whole year to plan this time. Since it will be Halloween Weekend once again, and since everyone likes Wilderness Survival we are going with a preparedness/survival theme. I personally like Zombie Apocalypse.

 

Anyway adults from the other district and I have come up with some ideas.  I told the PLC Saturday I wanted their ideas, turn them in to their SMs for Roundtable, and I want them. I don't think all of them quite believed me about getting their input. Between election results from last nite's troop meeting, I talked to my guys. here are some ideas.

 

Costume contest and post campfire trick or treating.

 

No Tents, improvised shelters only

 

Everyone carries a survival kit and can only use what is in it for events

 

No stoves for cooking, wood and charcoal only.

 

Instead of a Dutch Oven Cook Off, it will be an Utensiless Cooking Cook Off

 

More time for events and free flowing instead of rigid timeline.

 

Static displays for learning

 

Simpler Orienteering course with survival supplies cached about

 

harder first aid scenarios

 

 

More later

[RememberSchiff 3663]

Did scheduling on Halloween weekend reduce headcount say due to Halloween parties?

[Eagle94-A1 2687]

No it did not. In fact it actually upped attendance.  Long story short, the camporee for one of the two districts (mine) involved is traditionally the last full weekend in October. It was moved up this year because the other district revolves their activities around the local university's home football games. Hurricane Matthew caused us to move back to the traditional weekend. It was that or cancel, which the other district wanted to do. All the troops in my district said let's do it no matter what. Long story short we did have 3 troops back out due to the date change (the other district), but 3 troops were able to make it with the date change ( 1 from the other district, 2 from mine). And two of the three troops were quite large.

 

When it was on Halloween weekend last year, attendance was pretty good too. Everyone had a blast.

 

In 2014, the Cub family camp out was Halloween through Sunday Nov. 2nd.  While Friday had a low attendance, we had  trick or treat Saturday nite on the 1st.  IT WAS A SMASH HIT!!!!! (caps for emphasis). A lot of the Cubs enjoyed having 2 nites of trick or treating. And lots of parents had to deal with sugar enhanced children.

[qwazse 4342]

Not to be the Nudge here, but why are you, the adult, doing anything other than being a safety officer in a Crew?  This is THIER program not yours.  You should not be planning or "adding" anything to their program.  That is the job of the Crew President and officers.

;-)

This was for their safety. A three mile course built by the park service before starting the seven mile backpack gave the advisor and his dog a much needed nap.

 

More seriously, they must overcome land navigation deficits before I risk their hides back-country.  I've made it quite clear that the principle is long leash. To shoot for mountains, master foothills.

 

I provided options. The alternative was to find a series of caches in the general direction of camp, and after the last one have a "modest bushwhack" over a ridge into the destination valley.

 

Or they could have arranged any alternate route of their choosing. Anything except dawdling along half the distance with boy scouts.

 

Finally, the hike (in its generalities) was chosen by the Crew President.