Reflections on 20+ years of our Troop running its own weeklong summer camp

[Proud Eagle 13]

You have a couple of valid points. You do lose a certain level of control at a council camp, or for that matter at any other event beyond unit level (Camporees, Jamboree, high adventure bases, etc). You also don't have a staff all of your own.

 

The issue of control over your own program is one that I think many camps need to look at how to better address. We are supposed to be there to serve the troop, the patrol, and the Scouts. Many camps seem to do a poor job of offering opportunities for all three of those elements. In the ideal world a summer camp would be a place where they have the best facilities, the best instructors, and the best program OPPORTUNITIES that can be found in your area. The exact nature of each units program would be decided by that unit. In reality however it is quite difficult to run a camp with any thing other than a centralized program.

 

At the council camp there are ways to ensure the staff being unfamiliar isn't a problem. You can send leaders around to each program area to volunteer to help out for the week (almost always greatly appreciated). You can also encourage your older youth to consider serving on staff.

 

In any case, I hope that you all are able to continue offering a fun and exciting program for your youth. If your unit likes doing its own camp, that is fine with me. I think the youth in each unit should be able to choose what it is they want to do. It sounds like your guys like doing the troop's camp.