MENEWA DISTRICT CAMPOREE GUIDE

WHAT IS A CAMPOREE?

A Camporee is many things--camping for boys, the thumping of hundreds of feet on the way to an evening campfire, and the blue smoke from cooking stew or ham and eggs. It's the patter of rain on tents at night. It's the ripple of windblown flags in the morning sun. It's catching the idea of teamwork in a patrol. It's learning to carry out an order you don't really like.

A Camporee can be a perfect showplace for the Scouting program and, therefore, go far beyond just being a gathering of boys.

A Camporee starts with the recognition that a patrol is the basic (camping) unit. The patrol demonstrates its very best camping techniques and shares its experiences with other patrols. The Camporee involves the type of equipment that can be carried in a pack or troop trailer and can be set up entirely by the boys. The equipment thus set up enables the boys to be completely self-sufficient for a self-reliant experience over a period of 2 or 3 days.

Camporees are held on a Council or District basis. They may be held at any time of the year. Camporee programs may include contest and skill as well as campfires, games, and field events. These activities can show Scouting at its best.

Camporees can help Councils and Districts meet part of their goals. They stimulate overnight camping; they can help prepare units for long-term camping. Camporees thus help units to earn the Quality Unit Award.

PURPOSE OF THE CAMPOREE

The Camporee as with all Council and District-wide activities has three basic objectives. First, it must provide an adventuresome activity for the boys--and an exciting adventure that they would not ordinarily experience--camping with their patrol or troop alone. Second, it must motivate the troop action by stimulating and challenging the adult leaders and the patrol leaders' council to carry out a quality program of camping in preparation for and during the Camporee and, when held in Spring, to help the troop prepare for Summer camp. Finally, it must interpret the Scout camping program to the public--using the public in it broadest sense and including the parents and the chartered organization as well as the public outside the ranks of Scouting.

The guidance contained herein should be followed as closely as possible to ensure a quality program is presented .  Camporees are a program for Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. Some deviation may be necessary as each individual Camporee is planned and carried out. In no manner should these individual guidelines impede the program of the Boy Scouts of America.

CAMPOREE COMMITTEE

The Camporee Committee consists of a Chairman, Vice Chairman and as many staff members as the Chairman deems necessary. It a very wise to have back-up staff members on standby for the inevitable person who backs out at the last minute.

PROGRAM:

• Listing the events schedule with time limits
• Locating the events
• Providing judging and awards presentation
• Camporee Brochure - Publicity - Encourage participation at Campfire

• Registration/Checkout procedure
• Event Score Sheets
• Campfire program and site for Presentation of Awards
• Cracker Barrel Menu.

SERVICES:

• Budget
• Securing Campsite & Map of Site
• Site Layout Unit by Unit
• Good Conservation Practices
• HQ Tent - Flags & Flagpoles - Staff Meals

HEALTH & SAFETY:

• SANITATION- Water Supply - Toilet Facilities
• FIRST AID - Tent/shelter - Trained personnel/ambulance or other suitable transport of injured/Coordinate with nearest Hospital in the event of casualties.

• FIRE SAFETY--Standards for checking campfires, types and location, and troop cooking fires. Restrict liquid fuels within policy limitations. Prohibit all flames in tents. Check site for possible hazards.

ALSO A PART OF SERVICES

• Campfire
• Cracker Barrel
• Guests
• Interfaith Services

Routinely, each staff member may handle more than one area at a District level Camporee. These are general areas of responsibility and the Chairman may identify additional areas as he sees fit.

The following areas need to be addressed and become the responsibility of one of the staff members

The chairman should set up a regular schedule of committee meetings to ensure all details are covered. Further, the chairman should be prepared to meet with the district committee at its' meeting to keep the committee updated on the camporee's progress

CAMPOREE SITE SELECTION:

This should be the first order of business of the Camporee Staff.  The site selected should lend itself to Boy Scout activities. Ideally a mix of woods and clearings.  Every effort should be made to accommodate troop trailers at each troop campsite.

CAMPOREE PLANNING:

Planning should be accomplished according to the Task Schedule (Attachment 1).   As stated above, the Camporee Chairman will give regular reports to the District Committee.  Progress reports will be made at District Roundtable so Scoutmasters will have viable information to pass on to their Troops. A Camporee Patch design contest is encouraged.  At the very least, have a Scout or Scouts input on the design of the patch.  Camporees are a Scout event, Tiger Cub, Cub Scouts, Webelos and Boy Scouts.  After all, where do troops recruit the majority of their Scouts from.  Excluding Tigers and Cubs from Camporees would seem to definitely diminish recruiting through Cross-over.

The registration area should be manned at all times.  It should be the center of communication, emergencies and lost and found.  A master layout of Troop campsite locations should be prominently posted at HQ.  Every effort should be made to adhere to schedule printed in the Camporee brochure.

A Interfaith church service should be held on Sunday.  Troops should be made aware of religious opportunities in the community near the Camporee site.  All Scouts and Leaders should be encouraged to attend services.

AWARDS:

All awards should be given out at the Saturday night campfire.

• Overall- Presidential: First, second, third awarded to units with the highest overall score for the camporee (events, gateway competition, and campsite inspection.
• Events- First, second, and third awarded to the troops with the highest event scores.
• Campsite- First, second, third awards based on inspections using the Campsite Score Sheet (attachment 2).
• Gateway- First, second, third awards based on inspections using the Gateway Score Sheet (attachment 3).
• Patrol Flag- First, second, third awards based on inspections using the Patrol Flag Score Sheet (attachment 4).
• Spirit Axe- Awarded to the unit demonstrating the best Scouting spirit (overall teamwork, troop behavior, esprit de corps, etc.) This is a continuing award given at each Camporee
• Patch Design- An appropriate award will be given to the Scout or Scouts whose design is selected for the event patch.
• Participation Ribbons- Each unit will receive a ribbon for their participation in the event.

REPORTS:

Verbal reports will be given by the Camporee Chairman at each District Committee meeting and Roundtable.

• A written report will be submitted to the District Camping Chairman 45 days after the end of the Camporee.

The report will include, but will not be limited to:

• Comments/suggestions gathered by the Camporee Chairman at the Roundtable immediately following the Camporee.
• A copy of the final budget,
• Names, addresses and phone numbers of all resources used for the Camporee,a copy of the Camporee Brochure, a copy of all pertinent material (score cards, maps, etc.) used during the Camporee.
• All pertinent information regarding awards ribbons, etc.
• Do's and Don'ts if you had it to do , all over again.

An example of the report format can be found in attach. 5

IDEALS:

We hold Camporees for the education, training and enjoyment of the SCOUTS!!! Every effort must be put forth by the Camporee Staff to "sell" the unit leaders on your Camporee program. Solicit suggestions and ideas from unit leaders at every opportunity. Explain why things are done the way they are.

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Attachment 1

MENEWA DISTRICT CAMPOREE

TASK SCHEDULE

1. VICE-CHAIRMAN announce 6 months prior to camporee date.
2. REMAINING STAFF POSITIONS announce 5 months prior.
3. EVENTS SELECTED 5 months prior.
4. PATCH DESIGN CONTEST KICKED OFF 5 months prior.
5. LOCATION SELECTED 4 months prior.
6. CAMPOREE BROCHURE DRAFT OK'D 4 months prior.
7. AWARDS SELECTED 4 months prior.
8. BUDGET APPROVED 4 months prior.
9. CAMPOREE BROCHURE finalize and distribute 3 months prior.
10. PATCH DESIGN selected 1 month prior.
11. PATCHES ORDERED immediately after camporee.
12. EVENTS PACKAGE complete 2 months prior.
13. EVENTS SCORE CARDS finalized 1 month prior.
14. RELIGIOUS SERVICES arrangements finalized 1 month prior.
15. POST CAMPOREE REPORT submitted 45 days after camporee.

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Attachment 2

MENEWA DISTRICT CAMPOREE

CAMPSITE EVALUATION SCORE SHEET

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Attachment 3

MENEWA DISTRICT CAMPOREE

GATEWAY SCORE SHEET

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Attachment 4

MENEWA DISTRICT CAMPOREE

PATROL FLAG SCORE SHEET

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Attachment 5

MENEWA DISTRICT CAMPOREE

REPORT FORMAT EXAMPLE

STAFF MEMBERS (Include address & phone number)

COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONS FROM ROUNDTABLE:

RIBBONS/AWARDS

•  Number given:

• Awarded to:

• Cost:

• Source:

SPIRIT AXE:

DO'S & DON'TS:

FINAL BUDGET:

CAMPOREE BROCHURE:

PERTINENT MATERIAL:

SCORE CARDS:

MENUS:

EQUIPMENT:

NOTE:  ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU FEEL WOULD BE USEFUL TO THE NEXT CAMPOREE STAFF PLEASE INCLUDE IN YOUR REPORT'