Troop Camping

Campouts are the backbone of the Scouting program. It is here that the patrol method is most ooperational. It is here that bonding, freindship and partol spirit are nurtured. It is on the campouts where new skills are learned, old skills are practiced and leadership skills are develooped. The patrols work together for the good of the Troop and strengthen it. There is much opportunity to interact with the other patrols.

Campouts and Activities

The Troop goes on campouts or has an activity at least once a month. All campouts and activities for the year are planned at an Annual Planning meeting in July. The Troop regulary attends Summer Camp and the District Camporees, leaving nine campouts or activities to plan. The activity calendar is distributed a the Troop meetings in early September and will also be published on this website and sent via email..

There is a fee associated with each campout or activity. The fee includes any location fees, food fee, and gas fee. Location Fees are determined by the cost of the usage of a location. This could include the fees to use an entire site or a cabin. All location cost are split equitably amongst those Scouts, Leaders, and adults attending the event. Food Fee is determined using a figure of 4.00usd per meal per Scout. Usual Food Cost total for a campout is $16.00 (subject to change) which covers two breakfasts, a lunch, and a dinner. For trips that leave on Friday night, Scouts are responsible for thier own bag dinner. Gas fee for each trip is $5.00 per scout (this will probably change) and is used to cover the cost of gas, and vehicle wear and tear, for the drivers of each trip. This fee is not added to any trip with a destination that is close by.

Commitment for Campouts

Commitment for the campouts generally takes place two weeks prior to the campout at the Wednesday night meeting. Your son will typically bring home a sheet with all of the details. You can also find details about the campout on this website. The camping fee varies depending on what we are doing and where we are going. It is important to knopw in advance who is going, including parents. This is becasue menu planning is contingent on the number of people to cook for. There needs to be adequate adult supervision, and the Troop requires drivers to get the boys to and from the campouts. Arrangements are sometimes made ahead of time for doing activities in rotations, and it is necessary to know how many to schedule per rotation. It is helpful to know if any patrols are under-represented and need to be meerged with other patrols to function as a patrol for that particular campout. With all this in mind It is very important to know as far in advance as possible who is attending. last minute addition or withdrawls make planning and execution difficult.

Cancellations

If a Scout gets ill, if there is a death in the family, or some other event precludes attendance at the campout, there are some people who need to be notified (both for the reasons noted above as well as to avoid personal responsibility for the cost for food and camping). Scouts must call their Patrol Leader. They should also call the Scoutmaster or an Assistant Scoutmaster. Your commitment to go camping with the Troop affects everyone. If a scout elects not to attend a campout after his patrol's grubmaster has purchased the food, the Scout is still responsible for paying for his share of the food costs. This applies also to the adults. depending on timing, a Scout or adult may forfeit his Campout Fee for the particular camping trip or activity that they have signed up for.

Summer Camp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henson_Scout_Reservation