Advancement Opportunities

Parent Participation

Patrol Leader's Council

The Big Event

Campout Activities

Wide Games for Camp

The Campouts Evening Program

Nowhere is the romance of the BSA more evident than in camp. Whether it’s an overnight campout or a week at summer camp, an outdoor setting promises fun and adventure—two of Scouting’s great attractions.

A troop that camps out almost every month of the year will have a strong appeal to Scouts. On the other hand, a troop that rarely gets outdoors might have trouble holding the interest of boys.

This month’s program focuses on camping skills. Young Scouts learn the basics of living comfortably and safely in the outdoors. Older Scouts can hone their knowledge of essential skills and tackle more advanced campcraft. Everyone in the troop will master Leave No Trace camping methods so that they can live in the outdoors in ways that are kind to the environment.

The big event of the month will be a campout that encourages Scouts to improve their camping skills. The campout might have another emphasis, too—perhaps nature study, astronomy, conservation, fishing, or wilderness survival.

Consider hiking at least a few miles to and from the campsite. That will increase the sense of remoteness for Scouts and allow them to practice backpacking as well as camping. The patrol leaders’ council should plan the campout to emphasize Leave No Trace camping methods outlined in the Boy Scout Handbook. The patrol leaders’ council can also plan activities that will be enjoyable and enhance the troop’s Scoutcraft skills. Add an evening program full of fun and inspiration to cap off this great outdoor adventure.

This month’s patrol and troop activities should give your Scouts

• The knowledge and skill to be comfortable in camp
• The ability to use Leave No Trace camping methods and the Outdoor Code to protect the environment
• A sense of communion with nature and God
• Growth in self-confidence
• The ability to work cooperatively with other members of the patrol and troop in an outdoor setting

• Outdoor—cooking, camping
• Citizenship—flag ceremonies, Good Turn
• Patrol/troop participation—patrol identification
• Personal development—Scout Oath and Law

• Outdoor—cooking, camping, hiking
• Citizenship—flag ceremonies, Good Turn
• Patrol/troop participation—leadership
• Personal development—Scout Oath and Law

• Outdoor—cooking, camping, hiking
• Citizenship—flag ceremonies, Good Turn
• Patrol/troop participation—leadership
• Personal development—Scout Oath and Law

Older Scouts can concentrate on the Camping merit badge this month, completing most of the requirements. Depending on activities planned for the campout, they might also fulfill various requirements for Cooking, Hiking, Orienteering, Pioneering, Wilderness Survival, and other outdoor- and nature-related merit badges.

The patrol leaders’ council can involve parents and guardians in the camping program feature by

• Asking qualified parents and guardians to assist with instruction for camping skills and Leave No Trace techniques
• Inviting parents and guardians to participate in the troop campout
• Asking them to provide transportation to and from the campsite or the starting point of the hike to camp

The patrol leaders’ council should have met in the middle of the previous month to plan troop activities for this program feature. If they didn’t complete all of the items on the following agenda, they can continue planning at brief patrol leaders’ council meetings after each troop meeting.

• Decide on a campsite. If permission will be needed from private landowners or public land managers, they should be secured by the Scoutmaster, a member of the troop committee, or other responsible adult.
• Plan any special activities for the campout.
• If special gear or tools will be needed, assign someone to obtain them. Seek help from the troop quartermaster and, if necessary, the troop committee.
• Inventory the troop’s camping equipment if this has not been done recently.
• Plan details of troop meetings for the month. Assign patrol demonstrations for the month, covering skills that will be needed for campout activities and Leave No Trace camping methods.

The primary purpose of this campout will be to make all Scouts feel at home spending the night outdoors. The patrol leaders’ council should take special care to see that younger Scouts will have a good time, be comfortable in camp, and be enthusiastic about going camping again.

The event can take place at one of the troop’s usual campsites, at the local council’s Scout camp, or at a public park or forest. Plan for the patrol leaders’ council or the troop’s leaders to inspect each patrol’s site to ensure that all Scouts are following Leave No Trace camping methods. Use the campout as an opportunity to recognize and praise good technique and to help all Scouts become responsible campers.

The activity schedule of a campout will depend on weather, what the site has to offer, whether or not the Scouts are hiking to the campground, and the interests and needs of the troop members. Orienteering, nature study, fishing, pioneering—there are plenty of possibilities. A troop with many younger Scouts might plan instruction and practice in outdoor skills including campcraft, cooking, estimating heights and distances, safely handling woods tools, using maps and compasses, and so on.

To add spice to the practice, the patrol leaders’ council could plan interpatrol competition in these skills. Try some of these contests from the "Games" section of Troop Program Resources for Scout Troops and Varsity Teams:

• Blindfold Compass Walk
• Knot-Tying Relay
• Nature Scavenger Hunt
• Bow-Saw Relay
• Wet-Weather Fire Building
• String-Burning Race
• Remote Clove-Hitch ‘lying
• Flagpole Raising

If your campsite has a large wooded area, the patrol leaders’ council might want to plan a wide game for the troop. Most wide games require up to a half-mile-square territory, and they last about 30 minutes. Several wide games, including Capture the Flag, Deliver the Message, and Infiltration are explained in the Games section of Troop Program Resources for Scout Troops and Varsity Teams.

A highlight of campouts is an evening program for sharing stories, songs, skits, and ideas. In areas where open fires are appropriate, a campfire can serve as the centerpiece of the program.

A troop’s evening program during a campout should have elements of fun, inspiration, and good fellowship. It should leave each Scout with pleasant memories. The program need not be an elaborate production, but it does require planning. Evening programs usually last about an hour; it’s better to end a program while Scouts are enjoying it rather than letting it drag on until they become restless.

The patrol leaders’ council should take the lead in planning an evening program and assigning its various parts to the patrols. Scouts who have been to camporees and summer camp might have ideas for skits, stunts, and songs. The patrol leaders’ council might also find it helpful to use the Campfire Program Planner and the Junior Leader Handbook, which contain information on planning effective evening programs.

As with all BSA events, an evening campout program must be in good taste. Adult leaders should reinforce the fact that there is no place in Scouting for poor manners; racial, ethnic, or gender slurs; or vulgarity.