Camporees
Camporee Sign Up Information
At the last District Committee meeting, last Thursday, Stu Bowes led a discussion for the Winter Camporee and upcoming camporees. After the meeting, he distributed this information. Read the rest of this entry »
District Committee Agenda
At this Thursday’s Committee meeting, according to the 2016 District Chair John Wiebke the following topics will be on the agenda:
- Communicating around the District Planning and out intent to meet individually with people
- Winter Camporee- Stu Bowes, Camporee Chair will be seeking your input
- Finance- review schedule of FOS presentations
- Recruitment- Sharla’s ideas for the Spring
- Nominating committee update.
Planning: Winter Camporee
Since we just completed Fall Camporee, it seems odd to be writing about Winter Camporee. Unfortunately, we have only a handful of weeks until the holiday and year-end crush begin. When all are back from Christmas Break we will only have another couple of weeks.
Camporee Theme: Solicitation of Ideas
At last check, Stu was still seeking themes for the Camporee. Please let us know your thoughts.
Classes at Camporee
The District Commissioner in association with the District Training Committee will be offering several training courses again.
- Scoutmaster Specific Training (we will not offer Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills, which is also required for Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters, because it will be offered at the University of Scouting the week preceding camporee).
- For future patrol leaders and senior patrol leaders, we will be offering Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops. This is a prerequisite for White Stag/National Youth Leadership Training and is the first part of the youth leadership training continuum.
- Other classes requested by Troops. (Remember Den Chief training is typically offered at the University of Scouting, too.)
Events by Firecrafter and/or Order of the Arrow
Since the Firecrafter event at the Fall Camporee was very well received, both honoraries are looking at expanding their offerings. Members of our Ember and OA Chapter should be in touch with the chapters’ leadership with ideas and their availability to serve in these projects. We would like to have at least one Spark (a troop’s youth representative to the Ember) and one OA Representative from each troop to participate in planning. Ideally these are two separate scouts for position of responsibility purposes.
Planning for representation now will build on recent successes.
Cooking Competitions
Historically, camporees included a Scoutmaster/Assistant Scoutmaster Cooking Competition. We are looking for sponsorship for this event to be renewed. (Hint to Willie Gillies: the North Star Wood Badge Alumni Association.)
District Commissioner Awards
At the past Camporee, the District Commissioner announced awards for patrol system use. When the inspections were done, it was clear that the criteria were confusing and hard to implement. As a result, no announcements of the results were made, since a Scout is Cheerful.
The idea was commended for its ideals by several scouters but never on its implementation. As a result, this award will be offered again but with some revisions.
Report from 2015 Fall Camporee
We survived the Zombie Apocalypse!
Thank you to District Camporee Chair Stu Bowes for a warmly received and joyful Camporee. We heard many rave reviews. The weather was delightful (especially given fresh memories of the Spring Camporee’s deluge).
We were warned about the coming Zombie Apocalypse by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
We even had Troop 358 do a solid rendition of Heywood Bank’s Famous “Toast!”
Our Assistant Camporee Chair Rick Akers broke out his stage make up to dress the victims to make the drill even more realistic.
We 18 adults trained in matters ranging from Youth Protection Training, Chartered Org Rep Training, District Committee Training.
Most importantly for training, the District would like to thank Troop 73’s Scoutmaster Vince Hernly and Troop 56’s Committee Chair Sandy McNutt for serving as lead instructors, respectively, for Scoutmaster Specific Training and Troop Committee Challenge. Thank you, too, to Troop 56’s Assistant Scoutmaster Don Bievenour for assisting Vince with the Scoutmaster Specific Training.
We have heard many thanks from scouters for reviving training at Camporee’s. Look for more in the future, including Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops (and Crews?) targeted at current and future Senior Patrol Leaders.
Camporee: 2 Days – Report from Chairman Stu
Here is the latest from District Camporee Chair Stu Bowes on preparations for the Zombie Apocalypse Camporee:
Dear North Star Scouters,
Keep our fingers crossed, but it looks like the weather is cooperating for us this weekend.
We have a lot planned and a few surprises that should be fun. Con Sullivan, our multi-talented DE, will be conducting a group evacuation activity at 4:00pm on Saturday. This will help the Scouts with a difficult to coordinate aspect of the E Prep merit badge.
I am still looking for a few troops to report back to me on head counts and their plans for patrol competitions. We only have 6 activities on the books which includes my quiz and that’s a little on the light side. [Roster form is available here to download.]
The south gate will be open until 11:00 PM on Friday, from 8:00 to 11:00 on Saturday and 8:00 til noon on Sunday.
The west (main) gate can be triggered internally (via sensors) if needed, but discouraged.
YiS,
StuSign Up Sheet
Troop # Scouts Adults Total
Troop 56 20 5 25
Troop 35 5 4 9
Troop 269 20 4 24
Troop 343 11 6 16
Troop 73 10 5 15
Troop 514 10 4 14
Troop 358 20 4 24
Troop 804 7 4 11
Troop
Troop
____________________________________
Total: 103 35 138Campsites are available first-come, first served.
Willie Cap eligible Scouters:
Ron Wells T343
Andrew Himebaugh T343Patrol Competitions:
1- T343 “Zombie Down”
2- T586 “Zombie Escape – Chart a path to safety” Cory Christensen
3- T69
4- T269 “Zombie Death by Water Balloon”
5- T35
6- T804
7- T73
8- T56
9- T358 Tomahack Toss
10-T35 String Burning
11- [North Star Firecrafter Ember – “Burn the Zombie”
12-] STU “Will You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse?” quizInterest In Adult Training:
T269- 2-3 adults for training [Please post RSVPs to cacnorthstar.org/]Other Needs:
Flag Raising – T358
Flag Lowering – T69
Scouts Own –
Campfire – T269
Bathroom Cleanup – T514
Fireman/Police Officer needed for Skit at Flag Raising- T269 and/or35Campfire Skits:
All Troops are asked to organize at least one skit based around the Zombie theme for the Saturday Campfire.
As a reminder, here are the dates for our other upcoming camporees:
1/22-24/16 – Camp Kreitenstein
4/22-24/16 – Camp KikthawenundStuart D. Bowes
317-696-7569
sbowes@indy.rr.com
Why is Attending this Emergency Preparedness Camporee so Important?
Camporee is important because Emergency Preparedness is important.
I am often interested in receiving ideas for articles that are interesting and timely. This article is due to a suggestion from Troop 343’s John Ruggles. The link he sent demonstrates that the general public is most prepared for emergencies if they have practiced emergency preparedness skills.
In 2009, FEMA conducted the Citizens Corp[s] National Survey of “Personal Preparedness in America ( http://www.citizencorps.gov/down… ).
The Citizens Corp[s] Preparedness survey highlighted several aspects of “preparedness”:
- Having disaster supplies
- Having a household plan
- Familiarity with community systems
- Volunteer experience with a community safety organization
- Knowledge of immediate response
- Participation in drills
- Preparedness training
It seems obvious when you say it, but research shows that people who receive preparedness training are more likely to be prepared.
And involvement in related projects demonstrably increases actual preparedness, more than just about any other factor:
Individuals who had been involved in a community safety program (74%) or a disaster response team (71%) were significantly more likely to have disaster supplies in their home as compared to those who had not volunteered (52% and 50%, respectively).
I also found the comment from Daniel Smith particularly useful. He reminded me of the 2012 Baylor University study of the impact of scouting on the scouts. Daniel sums up the study rather succinctly this way,
In short, the study discovered a trend between those involved in the Scouting program and their future successes in life. Some of the noted trends include “higher levels of planning and preparation skills,” a higher chance to “be in a leadership position at their place of employment or local community,” and they “report [to have] closer relationships with family and friends.” So, one can infer that Scouting alumni are better prepared than the average citizen for many aspects of life.
The BSA has done a nice job of reducing some of these findings into marketing brochures that you may have seen in the past.
Please make sure to consider some of this material as you prepare Scoutmaster Minutes, skits, and games for Camporee and in the immediate follow up. Reinforce a great message.
Thanks again to John Ruggles for the lead on a good story.
Camporee 5 Days and Pack Overnight 12 Days: Encouraging unit attendance
Remember that one of the most important parts of any scouting his boys in tents. Boys will not remember much of the meetings that they attend. They will remember many details of campouts.
The lessons we seek to impart are about finding a scout’s part in a community. Campouts are where they have the best chance to look at themselves and how they fit together with their buddies in their unit.
Often it is not the scout that we need to persuade to attend the camp out. It is the reluctant parent who finds excuses why the campout is not a necessary part of their son’s participation in scouting. A confident scout leader will always address concerns with the parent about why a Scout is not attending the camp out.
This is often an opportunity to teach a reluctant parent about why scouting works and what makes it unique as a program. It is often the best chance to explain how campouts teach citizenship and leadership better than almost any other opportunity in the child’s extracurricular activities. Confident scout leader will not look at this discussion as a problem but as a chance to build retention. Educating parents about the program is one of the best ways to make sure the scout stays in the program for an extended period of time.
This means that we, as scout leaders, need to be confident in offering camp out programs in the fall and asking questions of parents when their sons cannot participate. We need to be understanding when there are athletic or family conflicts on the schedule. But we need to help the parent find alternate opportunities to participate.
The district offers Camporees and Pack Overnights in order for units to have an easier time offering campout opportunities. Take advantage of this opportunity not just for your unit but for each of your boys.
If you take the time for sleepy boy’s parents that their attendance is important, your participation rates will increase dramatically. In larger units this can be a time-consuming proposition for a cup master or scoutmaster. It becomes very important to delegate those responsibilities to assistant cubmasters or den leaders or assistant scoutmasters to make the Ask more successful and timely.
Camporee: 9 Days — Fire Truck
Assistant Camporee Chair Rick Aker has arranged with a retired Indianapolis Fire Department officer to have an old fire pumper truck at the Camporee.
Just another item to share with your scouts.
Camporee: 10 days — Eagle Project
Bill Cherry and Rick Aker assumed shared responsibility as District Co-coordinators of Eagle Projects on August 20, 2015.
Both gentlemen will be attending the Fall Camporee.
Throughout the Camporee, these gentlemen will make themselves available to discuss Eagle Scout binder and project training to any adult (including scoutmasters, troop advancement chairs, troop Eagle advisors, and Eagle-candidate parents) who would like to hear more about what it takes to have a successful project and a proper binder.
Rick Aker serves as assistant Camporee Chair and will be around the Scout Cabin most of the weekend.
Bill Cherry will have some Camporee training commitments but will likely be floating around the Camporee more.
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