Most troop camping trips begin at Stedwick Community Center at 6:45 pm on Friday where the scouts and adult leaders gather and load up the vehicles. The scouts usually get home by noon on Sunday, depending on the location.
Permission Slips
Permission Slips for troop camping trips are handed out to the scouts at Troop meetings several weeks before each trip. The scout should give the form to his parent so that it can be completed and returned with any required payment at the next Troop meeting. Please make sure that you complete all parts of the form. It is important for the leaders planning the trip to know who is available to drive gear and/or scouts, and who is planning to stay so they can purchase enough food. The Scout needs to return the form even if he is not going on the trip. Parents should keep the bottom portion which has the trip details and emergency contact information.
Meal Fees
Menu planning is done by the patrols before each campout and one or two scouts from a patrol will shop for the food prior to the weekend campout. The scouts will then divide the cost of the food purchased by the number of campers, less any money collected from adult campers, to determine how much money each scout owes for his weekend food. This amount should be paid to the patrol leader at the next meeting.
Care of Troop Equipment
When your scout returns from a weekend troop camping trip he will probably come home with more than he left with! Specifically, he will regularly bring home an item of patrol gear that he will be responsible for cleaning and returning to the troop at the next troop meeting. He may be asked to bring home a tent, a Dutch oven, a camping stove or maybe a Patrol box. The troop has made a considerable investment in this gear, and help from scouts and their parents goes a long way towards making it last.
You can find detailed instructions on how to care for each piece of equipment on the Troop website. Some items, such as the tents, should be aired out as soon as possible after the scouts return home to prevent mildew. Please make sure that your son takes care of the equipment assigned to him and returns it promptly at the next meeting so it is ready for the next camping trip.
Parents Camping
Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend camping trips with the troop. However, adults who camp need to bring their own tent, sleeping bag, ground pad and a mess kit. The cooking on camping trips is done by the scouts and they will cook enough to feed adult leaders and guests. Adults may be asked to pay a small fee for each meal to the scouts.
Adults transporting Scouts (other than just their own children) to a Troop event will receive mileage reimbursement from the Troop.