Making camporee policy
General Chair
The first step, after the camporee has been approved as an event in the council's program calendar, is the appointment of a general Chair.
This is done by the council or district activities subcommittee, depending upon whether the camporee is a council or district event.
Qualifications: The general Chair should be a prominent citizen and a leader in the community who is capable of
recruiting top-flight volunteers to serve on the task force, and leading them in preparations for the event.
The selection of this person should be made at least 9 months in advance of the camporee; this makes recruiting easier and gives the general Chair plenty of time to
understand the job and organize to get it done. It is important that the general Chair select the best people available to head the various project teams.
With the help of the staff adviser, he selects and recruits these people at an early date.
Again, the earlier they are contacted, the better the chances of their accepting the assignment.
Job description: The general Chair works closely with the staff adviser in giving leadership to this project.
Responsibilities include:
Selecting and recruiting the best people for project teams
Presiding at all camporee task force meetingsput job_descriptions.html
Following up with vice chairmen to see that items on the work schedule are completed
Coordinating operations at the camporee (may be assigned to the camporee chief who is the operational director at the site)
Sending thank-you letters to key persons who helped with the camporee
Participation Chair
Qualifications: The participation Chair should be a person experienced in the fields of promotion and selling.
He should be a good organizer and, if the event is a council camporee, must be capable of giving direction to
vice chairmen in each of the districts recruited by the district chairmen.
Job description: This person is responsible for recruiting the members of the project team.
When holding a council camporee, the vice chairmen serve as district representatives on the council
task force. The job of the project team is to provide Scoutmasters and troop committees with
complete camporee information, such as dates, location, types of events, special features, etc.
Responsibilities include:
Promoting participation in the camporee by all troops-the newest as well as the veteran troopsby personally contacting all Scoutmasters and troop committees, if necessary
Maintaining a checklist of advance registrations
Following up on troops not yet registered
Planning for and conducting a leaders' information meeting (this might be a regular roundtable)
Encouraging family participation (visitors' period, campfires, picnics, etc.)
Aiding troops in preparation for the camporee (leadership, equipment, finances, etc.)
Planning for and conducting registration of troops
Maintaining attendance records and providing personnel at headquarters tent for registration
Physical Arrangements Team Chair
Qualifications: The physical arrangements Chair should be a person who has the background and
experience to be able to visualize the physical problems involved in setting up a tent
city. This person should be able to recruit others whose talents and positions make it
possible to handle the job. Building contractors, truckers, utility company supervisors,
engineers, etc., make good physical arrangements chairmen and committee members.
Job description: Responsibilities include:
Securing permission to use the camporee site
Securing a map of grounds (blueprints)
Making master layout by districts (if a council camporee)
Adhering to good conservation practices during use of site and its final condition after the event; consulting with local conservation officials
Laying out troop sites to meet the needs of each troop (at least 8,100 square feet, or 90' x 90', per troop)
Securing and setting up the headquarters tent or shelter
Providing needed headquarters equipment
Arranging for flags and flagpoles at headquarters
Distributing copies of the layout to district camporee directors (if a council camporee)
Developing a plan for site assignments
Providing signs for headquarters, refreshments, first aid, latrines, water supply, approach to camporee site, districts, troop numbers, traffic control, information area
Arranging for public-address system, including delivery, operation, and return
Providing water needs-arranging for water wagons, lister bags, and nearby sources (25 gallons of water per person for each 24-hour period; one water outlet for each six to eight troops; locate outlet no farther then 300 to 400 feet from campsites)
Arranging for necessary latrines (one seat per 15 persons; one urinal per 30 persons) (These may either be dug by patrols or, if specifically planned, put in by the physical arrangements team.)
Arranging for physical needs requested by other camporee project teams
Arranging for a trading post when desired; securing and setting up the tent or shelter, determining location of trading post, recruiting personnel to operate, listing items to be sold in an advance bulletin, obtaining prices, placing orders, setting and posting hours to be open, prohibiting outside vendors
Providing badges or insignia for officials
Arranging for camporee staff meals
Program Chair
Qualifications: The program team chairperson should be a person who motivates others well.
This volunteer should have leadership experience in group activity programming, and should have
sufficient stature in the community to be able to call on others to supply program leadership. This person
should be familiar with the council's camping program and have a keen appreciation for the methods of scouting.
Job description: Besides being responsible for selecting and recruiting the personnel for the team,
the program team chairperson is responsible for scheduling the general program and planning and execution
of activities such as judging for ratings, demonstrations, contests, campfires, and special features.
This chairperson also arranges for religious services, gateways, and public participation at the camporee site.
Specific responsibilities include:
Decide on events & activities
Prepare a schedule
Locate the events
Determine which events will be councilwide or districtwide
Provide participation and publicity teams with advance copies of events
Promote program features
Develop a list of subjects desired
Develop a recognition plan
Providing events
Develop list of events
Detail all events, including time allowed, requirements, materials required, scoring
Recruit observers and instructors
Conduct contests
Arrange for presentation of awards
Conduct a campfire
Develop the campfire program and secure special entertainment
Develop ceremonies and secure props and costumes, if needed
Arrange for Scouts needed in ceremonies
Arrange for patrol stunts or skits
Secure a campfire song leader and emcee
Provide a list of physical requirements for the physical arrangements team
Prepare a final program and script and conduct the campfire
Arrange for religious services (in cooperation with religious advisory committees)
Arrange for Jewish services on Friday night, when needed
List hours of nearby Catholic mass on Sunday or arrange for a field mass, when needed
Arrange for a Protestant service in camp, when needed
Arrange for other services as needed
Set standards for proper uniforming when attending services
Camporee Chief
Qualifications:
The camporee chief needs to be an experienced Scouter who can keep events moving on schedule,
troubleshoot issues and conflicts, communicate well, and motivate all personnel on the camporee site.
Job description: This person coordinates the full program, keeps it moving, solves problems and,
with staff assistance, checks units out of campsites at the conclusion of the event.
Publicity Chair
Qualifications:
The publicity chairperson should be recruited with the cooperation of the council public relations
advisory committee. This person should be familiar with the publicity field and be capable of
recruiting others who have relationships with newspapers, radio and TV; stations, and other publicity
media.
Job description: The chairperson of the publicity team is responsible for recruiting team personnel.
The team is responsible for publicizing the event in newspapers, on radio and TV, and after the
camporee with talks, slides, and videos to various groups. Specifically, the publicity team is
responsible for publicity through the following media:
Newspapers
Provide advance stories and pictures to all papers
Arrange for reporters to be present
Arrange for feature pictures
Secure full-page congratulatory ads and plugs in other ads from local merchants
Secure a camporee page in the local paper
Television (where available)
Arrange for guest interviews
Arrange for a video to be made on the spot and run later on a news show
Arrange for followup videos
Organize and train boy speakers, (who should appear properly uniformed, of course)
Arrange for taking videos and slides to be used at service club meetings and similar functions
Finance Chair
Qualifications:
The finance chairperson should be a member of the district or council finance committee and thoroughly
familiar with the policies and practices of financing Scouting. The finance chairperson should
be aware of the financial needs of the council and the event, and recruit a small team to assist with these duties.
Job description: Responsibilities include:
Developing a camporee budget and estimating the cost of supplies and services
Estimating income from sources (trading post surplus, registration fees, etc.) other than by council appropriation
Determining the amount of money (if any) required to balance income and expenditures
Submitting requests (if any) to the council finance committee for funds from the camping and/or activities appropriation to balance the camporee budget
Health and Safety Chair
Qualifications:
The health and safety chairperson should be selected with the help of the district or
council health and safety chairperson. Someone from the council health and safety
committee could be assigned to handle this responsibility and serve on the camporee
task force. Personnel for this team could be recruited from the district or council
health and safety committee and from groups with similar interests, such as the Red
Cross, industrial safety departments, and local health departments. Members from the
latter groups need not be registered Scouters.
Job description: Responsibilities include:
Camporee sanitation: Check the source of the water supply and the number of available outlets, and arrange for additional outlets, if needed. Arrange to have the water tested. Check on drainage, adequate toilet facilities with toilet paper and water for washing hands at the latrines (patrols are responsible if they dig the latrines). Secure a permit for installing latrines if needed. Supply nightlights at the latrines.
First aid: Secure and set up a first aid tent or shelter, placing it in a proper location. Secure trained personnel. Make certain that all necessary equipment and materials are on hand. Have an ambulance or station wagon on hand in case of an emergency. Supply a sign or Red Cross flag for the first aid center. Clear ahead of time with the local hospital for possible emergency treatment.
Traffic safety: Determine what control will be needed, arranging for police assistance if necessary. Provide parking for visitors and participants.
Program: When requested by the program chairperson, assist in demonstrations for fitness, first aid, emergency preparedness, and safety.
Fire safety: Establish standards and check on campfires-types and locations-and troop cooking fires. Restrict liquid fuels within policy limitations. Prohibit flame lights in tents.
Site check: Check the site for all possible hazards.
Tents: Promote the use of two-person trail tents, checking to be sure that they meet BSA standards. Tents must provide:
1. Sleeping space for two campers and adequate storage space for their packs and equipment
2. Reasonable dressing space
Awards Chair
Qualifications:
The chairperson of the awards team should be familiar with the Boy Scout advancement
program and be experienced in organizing and supervising. This person must be able
to recruit a team and know the basic skills of Scout camping.
Job description: The Awards Chair works closely with the Program Chair. Responsibilities include:
Developing an evaluation plan
Developing scorecards or sheets
Deciding upon and securing awards
Providing the participation team with the final plan early enough to be included in their instructions to Scoutmasters
Recruiting and training the necessary number of observers
Tallying patrol and troop scores
Arranging for presentation of awards
When planning for a council camporee, each district will need the following personnel:
