One of the requirements for the rank of Firecrafter is that the candidate conduct a campfire program. The campfire program is evaluated on six criteria. All six criteria are graded as passing or not passing. The candidate must pass the leadership criterian to pass the campfire requirement. Candidates are offered helpful suggestions in the Firecrafter Candidate's Manual to assure success.

Program

This point is designed to check the Scout's organization of his campfire. The program is a plan which should be written out and handed to the Graders and the Scoutmaster before the fire begins. The program should be centered around a theme which is followed throughout and should be planned to rise and fall with the campfire. The fire should last between 20 and 45 minutes.

Fire

A correctly built campfire should be constructed carefully and neatly so that it will light quickly and easily. The fire should be stuffed with some kind of easily burning tinder. The logs should be notched, area clean and logs preferably sawed. The base logs should be staked with a safe viewing area for the audience. Safe fire practices and fire buckets are required.

Leadership

This section is used to grade the Scout's ability to lead the program. He should show his confidence to the audience by having control throughout the entire program (effective use of the Scout sign). The one part of the campfire program which demonstrates true leadership is the leading of songs. Here, leadership is shown in getting the Scouts involved by using strong voice and arm motions. He should know each song so that he can teach and lead it with full cooperation of the Scouts. The Scout should keep the program moving smoothly from point to point, using improvisation if necessary. The candidate must pass on this point to pass his campfire.

Ingenuity

The Scout should use some new ideas or concepts that are not used too often by the Troop. This can include songs, skits, stories, and ceremonies. This point will show the Scout's originality and creativity.

Informative and Entertaining

The campfire should be enjoyed by its audience and, at the same time, it should be a learning experience for them.

Opening and Closing

The opening should be an impressive dedication and/or ceremony starting on a high note. The closing ceremony should leave the audience with a distant after-thought that their time was well spent. Both the opening and closing should express the theme of the campfire.

Webmaster Note: This information provided courtesy of Matt Baldwin XXX.