Camporee from Hell!!!

Clark over at ScoutmasterCG.com asked about Camporees and if we liked them or not.  You will see my note over there but I will expand a bit here. 

Camporees blow chunks. Our COR was pushing us to go to one and so we went to one. I can't believe we paid a ton of money a boy to attend Camporee and got what we got in return.  We had the best attendance we had ever had for a campout probably like almost 15 boys. 

It was advertised as a Air Show and so we went to a Scout Camp (stagging area) and then were shuttled via bus to an airport to set up camp. We were on the very last bus to get to the airport because there were so many Scouts attending. We got to the airport at 12 AM. Another Troop had taken my Troop, Team and Crew’s camp area. When my Team Captain talked with the Troop’s SPL we sort of got the “don’t know what to tell you”. I asked to speak to the Scoutmaster and got the same thing. So we picked an open area and put up camp quickly and passed out.  I was so upset that another Troop had just decided to take our area.  A "I am sorry!" would have gone a long way to fix the fact that they took our spot.

In the AM, a neighborhood Troop allowed their boys to run Helter Skelter around the area destroying a bamoo’ed area next to our camp. I kept thinking “Leave No Trace”. They were going into the bamboo, breaking long stalks off and then beating each other with it.  It lasted all day on Saturday.  There was no stop to the beatings.  And when other boys saw them do it, other Scouts joined in.  It was better at that point that I didn’t say anything.

There were NO patrol competitions at this Camporee. That was the only reason we went.  We prepared for over a month for fire competitions and the such.   All the activities had ridiculous lines and we waited for EVERYTHING. The Air Show lasted 14 minutes with ONE plane. My boys were not happy at all. I secretly was glad they didn’t like it.