From <@tcuavm.is.tcu.edu:owner-scouts-l@TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU> Mon Jan 26 13:09:15 1998 Return-Path: <@tcuavm.is.tcu.edu:owner-scouts-l@TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU> Received: from server1.capaccess.org (server1.CapAccess.org [207.91.115.5]) by cap1.CapAccess.org (8.6.12/8.6.10) with ESMTP id NAA03409; Mon, 26 Jan 1998 13:09:15 -0500 Received: from tcuavm.is.tcu.edu (TCUAVM.IS.TCU.EDU [138.237.128.148]) by server1.capaccess.org (AIX4.2/UCB 8.7/8.7) with SMTP id MAA31686; Mon, 26 Jan 1998 12:58:46 -0500 (EST) Received: from TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU by tcuavm.is.tcu.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 1273; Mon, 26 Jan 98 11:52:02 CDT Received: from TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU (NJE origin LISTSERV@TCUBVM) by TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 3305; Mon, 26 Jan 1998 11:52:46 -0500 Received: from TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU by TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU (LISTSERV release 1.8b) with NJE id 3296 for SCOUTS-L@TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU; Mon, 26 Jan 1998 11:51:56 -0500 Received: from TCUBVM (NJE origin SMTP@TCUBVM) by TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 3295; Mon, 26 Jan 1998 11:51:48 -0500 Received: from mmac2.jccbi.gov by tcubvm.is.tcu.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with TCP; Mon, 26 Jan 98 11:51:17 CDT Received: from mmacmail.jccbi.gov by mmac2.jccbi.gov (SMI-8.6/SMI-SVR4) id LAA00546; Mon, 26 Jan 1998 11:22:15 -0600 Received: from ccMail by mmacmail.jccbi.gov (ccMail Link to SMTP R8.00.01) id AA885828665; Mon, 26 Jan 98 11:21:23 -0600 X-Mailer: ccMail Link to SMTP R8.00.01 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Message-ID: <9801268858.AA885828665@mmacmail.jccbi.gov> Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 09:31:37 -0600 Reply-To: barry_c_runnels@MMACMAIL.JCCBI.GOV Sender: Scouts-L Youth Group List From: Barry Runnels Subject: Boy Scout Campfires To: Multiple recipients of list SCOUTS-L Status: RO X-Status: >Okay, gang. It is official: I will be the camefire ring leader etc for >the Spring Camporee. I need ideas that will "have them swinging from the >trees" as the Camporee Chairman told me. Hi Melissa You have the best job on the committee. There is nothing like a great campfire! Remember your audience. These are Scouts between the ages of 11 to 18. Their since of humor and pick of songs is much different from adults. The best Camporee campfires come from the boys. Find some mature experienced Scouts for the Master of Ceremonies who have done this before and enjoy it. They know what boys like. Your job is to work with them to make sure they include everything that is appropriate for that campfire. At our last camporee campfire, none of the committee chairman were recognized for a job well done. Nobody on the campfire remembered to do it and some feelings where hurt. Do it in a fun way, pick some fun jokes about the committee that keeps the boys interest and yet honors the guys in the committee. Songs can change the mood of a campfire real fast. Songs in the first two thirds of the campfire have to be fun and up beat, yet the taste for adults is different than the boys, find the songs the boys think are fun and up beat. As the campfire is starting to whin down, that is when you bring in more serious slower songs. The song leader should of course be a BOY Scout. Get some good fun cheers. Your giving out awards, so the Scouts should be cheering the winners. The cheers should be loud and fun. They should be in the spirit of what the whole weekend was all about. No put down cheers like the Yucca Tree cheer. Keep the campfire in the theme of the weekend and remember it is for the boys. The worst camporee campfire I ever saw had the boys wanting to leave half way through it because one Troop thought it was a great time to hand out Wood Badge beads to a couple of leaders. I know many here think that this is a great place for Boys to see leader receive awards but you will find 90% of the Scouts don't know what Wood Badge is and really don't care. If the units boys are proud of that adult, have a great unit ceremony later. Also this is the boys weekend and awards like this take way from the campfire theme. Keep the Boys focused and the Weekend for them and KEEP IT FUN, FUN, FUN. The best campfires flow without disruption. I try to get campfire leaders to know what is coming so they aren't surprised by distasteful skits or jokes. Also they need to know a few jokes of riddles for the long pauses between skits. That is a great time for walk-ons from the campfire leaders. The campfire leaders should be having as much if not more fun than all the other boys. Also lately I have notice the popularity of adults getting to the campfire early to get a choice spot with their lawn chair then the boys have to work around all these leaders so they can see. Plan ahead for this. Either find an adult area that won't interfere with the Scouts or better yet, advise each Troop that the adults are the last to sit and it must be behind the audience of the Scouts. Campfires are the best. They end a great day with a great evening of fun or in some cases end a bad day with a fun evening. The boys should go back to camp excited and maybe humming a song to themselves. Most great campfires like this should last around and hour with all the skits songs and award presentations. If your campfire committee is prepared, they will keep everything moving all the time and the boys will not enterupt for fear of missing something fun. I envy your position because it is the most fun. But don't tell the committee that because they will give you other jobs. Make sure your committee of boys do a lot of the work because that builds Character. You just encourage them so they do a good job. Try to keep it fun for them. I love this Scouting Stuff. Barry Runnels