Collected and Edited by David Frydenlund (last revised in 2013)

Introduction

This collection was made because a group of long time Scouters had a discussion where we talked about how stale the events were at Camporee and how the Camporees we remembered from our youth were so much better. The first part was certainly true. I do not trust my memories of the 1960's well enough to know if the Camporees were better. They were surely different. They were much more competitive (not much teaching went on at Camporee then), and much less driven by safety. The skills have changed. We did a lot of signaling and we burned a lot of wood in fire lays that are no longer taught. Those things are simply gone. As are the double bitted axes, cant hooks, PVs, and chain chokers of our Paul Bunyan Camporees.

On the other hand, I remember too many events where the Patrol stood around while one or two guys did the skill. There were also too many events where you just did a rank advancement requirement as fast as possible (and if you were at your third Camporee, for the third time). These things have not changed much.

Another thing that has changed from the old days is that, when I was a Scout, every Scouter seemed to know his way around fires, tents, ropes, tools, and hardship. There were lots of WW II and Korea Vets with field skills. Today, not so much. Young leaders are eager to learn but often not very experienced with basic tools and with field conditions. Many lack the confidence to "make up an event that tests (pick a skill)". I hope this collection helps those folks out.

Understand that this collection of 75 or so event descriptions is designed to be an outline or framework for structuring an event. I do not discuss safety equipment or standards. That is what good sense and the Guide to Safe Scouting are for. I do not always give complete equipment lists. This often varies depending on how you actually structure your event and need to be established by the user.

I left out many events that are obsolete in skills, that are dangerous in concept, or that I have seen bore campers to tears. I favored events that keep everyone busy and events where the Scout skill is buried in some larger task. When I run an event it always has a story and it always involves doing something that people actually did or do. The fact that it demonstrates Scout skills is a bonus.

This is edited and adapted in my style for people like me. I hope you find it useful, whatever your style. I had fun doing the research and kicking up many years of Scouting memories.

Finally, I would like to thank the many people, living and dead, who created and ran events like these, creating countless opportunities for character and team building in Scouting youth.

Yours in Scouting
David Frydenlund