Frydenlund's Ideas for Camporees

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

Team Games

Bucket Brigade Obstacle Course

Each patrol will have to fill a bucket or barrel by carrying water in an uncovered pot or small bucket over an obstacle course. The Patrol may station Scouts along the course to aid in crossing obstacles but the Scout who begins the run must place the water in the bucket and the Scout who begins the run must actually complete the course, but not necessarily holding the water except at the beginning and the end. The water must also follow the course. No Scout may have more than one run more than the Scout with the least number of runs. Time ends when the bucket overflows. Least time wins.

Rapids/River Crossing

Using two 2x4s, 40 feet of rope, and two 6 foot ropes, cross a 35 foot wide marked space where there are sandbags or flat blocks every seven feet that stick above the "water". This is a timed event designed for a team of five. Every time a Scout falls off and touches the water adds a 30 second penalty. Lowest time wins.

WHERE'S THE WHISTLE?

Here is the description of a capital game which can be played in an open field where there is no cover. A number of Scouts are blindfolded and placed in a line at one end of the field. Then a Scoutmaster or Patrol-leader goes to the other end, and blows his whistle every now and then. The business of the blindfolded Scouts Is to reach the whistle-blower and touch him. The latter may stoop down, but be must not move about As soon as a Scout touches the person with the whistle, he slips off his scarf and is out of the game. The whistle-holder should see that no boys run into hedges or ditches; if he notices any of them straying, he must blow his whistle and so attract their attention in the right direction. Points are awarded in accordance with the order in which the Scouts reach the whistle-holder, the highest points, of course, going to the one who first reaches his destination.

As a Patrol competition this could be modified in a couple of ways. One is to make it a timed event. The clock stops when the last Scout touches the Patrol Leader. More interesting for team building and leadership would be to let the leader call out any Scout's name followed by a whistle signal (eg. One blast if he needs to go more to the right, two blasts if he needs to go more to the left). Time would still end when the last Scout reaches the leader. Lowest time wins. Small Patrols have a small scoring advantage in this system.

Low Cope

Many of the events from Low Cope can be easily adapted to Camporee events.