Announcing the Skills Showdown!

I volunteered to run the November campout for our Troop. Normally it's a "skills weekend" where younger Scouts can get many of the Tenderfoot, 2nd Class and 1st Class requirements signed off, and older Scouts can have a refresher on such topics. The Scouts always enjoy the topics covered and have fun, but it's definitely become routine.

I'm working to change that with a new weekend of activity. It'll be great.

Throughout most of last year I didn't get to participate in the Troop's activities anywhere near as much as I wanted (because of work), and this year I don't expect to be able to do as much as I want (because of our business). I wanted to put some great effort into this to sort of try and "make up" for my absence. I'm trying to create something unique for the Scouts and adults in place of the traditional campout.

I spent a few weeks thinking about different possibilities, considering what we could do to make it different and exciting. I shared some of my plans with a few people to get some feedback: Sherree, my Dad, other adult leaders in the Troop, and even a few of the Scouts in the troop. I was excited that my ideas were well-received (but I don't want to share them yet in case any Scouts are reading).

And so, the Skills Showdown was born. I wanted to create a very different kind of campout for the Scouts--something everyone could be excited about. During the meeting opening I was able to introduce the campout. I think I was able to quickly get my message across when I tore up the traditional "skills weekend" sign-up sheet: younger Scouts cried, "what will we do!"; the older Scouts nodded and grinned, "we're doing something different!" I pulled out the Skills Showdown sign-up sheet.

I laid out a few ideas about what the weekend will be: first of all, we are camping at a new location, Housatonic Meadows State Park. None of the Scouts have been there before, and a new location is a great start to show that this will be a different trip. I also quickly rushed through the idea that this would be a competitive weekend filled with some unique activities and games based on Scout skills, but I didn't reveal any specifics. I wanted to build some suspense and interest.

At the meeting's closing, I reminded Scouts to sign-up and divulged an activity. I started with a story about my experience as a Scout, when we made the Troop 60 Omelette: the Troop provides the eggs, and everybody is responsible to bring an item for the omelette. People would bring bacon, cheese, mushrooms, etc. And there were some Scouts who would be wise and bring Pop-Tarts or Frosted Flakes. There are two rules, however: everything goes in, and everybody eats it. Yeah, the omelette was not the best... But we'd also make a Troop 60 Stew, and that was safe and yummy. And so we're going to make a Troop 29 Stew for dinner at the Skills Showdown! The idea was well-received.

In the following weeks I'll continue to share a little more information about what we're going to do at the Skills Showdown to build more interest!