PATHFINDER REQUIREMENT OUTDOOR SKILLS #1
Camp outdoors for a minimum of six (6) nights, not including those done for the Voyageur Award. This must include at least two, two-night or one, three-night camps, and one lightweight or mobile camp.
This is a very simple requirement to achieve if your Troop is running several weekend camps per year. This Pathfinder requirement is should simply build on the Voyageur requirement #1 which requires the youth to camp outdoors for a minimum of 6 nights.
Our Troop typically runs 3 to 4 weekend camps per scout year and as such most of our scout youth achieve this requirement by the end of their second scout year.
Some scouts will not attend every weekend camp, and as such you will need to track the youth attendance at these activities and encourage them achieve this Pathfinder requirement.
For more information I have referenced the document for “VOYAGEUR OUTDOOR SKILLS Requirement #1”
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VOYAGEUR OUTDOOR SKILLS Requirement #1
“Camp outdoors for a minimum of six (6) nights. (2 nights must be consecutive)”
The best method to address this requirement is to run at least three weekend camps as follows:
· Fall Camp
· Winter Camp
· Spring Camp
Our scout group runs a minimum of four weekend camps per year, the additional camp being a SCUB (Scout/Cub linking camp) where third year Cubs spend a weekend camp linking with scout youth.
The actual requirement requires that youth only spend two consecutive nights camping. If you create attractive camps, this requirement will be addressed on the first camp of the scout year you perform.
Here are some of the camp ideas that our Troop has run:
Fall Camp
· Scout Skills camp (Knife, Stove/Lantern, Axe, Hatchet and Saws, Match and Fire)
· Fall Shelter survival (Building and sleeping in Tarpaulin and Debris shelters)
Winter Camp
· Ice Fishing and Snow shoeing (Learn to Ice Fish and Snow shoe hiking)
· Winter Shelter survival (Building winter shelters and living in them)
SCUB Camp
· Hiking and cooking camp (Scouts hike and Cubs cook)
Spring Camp (Area Camp)
· Scout games and show off Scout skills
In the summer our Scout group also runs two other larger camps as follows:
· Algonquin Park (4 day camp)
o Lightweight mobile camping involving canoeing, portaging and cooking
· Ledgewade Camp (6 day camp)
o Standing camp. Involves Mountain biking, rock climbing, canoeing, hiking and cooking
We have notes for all of these camp activities if there is interest.
We set a three year rotation for different camps locations, skills based activities and different terrain to mix things up and try to not repeat things within the three year scout program.
NOTE:
One of your camp weekends can be used to fulfill Voyageur Outdoor skills requirement #2
Participate in two (2) hikes/outings of approximately 6 hour duration each - one may be included in the camps detailed above. One hike or outing must involve an overnight stay in the outdoors.