Troop 840 Coppell Texas

Weekend Campout Information

T840 campouts come in four major varieties:

1. Weekend campouts by T840 Scouts and registered Adult Leaders only
2. Backpacking campouts for T840 Scouts and registered Adult Leaders only
3. Canoeing or kayaking campouts for T840 Scouts and registered Adult Leaders only
4. Family campouts for T840 Scouts, their parents, their siblings, and registered Adult Leaders.

Note: With the exception of family campouts, adults attending any campout must be registered BSA Adult Leaders with a current Youth Protection Training (YPT) certificate. (Acquiring/renewing a YPT certificate is easy and can be done online; see the Training — Adult Leaders web page on this T840 web site.) On family campouts, all family members of Scouts are welcome to attend.  

For all varieties of T840 campouts, the campout is listed on the T840 web site on the Camping page. That page contains the "title" of the campout, tells what variety of campout it is, tells where it will take place, provides a summary of the campout's emphasis area(s), provides maps/directions to the campout location, supplies a map of the campout location (if appropriate), and provides the Permission Slip for the campout. 

Note: Beginning in August, 2017, all departures/arrivals will be at the rear of Church of the Apostles. This change is permanent! 

For all varieties of T840 campout, registration for the campout is done on the Calendar page for the specific event. Usually (but NOT always), registration closes at midnight after the Tuesday Troop meeting before the campout. Sometimes (but NOT always) there will be a second calendar event added for the campout — late registration. Late registration usually adds $5 to the cost of the campout and obligates the late-registering attendee to contact (a) the Patrol's grubmaster to ensure there will be enough food, and (b) the T840 transportation coordinator to ensure there will be a ride to/from the campout.

Here is a link to more detailed instructions for campout registration. 

Adult leaders attending any campout eat with the Old Goat Patrol, which is the "Patrol" for adult leaders. Adult leaders are responsible for supplying their own tents. (But ask, if you need help with this — often long-time adult leaders have tents you may be able to borrow until you know what type of tent you wish to purchase.)

Payment for each campout may be done when (or even after) registering for the campout. PayPal is available online from the calendar event; a credit/debit card may also be used if desired. It is STRONGLY recommended that new Scout's parents set up a PayPal account since this will be regularly used for all varieties of campouts, Summer Camp, and Winter Camp. T840 would prefer NOT to handle cash; a check made out to Troop 840 with the Scout's name and event in the memo field are also acceptable. 

It is each Scout's/parent's responsibility to print out the Permission Slip for a campout, to fill it out, to sign it, and to turn in the required (bottom) portion of the Permission Slip at campout check-in. Remember — no Permission Slip means NO campout for the Scout! (Adult leaders do not need permision slips.) 

It is each Scout's/parent's responsiblility to ensure that the Scout departing for a campout has (a) eaten prior to departure, (b) a meal to eat along the way, or (c) money to purchase a meal IF the Scout's driver will be stopping on the way to the campout. The same applies to Adult Leaders attending the campout. 

Additional details: 

1. Weekend campouts — Scouts eat with their Patrol (or sometimes two Patrols merge just for a particular campout). The menu is selected by the Patrol at the Troop meeting prior to the weekend campout. Attendance at the Troop meeting prior to a weekend campout is essential if the Scout wishes to participate in menu selection. (Note: This is essential if the Scout has dietary restrictions due to allergies, religious requirements, or cultural practice!) Food is purchased by the Patrol's designated "grubmaster". (Every Scout will eventually be chosen as "grubmaster" since this is a requirement for rank advancement. The first time a Scout is grubmaster, his Troop Guide will accompany him on the shopping trip in order to ease the new Scout's introduction to being grubmaster. Each grubmaster will need a cooler to store refrigerated items in and a sturdy "dry box" for non-refrigerated items (so they don't get damaged during transportation to the weekend campout in the T840 troop trailer!).) Guidance is available for menu planning and being grubmaster. See the Resources page on the T840 web site. On weekend campouts, Scouts sleep in T840 tents; Scouts are responsible for bringing their own sleeping gear and (optionally) a chair. 
2. Backpacking campouts — Scouts must be able to carry EVERYTHING on a backpacking campout. These occur infrequently and a Troop meeting will be dedicated to helping Scouts understand the additional requirements for a backpacking campout. "EVERYTHING" includes (all or part of a) tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, clothes change, food, water, stove, cooking implements, etc. Usually shoes (or boots) will be much sturdier than for a weekend campout. Food for backpacking campouts will usually be "Philmont food", i.e., lightweight freeze-dried food which is reconstituted with water before being cooked on individual or small-group stoves, hence the requirement to carry stoves, fuel, cooking utensils, and water. Remember, guidance will be given before any backpacking campouts. 
3. Canoeing or kayaking campouts — If T840 is only "using" canoes or kayaks during a weekend campout, this is not really different from a more ordinary weekend campout. Sometimes T840 loads everything into a canoe or kayak and rows to their camping destination. Given the number of recent droughts in Texas, these campouts have been fairly rare, but they do occur occasionally. When they do, they are similar to backpacking campouts in that EVERYTHING must be carried in the canoe or kayak. In this case, special guidance will be given in advance of the canoeing or kayaking campout. If canoeing or kayaking is more incidental to the campout than a mode of transportation, it will be treated as a more ordinary weekend campout.   
4. Family campouts — are done infrequently — usually every two to three years. On family campouts, Scouts sleep in T840 tents; families sleep in cabins on bunk beds. Families are responsible for bringing their own bedding for use on the wooden bunk beds. Scout Patrols cook their own food just like on a weekend campout. Families eat communally in a dining hall. Menus are planned to accommodate any special dietary restrictions which are made known by the time of the Troop meeting before the family campout. 

Questions? Ask and we will get you an answer!

Click HERE to go back to VISITORS and NEW Scouts & Parents page.