Troop Program Feature

orIenTeerIng

Finding your way in the woods or on a mountain trek can challenge the abilities of the most experienced outdoorsman. In America’s early days, the frontiersmen who opened the unmapped western lands traveled by highly developed powers of observation and memory. They could read the signs of mountain ridges, rivers, vegetation, wind direction, cloud movements, and the position of thesun, moon, and stars. Today we have topographic maps and compasses for pathfinders. Being able to read maps, use compasses, and figure heights and widths are the skills needed for orienteering. The sport also requires thought, planning, decision-making, and stamina. As you plan for this program feature, make sure you provide challenges for Scouts of all skill levels. Once your Scouts learn thesecrets of orienteering, it will help them on all outdoor expeditions. Orienteering makes it possible to use shortcuts to trim travel distance and time. It also will lead them to explore out-of-theway places of special interest. The highlight this month will be an Outback Weekend. It might be held at the council’s Scout camp or a large park. Plan a weekend of map-and-compass activities that will testScouts of all skill levels in the troop.

scouTIng ouTcomes
This month’s patrol and troop activities should give your Scouts • Enhanced outdoor skills, especially in map and compass reading • A greater understanding of how to plan and make decisions • An understanding of some of the principles of orienteering • Increased self-confidence

aDVancemenT opporTunITIes
By month’s end, allScouts should meet many of their basic orienteering and camping requirements through First Class rank. Depending on the campout activities, they may also complete all or part of the following rank requirements: Tenderfoot • Outdoor—cooking, camping, hiking • Citizenship—flag ceremonies • Patrol/troop participation—patrol identification • Personal development—Scout Oath and Law
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SecondClass • Outdoor—cooking, camping, hiking • Citizenship—flag ceremonies • Patrol/troop participation—patrol identification • Personal development—Scout Oath and Law First Class • Outdoor—cooking, camping, hiking • Citizenship—flag ceremonies • Patrol/troop participation—patrol identification • Personal development—Scout Oath and Law Merit Badges. Experienced Scouts can concentrate on theOrienteering merit badge. Depending on activities during the campout, they may also cover requirements in Camping, Cooking, Hiking, Wilderness Survival, and other outdoor-related merit badges.

• Having a family campout • Asking people to provide transportation to the campsite

paTroL LeaDers’ councIL
The patrol leaders’ council should meet during the early part of the previous month to plantroop activities for this program feature. If you don’t complete all items on the following agenda, continue planning at patrol leaders’ council meetings after each troop meeting. • Decide on a location for the Outback Weekend. Remember that you will need an area large enough to lay out an orienteering course, or at least have access to enough area to set the course. • Plan the specialactivities for the campout. See the ideas on these pages. • Inventory the troop camping equipment, if that has not been done recently. • Get permission from the owners before laying out an orienteering course. • Plan or review the details of troop meetings for the month. Assign patrol demonstrations for the month, covering skills that will be needed for the campout activities.
128parenT/guarDIan parTIcIpaTIon
The patrol leaders’ council can involve parents in the program feature this month by • Asking qualified people to assist with instruction for orienteering

FeaTure eVenT Outback Weekend There is fun and satisfaction in mastering map and compass skills. Orienteering is the art of traveling crosscountry by compass and map and doing it so accurately that you arrive at...