Camporee Announcements
Thanks to everyone for making our 2011 Camporee at Skylark Ranch so much fun. We really appreciate all the positive comments.
Camporee 2012 will be the 43nd edition of this troop weekend of traditional outdoor skills offered each May. It’s time to begin planning for this great time in the woods with other Girl Scouts!
Click HERE for the Cadettes' Online Registration Form.
Go to the NorCal Cadette Camporee tab for detailed information about the weekend: what it is, cost, who may attend, etc.
Palo Alto Junior Camporee (Palo Alto Scouts only) details can be found on the Junior tab.
Click HERE for the Palo Alto Juniors' Online Registration Form.Be prepared! Have the following information ready to register your troop:
- Troop number and home city or town
- Name, email address, phone number of troop adult contact
- Grade level(s) and number of girls in each grade
- Whether one of the two adults accompanying your troop will be a male
- Handicaps or special needs for girls or adults attending
- If you are fewer than 8 girls, whether you have another troop with which you would like to combine
- Number of Cadette girls interested in the optional high ropes course sampler (limited spaces on a first come basis)
Camporee Staff - Senior Scouts see the Staff tab on this page to become a member of Camporee 2012 Staff.
Go to the Resource Links tab to find additional information about camping, cooking, and equipment.
Get a head start by practicing your skills that will be used in the various team events – each attending troop is expected to participate in all the events. Teach the skills – these are life skills! And watch a slide show from previous Camporee weekends.
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GSNorCal Cadette Camporee
It’s NorCal Cadette Camporee planning time!
What is NorCal Cadette Camporee?
A weekend of traditional Girl Scout troop camping in the woods, outdoor skills events, campfires and songs, flag ceremonies, a Scout’s Own, and lots of FUN!
Registration for this very popular event will begin January 27, 2012, and will take place on the Camporee website. NO REGISTRATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED BEFORE JAN 27.
All girls must be registered Girl Scouts
- Adults:
-
- 1 attending adult must have Troop Camping Certification; check the Council training catalog
- 1 attending adult must be First Aid certified
- all adults attending must be registered GS
- all adults attending must be Volunteer Approved
- When:
- May 18-20, 2012
Friday afternoon 4:00 pm – Sunday morning 11:00 am - Cost:
- $25 per person (girls and adults);
Optional: high ropes course sampler at an additional $15 per girl (sorry, no adults); limited to 75 girls maximum on a first-come basis;
there is no refund of fees - Who:
- 6, 7, 8 grade girls only
Adults: limit 2 per troop
Who to bring?: girls who have never before attended; in mixed age troop, bring younger
Troop size: minimum of 8 girls—smaller size troops should try to combine with another troop in your area or we will do it for you - Where:
- GS Skylark Ranch located approximately 1 to 1 ½ hr drive from the Bay Area;
Directions and maps to be included in registration materials in January
Weather: May can be cool and damp: Morning fog – midday sun
Parking at every site – no more than 2 vehicles to stay the weekend; can have “drop off”
Hilly terrain: there will be walking; activities are not held in one central space
EMT on site; nearest emergency medical facility is in Santa Cruz 30 min away
Flush toilets at each site
Communal shower house
Tent cabins for all [do not bring tents - no space]; all sites accommodate leaders in separate space/tent from girls
Campsites are shared sites: 2 - 4 troops
Fire pit &/or grill at each campsite: 2 - 4 at each site to share among troops
Tables: enough to share among troops in each site; the non-bench folding table is to be used for cooking set up, again troops share the space
Seating: bring sit-upons, camp stools, camp chairs; kids can sit on platform tent steps –
ABSOLUTELY NO FOOD IN TENTS
- Weekend Schedule:
- This is very general, as the specifics will be sent with registration materials (what to bring, volunteers
for flag & skits, etc)
Friday (4 pm on – no earlier please!): post school day arrival, set up camp, all camp campfire
Saturday morning - skills events:
Knot tying relay, fire building, emergency shelter building, first aid skills, outdoor cooking, “in the woods” skills [uses compass navigation, distance estimating, very general nature identification, & trail markings] similar to but not an actual orienteering course
All skills events will be judged according to the website descriptions
Saturday afternoon - activities (subject to change) in 1 hr slots from 1 – 5 pm; pick and choose or plan your own
Examples: possible high ropes course on 1st come basis at registration, hike to the ocean, craft projects (several to be offered), learn to do or review lashing workshop, special hike to Fern Grove, field games
Saturday evening - make your own dinner followed by all-camp campfire with entertainment and results of the morning events
Sunday - Scouts Own followed by an all camp breakfast we provide to you! then packing and tidying your campsite
11:00 am sharp departure!
GSNorCal Cadette Camporee
Outdoor Knowledge & Skills Every Scout Should Know
- Knots - ability to tie all of the following:
-
- Square knot
- Clove hitch
- Bowline (must hand off rope end)
- Taut-line Hitch Reversed (must have 3 “wraps” around standing end of rope & must end up parallel and all going in the same direction)
- Build a fire
-
- Using as few matches as possible
- Water bucket: metal (no plastic!)
size: no smaller than 10 inch diameter x 8 inch high and
no bigger than 12 inch diameter x 10 inch high - Jack knife safety and use
- Create tinder from provided wood
- Build fire structure from previously gathered wood brought to event site in bucket
- Build an emergency shelter
-
- Using a 12’ x 15’ tarp (provided)
- May use downed wood poles (provided), but no more than 3 allowed
- May bring small shovel, hammer, pruning saw, pocket knife
- First Aid
-
- basic: bleeding, burns, breathing emergencies, joint and bone injuries, shock, etc.
- Cooking outdoors using a box oven
-
- Box and materials to build a box oven will be provided
- Ground cloth, charcoal, and charcoal starter will be provided
- Only the following items are allowed and are to be brought to the event:
- 2 mixing bowls, 2 mixing spoons, measuring cups, measuring spoons, cutting board(s) pocket knife(s) 1 plate
- tongs, pot holders, and a fire water bucket
- “Mystery” ingredients will be provided
- Determine direction, distance, height, and elapsed time
-
- Bring own compass, measurement sheet (see "Estimating" on the "Outdoor Skills" Web page) with known pace, known fingertip spread, known arm length
- Trail signs: directional, simple, using rocks & sticks
Need more information? Email
Palo Alto Junior Camporee
It‘s Junior Camporee planning time!
What is Junior Camporee?
A weekend of traditional Girl Scout troop camping in the woods, outdoor skills events, campfires and songs, flag ceremonies, a Scout‘s Own, and lots of FUN!
Registration for this very popular event will begin January 27, 2012, and will take place on the Camporee website. NO REGISTRATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED BEFORE JAN 27.
- All girls must be registered Girl Scouts
- Adults:
-
- 1 attending adult must have Troop Camping Certification; check the Council training catalog
- 1 attending adult must be First Aid certified
- all adults attending must be registered GS
- all adults attending must be Volunteer Approved
- When:
- May 25-27, 2012 Friday afternoon 4:00 pm – Sunday morning 11:00 am
- Cost:
- $25 per person (girls and adults); there is no refund of fees
- Who:
- 4 and 5 grade girls only (maximum of 175 girls)
Adults: limit 2 per troop
Who to bring?: girls who have never before attended; in mixed age troop – bring younger
Troop size: minimum of 8 girls—smaller size troops should try to combine with another troop or we will do it for you - Where:
- GS Skylark Ranch located approximately 1 to 1 ½ hr drive from the Bay Area
Directions and maps to be included in registration materials in January
Weather: May can be cool and damp: Morning fog – midday sun
Parking may be at site – no more than 2 vehicles to stay the weekend; can have “drop off”
Hilly terrain: there will be walking; activities are not held in one central space
EMT or RN on site; nearest emergency medical facility is in Santa Cruz 30 min away
Flush toilets at each site
Communal shower house
Tent cabins for all [do not bring tents – no space]; all sites accommodate leaders in separate space/tent from girls
Campsites are shared sites: 2 – 4 troops
Fire pit &/or grill at each campsite: 2 – 4 at each site to share among troops
Tables: enough to share among troops in each site; the non-bench folding table is to be used for cooking set up, again troops share the space
Seating: bring sit-upons, camp stools, camp chairs; kids can sit on platform tent steps –
ABSOLUTELY NO FOOD IN TENTS
- Weekend Schedule:
- This is very general as the specifics will be sent with registration materials (what to bring, volunteers
for flag & skits, etc.)
Friday (4 pm on – no earlier please!): post school day arrival, set up camp, all camp campfire
Saturday morning – skills events
Knot tying relay, fire building, emergency shelter building, first aid skills, outdoor cooking, “in the woods” skills [uses compass navigation, distance estimating, very general nature identification, & trail markings] similar to but not an actual orienteering course
All skills events will be judged according to the website descriptions
Saturday afternoon – activities (subject to change) in 1 hr slots from 1 – 5 pm; pick and choose or plan your own
Examples: hike to the ocean, craft projects (several to be offered), learn to do or review lashing workshop, special hike to Fern Grove, field games
Saturday evening – make your own dinner followed by all-camp campfire with entertainment and results of the morning events
Sunday – Scouts Own followed by an all camp breakfast we provide to you! then packing and tidying your campsite
11:00 am sharp departure!
Palo Alto Junior Camporee
Outdoor Knowledge & Skills Each Scout Should Know
- Knots - ability to tie all of the following:
-
- Square knot
- Clove hitch
- Bowline (must hand off rope end)
- Build a fire
-
- Using as few matches as possible
- Water bucket: metal (no plastic !)
size: no smaller than 10 inch diameter x 8 inch high and
no bigger than 12 inch diameter x 10 inch high - Jack knife safety and use
- Create tinder from provided wood
- Build fire structure from previously gathered wood brought to event site in bucket
- Build an emergency shelter
-
- Using a 12’ x 15’ tarp (provided)
- May use downed wood poles (4-5ft poles provided), but no more than 3 allowed
- May bring small shovel, hammer, pruning saw, pocket knife
- First Aid
-
- basic: bleeding, burns, breathing emergencies, joint and bone injuries, shock, etc.
- Cooking over a ground fire on a raised grate (provided) – only the following items allowed at event
-
- Ground cloth (provided)
- 1 pot, 1 fry pan, 1 spoon, 1 spatula, 1 tongs, pocket knife(s), cutting board(s), potholders, 1 plate, fire water bucket containing leftover gathered wood from Fire Building event
- “Mystery” ingredients and cooking grate provided
- Determine direction, distance, height, and elapsed time
-
- Bring own compass, measurement sheet (see "Estimating" on the "Outdoor Skills" Web page) with known pace, known fingertip spread, known arm length
- Trail signs: directional, simple, using rocks & sticks & universal trail symbols
Camporee Staff Positions
Senior Scouts
We are looking for enthusiastic Senior Scouts to serve as Camporee 2012 staff. Approximately 10 Senior Scouts are needed for each Camporee weekend. And yes, you may apply to come for more than one! We hope you do!
- Camporee is an event that provides older Girl Scouts opportunities to:
-
- Acquire and utilize leadership skills
- Develop communication and teaching skills
- Work with younger girls in the Girl Scout program
- Enrich the program experience for younger girls
- Earn community service hours and leadership hours
- Model Girl Scout Traditions
- Requirements –Camporee Staff must:
-
- Be proficient in these knots: square, clove hitch, bowline, taut-line
- Be able to work independently – your leader will not be attending Camporee (no leaders please)
- Be recommended by a leader
- Be able to arrive Friday evening (4 to 6pm) and be willing to work the entire weekend until noon Sunday
- Have knowledge and willingness to lead and teach campfire songs.
- Actively supervise younger girls during Saturday afternoon activities: arts & crafts, hikes, lashing, song workshop, field games
All food (meals & snacks) will be provided
Staff sleeps in cabins – no tents necessary
View the Camporee web site for information about Camporee, especially the Outdoor Skills section describing and demonstrating the Events Skills.
Come back to this Web page after February 14, 2012, to fill out the Staff Application form; staff will be selected by the end of March.
Vicki George & Karen Smestad
Camporee Directors
