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Planning is probably the most essential ingredient for a successful camp. If

you plan everything down to the last detail well in advance, you will be able
to relax and enjoy your camp without having to worry about what to do next.
The following links will take you to the various stages in the planning process,
or you can work your way through from start to finish :

FORMS | BOOKING | LISTS | THEMES | MENUS | ROTAS | TRANSPORT | COSTING

First steps in planning your camp:

In the UK at least, and I suspect everywhere else in the Guiding and Scouting
world, the first thing to be dealt with is official Forms - these have to be
completed and sent in at least six weeks prior to the date of your proposed
camp. Forms are a necessary evil. You may hate the very thought of yet more
paperwork, but they are for your protection as well as the girls'.

The standard camp planning application form for UK Brownies, Guides and
Rangers is the A/A form - a self-duplicating multi-layered set of forms which
has to be completed with all the requested information and signed by your
District Commissioner before being sent off to your local Camp Adviser.
Don't leave out any of the information requested on the form - it'll only end up
back with you to be completed - if you don't know the six-figure grid

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reference of your chosen camp site, for instance, look it up in your local
library; if you don't have definite numbers for camp yet, make a "best guess"
estimate, details such as this can always be changed later on nearer the date. If
you intend going off-site, include the date(s) on the form, and you MUST give
details of any "adventurous activities" you intend doing. NB: if you are
including any water sports - canoeing, kayaking, sailing, rowing, rafting or
any other sort of boating - you MUST also complete an A/B form and send it
in along with your A/A form.

You can't take your unit camping on your own, and anyway you wouldn't
want to, it is simply too much for one person to cope with. There needs to be
a camp licence holder* in overall charge, someone to act as QM and see to all
aspects concerning feeding the campers, and someone to act as first-aider as a
bare minimum. If you are taking large numbers, you will need additional
adults to ensure the official girl-adult ratios are met. These extra adults may
be parents or willing friends - they do not necessarily have to be members of
the Association. You may also want to - or have to - take your own children
with you : any younger children must have an adult allocated to be responsible
for them.

*You may not have yet taken your official Camp Licence : don't worry. I got
round this one for five years before I finally got round to getting my own
licence by camping on Guide Association sites and finding out who else was
going to be there and asking to camp alongside but not actually with them, or
going along with a licensed camper's unit and having a joint camp. This is
also an excellent way of learning how to run a camp yourself. Alternatively,
you are allowed to take a small party of girls (eight in Guides) camping for no
more than two nights without needing a licence.

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Choosing a suitable camp site:

This is largely a matter of personal taste. You may go by experience or, if you
are new to this camping lark, you may have to trust recommendations from
friends and associates. Most regions have one or more official Guide
campsites and most Scout Association campsites also welcome Guides.
Campsites vary in amenities, from a basic field with nothing else provided to
fully-equipped sites where all you have to provide is the Guides and their own
personal kit. Be aware that camping in a farmer's field may sound fun, but it
will probably involve erecting, using, emptying and cleaning chemical toilets,
and unless there is at least a tap or stand-pipe, even water will have to be
taken with you. Fully-equipped sites will usually supply tents, cooking
equipment, on-site water, flush toilets and showers, and may even arrange
activities for you. We prefer the middle road and usually camp on a local
Scout Association site which has hot and cold running water, flush toilets and
showers but where we take all our own equipment. (Believe me, camp lats. are
not fun and although we put up a lat. tent and chemical loo for emergencies, it

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is very rarely used! At my time of life, I like my amenities en-suite.)

What you are looking for in a camp site will depend very much on what you
want to do while camping : if, for instance, you want to have an "activity"
holiday then you will want a site which either can arrange these activities on-
site or one which is near to suitable activity sites; if you want a traditional
camp with opportunities for backwoods cooking, tracking, pioneering etc, then
you would probably opt for a camp with access to suitable woodland.

Having found your camp site, try to visit it if at all possible. Time how long it
takes to get there and inspect the camping field and the facilities on-site. Have
a look round the countryside surrounding the site and check out the routes of
any proposed off-site walks, and especially have a look at traffic levels on the
roads. If you are satisfied with what you see, go ahead and book the site - over
the phone and confirm it in writing if at all possible - that way you can discuss
it with the warden/owner/secretary etc.

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Getting organised:
I make lists. Lots of lists: equipment lists - what camping equipment we
actually have, what we need to take, where it is stored and what we need to
borrow; first aid lists - what's in the first-aid box, what needs replacing, what
we need to buy extra; craft supplies lists; food shopping lists, and most
important of all, KIT LISTS!! Even the act of writing it down helps the
memory, and lists act as a check-sheet when finally packing. (To download
the kit list, right-click on the underlined link and select "Save Target As...")

It is traditional for Guides and Brownies to theme their camps, and while not
actually compulsory it is certainly a good idea and helps focus your ideas
when planning. For a selection of camp theme ideas click here. Alternatively,

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you may want to ask the girls themselves for their ideas.
Once you have decided on your theme, you can go ahead and apply it to all
aspects of your camp. Use your theme to plan all your activities, camp patrol
names, menus, games, crafts - the lot. And whatever you do, don't forget to
write everything down.

If you ask any seasoned camper what makes everything tick, they will tell you
it's all down to the food! Keep them well fed and they'll be happy. This very
important aspect of your camp is dealt with in detail here, but it also needs to
be included in your planning. You need to know if any of the girls (or adults)
is a vegetarian, if anyone has any food allergies and if anyone really hates any
particular food (onions are usually top of this list.) We don't usually cater for
food fads - it is amazing how the fresh air makes even the fussiest eater
hungry - but genuine dislikes are usually treated sympathetically.
Plan your menus in advance, but be prepared to be flexible, especially if the
weather decides to take a hand - it is no fun standing in the pouring rain
cooking steamed sponge puddings which take two hours to cook! (Been there,
done that.......) - save them till another day (unless of course it starts raining
AFTER they've started to cook, in which case you're stuck with them.....)

Once your QM has decided on the menus, you will need to write out a
shopping list. You will have to take into account the storage facilities (or lack
thereof) on your camp site : it is no good buying frozen food if there is no
freezer, and fresh meat needs to be refrigerated or eaten on the first day.
Bacon and especially sausages also need cold storage, and although a cool box
is very useful for keeping things cold, once the ice blocks have thawed it
becomes just another box unless you have facilities for re-freezing the blocks.

Rotas are a must to ensure the smooth running of your camp. Once you have
numbers (and names) confirmed, divide the girls up into patrols or working
parties. These may be their regular patrols or you may want to let them choose
their own groups, but make sure that any loners are included and watch out
for possible personality clashes - they will be living, eating, sleeping,
BREATHING close together and things can and do get a little fraught
especially with older teenagers.

I allocate rota jobs as cook patrol (supervised by the QM - the older the girls,
the more they can do, with Rangers doing the lot!), wood-and-water patrol
(keeping the woodpile stocked and water containers full), health patrol
(keeping the toilet facilities clean and tidy, emptying rubbish bins, etc.) and
camp duty patrol (general tidying, tent care, and anything not covered by the
other patrol duties!) Everyone is responsible for looking after their own tents
and personal kit, and everyone washes their own dishes immediately after
every meal. If a copy of the rota is put up at the start of the camp where
everyone can consult it no-one should have an excuse for not knowing what to
do. If your girls are inexperienced campers, it is also a good idea to add an
explanation of each duty.

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Transport to and from camp:

This can often be one of the biggest headaches of all. Depending how far from
home you are camping, you may be able to rely on parents to deliver the girls
to the campsite, leaving you to get the equipment there, or you may have to
arrange transport for everyone and everything. If you do have to arrange for
transportation, ask around your Guiding friends - they may have contacts - or
get several quotes. Coaches or buses can carry you, the girls and all the
equipment wherever you want to go and may be the only option, but they can
be VERY expensive. If you do have to hire a bus, do so well in advance and
provide the bus company with a detailed map of where you want to go and let
them know when you want to arrive at the site; DON'T forget to book for the
return journey too!

It is for this reason (cost) that we as a company do not travel far afield except
for very special occasions and events; we prefer to use a site where the
parents can deliver (and collect) their daughters - this also has the added
bonus that families can join us for our end-of-camp campfire - and we can get
all the equipment there in our own cars and a small(ish) trailer.

Costing your camp

MUST be done accurately - you will have to keep detailed accounts for
auditing along with the rest of your books.
You will need to take into account camp site fees, food, craft and games
equipment, consumable materials (toilet rolls, washing up liquid, etc. etc.),
transport (including days out) and ANYTHING else to do with your camp that
you have had to pay out - postage, forms, badges etc. Until you have actually
done your shopping some of these amounts will only be estinates, but make
sure you OVER-estimate and don't leave yourself out of pocket.
Once you have reached a final total, divide it by the number of campers and
inform the parents how much camp is going to cost - and be prepared to
justify your price.

If your planning is detailed, sound and accurate it will go a long way towards
a successful camp. Keep copies of everything you do and put them in a safe
place - you will find them very useful for next year........

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