Every patrol plans and cooks its own food on a campout. The troop provides the Menu Planner; the patrol fills it in. The Scouts decide what to eat — not the adults — and the troop reviews the plan to make sure it is appropriate and feeds everyone properly.
Older Scouts lead the planning and show the younger ones how it is done. That is the patrol method working as it should: a small team learning skills together and sharing responsibility.
How it works
- At the planning meeting, the patrol decides who is coming and who is grub master.
- The patrol plans the menu — Friday dinner and cracker barrel through Sunday breakfast.
- Work out the shopping list from the menu, with quantities for the number eating.
- The troop reviews it for appropriateness and whether it actually feeds the patrol.
- The grub master shops and brings the food to the meeting point.
- The patrol cooks and cleans up at camp, together.
What is on the planner
The planner has four parts:
- Header — patrol, date and which campout.
- Who is eating — up to 14 names, with the Patrol Leader and Assistant Patrol Leader at the top. Numbers matter: the shopping list depends on them.
- Shopping list — item and quantity.
- Menu — Friday dinner and cracker barrel, Saturday breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert, Sunday breakfast.
Meals to plan for a weekend campout
| Day | Meal |
|---|---|
| Friday | Dinner Cracker Barrel |
| Saturday | Breakfast Lunch Dinner Dessert |
| Sunday | Breakfast |
Who is grub master?
One Scout in the patrol takes the job each trip: they lead the menu planning, do the shopping, and run the cooking. It is a real job and it counts toward advancement — see Grub Master for what it involves and which requirements it meets.
Before the trip
The PLC sets the weekend’s running order at the planning meeting, including when meals happen. See the camping schedule.
