Philosophy: Building Patrols through competitive games. Encouraging Inter-Troop friendships and interactions. Giving Senior Scouts "true" responsibilities to run a major event, and a chance to meet fellow Senior Scouts from neighboring Troops. Having FUN!

Who May Attend?: Boy Scouts organized into formal Patrols, with between 6 (minimum) and 10 (maximum) Scouts/Patrol. Senior Scouts will be used as Staff. There is no program for Webelos Scouts at this year's Projectoree, and they should not be invited to attend (this does NOT mean Webelos Scouts who have just joined your Troop as New Scouts; they are Welcome! However, please make sure all your New Scouts are REGISTERED at NCAC before attending the Projectoree!)

Weather: Short of a hurricane or perpetual heavy thunderstorms, this event is "Weather or Not." If extremely heavy weather mandates cancellation of the events, Troops are welcome to come and camp anyway - the entire site is reserved and paid for whether we use it or not!

Directions: All Troops are strongly encouraged to leave Arlington/McLean by no later than 5:30pm in order to take advantage of HOV-3 restrictions on I-95 South (which end at 6:00pm) and to arrive at the campsite with at least an hour of light remaining. Directions are attached. Note that REGISTRATION STARTS AT 5:00pm AND ENDS AT 8:00pm, and that THE PLC STARTS AT 9:00pm. Please plan your departures from Arlington/McLean accordingly. If you know you're going to be late, please send an advance group to complete your Registration and attend the PLC. In addition, any Troop with a complex event that has to be ready to go first thing Saturday morning (see the Competition Schedule) should make a special effort to get their personnel and equipment down to the site as early as possible on Friday afternoon in order to take advantage of the remaining daylight for pre-setup; it will be completely dark by about 8:30pm (and we'll only have about an eighth moon on Projectoree Friday, so little help there!) The Site Coordinator will have at least one sign at the entrance; we'll also have a road-guide or two with flares for late arrivers.

Registration: The registration "booth" will be set up either under a tarp in the large open field opposite the Comfort Station (fair weather) or in the small kitchen area at the Comfort Station (foul). All Troops must stop, register, and get their T-Shirts, patches, patch protectors, and a site-map. As at past Projectorees, campsites will be assigned based on everyone's estimated attendance, so please don't take someone else's site, or expand past your needs!

Parking: You have permission to temporarily park your vehicles alongside your campsites for unloading; however, YOU CANNOT LEAVE YOUR VEHICLES PARKED IN THE CAMPING AREAS AFTER UNLOADING. This has been a serious problem at past Projectorees, and this Projectoree is almost certainly going to be the biggest ever. There simply isn't sufficient room to accommodate the Troops and their vehicles. In addition, when unloading vehicles at the campsites, please keep the narrow access lane around the camping area completely free of both vehicles and camp-gear - we have had past problems with "trapped" vehicles due to other vehicles being parked in the road for inordinately long periods, and also due to tents and tarps, etc., being set up in the road. It doesn't take much to make the situation untenable, so please be expeditious and reasonable. After you've unloaded, please move your vehicles to the parking areas just past the Comfort Station, or down to the old Dining Hall, or alongside (but well off) the access road opposite the main field (that is, adjacent to the trees on the right hand side right side outbound.) It is suggested that you keep your windows shut - the access road is rather dusty in dry weather.

Costs: The cost for the Projectoree itself is $5/participant for Registration only, $13/participant for Registration and a T-Shirt, and $21/participant for Registration, T-Shirt and Staff Food (open only to Projectoree Staff.) The Staff Food Ordering Form and T-Shirt Ordering Form are attached; THESE MUST BE RETURNED TO BOB BY SNAILMAIL OR EMAIL SUCH THAT THEY WILL BE RECEIVED BY NO LATER THAN SATURDAY, APRIL 21ST. If you're going to mail it, you are strongly advised to do so by no later than the Thursday morning mailing (from a Post Office) in order to ensure that it makes it. Failure to meet the deadline means "No Staff Food, No T-Shirts." [Additional Information follows on T-Shirt and Staff Food Orders.]

Note That All Participants Are Expected To Pay Registration Fees; the old Patawomeck District Camporee ploys of not paying the Registration fees because "I don't want a patch" or "I'm only staying one night" are unacceptable for both Health and Safety reasons (we must know who's present) and for financial fairness (evading payment raises everyone else's fixed costs, and reduces/eliminates any possible surplus.) This event is run on a tight budget, and absolute honesty is needed in order to cover overhead costs. A Registration Form is also attached, and blanks will be available at the Registrar's desk on Projectoree Friday; each Troop should pay their combined registration fees with one check. All checks are to be made out to "Troop 111" and state "Projectoree 2001" and your Troop # in the memo section. Cash will NOT be accepted!

T-Shirts: As noted above, pre-orders MUST BE COMPLETED AND RECEIVED BY ME BY SATURDAY, APRIL 21ST! NOTE THAT THIS IS RIGHT AFTER SPRING BREAK FOR MOST UNITS!!! - PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY!!! Sizes are M, L, XL and XXL, and must be paid for in-full at the Projectoree. Note that XXL T-Shirts cost an extra dollar. Also note, there will probably not be any post-Projectoree orders, and we will not be ordering any extra T-Shirts up-front. "Staff" T-Shirts (same design with a "Staff 2001" logo on the sleeve) will be distributed to each Troop for their Staff members, per your order. We recommend that you order over-size, which appears to be the "in" fashion these days. Note that you are "on-the-hook" financially for all pre-ordered T-Shirts. That is, you order, you pay, and you get. (However, it may be possible to arrange accommodation sales between Units at or after the Projectoree; we have done so in past years.)

Rebates: If any, will be discussed at the post-Projectoree Debriefing. Options include returning to the individual Troops on a pro-rated basis, or holding against Projectoree 2002 expenses. Note that at the past 5 Projectorees, the annual surplus was added to the carryover Projectoree surplus from the previous year.

Staff Camping: All Staff (both Shadow Adults and Senior Scouts) are invited (and strongly encouraged) to camp separately in the formal "Staff Area." Staff meals are being independently arranged by the Staff Food Coordinator's Troop, and are separate from rest of the Troops. As previously discussed, there is a special Staff Food Ordering Form (to help meal planning) attached; please use it! Note that you MUST fill this out WHETHER OR NOT you have anyone eating Staff Food!!!

District Staff: All District Staff Members who wish to attend this year's Projectoree are strongly encouraged to co-camp (and eat) with their closest associated Troop. It is the responsibility of the District Staff member to contact said Troops to coordinate this liaison. District Staff members who have no associated Troop may contact the Staff Food Coordinator to arrange camping and eating with the Projectoree Staff.

The "Usual" No-No's: You've all doubtless seen these a hundred times; nonetheless, "for the record": No alcohol (or any other illicit substances), burning or burying of trash, cutting standing wood (alive or dead!), fires outside existing firepits and fire-rings, fireworks, graffiti (either carving or spray-painting, etc.), littering, "fixed-blade" sheath or double edged knives, leaving Scouts unsupervised for extended periods, "midnight-hikes" (note that the area has rusty barbed wire fences along its perimeters), family pets, "trenching" of campsites, "raiding" neighboring campsites, or midnight excursions to the 7-11 (Fairfax County Police will pick up any Scouts found on Gunston Road! - and have done so at three previous Projectorees!)

Some Unusual No-No's: Camp Wilson still retains vestiges of its former Boy Scout Summer-Camp-hood, including the main Dining Hall and various outbuildings. Please warn your Scouts to stay out of all the old buildings, especially the old latrines, which are rotting to pieces and are extremely dangerous. Taking an 6 - 10 foot plunge into a 35 year old pit latrine would be both highly unpleasant and also (probably) highly life-threatening. In addition, Scouts should stay out of Pohick Bay, which will still be fairly cold during the event. We've had some Scouts who insisted on getting soaked at past Projectorees - not a good idea.

Warning!: As most of the veterans are aware, the old Patawomeck District Camporees were commonly plagued with vandalism over their last ten years of operation (particularly vehicles). Other than some isolated incidents, we have had little of this nonsense at the Projectorees. Hopefully, we will continue to have no such problems; however, please inform your Troop that any Scouts caught vandalizing the campsite, anyone's vehicle or their fellow Troops will be turned over to the Park Rangers and/or Fairfax County Police, and may also be subject to Civil prosecution upon return to Arlington/McLean. You may rest assured, I do not hold with the "Boys will be Boys" theory apparently held by the former Patawomeck District Camporee Staff - criminal behavior, Scouts or not, will be handled as such.

Fires: Assuming that a fire ban isn't declared due to dry or windy conditions, fires are permitted in existing fire-lays and formal fire-rings. There are a limited (but sufficient) number of these in the Troop camping areas. HOWEVER, firewood may NOT be collected from the immediate camping area; therefore (unless you're coming very early), all Troops should bring some firewood with them for Friday night. We do have permission to take firewood from the areas beyond the old Dining Hall (about a three minute walk), so Saturday firewood should not be a problem. In addition, please be fire-safe; have sufficient water and fire-fighting tools on-hand. Note that there are no water taps at any of the campsites - the only water source is the Comfort Station.

Trash: The camp has a dumpster on-site. As was noted in the "No-No's" section above, burning or burying trash is illegal; please use the dumpster or (preferably) pack your trash home. If you use the dumpster, please *double-bag* your trash.

Comfort Station: The park maintains a centrally located, modern comfort station on-site, with male and female bathrooms (4 stalls per), shower stalls (8) and kitchen/washing facilities. The comfort station is the water source for the camp. The water is potable (i.e., safe to drink). All campers are instructed to maintain cleanliness in the comfort station - the maid will not be in, and we have to clean the facilities before departure on Sunday. If we catch a group of Scouts trashing the Comfort Station, their Troop will have just auto-signed up to clean it on Sunday. Hopefully, their Scoutmaster will have them do it with their toothbrushes.

The kitchen/washing facilities are OFF-LIMITS to all campers - no dishes are to be washed at the Comfort Station. Violators will be considered to be "trashing" the Comfort Station (see above.)

The shower stalls are individual, and are open to all campers. Note that they are open to air, so they won't be too pleasant if the weather is cold. Again, all campers are asked to keep the facilities clean.

First Aid: All Troops should bring their standard First Aid Gear and all participants' Medical Forms; note that we will NOT collect your Troop's Medical Forms - you are expected to have them, and have them readily accessible. A First Aid Station will be set up near the competition area. Note that the Fairfax County Fire/Rescue squad at the entrance to the park is less than 1 minute away and is manned 24 hours/day.

Program: The primary program will consist of 10 competitive and scored Patrol events on Saturday morning and afternoon; detailed descriptions of these events are attached. Each Patrol's Schedule and Scoring Sheet will be given out at the Patrol Leader's Conference on Friday night. Patrol schedules are arranged to "mix" Patrols from event to event - your Patrols will not be competing against the same Patrols all day.

We will also try to have a variety of activities late Saturday afternoon for otherwise unoccupied Scouts, including keeping the Obstacle Course open, doing the service project, a soccer game, an Ultimate Frisbee game, and Junior Scout advancement (Firebuilding.) Scouts are also welcome to "hang out" and relax in their campsites, or prep dinner. NOTE THAT CONTACT SPORTS OR SIMILAR HIGH-IMPACT ROUGH-HOUSING WILL NOT BE PERMITTED! ALL TROOP LEADERS ARE ASKED TO MAKE THIS CLEAR TO THEIR UNITS, AND TO HELP ENFORCE THIS POLICY THROUGH THE ENTIRE WEEKEND.

Following dinner, Catholic and Protestant Services will be help at opposite ends of the main field, weather permitting, starting at 7:00pm. The hour between 7:00pm and 8:00pm is quiet time - please keep your Scouts who are not attending services in your campsites (and not running around the main field). Weather also permitting, assembly for the Closing Campfire begins at 8:15pm, at the flag poles on the main field. The Closing Campfire marks the end of the formal program for the weekend. [Note additional remarks on the Religious Services and Closing Campfire below.]

Awards: All Participants will receive the Projectoree Patch (and a patch protector.) All Troops will receive the Projectoree Flag Streamer, and additional Flag Streamers will be awarded at the closing campfire to the top placing Patrols.

Health and Safety Considerations at the Games: The competition area is a moderately sized open field; if the date of the event is sunny or mostly sunny, it is highly recommended that all participants be fully protected with sun-tan lotion (the springtime sun can be fierce!) The First Aid Center will be located on the main competition field. Water will be available at the First Aid Center, the Comfort Station, and all competition event locations. In addition, even though Camp Wilson has minimal areas with high grass, come prepared to handle ticks, and be sure to have your Scouts perform several self-inspections through the course of the weekend.

"Leave your Attitude at the Door": A major intent of this event is to have fun and foster inter-Troop friendships; although Patrol rivalry is healthy, it should be in the spirit of friendly competition. All participants - especially Adults, Senior Scouts and Patrol Leaders - are asked to beware of negative, hyper-competitive interactions between the Patrols - name-calling, pushing and shoving, verbally denigrating another Patrol's performance, etc., are unacceptable and non-Scout-like behavior. "Problem Patrols" will be removed from the competitions and sent home, and may jeopardize their Troop's status for future Projectorees.

Uniform Policy: All Scouts, including Staff Members, must wear either their full Scout Uniform, their Troop's Class B Uniform Shirt, or their Projectoree T-Shirts with acceptable gym-wear type pants, in order to participate in the Patrol Events. To Repeat (unless inclement weather is a problem), Scouts not visibly wearing one of these three options will not be allowed to participate in the activities. This is a Scouting event, not a fashion show, "bad attitude" statement or gang rally. We have had problems in the past with this issue, especially after lunch on Saturday. All Scoutmasters are asked to monitor this situation - policing uniforms is not a particularly pleasant task for the Projectoree organizers, and we'd prefer not have to worry about it at all. Wear a full Uniform, a Troop Class B Uniform Shirt, or the Projectoree T-Shirt - Simple Enough, Right?

Flag Ceremonies: We will have both an opening and closing Flag Ceremony on Saturday. Please bring your Troop Flag and a Stand! Scouts who are participating in the Opening and Closing Flag Ceremonies need to be at the main field at 9:00 am and 8:00 pm, respectively (for practice), and should be in full Scout Uniforms if possible (Scouts who are going directly into competitions should wear their competition clothes).

Campfire Program: We're running only one campfire, on Saturday night. Each Troop is required to have a skit or song. All skits and/or songs must be cleared in advance with the Campfire Coordinators. Scoutmasters are cautioned to have adequate supervision with their Troops at the campfires to prevent some of the behavioral problems observed during the first two Projectorees. As we have done for the past two years, Problem Patrols at the campfire will forfeit any and all of their Troop's Patrol Awards. This will be stated at the beginning of the campfire, and will be rigidly enforced, with no appeal process. Fair warning....

In addition to the normal campfire program, we will be also holding an American Flag retirement ceremony. Each Unit is asked to provide two of their youngest Scouts, in full uniform, for the flag retirement ceremony. This will be done at the beginning of the campfire. These two Scouts need to come directly to the campfire circle at 8:15 (that is, at the same time that everyone else is assembling for the Closing Flag Ceremony on the main field). IF YOU ALSO HAVE FLAGS THAT NEED TO BE PROPERLY RETIRED, PLEASE BRING THEM TO THE REGISTRATION STATION FRIDAY NIGHT!

NOTE! - BECAUSE THE O/A ORDEAL WILL BE HELD THE WEEKEND BEFORE THE PROJECTOREE, THE O/A HAS STATED THAT THERE WILL BE NO TAPOUT AT THIS YEAR'S CAMPFIRE.

Publicity: We may have local newspaper reporters or photographers in attendance (we have had both at past Projectorees.) Please conduct yourselves accordingly. Remember to refer to this campout only as a "Projectoree" - not a Camporee. And in particular, DO NOT make any denigrating comments about or negative comparisons with other District Camporees or the Scouting on the Mall Show, etc. - Be positive about us, not negative about anyone else.

Religious Services: Catholic and Protestant Services will be provided on Saturday Night, at 7:00pm, on opposite ends of the main field; if inclement weather is a problem, we'll attempt to use the comfort station kitchen area and the biggest tarp we can find - or (if the weather is too ridiculous) cancel them altogether. And again, Scouts not attending Services should remain in their campsites, and stay quiet.

Staff Site Visit: Anyone wishing to visit the site for planning and familiarization purposes - please call me to arrange a mutually acceptable time frame. Note that I will be visiting the site on Easter Saturday (April 14th) to discuss the Projectoree with the Asst. Park Ranger. Site visits are particularly useful for staff or event personnel who have not been to Camp Wilson on any previous occasion. The total time round-trip should be less than 3 hours.

Service Project: One of the means by which we keep the Projectoree cost to a minimum is by performing a service project for the park on Saturday afternoon. Each Troop must provide a minimum of two older Scouts to participate in the service project. Remember, "A Scout always leaves a campsite better than he found it." Possible projects are still being discussed with the Asst. Park Ranger; we will relay her thoughts and/or suggestions to all Scoutmasters in a future Projectoree Newsletter.

The Schedule of Events: Note the use of double air-horn blasts as five to ten minute warnings for significant time points. Also note the PLC/Staff Meeting on Friday night, starting at 9pm, in the Staff area. All Patrol Leaders and Staff Members MUST Attend! Listen for the first double air-horn blast around 8:50pm, and be ready to move. Attendees should have already read the Patrol Leaders Guide and/or the Staff Members Guide, should bring notebooks, pens, and flashlights, and be wearing warm clothes. Snacks and drinks will be provided. The formal competition schedule, scorecards, and other pertinent information will be disseminated at this meeting. Please leave adequate supervision at your Troop sites while attending this meeting.

Any Immediate Questions, Need for Clarifications, or Other Concerns: Please email me, drbob@troop111.org - Thanks!

- Dr. Bob

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9 April 2001