West Point Camporee

West Point Camporee

West Point Camporee

The West Point Camporee is an annual Invitational Camping Event sponsored by the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. It attracts scout units from over a dozen states along the east coast and over 75 different scout councils. It one of the largest annual scouting event held in the country. The event consists of a weekend camp out on the Academy property with static and active displays, competitions, demonstrations and trading post. Attendees report it exclusively run by the Cadets themselves.

Organization

It is managed by an organization called the Scoutmaster's Council. The first camporee, in 1961, grew out of a discussion among cadets who attended the 1960 National Jamboree. That first camporee featured five area troops. The first camporee for which a patch issued was the 1963 camporee. Though the dates have been adjusted to reflect the Academy schedule, since 2001, it is nominally held the first week in May. The Invitational nature reflects the priority for a Cadet to invite his (or her*) home Boy Scout Troop, Venturing Crew, Sea Scout Ship, Varsity Crew or Explorer Post (Boy Scouts of America (BSA)) or her home Girl Scout Troop (Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA)). If all the available slots are not filled by home units of the Cadets then a lottery is held for other Scout units. Those participating in the lottery suggest they only receive an invitation about once every five years.[1]

The memorabilia for the camporee has been analyzed in a series of articles published by Scouting Memorabilia, a collector's magazine published quarterly by the Lawrence L. Lee Scouting Museum and Max I. Silber Library, in Manchester, N.H.

Each attending unit may choose to attend the camporee as a "Lightfighter" or "Mechanized" troop. Lightfighter troops must backpack all of their gear three miles through the not so small hills surrounding West Point to the camporee site. Those who complete the trek earn the prestigious "I Hiked Bull Hill" pin and a Lightfighter patch.

Mechanized troops are shuttled directly to the camporee site and are permitted to bring one vehicle containing their gear. However they do not earn the Bull Hill pin or Lightfighter patch.

Various items commemorating these events have been issued starting with Troop Streamers (for attachment to the Unit Flags in 1961 and 1962), patches for uniform wear (starting 1963), neckerchiefs (starting 1970), mugs, pillows, pins, neckerchief slides, coins, as well as "Brass", which are pins that the Cadets have.

Attendance was cited in the 1977 Annual Report of the Superintendent as 3,000.[2] At least one United States Postal Service First Day Cover was issued in 1985 honoring Brigadier General Sylvanus Thayer, an early superintendent of West Point.

References

  1. ↑ Scoutmasters' Council "Scoutmasters' Council." Check |url= value (help). U.S. Military Academy. Retrieved 2010-07-01.
  2. ↑ "1977 Annual Report of the Superintendent" (PDF). USMA Website. USMA. Retrieved 2010-07-01.


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