Camping is the heart of Boy Scouting.
Boy Scouting is absolutely different from Cub Scouting or Webelos! And while parents (and sometimes whole families) often accompany Cub Scouts on campouts, Boy Scouts camp with their patrol and not with their parents or other family members.
Camping is one of the most important activities in Troop 642. We camp every month except the summer months of July and August, and during December. We attend Summer in June. This is usually the second week of June. The dates are usually known a year in advance.
All of the food for the Scouts and their dads is provided for in the Troop activity fee. (The one exception is the Scout and his dad have to bring their own sack lunch for the noon meal on the first day of a campout. A drink will be provided.) The Patrol Leader is responsible for the menu and the purchase of the food. He is often assisted by one of the Scouts working on the Cooking merit badge. The meals are excellent, fresh meats and vegetables with bread and baked dessert. We also provide the food for the FCE meals (First and Second Class cooking). This again includes food for any of the dads whose son is doing FCE cooking. The menus are closely supervised and the Patrol Leaders have developed experience cooking before they assume the Patrol Leader position.

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Private Ranches

Troop 642 is fortunate to be able to camp primarily on private ranches. The ranch owners usually have had some affiliation with the Troop for a number of years and include one present Assistant Scoutmaster. We have camped at some of these ranches for many years. This allows us to camp in privacy and to have the flexibility to meet the needs of the Scouts for their advancement.

Fathers

Fathers are strongly urged to attend the camping trips. We want fathers to know what we do and how we do it. We also need your help to get the Scouts to the camp sites, help with the patrols, and to help with activities, Scout advancement and Boards of Review. We also conduct new member orientation meetings for the new dads on their first camping trip. This will help you understand how the camp out is conducted and how you can best help your son's Patrol to have a successful camp out.
​The fathers need to provide their own sleeping bag and personal gear. You may want to have you own tent if snoring bothers you or if you snore loudly. By Scout policy the fathers sleep in an area away from the main body of Scout camp sites. Fathers will also need their own plate, fork and cup.
​Coffee is served at the Scoutmaster's dining fly throughout the camping trip.

Advancement

We do a lot of First Class Emphasis (FCE) work on the camping trips. The FCE program is basically any and all skills related to rank advancement for Tenderfoot, Second Class or First class. It is the policy of the Boy Scouts of America and the Troop to strongly emphasize this portion of Scouting and try to have each Scout complete at least the rank of First Class. On our camping trips we try to provide programs and training to help the Scouts advance through the FCE program within their first year with the Troop. Advancement is generally determined by the individual Scout's participation and desire to advance and by parental encouragement and involvement.
We have several traditional camping trips. In November we have the Feast and shotgun shooting trip to the Clinton Ranch on the Colorado River.
For many years El Rancho Cima was our destination for Summer Camp.   Since SHAC has decided to close CIMA we are looking at  new locations for summer camp.    

Outdoor Code:  As an American, I will do my best to be clean in my outdoor manners, be careful with fire, be considerate in the outdoors, and be conservation-minded.