I gave my Troop an online camping opportunity. Some scouts participated in the BSA Camp-in and had a great time so I thought we could try it with just our Troop.
Below is an out line in emails that I sent to the participants.
You are more than welcome to use the following emails, have fun!
Announcement email, to be sent out a week ahead of time so the scouts will be prepared the day of camping:)
(the items listed below are for the activities I selected for the scouts, you may choose other activities, so make sure you include the supplies you need for your activities)
Hi Scouts,
Many of you had a great time camping out in the back yard with BSA Camp-In. So I wanted the troop to have another opportunity to get another camping night on the books. The rules for verification will be the same as the BSA Camp-in.
!. You will need to camp in your yard or in the house in a tent you made and make dinner outside, it will count towards one night out camping after pictures are sent.
2. You will have to send me pictures of you setting up your tend, making dinner outside, and bed head in the morning of you waking up in the tent.:)
Items you will need to acquire for our activities next Saturday:
Blindfold, paper, 12 silver dollars sized river rocks, pencil, 10 square pieces of paper at lease 6×6 in size it can be colored paper. Straight stick 12-18 in length, Para cord at least 20 ft total – maybe 2 colors, lighter(with help from an adult), a flat surface to work on, a few colors of acrylic paint and small brush for detailed work, someone to take video of you, scissors, computer or device to receive secret instructions via email at noon, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 pm on Saturday.
Your Parents, brothers and sisters can participate with you if you like. Please let me know if you will be participating, so I don’t blast everyone with secret instructions on Saturday and have your folded tent ready at 12 noon on Saturday, awaiting my instructions.
Let’s have some fun!!
Please let me know if you will plan on participating, I will only be sending special emails to those who what to participate.
YIS,
MrsScoutmaster
The next email will be sent out the day before verifying who will be attending.
Hi All,
Here is a list of scouts who will be participating in the Troop 2399 Camp-in tomorrow:
(list all the scouts who wish to attend along with an email they want you to send the emails to)
If you plan to attend, please contact me so I can add your email to the list, I will only be sending emails to scouts that have signed up.
Original email… (I also included the original email with the supply list)
Many of the scouts had a great time camping out in the back yard last weekend. So I wanted the troop to have another opportunity to get another camping night on the books.
The rules for verification will be the same as the BSA Camp-in.
!. You will need to camp in your yard or in the house in a tent and making dinner outside, I will count it towards a night out camping after pictures are sent.
2. You will have to send me pictures of you setting up your tend, making dinner outside, and bed head in the morning of you waking up in the tent.:)
Items you will need acquire for our activities next Saturday:
blindfold, paper, pencil, 10 square pieces of paper at lease 6×6 in size it can be colored paper. Para cord at least 20 ft total – maybe 2 colors, scissors, lighter(with help from an adult), a flat surface to work on, a few colors of acrylic paint and small brush for detailed work, someone to take video of you, computer or device to receive secret instruction via email at noon, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 pm on Saturday.
You’re Parents, brothers and sisters can participate with you if you like.
Please let me know if you will be participating, so I don’t blast everyone with secret instructions on Saturday.
Have your folded tent ready at 12 noon on Saturday, awaiting my instructions.
YIS,
MrsScoutmaster
Here we go, lets have some fun!
At noon, you will send out your first task email.
Hi All,
I wish I could share my excitement with you face to face today. You should have some fun with the anticipation today, I know I am. 🙂
Here we go!!!
For your first task:
Follow the instructions on the link below. I would like you to use method 2, but using the rocks you are creating for your numbers. I know we are running a little later than 12, so do the best you can(guesstimate).
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Sundial
Paint a number on each rock, 1-12. On the other side paint the 12 points of the scout law or have some fun and add some funny faces.
At 1 pm I will be sending you your next task, don’t worry if you are not finished with this one, you can come back to it. 
On Sunday send me a picture of how it came out.
YIS,
MrsScoutmaster
At 1 pm you will send out your next email:
For your second task, you will need to set up your tent.
1. Place your tent on the ground where you will be setting it up.
2. Have someone video while you set up your tent, blindfolded.
3. Sent me the funniest 30 seconds of you setting up your tent including the fly. Tie downs are not needed for this task but you might want to add them later in case it gets windy.
4. If you send me a video I will have something special for you at the next COH. Entertain me!
YIS,
MrsScoutmaster
PS. Don’t forget to check your sun dial.
(I had a few scouts contact me, they were worried that they did not have enough time0
At 2 pm you will send out the next email:
Hi All,
There is no right or wrong today, just have fun. There is no falling behind; you will have plenty of time to do the activities. Do them at your own pace.
For your third task:
Make the below zipper pull para-cord project. Follow the instructions on the following link. You will need at least 24 inches of para-cord to complete, you might want to add a few inches just in case. I will also be making this along with you today.
If the video moves too fast for you stop and start the video. I will probably be watching multiple times.
There are a lot of other little buddy para-cord projects out there, take a look.
I will be sending your next task to you at 3 pm. Keep a look out!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MidX4tuxcHE
YIS,
MrsScoutmaster
PS. Don’t forget to check your sun dial.
At 3 pm you will send out your next email:
Your fourth task:
Follow the link below to make an origami throwing star. You will need 8 3×3 square pieces of paper, if you want a two colored star you will need 4 pieces of paper of one color and 4 colors of another. If you are new to origami, you might want to use 6×6 squares, they are easier to hand.
These are not to be thrown at your brother or sister. LOL
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/758715868462218584/
YIS,
MrsScoutmaster
PS. Don’t forget to check your sun dial.
Here is your 4 pm email:
Hi All,
I hope you are all having fun!!
For your fourth task:
You have the option of one or more of the following projects.
My next email will not be until 6 pm, have a great dinner!
Don’t forget about your sun dials.
Origami mouse 1 square piece of paper, follow the link below.
Origami Pikachu
https://www.paperkawaii.com/origami-pikachu-tutorial/
Fleur-De-Lis Paracord/Macrame Friendship Bracelet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qiyBpsTi8g&feature=emb_title
Friendship bracelet takes approximately 2 yards of para-cord
https://youtu.be/hprZOoHvwYE challenge – takes approximately 2 yards of para-cord
YIS,
MrsScoutmaster
Some notes on the 6pm task, Italicize is for your information
https://www.braingle.com/brainteasers/codes/keyword.php#form decipher tool, for your eyes only. LOL
To create a substitution alphabet from a keyword, you first write down the alphabet. Below this you write down the keyword (omitting duplicate letters) followed by the remaining unused letters of the alphabet. My keyword is camping.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
CAMPINGBDEFHJKLOQRSTUVWXYZ
To encipher a plain text message, you convert all letters from the top row to their corresponding letter on the bottom row (A to K, B to E, etc). In this example the Keyword is “keyword”
The keyword is section 9 of your scout book – camping
Unscramble the words and send me the message – your scouting adventure will soon continue be patient and stay healthy! I can’t wait to see you again
ylursmlutdkgcpvikturiwdhhsllkmlktdkuiaioctdiktckpstcybichtbydmcktwcdttlsiiylucgcdk
Once deciphered: your scouting adventure will soon continue be patient and stay healthy! I can’t wait to see you again
You can make any message you like with the link above.
Here is your 6 pm email:
Hi All,
Hope you all had a great dinner or are working on it.
For your last task, you will be deciphering a message.
To create a substitution alphabet from a keyword, you first write down the alphabet. Below this you write down the keyword (omitting duplicate letters) followed by the remaining unused letters of the alphabet. Below is an example only.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
KEYWORDABCFGHIJLMNPQSTUVXZ
To encipher a plain text message, you convert all letters from the top row to their corresponding letter on the bottom row (A to K, B to E, etc). In this example the Keyword is “keyword”
For your challenge, the keyword is, what I (MrsScoutmaster) think the best part of scouting is.
I will be sending a hint at 7 pm.
Figure out the message then and send a coded message back to me using the same key word.
Have fun!
Here is my message to you:
ylursmlutdkgcpvikturiwdhhsllkmlktdkuiaioctdiktckpstcybichtbydmcktwcdttlsiiylucgcdk
How to make smore’s at home: try improvising with ingredients.
There are a few different ways to make indoor s’mores using your oven. The first way is to bake them in the oven. Take a cookie sheet and line it with foil. Then fill it with rows of graham crackers with a piece of chocolate on top. Next, top each square of chocolate with a marshmallow and put the tray in the oven on the broil setting.
YIS,
MrsScoutmaster
PS…don’t forget about your sun dial and please give me feedback what you liked and what could be done differently, it will help for future Troop Camp-in’s. Don’t forget to send me your video and your bed head in the morning from your tent.
Here is your 7 pm hint email: The hint below is my favorite part of scouting.
Hi All,
I hope you all had fun today.
Send me your videos of setting up your tent.
Also, send a picture of waking up in your tent in the morning for a sign off of one night camping.
Let me know if you would like to do this again. If we can’t get out and go camping, the best part of scouting, we can try to camp-in again.
My little man, isn’t he cute!!
YIS,
MrsScoutmaster
I did send them one last hint for the cipher the next morning:
Hi All,
I hope you had a great time yesterday!
Just in case you did not figure out the key to the cipher, here it is.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
C A M P I N G B D E F H J K L O Q R S T U V W X Y Z
ylur smlutdkg cpvikturiwdhhsllkmlktdkuiaioctdiktckpstcybichtbydmcktwcdttlsiiylucgcdk
your scouting
You can finish the rest.
If you could send me your thoughts on what you liked and even the parts you could have done without, I would appreciate it.
Make sure you send me your bed head morning pictures for credit of one night camping.
YIS,
MrsScoutmaster
For the scouts that sent me a video of themselves putting their tent up blindfolded, I made them little bracelets that I will give them at our next COH.
I hope this gives you some ideas to keep your troop engaged.
YIS,
MrsScoutmaster