Dorchester International Boy Scout (DIBC) Camporee is an annual camp hosted outside of London, Ontario each Mother’s Day weekend.  It attracts approximately 2,000 Boy Scouts, Girl Guides and Pathfinders from all over Ontario, Michigan and New York.

There many sub camps. Two of these sub camps, Puffin and Porcupine are female only. We stayed in Puffin.  Units or Troops find they camp area within the sub camp on a first come, first set-up basis.  Tents must be set-up as closely and orderly to maximize space.  Points are earned accordingly.

The camp is a competition among units and sub camps.  Other ways to earn points are general conduct, participation and camp dinner cook-off.  Our chilli and cornbread earned honorary mention this year.  Saturday is the main point earning day.  Adult members sign-up to help at a station for the morning or afternoon. The youth are organized into groups with passports. They earn points by attending activities. The more activities they attend the more points they earn.

There are over 200 activities to choose from.  A group of leaders from my unit went around in the afternoon to investigate.  There was a gumball machine, t-shirt printing. paddle making, wood burning, rope making, car smashing, stone carving, zip lining, voyageur education, greased pole climbing, whistle making, ceramic painting, leather making.

At the end of the evening there is a campfire in the sub camp. We sing campfire songs, the sub camp chief presents the awards and then later there is a concert.

On Mother’s Day, they do colours. All the units come together for national anthems and presentations. Following this everyone packs up and leaves.

Did I tell you rains every year?