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Guide for District Unit Leaders
III. Encampment logistics
| C. |
Campground and
campsite layouts.
| 1. |
General campground layout.
Campers and staff members participating in the MVE will camp in a large field that is
northwest of the mansion and northern outbuildings at Mount Vernon. The field slopes
gently down toward the mansion and the river. The campground will be laid out with all
units fronting on a broad central boulevard, which will run diagonally through the field.
All units will have a specified amount of space fronting on the boulevard. The side
boundaries of each unit's campsite will be perpendicular to the boulevard and parallel to
each other. There will not be any back boundaries, thereby allowing units to move as far
back into their sites as is necessary and reasonable. Front and side boundaries of sites
will be clearly marked with engineers tape, and small markers at each site will enable
units to quickly confirm whether they have found the right site on Friday evening. |
| 2. |
Layouts within unit campsites.
To the extent possible, units should arrange tents and other items within campsites in
general accordance with the Regulations for the Order and Discipline of Troops of the
United States, which were developed by Baron von Steuben for General George
Washington's Continental Army. The "order of encampment" for laying out a camp
called for troops to camp "as they are formed in the order of battle," so they
could respond quickly and go into battle within minutes, even in the middle of the night.
Von Steuben's regulations called for the two rows of tents of footsoldiers (and their
sergeants) to parallel the front of the campsite. A row of tents housing captains would be
next, followed by a row of tents were commanding officers, the quartermaster, and surgeon
would reside. Kitchens and supply wagons were at the rear of the campsite. A general
diagram of this arrangement shows these ordered rows:
Rear
Front |
W W W
W
K K K
K
O O O O O O
O
C C C C C C C C C C C C C
FFFFFFFF FFFFFFFF FFFFFFFF FFFFFFFF
SFFFSFFF FFFSFFFS SFFFSFFF FFFSFFFS
===================================
Central Boulevard
===================================
W Wagons K Kitchens
O Commanding Officers C Captains
F Footsoldiers S Sergeants |
| Units camping at the MVE will have to adapt this
arrangement, with most needing more than two rows of tents for Scouts toward the front of
their campsite. Nonetheless, it is hoped that units will use von Steuben's regulations to
the greatest extent possible, with orderly rows of Scout tents facing the front of the
campsite followed by rows of leader tents and with cooking areas toward the rear. |
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| 3. |
Location of unit campsites.
Unit leaders will be given plans showing the location of their campsites within the
campground by no later than November 1. |
| 4. |
Application of LNT principles.
Although it will be impossible for hundreds of campers to leave no trace on their group
campground, all campers and staff should employ Leave-No-Trace camping principles to the
greatest extent possible to minimize adverse impact on the campground. In particular, no
holes or ditches should be dug in the ground, and all trash should be removed. Because no
ground fires or charcoal will be allowed in the campground, no fire scars should be
evident. When units depart the campground on Sunday, they should ensure that aside from
some areas where grass has been trampled because of heavy foot traffic, no harm has come
to the campground or any part of the estate. |
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| This site is provided as a service to
Scouts and Scouters by the Colonial District, NCAC, BSA, which includes George
Washington's Mount Vernon. Although not an official site of the NCAC, BSA, or Mount
Vernon, the site is maintained by Tom Baerwald,
who has been appointed by the NCAC to direct the Mount Vernon Encampment, so information
should be reasonably accurate. |
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