How the rotation stays fair
Each meal is filled one at a time. A job doesn't go to the scout who did it at the meal before, unless the patrol is too small to avoid it. Among the scouts who are there, the jobs go to whoever is furthest behind their fair share, and then to whoever has done that job least. A scout who is only there for part of the trip has a smaller share, so nobody is punished for leaving early. If the jobs can't come out exactly even, the badges above the roster say so and why.
Buddy pairs, such as a new scout with an older one, stay together where the rotation allows: on a job with two spots, or a meal off together. The roster names any meal where they end up apart. Not happy with a roster? Shuffle gives a different one with the same fairness.
The usual patrol jobs
- Head cook
- Follows the menu, runs the stove and gets the meal served on time.
- Assistant cook
- Preps food, helps the cook and heats the dishwater.
- Fire and water
- Fills the water jugs, lights the stove or fire and puts it out after.
- Cleanup
- Washes, rinses and sanitizes dishes, packs the kitchen and picks up trash.
The cooks don't clean up their own meal, which is why cleanup usually takes two. Rotating by meal gets most of a patrol cooking on a weekend trip. At summer camp many troops change jobs once a day instead.
Questions patrol leaders ask
What jobs go on a patrol duty roster?
Most patrols use a head cook, an assistant cook, someone on fire and water, and a cleanup crew of two. Bigger patrols split fire from water and kitchen cleanup from campsite cleanup. Anyone left over has the meal off. Pick a starting set under Jobs and rename or add jobs to match your troop.
How do you make a duty roster for a scout campout?
List who is going and when they arrive and leave, list the meals you will cook, and decide the jobs. Then rotate so each scout does a different job at each meal and the work comes out even. This page does the rotation; the patrol leader should still go over it with the patrol before the trip.
What if the patrol has more or fewer scouts than jobs?
Extra scouts get meals off, shared out evenly. With too few, the jobs at the bottom of the list stay empty and the roster says which. Move the jobs that matter most to the top, lower the cleanup count, or use the small patrol set.
Does the patrol leader take a duty?
Troops differ. Many patrol leaders take a job like everyone else; some troops keep the patrol leader free to check on each crew. Under More options you can leave one scout out of the rotation. They still count toward the food.
What about a scout who arrives late or leaves early?
Set their first and last meal. They get no jobs while away, and their share shrinks to match the meals they are there for, so a scout who comes for three of five meals works about three fifths as much. The food list counts them only for those meals.
Will this work for the Camping merit badge duty roster?
The Camping merit badge asks a scout to make a duty roster showing how the patrol is organized for a real overnight campout. This page can draw the chart, but the scout should do the planning: choosing jobs, talking it through with the patrol, and explaining it to the counselor. Check the current requirements with your counselor.
How much food should a patrol buy for a campout?
Write each meal's ingredients as an amount per person, such as a quarter pound of ground beef. The shopping list multiplies by how many people eat that meal, adds up repeats across meals, and rounds up to whole items or quarter cups and pounds. Teens on a campout usually eat more than at home.
Where are the scouts' names saved?
Only in this browser on this device, so the roster is still there next time. Clear saved data removes it. Names only leave the device if you press Share link and send that link to someone.
Works for Scouts BSA patrols, Girl Scout troops, Cub Scout dens, church youth groups and school camps. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Scouting America or any scouting organization.