So who's running the show? Who is so attached to the fly?

Dining flies are extremely useful. I don't understand why you have a single fly for the entire troop. Every patrol should have its own, including the adult cooking group.

we have a large one that does take the time you mentioned to set up although painting the bars to help in what goes where helped cut the time down a lot - it's used at camporee's when we have most of the troop there and then we will set it up at summer camp if we are expecting rain on parent's night.

other wise we have an easy up which we'll use - mostly just to keep an area dry - typically where the boys will hang to play cribage or the like during free time.

normally though we don't set anything up - don't need it. dress for the weather and manage through the rain.

We have 7 patrols, and each patrol has their own dining fly and poles, color coded. Each patrol sets up its own dining fly and cooking area and then set up their own tents. The adults usually set up their tents first and then set up their own fly which serves as the coffee spot. Our adults eat with the patrols on a rotating basis.

Troop has a fly or two. I try to limit the times when they feel compelled to use it. Sometimes an SM may override. But generally we only put it up if the boys think they'll need it.

Crew has tarp, rope, bailer twine and bungee cords. (All mine.) That plus any trees in the vicinity and they may have a dining fly if they chose to grab that gear and so occupy their time. When they don't use the tarp I crawl between it's folds instead of bothering with a tent.

Some of the boys are starting to model that "tent optional" behavior.

What is a troop outhouse?

Yah, bigbovine, yeh have hit on another truism of Scoutin'.

Left to their own devices, the lads are more comfortable and confident in the woods than the adults, and will choose to go with lighter-weight gear. If yeh let youth leadership run it's course on this stuff, they'll all sleep or cook in lightweight backpackable flies that they can stuff in a day pack, take anywhere, and you'll never have to tow a trailer again.

Kudu I think has somethin' on his site about lightweight campin' for patrols which does a comparison between what you do and what a lightweight group looks like.

If your adults can't wrap their brains around that, then at least consider losin' the MegaTarp. Buy some smaller tarps and separate cook stuff for each patrol, and get da adults out of their way.

Beavah

We've switched to 12 x 12 EZ-ups. Take 5 minutes to set up and 5 minutes to take down.

Does your troop ever camp more than 100' from the trailer?

Patrol fly is always up fist since you can store your personal gear and patrol gear under it while you set up the tents. Unless it is a heavy canvas "marquee" type fly, shouldn't take 40 minutes to an hour to set up.

Now a marquee type fly, but especially a tent, THAT"S A WHOLE 'NOTHER STORY

We have three Noah's tarps in our family camping stash, too, and the troop has used them car camping also. (Bringing all three on our troop/crew trip to Glacier NP -- leaving tomorrow).

Beavah writes:

Kudu I think has somethin' on his site about lightweight campin' for patrols which does a comparison between what you do and what a lightweight group looks like.

Comparison Chart of Heavyweight Troop Method vs. Lightweight Patrol Method:

http://inquiry.net/outdoor/equipment/lightweight_camping.htm

Detailed Equipment List for "Chucking the Chuck Boxes:"

http://inquiry.net/outdoor/skills/cooking/lightweight.htm

Yours at 300 feet,

Kudu
http://kudu.net

"I overheard a boy (New Scout) talking the other night about having to set up the dining fly. He doesn't like it. I have a feeling that this is the same feeling shared by most if not all boys in the Troop."

Excellent! They have good instincts. Odds are, it's not just the "some animals are more equal than others" implication of setting up while others lounge that that irks them; more likely it's the very edifice of centralization and collectivism that this dining fly represents.

That they haven't brought it up openly, suggests that they fear a totalitarian collectivist climate in which they might be labeled as kulaks or capitalist roaders.

Ok, appreciate the comments. Just got back from camping.

"Who is so attached to the fly?"
The Adults most definitely like it (Except for me, although I think it is appropriate for Camporees). There are two, maybe three, that like it for sure (these are the older boys). I have talked to my 3 boys and they say they don't want it(would rather have a easy set fly for separation from each others Patrol), and my boys say that there is another one that agrees with them. You have the one boy I heard talking that doesn't like it. They say the other boys like it but not worth the setup. That leaves 2 that I am not sure about.
Adults= Like it (I am good either way, but prefer not to have it)
Boys=Three possible Yes
Four definite no
Four borderline

"Dining flies are extremely useful. I don't understand why you have a single fly for the entire troop. Every patrol should have its own, including the adult cooking group. "

At the camp out this weekend I once again brought up the Dining Fly situation since we are needing to do some major and costly repair. Making the argument for patrol identity as well as ease of setup in both time and effort, not to mention making it the Patrols responsibility to repair and replace their own Fly. Comment from one adult (Who has some say in matters) "I don't think it is a good idea because...." and goes on about safety concerns. My thinking was, as long as things are set up correctly (Gas and such), they have as much of a chance of getting hurt either way.
They have to learn some time. Between him and the SM, if they have any say, the Dining Fly remains as is.

"What is a troop outhouse?"
An old 10'x10' tent with bottom cut out. Set it up, dig a hole inside and set toilet seat over hole. Fill in and dig new hole as needed.


"Does your troop ever camp more than 100' from the trailer? "
No.

As an added note, one of the boys asked about separate Flies this weekend and the response was that we didn't need that when we had such a good thing already.

I am looking right now at Kudu's stuff and also checking on easy up types so I can present this. At least I will know where I stand as future SM when this discussion is over with along with some others that need to be brought forward.