How to make one
- 1List the jobs for the trip — cook, assistant, cleanup/KP, water/fire, camp/latrine.
- 2List the scouts in the patrol.
- 3Assign and rotate — spread jobs so everyone does each over the trip.
- 4Pair with the menu — match cooks to meals.
- 5Post the roster in camp where everyone can see it.
- 6Check it's followed — the patrol leader keeps the roster on track.
Why it works
- Shares camp chores fairly on every campout.
- Makes sure cooking, cleanup, and water always get done.
- Teaches responsibility and teamwork in the patrol.
Notes & safety
- Fair chores support health and safety. A roster ensures cleanup, dishwashing, and camp sanitation actually happen (foodborne-illness prevention).
- No one overworked or idle — sharing the load keeps everyone fed, rested, and contributing.
- Assign safety tasks too — water treatment, fire watch, and food storage can go on the roster so they're never skipped.
Going deeper
- Everybody cooks, everybody cleans. The roster's magic is rotation — over a trip you do every job, so it's fair and you learn it all.
- Post it in camp. A visible roster settles "whose turn is it?" before it becomes an argument.
- Nothing falls through. If a task is on the roster, it gets done — water, cooking, and KP included.
Official source
Troop Leader Resources — Scouting America →The duty-roster concept is universal Scouting practice. Job categories vary by trip and troop; cleanup and sanitation detail lives in their own pages.