A 3 camp review!

[VAordeal]

hello fellow scouts and scouters! I am going to write reviews of the following three summer camps: Sinoqipe Scout Reservation, Treasure Island Scout Reservation, and Camp Henson. For those who are unfamilliar with these camps, Sinoquipe is in Pennsylvania, everyone knows about TI, and Henson is on the eastern shore of maryland. So to begin-

 

Sinoquipe Scout Reservation-

Sinoquipe is a very very average camp. Its merit badge program is wonderfully run and neatly organized but that is the only plus i can name. It has the worst possible first year scouts program around. I have first hand experience with it. You get three basic merit badges out of it but there is no fun involved and you feel like you are in school. Not the kind of envirnment for kids going into the 6th grade. The food is absolutly terrible. The rest of my troop agrees that we have never tasted anything so terrible in our lives. The lake is a mess. If you are a "beginner" swimmer like i was when i attended it as a first year, your job is to clean out the begginer swim area's weeds and scum. The campsites are far to removed from the action. Of course my troop had the farthest camp site, one whole mile downhill to the dining hall and then a mile up hill. The trading post has everything you will need including a wide selction of snacks that you will need to survive the week. My overall grade, a D+

 

Treasure Island SR

 

Good old TI, home of the OA, oldest scout camp, and just a wonderful place.

 

I attend TI in my 2nd year. It was clean and tidy and the food was the best you will ever get at a scout camp. If you happen to be there during the session the coinsides with july 25th then they have a "xmas in july" turkey dinner. My main complaint is their merit badge program. It stinks! There is no class size limit so you can have between 2 and 25 kids in a single badge class. TI boasts a swimmimg pool due to the fact that the island is snuggled in the middle of the Deleware River. The camp consists of two interstate islands, one island in NJ and the other is in PA. (a word od warning, never get stuck on the 2nd island in a storm, everything floods and the bridge connecting the islands gets destroyed andyou have to wait hours to be rescued.) There is alot of stuff to do outside your badge classes. They have a baseball field and sports shack where you can rent gloves and balls and bats for free. They have a basketball court so it is perfect for your athletic scouts. They even have sports compettions. (i won the pull ups competition) They usually have a movie night but they tend to show very kidish G rated films. Another complaint is the water. It rains alot. Rain=mosquitos. lots of them so be sure to bring extra bug spray. And when it rains, your camp site will flood. Its a garuntee. If your lucky like me, maybe even your tent will flood and you will have to sleep on your neigbor's wet floor. Treasure Island is a wonderful camp with a wonderful tradition. Also they have the best Camp Commisioner in the world! My grade, A-

 

Henson Scout Reservation-

 

I was lucky to attend the terrific camp last summer. They have an excellent merit badge program and class sizes tend to be small. And the greatest thing of all, RUNNING TOILETS! Your computer savvy scouts will be thrilled with their computer lab that you can use for internet stuff. I was able to keep up with my Baltimore Orioles and my Baltimore Bayhawks teams at camp, what a joy! The trading post is the best! It is air conditioned and they have everything ranging from switch blade knives (sorry virginia folks, they wont sell them to you as they are illegal in our fine state. Dont try to get passed them, i did and my friend's OA lodge flap gave us away.) to regular pocket knives and just about everything under the sun. They have a nice swimming pool although im a bad swimmer and only swin when i have to take the test. You will make many close friends because of the small badge class sizes. I still talk to one kid who i met their so you will make life long friends. just about everyone in my troop did. Another great thing, you can rent bikes in your spare time and bike all over the reservation. If you like a modern but rustic (did i spell that right)camp then Henson is perfect for you! Final grade, A+

 

Thanks for reading my review. I hope it helped you. I hope to see some of you at Henson this summer!

[SemperParatus]

And Henson has the best food of any summercamp in the country...did you enjoy the apple pies?

[VAordeal]

Yes! i sure did!

[Bolo]

Hi, VAordeal!!

 

Great to see a Jr Forum Member giving a comprehensive review of three summer camps.

 

Thanks for your input.

[VAordeal]

no problem Bolo, reviewing summer camps is one of my favorite things to do. One of my jobs in my troop is to get information about camps from other scouts out of the troop and the past 2 years i have put together i detailed 25 page manuel reviewing a whole bunch of camps. Currently I'm working on a web site to post my reviews on. The 3 i reviewed here are the ones i have personally attended as a Boy Scout.

[Fuzzy Bear]

VA,

 

I am impressed by your reviews. Scout feedback is invaluable to Camp Directors. Many times it is overlooked or not requested which is unfortunate. Evaluating a program from different perspectives gives insight into what occurred and teaches a great deal about what to do the next year.

 

Of course, listening implies that something will be done or attempted which is not always the case. I believe that evaluations increase program effectiveness if reviewed carefully and implemented when it is possible.

 

If the evaluations have a source, then a follow-up reply can be sent that might include an apology, a word of appreciation, or a note on future changes. Sometimes, it is just a misunderstanding but even that needs to be addressed. Those of us that plan carefully expect to decrease problems but not eliminate them. That is what a good camp commissioner can do.

 

Keep up the good work!

 

FB

 

[BeaverNEIV152]

Sinoquipe is far above a D camp. In fact your bashing of its first year camper program shocks me. The National Visitation Team made the comment of Sinoquipe's First Year Camper Program that it should be the model of the First Year Camper program for all outhe scout camps. The camp is very well ran and offers merit badges that very few camps in the MD-PA-VA region offer, including Horsemanship. The campsites are not too far away from the actions as there are program areas all throughout camp. Including past the farthest campsites. The lake is clean and fairly free of muck which is a natural phenomenon and should not be a complaint when its nothing the staff can stop. It seems to me that you were not very open when you visited Sinoquipe, and are not being very fair to it and its staff.

[VAordeal]

Beaver, remember this review only states my opinion and not firm facts. I can say though that when i attended several summers ago it was not said to have had a great 1st year program. I have heard from staff members at sinoquipe that many changes have occured between 2002 and now. I have heard from staff members because i am collecting first person accounts of camps because i am getting ready to start a camp reviewing website. If given the oppurtunity to see Sinoquipe today and would jump on it. I almost went there for a troop event last month but it was called off. If you could send email with your full opinions so i can include them on my site i would appreciate it. My address is GBVrallyCI@gmail.com