Summer Camp 2007 -Which is the Best

[Kichkinet]

How about Camp Mitigwa, IA, Central Time Zone. Its got a lake, a swimming pool, a C.O.P.E course, Climbing tower, great facilities, Extreme team, tons of merit badges, and lots more to offer. It is also home to Mitigwa lodge #450 and does call-outs every week at camp. The staff is great and they are just as enthused about camp as you are.

 

[karen604]

Peaceful Valley Scout Ranch Elbert County Colorado

Denver Area Council Mountain Time Zone

 

This camp is set about an hour SE of Denver at about 7200 feet which makes for great cool summer sleeping weather.

 

The camp is 3 in 1. Eagle Point where you bring all of your own equipment and they supply the food that you cook. The boys can sign into Merit Badge courses with Camp Deitler (located near) or you can work on the skills that you want with your bows with the equipment and staff, design your own program. We had a great combination of both Merit badges and Rank advancement come from this program.

 

Camp Deitler is Merit badge based. You can cook your own.

 

CAmp Dobbins is a full service camp. There is a Dining Hall, Merit Badge Areas, Formal Opening and Closing Campfires, Camp-wide Flag ceremonies daily. There is both a lake for boating and a pool for swimming. There is an Awsome Shooting Sports program 22 rifle, shotgun program, muzzleloading program and Archery. Among the 3 camps there are something like 17 shooting ranges. There is a program for the budding cinamatographers/preformers with editing equipment. There is a horsemanship program with an overnight campout. And great programs for both first and second year scouts.

 

OA ordeals are usually done each week as well.

 

They at times have training programs available for the adults as well.

There is a Scoutmaster diner and time for adults to use the shooting facilities.

 

Thanks

 

Karen

I used to be an Antelope

[kcc41791]

Bear Paw Scout Camp is the best camp in the Midwest and nation for that matter. The staff is awsome and we have he best council and Lodge in the nation. Bay-Lakes Council and Awase Lodge. Some New Buildings and great program. Especially the OA ceremonies. The Camp and Staff all around make the camp special.

[Gonzo1]

Tough question, though OGE is right.

 

I'd go to Camp Freeland Leslie, Oxford Wisconsin, though it's owned by Three Fires council in Illinois. Central time Zone.

 

Excellent program, archery, rifle/shotgun, waterfront, usual badges. PATROL COOKING!!!!!

 

Riesen's restaurant was nearby. One of our adults would sneak out and bring in some fresh apple pie for a treat, yummy!

 

 

I suppose if I had only one camp to go to, I'd personally like to go to Brownsea Island or Gilwell.

[LongHaul]

Ill cast my vote for Owasippe Scout Reservation, Twin Lakes Michigan. On Michigans Western edge just east of Whitehall north of Muskegon. Over 4000 acres of Scouting fun. http://scarlet_sassafras.tripod.com/id2.html

We have Camp Blackhawk a dinning Hall camp with aquatics area on Big Blue Lake. We have Camp Wolverine an in site dinning camp where meals are delivered to each site. Aquatics is done in a pool for swimming and Lake Wolverine for boating. Fisherman will love this camp, fresh fish is a great evening treat. Both Camps Blackhawk and Wolverine offer loads of merit badge opportunities including the ever favorite Shot Gun, Rifle, Archery and Black Powder(verifiy availablity for camp and week) Camp Carlen offers Venturing Camp for older scouts and Venturing Crews. Camp Reneker offers Family Camp facilities for families of leaders attending section camps. Programs for the kids and adults alike.

We have a Horse Coral for Horsemanship activities, Low and High Cope, Our Manistee Quest HA program allows you to hike the Manistee National Forest, paddle the many rivers or do a combination of both. Adventure Patrol for younger first year campers, Where Eagles dare for the returning camper, Programs for older Scouts include outposts for Horsemanship, Fishing, Sailing, Photography, White River Canoe Trips and more. Check the link and explore that site.

LongHaul

 

[prairie]

Camp Ingawanis Boy Scout Camp

Located near Waverly, Iowa, Camp Ingawanis is home to swimming, hiking, camping, shooting sports, and horseback riding. Rolling hills and winding trails make Camp Ingawanis a challenging place to hike.

 

And this discripition from the councils website doesn't do it justice, in a state called flat this camp is on some really rough ground next to the river, heavly wooded with a dirverse mix of native fora this is a camp with a full program to offer in a setting time seems to have forgotten. Many places your cellphone wont work. Plenty of patrol cooking but the main lodge/dining hall is not to be missed, something like 70 years old and big, no ceiling but the sheathing way up above the tables with benches, a breeding ground for Scout Spirit through song and shouts. Miles of gravel road just to reach it and no pavment once you get there, I pray this camp will always offer its rustic charm to Scouts and Scouters.

 

[local1400]

Well Gonzo and I have danced around this subject before, we'll dance again. The Easternmost Scout camp in the U.S., Katahdin Area Council's Camp Roosevelt in East Eddington, Maine gets my vote. 1800 acres with a clean lake that is undeveloped, great DINING HALL, lots of history and tradition. Always attracted troops from out of state and from Canada too. Home to the second largest log dining hall East of the Mississippi River, built in 1929.

[C-BOLT]

OGE, that post brought back alot of memories of my past 6 years of scouting. I can relate to all of those except for the part about Leaders singing on the way to flags, we usually just heard, "WERE LATE!!!"

 

But one of my favorites is Camp Chawanakee in CA. Great lake, staff, food, and scenery.

[hotdesk]

The best camp is Camp Lowden in Orgen, IL of the Blackhawk Area Council in the central time zone.

 

The staff is exceptional. They perform marching songs on the way to flag gatherings, lead awsome songs during meals, provide a week long skit, are always willing to help a scout earn a MB (even if it's 4 oclock on Friday and program areas close at 4:45), and the Camp Director provides 25 years as Camp Director experience.

 

The property is also first class. It provides 10 campsites that are always in tip top shape, has a swimming pool, great dinning hall (with meals to excellently compliment it), and a lodge where scouts can go to relax. It has a waterfront on the Rock River which helps the scouts learn about paddeling in real life.

 

The program is also great. As mentioned above the staff does marching songs, leads songs during meals, and sings songs while scouts gather for the opening and closing fire ceremonies. The areas areas all provide extra learning chances that include games, knot rails, and more. It's high adventure program has a 40 foot climbing wall, and provides a chance to do a COPE course.

 

The OA ceremony is well rehearsed and the staff really gets into it.

[Axeman]

H. Roe Bartle Scout Reservation, Heart of America Council, Central Zone (St. Clair County, Missouri). There is no other.

 

The H. Roe Bartle Scout Reservation, home of the great Tribe of Mic-O-Say, is 4900 acres of cool green forest and withering heat on Truman Lake in west-central Missouri. The dedicated, enthusiastic staffs of Camps Lone Star, Sawmill, and Piercing Arrow, provide a memorable experience to thousands of scouts and scouters each year.

 

Why? Maybe because I still trip over the same rocks I tripped over 40 years ago. Definitely because of Mic-O-Say.

 

And this I know, when now my race is run,

When starlight falls o'er oak-clad hills,

And setting sun bespeaks the end of my life span-

I have been challenged to the best in me,

I have been strengthened by an Eagle's claw.

I go, Great Spirit, answering Thy call,

For it is well- my brothers carry on.

-- H. Roe Bartle, Chief Lone Bear

 

YIS

DD

[eaglescout07]

I have to agree with kichkinet and prairie, both camps in Iowa are fantastic and offer many activities!

[AntelopeDud]

Hale Scout Reservation

Kiamichi Mountains, Southeast Oklahoma.

 

Beautiful lake front and view of the Kiamichi Mtns.

Great Staff.

Indoor Air-conditioned Dining hall with indoor climbing wall.

Private enclosed individual Restrooms and showers throughout the camp.

High speed internet.

Swimming Pool.

Great place for an adult to go and enjoy Summer Camp.

 

I was very impressed, so were our boys. Our troop has a history of going to a different Summer Camp property every year, but this is our fourth year.

 

-AD

[SR540Beaver]

AntelopeDud is overselling Hale a little. He failed to mention that the rock to person ratio is 3,283,597 to 1 or the staircase from the waterfront to the trading post that is named cardiac hill for all the reasons you'd suspect. I think they buried the workers who poured the concrete right where they fell and died.

 

Actually, other than everything being uphill and rocky, it IS an excellent camp with excellent facilities and staff.

[MarkS]

We were at Peaceful Valley Scout Ranch in Elbert County Colorado this year. Although I prefer patrol method camps, I'd recommend the Cris Dobbins camp because of their outstanding merit badge program and selections (a great change of pace for our unit). All our boys had a great time with the merit badge program--especially in the Hollywood Experience and Handicraft programs. However, they need to improve their Acquatice merit badge program.(This message has been edited by MarkS)

[MarkS]

How did I come up with "Acquatice?" Aquatics is the word.

 

Anyway, I never answered the original question, paraphrasing, "if it were my choice, where would I want to take the unit to summer camp next year?" Given that Peaceful Valley is out of council for us and our OA lodge would hit us with a big election penalty if we didn't return to a local council camp next year, I'd recommend that we return to our council summer camp which is an excellent patrol method/cooking camp at S-F Scout Ranch in Missouri. So much for it being my choice... personal preferences should take a back seat to provding sound advice to the PLC on behalf of the entire unit.

 

If asked, would I recommend to our PLC that we return to Peaceful Valley if given the chance? No, but only because I would encourage the PLC to try something new when going out of council for summer camp. Would I recommend Peaceful Valley to another unit? Yes, based on the assumption they'll improve their Aquatics program.(This message has been edited by MarkS)