Out of Council in 2007 ?

[Sir_Scoutalot]

Just back from our week at summer camp. For the first summer I can remember, we took a group that did not include any first year scouts (a story for another day). We cruised through a great week, but it was evident some of the "old timers" were considering our camp "old hat".

 

Long story short, we discussed the possibility of doing an out of council (Middle Tenn) camp in 2007. Wondering what camps in areas like east and west Tennessee, Kentucky, and/or north Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia some of you might recommend.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Lisabob]

My son's troop went to Rainey Mountain in Georgia a few summers ago. My son was still in cubs at the time so I do not have personal experience, but all of the boys and adult leaders who did go talk very fondly about their experience there. Looking at their web site, it looks like a fun place. Here's a link:

 

http://www.nega-bsa.org/camp_rainey_mountain2.htm

 

Lisa'bob

 

 

[t158sm]

We will be going to Comer Scout Reservation in a few days, haven't been there in several years. Near Fort Payne - NE corner of Alabama. Beautiful camp, Rappelling, whitewater rafting, extreme adventure base, COPE, and much more. Will let you know how it goes this year.

 

www.1bsa.org is the link to the Greater Alabama Council.

[BrentAllen]

Rainey Mountain is very popular. The Army Rangers hook up for some pretty cool activities with the campers.

 

Camp Woodruff is probably the largest camp in the area, and is usually at full capacity. The camp is north of the Blue Ridge Parkway (Route 76), between Blue Ridge and Blairsville. It is a little bit of heaven on earth, to me. Check out the slide show at http://wsr.atlantabsacamp.org/info.asp

[EagleInKY]

Camp Crooked Creek offers a nice program and is a well-run camp. I've been impressed with the program improvements over the past few years. I'll be back next week to see what they've done this year.

 

www.campcrookedcreek.com

[Lynda J]

Just got back from Slippery Falls Scout Ranch, Last Frontier Council, Oklahoma. HAD A BALL>

Very well run camp. Great staff. Great badge program. Our boys could take up to 6 badges. They finished almost all of them. One not finished was Astronomy. They lack tracking Venus and Mars for 4 weeks.

Small camp. Nothing was more than about 10 minutes away from our camp site.

Very impressed. So in any of you are from that council, congrats.

[tentmaker]

We went out of council to Rainey Mountain last year.

 

It was pretty good. Price was good (2006 price is $210 for out of council) The programs were excellent.

 

Food was bad. Their new dining facility is great but the way it was run was bad. There seemed to be a power struggle going on between the dining hall manager and the camp director. Very inefficient in getting boys through the line and fed.

 

Also the camp was considerable overbooked putting a real strain on campsites and showers. The merit badge classes however did not seem crowded. Like I said, the programs were excellent.

 

This year we go in council to camp Daniel Boone. Next year we will go out of council and are looking at Woodruff, Davey Crockett, and Bob Hardin.

[BrentAllen]

tentmaker,

Back when I was in as a youth, we went to Bert Adams for a couple of years (around 1974) and then went out of Council to Daniel Boone. We really enjoyed the camp - much cooler than Bert Adams, we went tubing on a mountain stream, etc... but I remember that lake water was VERY cold! Seemed like it was between 55 - 60 degrees. Was it that cold, or has that temp. dropped over the years as I have retold my stories?

[hops_scout]

We went out of council this year going to Camp Sunnen in Potosi, MO. Great camp. This is the second year we have gone to Camp Sunnen and I believe the SM intends to return next year.

 

We've gotten to dislike our council camp because it doesn't really offer the patrol method.

[SSScout]

The more I remember, the more I realize how fortunate (blessed, lucky, etc.) our Troop was. One of our Scoutmasters had a brother in law whose cousin knew a fellow that had a uncle.... that owned a sufficiently large piece of property some distance from our stomping grounds (but not too far away). Over the space of a year, our Troop built an Adirondack 3 side cabin with old phone poles (one dad worked for the phone company), capped a natural spring (several plumbers)laid out trails and orienteering compass courses, (surveyor), established four Patrol sites (five, counting "Staff") , dammed up a stream for a pond to get wet in (farmers), dug a privy, and over the next 10 years or so, went to Council camp, and our own week long camp. I'm not sure but that we would have preferred our own camp except for the larger waterfront in the Council camp.

I had the good fortune to bring my son to see the remains of "Camp Freedom" last summer. It is now a religious retreat center, and alot of the trails and campsites are still used. But the cabin is long decayed and the spring is plowed up.

When in doubt, design your own summer trip or program... .YiS.

[eagle90]

With all the complaints we are hearing about camp meals and dining halls, maybe its time to return to the good old fashioned PATROL METHOD and cook your own meals. What a unique idea!

[Be_Prepared]

As mentioned earlier, Robert W. Woodruff Scout Reservation, in North Georgia, is the largest in the area - about 750 scouts per week for an 8 week program. Most weeks fill up quickly - by late fall. They usually have openings for weeks in late July. Scouts come from all over the southeast - about half the troops some weeks are from Florida. Staff size is about 130 with a good variety of troop programs and merit badges. Each troop also goes whitewater rafting once during the week.

[Be_Prepared]

As mentioned earlier, Robert W. Woodruff Scout Reservation, in North Georgia, is the largest in the area - about 750 scouts per week for an 8 week program. Most weeks fill up quickly - by late fall. They usually have openings for weeks in late July. Scouts come from all over the southeast - about half the troops some weeks are from Florida. Staff size is about 130 with a good variety of troop programs and merit badges. Each troop also goes whitewater rafting once during the week.

[taamland]

Here is an idea. Unless the actual geography of your council's camp is the problem, why not try to improve the camp you've got. Send a few boys to camp staff, a crew up for a beaver day to build a new program area, have a fundraiser to add something new or improve something allready at camp. Too often camps close down because of a lack of attendance and funding. Granted I don't know the particulars of your situation but I know that your council's camp belongs to you and your troop. And you have a responsibilty to your current scouts and all future scouts, that will come to said camp, to make things better.

[OneHour]

taamland,

 

If someone they can improve Houston's hot, humid weather and its mosquitoes problems, then our Camp Strake is most ideal for our troop and many troops in Houston since we're only 20-40 minutes away! My experience with Camp Strake during my days as a Tenderfoot many moons ago left a bad taste in my mouth. Our boys are the ones who decide where they want to go. We have been to other in-council's sites as well ... such as El Rancho Cima. It, too, is great, but would you subject yourself to march a lengthy distance between mb's under the beaming 100 degree sun? I guess that our boys are looking for summer camp that is fun and yet tolerable to live under! I have begun to notice the strong correlation with miserable conditions and homesickness!

 

Of all people, I'm all for in Council. It could be my imagination, but everywhere that we go, it seems that the out-of-council troops get the "choice" campsites ... almost to the point of being the left-overs. Oh well ... the price you pay to be a visitor.

 

1Hour