Out of Council in 2007 ?

[MaScout]

Aahh...the "out of council" troops really DO get the "choice" campsites in our council! We can "reserve" our campsite for the next year if we make our reservations prior to leaving camp during the current year. I can't remember when we were last placed in the campsite requested...it always goes to "out of council" troops, and WE get the "left overs". Very true last summer...they put us in a campsite that hadn't been used in over a decade. We had to clean it and repair it before it was usable. We didn't have a trail in nor any outhouses within a reasonable distance. But in our council's eyes, that was okay, because we are in-council and "wouldn't mind". (Coincidentally, our troop is faithful about helping on Eager Beaver weekends and tries to do at least one other service project there per year. It is 3 1/2 hours each way to the camp.) I appreciate that we take care of our visitors, but to the point of neglecting our homeys? We didn't go back this year. Still did service, but went where they would take care of us.

 

We travel out of council every few years. First, for the reason Sir Scoutalot gives...the older scouts are bored with the same-o, same-o. Many of the larger troops in our council take their young scouts to the local camp & their older boy patrols to an out of council camp.

[tentmaker]

Well we just got back from our week at Camp Daniel Boone.

 

Brent, you remembered right, that lake was cold. I checked it with a thermometer and got 54 degrees. The weather was cold enough to require jackets at breakfast two mornings. The shock of jumping in that cold lake caused two of our scouts to fail their swim tests on Sunday and both already earned the swimming merit badge (they both passed when they took it again on Monday). I had one in lifesaving that could not finish his 400 meter swim. (that is all he lacked and we can make that up in the community pool).

 

That being said it was a great week. This was my first week at Camp Daniel Boone and it was much better than Rainey Mountain last week. I would strongly recommend it. Food was great, atmosphere was great, staff was helpfull. We had a lot of out of council troops from florida looking to escape the heat and this was a great place to do it.

[BrentAllen]

tentmaker,

Glad to hear y'all had a great time at camp! I'm also glad to find my memory isn't failing me - yet! :-) The first time I got in that water, I remember looking around for ice cubes - it definitely took your breath away. Luckily, I already had my swimming and canoeing merit badges, so I only went to the water front for fun. I can certainly understand some of the boys having a hard time passing the swim test in that water. Hard to swim when you can't breathe!

 

When we had attended Bert Adams ('75, '76 & '77) they had 3 different camps - 2 of them ate at the mess hall, 1 cooked their own meals (Jamison). We had always been to Jamison, so when we went to Daniel Boone in '78, our SM wanted us to cook. The staff tried to help us out, but they just weren't set up to do that. We were eating in the mess hall after the first day, much to the delight of us Scouts. :-)

The Amityville Horror book had come out in '77, and one of our ASM's read from it each night around the camp fire. I don't know how any of us got any sleep after that! I have some very fond memories from Daniel Boone!

[Joebanker]

I am an Eagle Scout and ASM and have set up summer camp for our troop now for 5 years. We have been to several summer camps and I'll give you some information on the ones we have been to and rate them from 1 (horrible) to 10 (excellent).

 

1. Woodruff Scout Reservation 3 out of 10

 

This is my home councils camp and I give it a 3 at most. As mentioned in previous posts it is the largest summer camp around. Being the largest isn't always best in this case. 750+ campers during the week is extremely excessive. The wonderful (and use wonderful loosely) executives at Atlanta Area Council have one thing and one thing only on their minds and that is money. They cram as many scouts onto that place as they can and everyone pays for it.

 

If you want to go to a camp that runs out of food every day and let your boys go hungry then sigh them up. Sure they have several merit badges offered but the instructors are kids in most cases and their class sizes are too big to control. In this environment, merit badges are partially complete and most times the requirements that are passed are signed off on just to make it look like the scout actually got something out of it.

 

One good thing about the camp as mentioned earlier in another post is that everyone takes a rafting trip down the Nantahala River.

 

Back when I was a scout, our troop went to Woodruff every year. Woodruff is a different place now than it once was. Maybe the executives in Atlanta Area will wake up someday and attempt to make it the camp it used to be and should be.

 

2. Burt Adams 2 out of 10

 

Ill mention this next since it is Atlanta Areas other summer camp located near Covington. I have never been here but several troops in my council have. I was talking to a couple of Scoutmasters last week at summer camp that said they would not, under any circumstances, ever go back.

 

They had several horror stories to share about the place. Ill only touch on a couple. The camp running out of food everyday was a problem but not near the biggest. They let 60+ inner city scouts in free of charge and to put it simply, they were acting like inner city kids uncontrollable. How much do you think your boys will get out of merit badge classes in an environment like that?

 

3. Camp Blue Herron 1 out of 10

 

Save yourself the time and anguish and please dont go. I could write a book on how poor this camp is run but Ill leave it at this.

 

4. Skymont 7 out of 10

 

This was an overall well run camp and our boys really enjoyed it. We never got any complaints from the boys but the leaders had one behind the scenes issue.

 

I was the acting Scoutmaster on this trip and the only real problem I had was with the SM meetings every morning. They were counterproductive and basically a gripe session for some other SMs who simply wanted to whine and gripe about something no matter how small. The average SM meeting lasted an hour and 15 min. Im hoping they have cut that back considerably because it was always the worst part of the day. Since all our boys had fun and no complaints, I rate this camp high. Their program was really good and the boys came home with several merit badges.

 

5. Camp Sidney Dew 9 out of 10

 

This camp is located near Rome and is run by North West Georgia Council. We have been going here for 3 years now and it is the best run camp I have found to date. Sidney Dew is cheaper than the others and they limit the camp to 250 campers a week. The boys always have plenty to eat and the program is great. The only issue we have (and we are told they are working on it) is the merit badges offered havent changed in 5 years or so.

This is an issue as most of you know because 2nd, 3rd, and so on campers are limited on what they can take. I rate this camp a little higher than Skymont because issues that arise are dealt with very quickly and the program is better.

 

I could go in to more detail about these camps but this would get lengthy and probably a little boring too. Hope this helps a little.

 

[jg0017]

Central Georgia Council did open Camp Benjamin Hawkins in 2006 for the first time that I know about due to lack of attendan scouts. I do not know the details of the Ben Hawkins matter but in Chehaw Council if we have two or three troups go out of council for summer camp we might not be able to open Camp Osborn.

In small councils that still have open, viable camps it really takes a council wide effort.

 

 

[BrentAllen]

Joebanker,

When was the last time you visited Woodruff? Within the past 5 years? All the Troops here in Dunwoody go to Woodruff just about every year. I can't find anyone who would agree with your assessment. Yes, it is a large camp. We are the 5th or 6th largest Council in the country - do you think we (Council) should build small camps that only a small % of our Scouts can attend?

 

The Scouters who have recently attended Woodruff said they never ran out of food - in fact, there was plenty. The Mountain Man program gets very good reviews, and most are pretty happy with the Merit Badge classes. I find it hard to believe so many Troops would be returning year after year if the situation was as you described.

 

Bert Adams is an old camp. Some of the infrastructure is worn out. The weather is hot and the ticks are plentiful. They offer 2 weeks of Boy Scout Summer Camp and 5 sessions of Webelos Encampment. Camp Jamison has been recently improved as a pioneer camping site (not Summer Camp). The camp has potential; there are a lot of ideas floating around about where money should be spent and what improvements should be made.

If you think the Council executives are only interested in money, you are badly informed.

[Joebanker]

BrentAllen -

 

You must be employed by Atlanta Area Council if you disagree with my assessment. It is well documented that they are crooked and care more about money than youth. The entire administration should be replaced by honest people.

 

As for Woodruff - My entire synopsis is correct.

[BrentAllen]

Joebanker,

Thanks for your succinct answer. No, I am not employed by the AAC, but I do have several very good friends who work there.

 

It is obvious that you have not been to Woodruff in a number of years. It is also obvious that you have a bone to pick with the Council, for reasons unknown.

 

Finally, thank you for taking only 3 posts to make it so easy for us all to determine your reputation and credibility.

[ancientdruid]

Thanks to all for the interesting information you have posted.

 

We are from Baton Rouge, LA, and after a fair amount of research attended Camp Comer last year. The food was bad and plentiful. Some parts of the program could have been more rigorous, but were not bad. The Boys loved the Ocoee WhiteWater Raft trip. The weather was wonderful. Overall, we were happy with our choice.

 

We are looking in the same area for 2007. We have heard good information about Bert Adams and Sidney Dew (both GA) and Skymont (TN). Woodruff, Rainey Mountain, Daniel Boone, Palmetto/Bob Hardin, and Camp Grimes are possibilities based on our research and information in various forums.

 

Our home camp in Louisiana, Avondale, has a good program, especially in aquatics, but there is no White Water Rafting in Louisiana. We'll be back at Avondale in 2008, though.

 

Ancient Druid

Committee Chair