Camp use in offseason

[shortridge]

 

How much - if at all - does your unit use your council camp during the offseason?

 

My troops were generally only there for special events such as Klondike or district camporees. I spent a lot more time there than most because of the OA and camp staff events. We were lucky to have quite a few state parks around, and did most of our regular camping there, for variety.

[Tampa Turtle]

Well we can camp almost all year so I don't think there is much of an off-season. Just a "cold as heck for Florida" season and a "why are we camping in the mountains instead of Florida in July" season.

[shortridge]

Sorry, I should have been more clear. By "offseason" I meant fall-spring, when the camp is not being used for summer camp programs.

[mikecummings157]

1 or 2 times per year, typically in the colder weather so we can get a cabin. We only have one camp property open year round and there are plenty of other places to go in Central NY.

[Eagle92]

The main council camp and HA base are used extensively year round. Sometimes multiple, conflicting events are scheduled for the same weekend in the same areas, i.e. OA Ordeal going on while units are using the wildeness area, or NYLT going on and a unit is added to the schedule to use the same building, or WB staff weekend, Winter camp, and Summer camp staff interviews all in the same weekend, and schedule to use the same facilities. Hopefully that problem is resolved as the scheduler is now in another council.

 

As for the other 4 camps, I know 1, the one in my district, is used extensively. In fact it is #2 in usage, surpassing the HA base. I want to say one of the remaining 3 is in the same boat as mine.

 

As for the last 2, I do not know.

[KC9DDI]

My council has three camps:

 

1) The full-service summer camp. The property is located well outside the council boundaries, probably a three or four hour drive for most people. So it's generally not heavily used by our council's units during the Spring and Fall. (It may be used by Scout groups in other councils closer to it geographically, I'm not sure.) However, it's located a short drive from several skiing and snowboarding facilities, so it's heavily used again in the winter time as a base for troops looking to hit the slopes.

 

2) Smaller 60-acre camp located in a suburban/semi-rural within the council boundaries, not more than 45-60 minutes drive from the furthest point in the council. The facility has a couple of buildings with kitchen facilities and indoor plumbing, as well as other shelters, BB gun and archery ranges. Due to it's location and facilities, it's used heavily for district and council events like camporees, training, Cub day camps, etc. Also used extensively for unit camping. It's pretty much booked solid year round 12-18 months in advance.

 

3) Larger 500-acre property located in a very rural area outside the council boundaries, probably a 1-2 hour drive for most. Facilities are fairly primitive - a large 3-walled barn used for shelter and equipment storage, 2 heated cabins with no indoor plumbing, a few pavilion shelters, a few pit toilets, and only recently a shower house with flush toilets. It's size makes it ideal for large camporees, trainings like NYLT and Wood Badge, and some Cub Day Camps. Also heavily used by units for weekend camping year-round. It's size is great for units who like to spread their patrols out, also plenty of opportunity for low impact camping, backpacking, etc. There's at least one unit on the property pretty much every weekend year round, but the shear size of the camp means it can accommodate many more.

 

I'm not sure how we compare to other councils, but it seems like our properties are pretty heavily used year round. I'm sure that a few more units could be squeezed in here or there, but overall it seems like we do OK. Also, after a span of a few years where camp maintenance and improvements were neglected, it seems like we're turning a corner with more funds being devoted to these areas. So we're starting to see some nice repairs made to existing facilities, and work is beginning on building some new facilities.

[qwazse]

We have several camps to choose from, and troop and crew combined pick them as locations 2 or 3 times throughout the year.

[IM_Kathy]

my son's troop will usually use a cabin during the winter at summer campground. normally do this shortly after cross-over before the new scouts have had winter survival training which the troop requires before winter tenting.

 

they also use one of the non summercamp campgrounds about once a year.

[frank10]

If you expand this to camps, we use council property about 5 or 6 times a year. (and about the same for non council campouts.)

[T2Eagle]

Our council has two camps, one 90 years old that is now right in town and the other is the council summer camp about an hour away.

 

We do a joint program with our Pack every year at the in-town camp, the past couple years we have done our Annual Program Planning in December at a cabin there also.

Our district does two winter weekends, one coincides with our planning weekend, the other we sometimes do and sometimes do not attend.

 

We usually use the summer camp at least once,occassionally twice a year, part of the deal with summer camp is you get one weekend tent camp free that year. I'd like to see us and the district use the summer camp a little more often, it's a nice property and has as much to offer as most of the state parks within the same travel distance. Plus it is easier to let the scouts whoop and holler and generally behave like scouts in a scout camp than in a crowded state park.

 

We were there in September during one of the most beautiful weekends of the year and there was only one other troop in the whole camp.

[astrospartian]

Usually once or twice a year, and that if it's a fall camporee or if we're doing our annual service project for the camp(we do it each year at summer camp or during normal troop camping).

 

Here's the thing with Geronimo or any other council camp. You like for a 1 or 2 weeks and then wish you don't have to come back because of boredom.