rjscout Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 Some of our scouts decided to get a variety for summer camp and want to check out a few other camps. Have any of you been to Chief Logan ot Woodlan Trails in the last year or two? Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kari_cardi Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 I can give some feedback about Chief Logan, my husband (SM) and boys did a week just last month there. Pluses: The merit badge program is flexible in that the scouts can chose what to work on and when. The requirements are cycled through, so if a scout started a badge on Tuesday, he could pick up the material worked through on Monday on Thursday, as an example. The camp uses blue cards to track merit badge work, but only the completed cards were returned to the troop. There are plenty of non-merit badge activities available, and the older scouts enjoyed the Frontiersman program. Plenty of food, no one got sick. The nurse worked well with scouts who needed meds. The staff was very supportive in handling a scout who wigged out during camp, twice. Minuses: Definitely falls on the side of a merit badge mill. The food prep was not always appealing, like toaster waffles that were microwaved and served in plastic bags that were printed with instructions on how to toast them in a toaster. The much-touted Archeology program was not available this summer nor the first summer my son attended there, but this info wasn't available until after arriving at camp. Supplies for other MBs were not available as well. The swimming area is small at the lake. The schedule handed out each day did not include every available activity, so some things were missed by scouts who had hoped to attend them like night hikes. And I don't know if this is a plus or a minus, but the camp has very poor cell reception but does have good wi-fi. All three attendees said they would go back without hesitation. My eldest son, who has attended the most camps (our troop rotates through several, chosing a different one each year) said he likes Ransburg in Indiana best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basementdweller Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 I vote for Woodland Trails.....Much better facilities than Chief Logan, I have been to both.... Let me see.....Things that are better at woodland, Flag quad is really cool Showers are better They have a pool Program Director is much better Food, quality and portions are better Scheduled merit badge times, not an open program, They have horses Better Lake They have Cell coverage is that matters. Camp staff sets up camp site, Nothing worse than trying to piece together tents from a big pile of tents. Woodland trails only negative is they do not supply cots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjscout Posted July 15, 2012 Author Share Posted July 15, 2012 Great thoughts! We had discussed Ransburg for a future camp. We'll discuss these thoughts with PLC and see what they would like to do. Any words on other camps in Ohio, Kentucky, or Indiana? We had been rotating between Camp Friedlander and Camp Frontier. The boys like each of these, but wanted more variety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basementdweller Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Did any of your scouts partake in the ATV program at Frontier????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kari_cardi Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 That's interesting, Basementdweller. Our troop did not like Wood Trails and won't go back, though I don't know why. Maybe there has been a change in staff or program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjscout Posted July 15, 2012 Author Share Posted July 15, 2012 We did have some of our older scouts participating in the ATV adventure at Camp Frontier. They LOVED it (who wouldn't?)! They were overbooked, so they added another evening session for a few of the scouts (longer sessions gave them a bit more time to ride). The same scouts were signed up for mountain biking and enjoyed that, as well. I didn't like that the scouts could only sign up for lake time once a week as a troop, assuming the troop spots didn't fill up. Last year at Camp Friedlander, they were able to do the blob every evening, if so desired. The food was good and plentiful. The dining hall is small, so you get your food there and go outside to a HUGE dining fly with picnic tables. It wasn't so bad, even in the 100deg weather on Thursday. I actually liked that more than the nice dining hall at Camp Friedlander (we are camping, after all). The staff was great. Our staff rep stopped by our campsite at least once a day through the whole week. Very friendly. Most staff members were most helpful. I was not impressed with the IOLS training. I had that training a few years ago, but stopped by some sessions to get new viewpoints and ideas. It was mostly 'what do you want to talk about'. Great for trained/experiences leaders, but the new leaders probably should have heard more on the syllabus topics. The CPR training was GREAT, as was the High and Low COPE courses for leaders. Three great COPE staff members. The boys had fun and some wanted to go back again this summer and next summer, but we are trying to try different camps. Camp Friedlander was my first summer camp as a Troop Leader last year. Some of the Merit Badge courses seems a little too easy to get through, but the boys enjoyed the overall camp. Their chaplain was AWESOME with some homesick scouts. I would recommend Camp Friedlander to anyone who is looking for alternate summer camps. Sounds like there are a lot of good summer camps, with various opinions depending on what happened to them that week. I hope to get enough good information to share with the PLC to allow us to reserve a good campsite at a good camp for next summer. Thanks to you both, and to all others who wish to join this discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prof Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 My troop went to Ransburg last year! (I staffed there as a scout many moons ago) It is a great camp! I love the camp honor program (Firecrafter). I have a small, young troop. They were at the farthest campsite from the main camp. I think that took a toll on them and I don't think they liked Ransburg for that reason. Physically exhausted and dealing with homesickness. If they were doing waterfront activities, they would have been happy as their campsite was close to the waterfront. This year, they are going to Maumee (Hoosier Trails Council) which is just a few miles from Ransburg. It is a smaller camp. They are in a central campsite. I am hoping this year will be better for them! Anyone else out there been to Maumee? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjscout Posted April 18, 2013 Author Share Posted April 18, 2013 Basement, with the rave reviews you gave for WTSR, where is your troop headed this summer? We are attending Woodland Trails during session 1. RJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sentinel947 Posted April 18, 2013 Share Posted April 18, 2013 Ohio Scouters, have you ever considered attending Camp Friedlander in the Dan Beard Council? If you've been, what are you thoughts on it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjscout Posted April 19, 2013 Author Share Posted April 19, 2013 I love Camp Friedlander, and our scouts enjoyed their Summer Camp two years ago. We were alternating between Camp Friedlander and Camp Frontier at Pioneer. Last summer, the scouts voted to add more variety, so they chose Woodland Trails (between Dayton and Oxford, OH). The big issue is that the Troop is made up mostly of scouts from the Packs closest to Camp Friedlander, so they have been the the campground numerous times before they even become a Boy Scouts. Sometime Adventure is dampened by familiarity. But we do plan to attend Camp Friedlander next summer. I was on the campgrounds last night and will be back for the weekend. The facilities are good and the staff is great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sentinel947 Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 I love Camp Friedlander, and our scouts enjoyed their Summer Camp two years ago. We were alternating between Camp Friedlander and Camp Frontier at Pioneer. Last summer, the scouts voted to add more variety, so they chose Woodland Trails (between Dayton and Oxford, OH). The big issue is that the Troop is made up mostly of scouts from the Packs closest to Camp Friedlander, so they have been the the campground numerous times before they even become a Boy Scouts. Sometime Adventure is dampened by familiarity. But we do plan to attend Camp Friedlander next summer. I was on the campgrounds last night and will be back for the weekend. The facilities are good and the staff is great. Yea, My unit is up in Butler County. This year we decided to take a break from Camp Friedlander, but we'd been there for about 6 years in a row. Wonderful place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjscout Posted April 23, 2013 Author Share Posted April 23, 2013 Sentinel, What camp did your troop decide to attend this year? RJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basementdweller Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 We are off to Muskingham Valley Scout Reservation this year The PLC is going to visit Friedlander this summer and we may run a split summer camp....I really don't want to take two weeks of vacation to get the troop to summer camp. Does Friedlander do a first year program????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sentinel947 Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 Sentinel, What camp did your troop decide to attend this year? RJ Camp McKee in Kentucky and Blue Ridge Scout Reservation in Virginia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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