Tesomas, Gartner Dam, Freeland Leslie

[WisconsinMomma]

Hey guys, has anyone been to Tesomas Scout camp?   I don't think they have patrol cooking, but they seem like they are highly rated and I've heard they have scouts from all over come.  I'm also interested in hearing more about Camp Freeland Leslie.  Our troop has been to Gartner Dam for the past 3 years and the boys might get a choice of camps in the future.   Thanks!

[ItsBrian]

Woah woah- they don’t get to choose yearly if they don’t want to go back to the same one or find another one??

[walk in the woods]

My unit never attended CFL summer camp but it is my council camp so I can offer a few thoughts.  It is a patrol cooking camp so you'll be cooking your own meals.  There used to be at least one camp-wide meal but I'm not sure if that's still the case.  There is no pool if that matters to your scouts.  All aquatics are at the camp lake.  That said, the lake is enclosed by the camp so there aren't any noisy neighbors to worry about.  Swimming with the ice bergs and inflatables is there along with canoeing, kayaking, rowing, and small boat sailing.  The shooting sports venues have recently been redone.  There is a relatively new shower house that is the single-user stall model.  I believe the older shower house may be gang showers.  There are some programs for older scouts that include ATVs, COPE,  and some off-camp activities.  There is also a blacksmith forge but check to see if it's still in use.  I believe most units use their own equipment (i.e. no platform tents or cots available from the camp).  There used to be a fair number of non-merit badge patrol activities as well.  Again, check the program guide.

[Cubmaster Pete]

Tesomas is a nice camp, but very large. They have a lot to offer. Its a dining hall camp, but offers some cooking in campsite.

Can you answer why the boys don't get to choose where they go?

I would suggest R.S. Lyle Scout Reservation in Elcho WI (where i spent my summer camp experiences), but it closed a few years ago.