Camps.....What sort of Facilities????

[Basementdweller]

Well our council camps shut everything down after summer resident camp.

 

 

You can use the rifle range, but it is $400 plus ammo. shotgun is the same deal. No boats, they are stored off site somewhere. You can rent individual buildings at a cost of nearly $500 a day. Climbing tower or cope course super expensive, beyond the reach of a single unit.

 

 

The rapelling tower never opened last summer during resident camp. the climbing guys got hired away at the last minute to another camp on the east coast.

[Eagle92]

GREAT SCOTTTT!!!!!!!

 

Our info can be found here

http://eccbsa.org/Camping/Property%20Rental

 

We charge $4/scout per weekend; $6/Scout with showers.

 

Most expensive thing is also the largest: Dinning Hall (dining area only) at $125/group. Everything is pretty reasonable IMHO.

 

EDITED: Ok in full disclosure, some facilities are not available at this time due to damage from Hurricane Irene. We are still cleaning up and repairing things.(This message has been edited by eagle92)

[KC9DDI]

BD - Which council and camp is that??

 

In my council, tent camping is $0.50 per person per night, which for a normal sized unit works out to roughly what you'd pay at a state park or forest preserve. Improved facilities do run a bit more expensive, obviously. I think heated cabins can be had for $50-$100 per weekend, depending on size and facilities. The most expensive facility runs at $200/weekend, and that's a combination dining hall/full kitchen/bunk area/etc.

[trainerlady]

In my home council we have 4 camps. 2 are within a 60-90 minute drive of just about everyone in the council. The other 2 are BS summer camps with minimal winter suitable facilities. They are 3-4 hours from home. One local camp has a couple of cabins, BB and archery ranges that aren't staffed (BYORO)to use them and some playing fields. This camp has a few tent sites with latrines. Not much there, on a small piece of property in the middle of a lakefront sub-division. This camp hasn't had any active summer programs since we merged with another council a few years ago.

 

At the main camp, campers can rent the rifle/shotgun/BB/archery ranges in 2 hour increments. The ranges come with a certified range officer. Horseback trail rides or CS corale rides are available and the climbing tower is available for rental with instructors with prior arrangements. This camp has what the council says is the "laregest indoor camping program in the countrty". It has about 30 cabins with electricity and heat. Sizes range from 12 beds to 60 beds. Some have running water, toilets and showers. All have a latrine and a frost free well outside.

 

My council charges anywhere from $50 for a campsite with a laterine and frost free well and no other improvements to $720 for a sleeps 60, heat/water/showers/toilets/full kitchen cabin. All campsites are a flat $50 per weekend. So depending on the size of the group the cost varies. Cabins run between $11-$16 per bed (depending on level of improvement), but you must pay for all the beds in the cabin not just the ones you fill. There are 2 comfort stations in the camp available to all campers on weekends.

 

You can rent the dining hall and other buildings for a fee, but they are ususally only used for district/coucnil events in the off seasons.

 

 

[Tampa Turtle]

Our camp $5 a day per scout not including food or nothing. $200 minimum or $3 per scout rappelling tower for 2 hours.

[KC9DDI]

"laregest indoor camping program in the countrty"

 

Throw in a "leadership development expert" and watch Kudu's head explode :-)

[Basementdweller]

wow,

 

$3 for per scout for rapelling........I went to our council site and the Rapelling tower is not listed as a rental option any more......

 

 

Yep sounds like your camps are much cheaper than ours.

[RememberSchiff]

Look for those camp fees to go UP if not this year then 2013 when FUD takes hold "all BSA camping programs must be sustainable in order to meet the requirements for accreditation. Sustainability is defined in the camp standards as meeting one of the following criteria in 4 of the last 5 years:

 

1. The camping program adds net revenues to the council, and the council is funding

depreciation (Standard for Gold Accreditation).

2. The camping program adds net revenues to the council, and the council is not funding

depreciation (Standard for Silver Accreditation).

3. The camping program receives a limited subsidy from the gross revenues of the council, is

not forecast to increase, and the council budget is in surplus and forecast to remain in

surplus for the next five years;

or

The camping program receives a greater subsidy from the gross revenues of the council,

the amount of the subsidy is stable or trending downward, the council does not exhibit an

unusually low ratio of unit serving executives to total available youth, and the council

budget is in surplus and forecast to remain in surplus for the next five years. (Minimum

standard for accreditation)."

 

Ran across "sustainability" mentioned in this news story about an Iowan scout camp

http://www.kwwl.com/story/16681225/boy-scouts-face-financial-challenges

and then the requirements at the Winnebago Council website.

http://www.winnebagobsa.org/nvtf/

http://www.winnebagobsa.org/announcements/CampingProgramsNewVisionTaskForceAppointed.pdf

 

IMO, much ado (taskforces, 10year, 20 year visions, sustainability!) when what we are talking about is keeping the camps and councils in the black and hopefully, providing an adventurous outdoor program which scouts and their families can afford. Might want to look at membership, which for this council in 1971 was 12,000 scouts and is now 3,800. Also wonder if the four National high-adventure camps will meet the above sustainability requirement.

 

My $0.01 for rambling

(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

[trainerlady]

Schiff,

 

FUD, please define, it is an acronym I don't recognize. Sorry for not being in the know.

[RememberSchiff]

FUD = fear, uncertainty, and doubt.

 

Fear of loosing camp accreditation, uncertainty of camp attendance fee levels or council funding, and then doubt anything can be done except to raise camp fees or ...sell camp.

(This message has been edited by RememberSchiff)

[trainerlady]

Thanks Schiff.

[boomerscout]

How does someone "fund depreciation"? That's a new one for me.

If a camp is not open 52 weeks a year, but the professionals, such as the rangers & property manager are paid year around, it's a wonder any camp is in the black.

Has any camp tried a Winter Sports Week? Between Christmas and New Years offer cross-country skiing, ice-skating, ice-fishing, instruction in skating & hockey, etc.?

Any camp near snow-mo trails? Get the trails extended into camp, and put up a winter lodge & grill.

Admittedly, most of the old cabins are energy hogs. Newer ones need to be both solar tempered and solar sited.

Does the old AYH hiking organization still exist? If so, are the Scout camps listed as hostels in their directory.

Selling the summer camp experience needs to start in February. Offer worthwhile discounts for early signups. This will enable council to better predict summer needs. Could even start during Christmas "for a great Christmas present to your son, give him the gift of a thousand memories at the upcoming summer camp"