Camps with Swimming Pools

[gwd-scouter]

I've read several posts in this forum about summer camps with swimming pools, dining halls, cabins and the other side that have lakes, patrol outdoor cooking, tents.

 

Our Council Camp (Camp Old Indian) has 3 lakes - one for swimming, one for canoeing, and one for fishing; uses Adirondacks - 3 sides wood structures with bunks built into the walls, sometimes wall tents are put up if units need more sleeping space; a central dining hall. Also has a few very rustic (usually cold water) shower facilities and many very very rustic latrines located throughout the mountainside campsites.

 

Just curious what your camps are like and especially those that have a swimming pool?

[funscout]

Our council's boy scout camp has two small lakes which are used for boating and fishing, and two pools for swimming.

 

Our district's day camp has moved around recently. For many years, it was located just 10 minutes from my home, and it was within walking distance (through a path in the woods) to the Country Club. We were only able to swim in the mornings, since members would be swimming in the afternoons. Last year, the camp got moved farther away, due to a merger of districts. It took me 45 minutes to get there. We had use of a pool on site at all times of the day, so the boys got to swim every day. This year, day camp will be about 30 minutes from my home, and there is no pool at the park. The boys might be bussed to a nearby recreation center, but will probably only get one day of swimming.

[funscout]

I forgot to tell more than just pool/lake information about the boy scout camp in our council. The campsites have canvas tents on platforms, with cots provided. There is a central dining hall and the pools have showers with hot water. Each campsite has rustic latrines, but if a boy (or adult!) is too squeamish about using them, he can go to the dining hall to use flush toilets. Our troop usually attends the last week of camp, and the latrines are none too pleasant by then!

[anarchist]

gwd-scouter,

 

fire up your computer and surf the net...check out all the BSA camps withing driving distance of your unit...no rule says you have to go to your council camp. Fact is we have found that we are treated better (much better) when we go outside of council. We decided years ago that "camping around" kept the boys from getting bored...While we have some favorites we research and provide the boys with many options for their consideration(including Sea Base and Philmont).

 

Interesting observation about pool vs lake...year in year out the percentage of scouts passing swim tests, life saving and life guard is always higher at the pool camps vs the lake camps...

 

Just guessing here, but seems to be something to do with being able to see the bottom and/or the lack of "unseen" monsters...that give the boys a better chance of succeeding (less fear?)

 

Most of the camps we frequent have large pools and lakes or river fronts. Dining halls, nice (hot/cold)showers and pit latrines (outhouses). A few offer the otion of cooking your own meals...all have wall tents on raised wood platforms. (we don't do cabins for summer camp)

 

for the last four (maybe five) years we have chartered a bus...which the scouts and parents love. Generally we travel up to four to six hours (one way) to regular summer camp. On the bus trip home the scouts are given surveys to complete (by the SPL) These surveys "grade" the camp experience and also give a sense of what activities the scouts want the PLC to plan for the next scout year.

 

Try to get your SPL/ASPL to do some "net research" about different council camp offerings...its good practice for trek planning anyway.

 

good scouting

Anarchist

[eagle90]

Boy, I'm feeling old fashioned - Our camp has a lake for all aquatic activities, we cook all of our meals in patrol sites, and have pit latrines and NO flush toilets. One rustic shower facility is available for the whole camp. No pools, no mess hall, no flush toilets, nos howers in the campsites. I LOVE IT!!

 

Dale

[John-in-KC]

Eagle90 described Camp Whitsett "back in the day"...

 

www.whitsett.org

 

(back in the day was 1968 or so)...

 

and "back in the day" only does not apply to food service anymore.

 

Where I am now, swimming is from a pool, small craft are at the lakefront.

 

 

[John-in-KC]

Duplicate post...(This message has been edited by John-in-KC)

[OldGreyEagle]

Our Council maintains two camps and neither have swimming pools, so far...

 

However, with all the development going on close to the camps, the lakes associated with the camps has had an ever rising E. Coli count as the number of septic systems increase. There are plans to build pools at both camps. Last year, the last week of camp saw the waterfront shutdown because of a high E. Coli count. Cant see having camp without a place to swim, even if it is a pool...

[Trevorum]

Our council has a lake, but it's smallish and gets rather tepid during summer. We use it for boating and swim in the pool. On the other hand, we have 5,000 acres of undeveloped land for hiking and LNT camping.

 

One of my favorite summer camps was at Spanish Peaks in Colorado. In addition to the eye-popping beauty of the place, we experienced patrol cooking for an entire week instead of a dining hall.

[SR540Beaver]

Trev,

 

I've checked out Spanish Peaks website in the past and it does look enticing. The summer camps I've attended all had dining halls and no patrol cooking. I have a question. From my experience at summer camp, the boys are kept busy enough that having to cook and clean three meals a day would seem to be time consuming and burdensome. What am I missing? Plus, they cook on the other 11 campouts during the year. While they do have to work at summer camp, it should be fun for them.

[Trevorum]

Beav,

It's true that meal prep and KP take more time than hiking to a dining hall. I don't see that as a downside at all. It is time well spent, building patrol spirit and developing teamwork (not to mention the cooking skills). Our guys did this and also had full daily schedules of shooting, hiking, naturecraft, etc. As I recall, our Scouts earned an average of about 3 to 3.5 merit badges each, plus a partial or two.

 

I am very keen on this idea because all the other campouts of the year get only one day of cooking each. After the second or third day, the duty roster idea really kicks in with the guys, and cooking and KP become amazingly efficient. I saw the lessons from our week at Spanish Peaks carry over throughout the next several years. (hmmm ... I guess it's time we go back!)

[DugNevius]

I totally agree Trev. Patrol cooking builds teamwork, teaches responsability and leadership and adds valueble experince, all which a dinning hall can not offer close to the same level. Patrol cooking always and forever!

[ASM59]

Good Day,

 

Here is the breakdown of how our local Council Camp is set-up:

 

Campsites:

Campsites without tents, cabins, or adirondacks; Troops generally supply their own tents. I believe Council will provide wall tents if you are short on tents. Each campsite has two latrines (out houses) and a basin for washing hands with running water (each basin also has a lower spicket for refilling drinking water or making more "bug juice").

 

Aquatics:

We have one lake for aquatic activities; swimming, canoeing, kayaking, motor boating, polar bear swim, mile swim, etc.

 

Meals:

Meals are served cafeteria style in the main dining hall. Per National guidelines three meals are to be prepared in the campsite, so we have breakfast prepared in the campsite on Tuesday, Lunch on Thursday, and Dinner on Friday.

 

Showers:

One shower building in the center of camp. The building is spit into 4 sections; Adult male Campers, Youth male campers, Adult male staff, Adult female staff (also shared by Adult female campers). The Adult male and Youth male camper showers are communal showers with 12 shower heads and one big room. This leads to some anxiety from new scouts, until they realize that most, if not all, boys wear their swim-suits into the shower.

 

ASM59