Camp Ransburg and Firecrafters

[bsaggcmom]

My troop is kicking around the idea of going to Camp Ransburg in Indiana next summer. The youth in charge of the research like the class offerings and dining hall idea but haven't really researched other topics. We have no troops near us to ask about this camp so I'm coming to you all.

 

In one of the Micosay threads Ransburg was mentioned as having Firecrafters program. A spin off of Micosay, I believe. My question, does Ransburg push the program and favor Firecrafters members like Bartle does Micosay? The scouts going to this camp will all be younger boys, 5-10 new crossovers and 3-6 second/third years. Our couple of older boys will be attending a high adventure trip instead of regular summer camp. The adults are concerned about the possibility of isolation of our boys if the Firecrafters is highly pushed and favored at camp. We'll have our hands full enough with a bunch of beginners, we don't want to add problems that already occur at camp when you have a bunch of young guys there. At the very least we want to know the what we are in for and be able to prepare the boys before we get there.

 

Also, is the camp walkable for little guys? Is the instruction traditionally good or more on the merit badge mill end of things? Anything we need to know or should add to the modest research that's already been done before we let the boys vote? This camp will be 5-6 hours from home if that adds to your thoughts.

 

The other camp we are considering is Camp Gerber in Michigan, it's 3 hours away from home. It was put on the back burner due 1 episode of foodborne illness last year. Because 1 session had a issue, the SPL and a couple of adults don't want to consider it now. I told them that anywhere can have a bad food day, a camp, a school, a cruise ship and so on. We can't base the choice on it might happen again, because it could happen anywhere. Any thoughts form those that have been to Gerber would be welcome too.

 

Thanks everyone. We appreciate the help.

[qwazse]

No clue about the camp or the program, but a suggestion on how to get more data:

 

Call the camp director and ask for a referral from another troop or two. Maybe one who might attend the week that you're interested in and one who doesn't participate in the program or visited from out of council.

 

The ideal would be if you could get your PLC and their PLC on speaker phone.

[Gossmaaf]

It's not a spinoff, Mic-o-say is younger than Firecrafter or Order of the Arrow. 

 

Order of the Arrow was founded in 1913, adopted for testing as the single official program in 1922, and became the single Nationally Recognized Honor Society in Scouting in 1933.  By 1953 there were over 500 lodges in the US.  The last one was formed in 2020 at Pony Express Council, where Micosay was Founded.

Firecrafter started in 1920, but started it's rank structure in 1919.  

Micosay started in 1925, and came to what is now Heart of America Council in 1929.  History-wise, OA was one of the oldest local Honor Societies.  I'm less familiar with Tahquiz Community but it started in 1925 the same year as MOS, just in Long Beach Council.

There are only 4 non-national Honor Societies still (Mic-o-say, Tahquitz Community, Firecrafter, and Wolfeboro Pioneers).  I'm a Vigil Honoree in Order of the Arrow, have gone through the Firecrater Program, and now live in Heart of America Council so I have some direct knowledge on those, but I know almost nothing about Wolfeboro Pioneers and Tahquitz Community.  

[mrjohns2]

8 hours ago, Gossmaaf said:

Order of the Arrow was founded in 1913

1915