camp usage

[jcousino]

How many weeks and how full were your camps this summer? Did they make a profit or not?

[Tron]

Unknown at this time. Most camps in my neck of the woods will continue to run traditional resident camp until the last week of July or first week of August. I can say that the camp my troop went to this year was at capacity the week we were there. Reports were that they are running an extra week this year and that so far the camp has been at and is scheduled at capacity. 

[PACAN]

My friend's camp runs 3 weeks of Scouts BSA at less than 50%.  Don't know the $$ side.

[Double Eagle]

The local neighboring council as 5 weeks of resident camp and expect 906 youth this year.  60% of those troops attending are out of council.  A different neighboring council merged, sold their camp, and their normally attending troops went elsewhere.  The mergers and selling of property is not a success story for SA.  

On a side note, I attended the national unit commissioner fast start webinar and a discussion was on growth.  WOSM had a 14% gain the past 4yrs, while SA has been losing about 7%.  From 2025-2025 SA lost about 150,000 youth.  Just something to think about whether our programs are relevant or valuable to youth. 

 

[Eagle94-A1]

1 hour ago, Double Eagle said:

 The mergers and selling of property is not a success story for SA.  

Folks invest blood, sweat, tears, time, and treasure in their camps. So when one is sold, it feels like a betrayal, and you no longer trust the organization.

[Jameson76]

Not sure of current statistics, but, there was a an analysis done on Scout camp usage by Scouting couple of years ago.  No I do not have the study or the data, only had a conversation with some camping folks.

Basically: A camps weekly capacity multiplied weeks open and then that capacity divided into actual usage

• For example 350 participants capacitgy x 5 weeks = 1,750 capacity and dividing that into actual, for example 1,250, you yield 71.4%

The result was maybe 36% usage or so, all Scouting properties (local / regional / national).  And some of those are likely closed now.  There was one we went to in Tennessee that was 5 weeks and now is 3.  Was not sure how they staffed and made it work with 5, still wonder about 3 weeks and profit and effort for that.