I recently had the opportunity to once again serve as an adult leader at Scout camp (thanks in part to a benefit, Pay-It-Forward, that allows Marketing Essentials team members to take a day off to volunteer for any community service event or outreach of their choice).
As committee chair for Troop 95 in Sidney, OH, I was happy to assist with the two-deep leadership at camp. In addition to the Pay-It-Forward day, I also was able to use flexible scheduling and personal time off to serve in this role for three days and two nights.
Return to Camp Berry
This year’s week-long summer camp was held at Camp Berry in Findlay, OH - managed by the Black Swamp Area Council. This camp has a special place in my heart, as it was where my own son had his first summer camp experiences back in 2012 and 2013. Additionally, aside from the camp of my youth (Woodland Trails, formally managed by the Miami Valley Council, and now part of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources), that was only the second location where I had any summer camp experience.
One of Camp Berry's unique features is a full-sized, open fort that Scouts can hike to and explore. Even though it was very hot and humid during camp, I took advantage of some downtime while the Scouts were at merit badge sessions to walk out and visit the fort. Another nice thing about the camp is the close proximity of the campsites and the main areas — which is great for younger, first-time campers.
Why Scouting and Summer Camp?
Scouting is a worldwide movement that allows youth unparalleled opportunities to explore a vast variety of activities, trades and subject matter that allow them to identify interests (or even determine things they do not enjoy) in areas that they otherwise would not have a chance to explore. Summer camp is a Scouting tradition that allows Scouts to ‘get away’ from all of the distractions of home to work on merit badges, bond with Scouts from other troops, become better leaders and to just have fun!
Oftentimes, young people discover their life and/or career passions from their experiences in Scouts. This is precisely what happened with my then 12-year-old son during his first summer camp experience. He was at Camp Berry in 2012 when a massive storm rolled through the area. I had never even heard of a ‘derecho’ before that day, but that is exactly what the storm was. The straight-line winds of up to 91 MPH passed through toward the end of the week when I was actually driving up to the camp to spend the last couple of nights there. I ended up pulling over into a gas station to wait out the high winds and large debris blowing over the interstate.
The derecho was one of the most severe storms in the country’s history, according to this Wikipedia article. “The June 2012 Mid-Atlantic and Midwest derecho was one of the deadliest and most destructive fast-moving severe thunderstorm complexes in North American history.” Thankfully, there were no injuries at the camp from this historic storm - but there was a lot of damage to structures, vehicles and many trees.
The Scoutmaster at the time, Bill Fuller, has mentioned to me on several occasions that my son Andrew, as he was keeping an eye on the radar in the computer lab at the time, was “the first person to warn myself and the troop of the incoming severe weather, allowing us to make it to the dining hall before the worst of the storm hit”. This one experience sparked a lifelong interest in severe storms and weather in Andrew - who went on to earn the Weather Merit Badge, became an Eagle Scout and just recently earned his Master of Science in Atmospheric and Earth Science from the University of Alabama Huntsville, where he is continuing his studies in their PhD program.
To see post-storm images from camp, watch this slideshow video Andrew created a few years after the event. The June 29th, 2012 Historic Derecho: RAW FOOTAGE
That is just one extreme example of course (I wish I had known what I wanted to do with the rest of my life at age 12!), but there are many similar stories from Scouts and Scouters from throughout the history of Scouting. Some famous Scouts you may have heard of include Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Martin Luther King Jr., Bill Gates, Gerald Ford, Hank Aaron, Steven Spielberg and Michael Jordan, just to name a few.
How To Get Involved
The various programs offered through the Boy Scouts of America (soon to be Scouting America), available for all youth and adult leaders, include:
- Cub Scouts | Grades K-5
- Scouts BSA | Ages 11-17
- Venturing | Ages 14-20
- Sea Scouts | Ages 14-20
- Exploring | Ages 10-20
Learn More and Find a Unit that is Right for You!
"A week of camp life is worth six months of theoretical teaching in the meeting room." – Lord Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide Scout Movement
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