Massawepie Scout Camp

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Massawepie Scout Camp is a Boy Scout reservation, owned by Otetiana Council, the Boy Scout Council for Rochester and Monroe County, New York situated around scenic Massawepie Lake in St. Lawrence County of New York. Otetiana Council purchased the Massawepie property in 1951, and opened the first summer camp in 1952. The area is divided into 4 camps - Mountaineer, Pioneer, Forester, and Voyager - although only Pioneer is currently in use. The size of the entire reservation, as of 2006, is approximately 5000 acres (2000 hectares). The reservation includes all of Massawepie Lake, and nine other freshwater ponds (Catamount, Long, Round, Horseshoe, Boot Tree, Deer, Town Line, Pine and Lost). The camp is one of the largest Boy Scout reservations in the Northeastern United States, and attracts visiting Boy Scout troops from throughout the region.

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[edit] History

In 1890, the Childwold Park House, commonly known as the Childwold Hotel, opened on the shore of Massawepie Lake, just west of the main flagpole of Camp Pioneer. In the days before air conditioning, upperclass residents of New York City would migrate to the Adirondacks to escape the summer heat. Visitors to Childwold Park would take the New York Central Railroad north from Utica and get off at Childwold Station. From there they would take a 7 mile trip along Carriage Road to the hotel. The hotel closed in 1909. After being used by the Sykes family and Emporium Lumber, the land fell into disuse, at which time (1950-1951), the Otetiana Council purchased the land and constructed many new buildings to open Camp Pioneer in the summer of 1952. Today the camp offers seven weeks of summer camp. The property is divided into four separate camps: Pioneer (open 1952-1970, 1977, 2000-present), Forester (open 1969-1994), Voyager (open 1956-76), and Mountaineer (open 1953-99). They are currently on rotation. Forester was retired after the 1994 season, Mountaineer is used by St. Lawrence County, and Pioneer has expanded into most of Voyager, its main use now. A fifth camp of sorts exists across the lake, used by St. Lawrence University students.

[edit] Establishments

Camp Pioneer can be divided into nine merit badge areas, along with three other program areas. ECON is a lodge used for environment -related merit badges, such as Astronomy, Mammal Study, and Fish and Wildlife Management. Waterfront is the beach area on the lake, where aquatic badges take place, including, but not limited to, Sailing and Swimming. The Sports area features soccer, football and baseball fields and a lodge which serves as the base of the camp's mountain biking program. Scoutcraft offers outdoor merit badges such as Camping, Orienteering, and First Aid. The Handicraft pavilion is the home of badges such as Leatherworking and Space Exploration that require creating projects, along with Indian Lore. The remaining areas, at the outer edges of the camp, are rather self-explanatory, teaching their namesake merit badges: (Rock) Climbing is taught at the 40-foot climbing wall, the archery range teaches Archery, the shotgun range teaches (trap) Shotgun Shooting, and Rifle Shooting merit badge is taught at the newly opened Meyering Rifle Range.

In addition to these merit badge areas, Massawepie features programs specifically intended for younger and older Scouts. The Trailblazers area provides a program for first-year Scouts, teaching the basics of Scouting's first three ranks in an entertaining, fun-filled environment. Located near the climbing wall, the COPE course challenges older Scouts (age 14 and up for most elements) to a physically and mentally demanding maze of high ropes and low obstacles which they must work individually and in teams to overcome. The Trek Lodge is the base of the Adirondack Voyageur program, which offers troops a range of 3-to-5-day treks through Adirondack Park, involving backpacking and canoeing. The similar Mountain Fox program is available for older individual Scouts as well as troops; its main distinction from Voyageur treks is that participants spend most nights with the rest of their troops at camp.

Depending on which option a troop selects, food in camp can be provided either at the camp's Dining Hall (halls, with the additional space in the pavilions outside), or for troops that would like to cook their own food, through the Patrol Cooking program, where the camp provides all necessary equipment and ingredients, but the Scouts do the cooking. For snacks, drinks and Slushies, there's always Big Jake's, the camp's snack shop located behind the Trading Post.

Near the Dining Hall there is a natural Amphitheater known as the "Campfire Circle," though it really isn't much of a circle, where the staff performs the opening campfire (YAY!!!) on Monday nights, and the Scouts perform at the closing campfire (YAY!!!) on Friday nights. Next to Scoutcraft there is the Parade Field where flag ceremonies are held; at these ceremonies, besides raising and lowering of flags, the staff also gives messages to the camp regarding open programs and certain bi-weekly events at the place mentioned in the previous sentence, whose name it is an art to circumvent. Gannett Lodge (formerly Voyager Dining Hall) is used for winter leader training and occasional other off-season events, along with having hosted Archaeology merit badge and Star Village. There is also a trading post, for snacks, souvenirs, or merit badge necessities. Near the entrance of camp are the Central Office (CQ) and Health Lodge, both important places for camp business and leaders, besides providing pay phones, postal service and medical assistance to Scouts. And finally, since a Scout is clean, there are three showerhouses located around camp.

[edit] Pioneer Campsites

Pioneer is an isthmus, with Massawepie Lake and Catamount pond to the west and east, respectively. Inside is camp Pioneer. Camp Pioneer currently has seventeen campsites not including those for staff. From the south up, there are the followig sites: Horseshoe, Cranberry (A and B), Schroon, Star, Tupper, Newcomb, Indian, Blue Mt., Long, Racquette, Saranac, St. Regis, George, Placid, Forked, Lila, Lows and Fulton. All of the sites are named after lakes within Adirondack Park. The much-maligned former site Big Moose (2000-2006) was retired, and is now used by the BarkEater program.

[edit] Outpost Camping

Troops that would like to have a trail experience during their week at camp but not a full Voyageur trek can go to an outpost for an overnight hike or canoe trip. There are about 20 of these outposts on camp property; some of the better-known ones include Vingo, Four Points, Powderhorn, and Paul Bunyan. Eagle Island, a small island in Massawepie Lake, can only be reached by canoe. Mt. Arab, another popular destination for outpost troops, is about 8 miles from camp, a slightly longer hike for a worthwhile mountain experience.

[edit] Activities

During the week long duration of camp, Massawepie offers activities outside of normal Merit Badges, primarily at an afternoon time of 3.30 (4.00 at Scoutcraft and ECON) to 5.00 PM, and an evening time of 7.00-8.30 PM. These activities, which are usually open to all scouts and sometimes leaders, include:

  • Iron Chef (Scoutcraft): Teams of Scouts and leaders compete to create the best Dutch Oven dessert, using the required secret ingredient (frequently cinnamon), to impress five judges selected from the staff. Points are awarded for taste and appearance, as well as cooking technique and willingness to help with clean-up. The winning team is inducted into the Order of the Monkey's Fist.
  • Pyro Night!! (Scoutcraft): A fire-building competition. Actions rewarded with points include: first to light fire, one (or no) matches, first burn through a rope approximately three feet above fire pit. Winning troop is inducted into the Order of the Monkey's Fist
  • Sandcastle Building Contest (Waterfront): troops build the best sand castle possible in the specified amount of time, the troop with the most points wins. Actions rewarded with points include: Highest castle, Most intricate detail, etc. The winning team receives the Golden Shovel or the Jolly Bottle o'Sand, depending on the week.
  • Toad Race (ECON): Scouts collect toads through the week until the Thursday afternoon event, in which toads begin in the Toad Corral and race to be the first out of the circle. Yelling at the toads is only debatably effective, and stomping on the ground, while it makes toads move, is grounds for disqualification, so beware. The winning Scout gets the Frog on a Log Award, but can anyone beat Mr. Chirpums this week?
  • Capture the Flag Tournament (Held at Sports by Handicraft): troops compete in a tournament of capture the flag, eventually the winning troop challenges the staff in the final game.
  • Euchre Tournament - (Handicraft) two man teams compete in a no kitty switch, no farmer's hand, no blind loners tournament. Single elimination and a cut must be offered. Prize is a deck of cards, and more importantly, bragging rights.
  • Open Zip Line - (COPE Course): Scouts and Scouters 14 years of age and older "zip" from a 40 foot tower, through the woods and across a field.
  • Speed Climbing Competition (Climbing): An event where scouts race each other to the top of the tower on identical climbing routes. The current record is just over 4 seconds!
  • Canoe Race, Kayak Race, Sailing Regatta: (all Waterfront): Just what they seem to be.
  • Polar Bear (Waterfront): Are you Polar Bear enough to jump in the lake at 6.20 in the morning to play keep-away? If you are, LET ME HEAR YOU ROAR!
  • Scavenger Hunts (ECON, Scoutcraft): Discover just what a variety of items can be found in camp as you search for such diverse items as plagioclase granite, eye splices and signed napkins.

[edit] BarkEater

BarkEater is Massawepie's honor camper program. To become a member, and have the privilege of wearing the BarkEaters' beaver totem, Scouts must complete annual requirements in Massawepie lore, Adirondack history, ecology, service and camp experience. First year requirements include hiking around Massawepie Lake, learning the story of Pontiac Point, and recognizing loons and ospreys' importance to the Adirondack ecosystem. The BarkEater program lasts for five years, and each year, while the requirements become more difficult, the totem becomes more elaborate. The first BarkEaters will earn their fifth-year totem (the Teeth) in 2009.

[edit] See also

Scouting Portal

[edit] External links

[edit] References

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