S-F Scout Ranch
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| S-F Scout Ranch | |
|---|---|
| Campsite data | |
| Owner | Greater Saint Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America |
| Location | Knob Lick, Missouri |
| Country | United States of America |
| Founded | September 11, 1965 |
 Scouting portal |
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The S-F Scout Ranch or The Ranch as it is commonly known, is owned and operated by the Greater Saint Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. It is located in Knob Lick, Missouri, which is about 12 miles south of Farmington, Missouri. The property sits in Saint Francois County, Missouri and Madison County, Missouri. In its center sits Nim's Lake, and running through it is the Little St. Francis River. [1]
Contents |
[edit] History
The property was dedicated on September 11, 1965 and opened for summer camp in 1966. The property replaced the Irondale Scout Reservation in nearby Irondale, Missouri which had become too small to serve the needs of the growing Scout Council. Three of the four camps that operate on the property today were a part of the original dedication. Camp Gamble was dedicated on June 17, 1970.
[edit] Camp Famous Eagle
Camp Famous Eagle was the first camp to be built. It opened in the summer of 1966. It was named for Morton D. May who was the chairman of the committee to develop the ranch. May had been a huge force in developing the Beaumont Scout Reservation ten years earlier. Because of his efforts the main camp at Beaumont was named Camp May. Due to this fact the first camp at S-F took the name Camp Famous Eagle, Famous for Famous-Barr (part of the May Department Stores) and Eagle for Eagle Trading Stamps, an in store promotion from the time.
[edit] Camp Sakima
Camp Sakima was the second camp to be built, finishing just in time for the first week of campers in the summer of 1966. Camp Sakima is named in recognition of Leif J. Sverdrup who headed the campaign to raise the funds for the Ranch to be built. The Camp was named Sakima, the Indian word for chief which was his nickname, after concern arose about young Scout's perceived inability to pronounce his last name.
[edit] John S. Swift Explorer Base
The John S. Swift Explorer Base also opened in the summer of 1966. It is the only camp on the property that has a dining hall to serve meals to the campers. It was designed for a high adventure based camp to implement the year long exploring program, which would later become the Venturing Program. It is named for John S. Swift, who was the owner of Swift printing company. He believed in the value of the Scouting program so much that when approached by the committee to create the ranch for funds, he happily donated the amount needed for the base.[2]
[edit] Camp Theodore R. Gamble
Camp Gamble was dedicated on June 17, 1970. It was built to meet the ever growing need of space for Scouts that was a result of the Post-World War II baby boom. It was named in memory of Theodore R Gamble who was serving as president of the council when he died suddenly. He was also president of the Pet Milk Company.
[edit] Eugene D. Nims Lake
The S-F Scout Ranch is home to the largest privately owned man-made lake in the state of Missouri. The lake is an essential part of the aquatic program and was a primary goal held by the ranch founders. This may be because of the failed attempt to create a lake at the Beaumont Scout Reservation. When the land for the ranch was discovered it did not have a lake. Fortunately, Mrs. Nims stepped in and donated the $55,000 dollars needed to dam up the Wills Branch of the Little St. Francis River. She donated the money in memory of her husband Eugene D. Nims. He was the founder of Southwestern Bell Telephone and the lake bears his name. The first attempt to dam the river failed and some Sverdurp engineers came in and redesigned a second dam that created the 270 acre lake. The lake has six miles of shore line and 7 coves. It is home to many aquatic program features.
[edit] The Water Treatment Plant
The drinking water on the property comes from the lake. It is treated in a plant located at the Swift Explorer Base. The plant is considered a Class C plant by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. If operated at capacity, the plant to serve a town of 10-15,000 people. The treatment process has undergone many renovations in recent years.[3]
[edit] Other Areas
S-F has a number of other areas available for scout use, including a camporee area, cabins, adirondacks, treehouses, a climbing and rappelling area, a high and low ropes course, and many hiking trails.
[edit] Program Offerings
[edit] Boy Scout Week-Long Residential Camp
The three Boy Scout camps (Camp Theodore R. Gamble, Camp Famous Eagle, and Camp Sakima) are open on a rotating basis and only two of them open each summer for Boy Scout Summer Camp. The two camps that are open operate a traditional patrol method based residential camp program. The week offers Scouts the chance to earn merit badges, participate in aquatics programs (including a trip to huck's cove), spend time in the field sports area, and participate in many other activities. The core of the program is the use of the patrol method to cook meals. For each meal, Scouts must go to the commissary to pick up the ingredients for their meal. The meal is then cooked on site in an outdoor kitchen over fires built by other members of the patrol.
[edit] Venturing Week-Long Adventure Camp
The Ranch is also home to the Swift Explorer Base which runs programs for venturers, the BSA's co-ed program for individuals between the ages of 14-21. A typical week for a Swift camper might include rock climbing and rapelling, ropes course, horseback riding, water skiing and tubing, mountain biking, shotgun shooting, and many other fun activities.
[edit] Webelo's Mini Camp
Two session's of a three day - two night experience for webelos are offered at the end of the summer at Swift Base. This allows participants an introduction to the camping program in a slightly longer setting than the Dad N' Lad experience.
[edit] Dad N' Lad
A short program lasting about 22 hours that provides a brief introduction to outdoor Scout camping for young Cub Scouts. Held twice every summer at all of the camps at the Ranch.
[edit] National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT)
A week long training program held at the "closed" Boy Scout Camp. It is run three weeks out of every summer by the Council Training Department. It is based on a national syllabus. Starting in the summer of 2008 it will be held at Camp Sakima and will be offered for 4 weeks.[4]
[edit] The Ranger Program
A traditional program for older scouts, the Ranger program gets Scouts deep into the backwoods of the property. Scouts are given the opportunity to see parts of the property that they would never get to see while participating in mountain man style programming. Activities include blacksmithing, black powder rifle shooting, tomahawk throwing, and many others. In the summer of 2007 the ranger program introduced a new program called River Ranger. Scouts were given the chance to go with the ranger staff on a week-long river float trip on the Eleven Point River in southern Missouri. The program was very successful and will most likely be back in the summer of 2008.
[edit] Order of the Arrow Summer Camp
A week - long program run by the Shawnee Lodge that specializes in native American activities such as dance and ceremonies. The program is typically run in non-NOAC summers. It has been held at Swift Explorer Base in the past.[5]
[edit] Other Programs
Occasionally other older scout programs will be held. Past examples include, Catholic Adventure Week, LDS Scout Camp, Shooting Sports Camp, Fishing Camp, and Horse Camp.
[edit] Ranch Administrative Structure
The Ranch is lead by the Ranch Director. The Ranch Director is a professional Scouter who also serves as the Director of Camping overseeing operations at the council's other properties. In its history, the Ranch has been served by six directors. The NYLT program is directed by the council's director of training and advancement. The rest of the Ranch staff are seasonal contract employees that manage all of the program aspects of the Ranches program, as well as many of the administrative aspects.
[edit] Camp Operation
Each of the Ranch's camps has a camp director who is also a professional who usually works in the department of field service. Each camp has a program director that is the second in command to the camp director. The program director oversees merit badge instruction, campsite program, as well as evening programs that are put on by the staff. The business manager oversees the administration of the camp. There are two commissioners that oversee campsite programs put on by the troop counselors, run leaders meetings, and facilitate problems as they come up. The Commissary manager and his assistant run the food service operation in the camp, and the trading post manager and his assistant run the camp store. In addition, the trading post staff assists with food service for the staff. The rest of the staff is divided into program areas. Each area has a director and a certain number of counselors.
[edit] Swift Operation
The Swift Explorer Base runs similarly to the Scout Camps. However, due to its smaller camp capacity, it has a smaller staff, normally numbering around 18.
[edit] Ranch Administrative Staff
The central administrative staff for the Ranch includes the food service staff, the rangers, and the staff that works in the Rand Building. The food service staff works in Astronauts hall, and makes the ranches extensive patrol feeding system possible. The Ranch has two rangers who live on the property year round and are responsible for the maintenance of the property, in addition to the operation of the water treatment plant. The rand staff is responsible for delivery of supplies to the various camps, as well as the operation of the horse program and huck's cove.
| Ranch Director | Years Served |
|---|---|
| Mel Lowenstein | 1966 - 1969 |
| Don Rall | 1970 - 1971 |
| Paul Brockland | 1972 - 1981 |
| Denny Horn | 1982 - 1985 |
| Tim O'Donnell | 1986 - 1993 |
| Pat Martchink | 1994 - Present |
| Camp | Director |
|---|---|
| Gamble | Phil Brockland |
| Famous Eagle | David Schwartz |
| Swift | Jared White |
| Sakima (NYLT) | Fred Brown |
[edit] See also
[edit] External link
- Official Council Website
- S-F Scout Ranch is at coordinates Coordinates:
[edit] References
- ^ S-F - BSA. Greater St. Louis Council. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
- ^ Brittain, William (1976). The spirit of scouting '76: Challenge and triumph: 65 years of St. Louis area Scouting: The story of the St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, 181.
- ^ Water System Details. Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
- ^ Greater Saint Louis Area Council Website. Greater Saint Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
- ^ Order of the Arrow Summer Camp. Shawnee Lodge-Order of the Arrow. Retrieved on 2007-11-03.
