New Birth of Freedom Council

New Birth of Freedom Council #544
Owner Boy Scouts of America
Headquarters Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Country United States
Founded April 1, 2010
Scout Executive Ron Gardner
Website
newbirthoffreedom.org

The New Birth of Freedom Council is a council of the Boy Scouts of America serving South-Central Pennsylvania. The council was formed by a merger of York-Adams Area Council and Keystone Area Council on April 1, 2010.

Districts

The Council is divided into the following Districts:

Council Camps

The New Birth of Freedom Council owns four council camps, Camp Conewago, Camp Tuckahoe, Hidden Valley Scout Reservation, and Wizard Ranch.

Camp Conewago

Camp Conewago is located in New Oxford, PA at the “Forks” where the Little Conewago enters into the Big Conewago stream. It was formerly at the point of a traders cabin where the collection of furs and trading was done with early settlers and the Conewago Indian Tribes in the area.

In 1919, the officers of Conewago Council, which then oversaw Scouting in Hanover, Littlestown, New Oxford, Locust Grove, Abbottstown, and East Berlin, saw the need for a Boy Scout camp in their area. Along with the assistance of other civic-minded citizens, the council solicited funds in the area for a camp. On September 13, 1919, they purchased approximately 25 acres of land in Hamilton Township, Adams County, from George T. Gitt. Today, Camp Conewago is still blessed with many of the original buildings constructed over the years.[1]

Camp Tuckahoe

Camp Tuckahoe is the largest of four camps owned by the New Birth of Freedom Council, and is currently operated for use by both Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts. The 1,300-acre (5.3 km2) site is located in York County, Pennsylvania a few miles west of Dillsburg.

The site was formerly a hunting camp which the Council purchased on March 21, 1947 to replace Camp Ganoga. Construction on the property started in the spring of 1947, and the first camping season got underway the next year on June 27, 1948. Many of the later facilities where not present that first season, including the lake, troops cabins (the boys all slept in tents or lean-tos), and the memorial chapel.

From the purchase of the land until part way through the first season, the camp was referred to as "South Mountain Camp" and also "South Mountain Memorial Scout Camp" (as a tribute to WWII servicemen). During the initial camp season, a contest was held to choose between the names "South Mountain", "Tuckahoe", and "Whippoorwill", and Tuckahoe won out. The name Tuckahoe is attributed to mean "Land of the Deer and the Fawn" in a Native American language.

The Memorial Mall and adjoining Chapels are the centerpiece of Camp Tuckahoe. The Mall is an open area lined by hemlock trees that is often used for camp ceremonies and quiet activities. Each of the hemlock trees has been dedicated to a member of the "Council Eternal" (a Scout or Scouter who has died). Additional dedications are made annually when new names are added to the Memorial Wall. Another feature of the Mall is a reflection area where Scouts can read a bronze plaque bearing the words of Rudyard Kiplings's poem If— The recently renovated indoor chapel at the top of the mall was dedicated in memory of Rabbi Goode, one of the Four Chaplains from the troop transport Dorchester.

An area of Camp Tuckahoe called "Cub World" is a special place within the camp that has programs and facilities specifically designed for boys ages 6–10.

Themed areas include the Pirate Ship, Medieval Castle, Frontier Fort, and the TeePee Village. Sleeping arrangements are available in all four areas. Other more general use areas include the Nature Tree House, the Underground Mine, Physical Fitness trail, Cub Activity Field, and Cub Pavilion. Additionally there are Air Rifles, Action Archery (a sling shot course), and Archery Ranges, which tend to be heavily used during summer camp sessions.

Each year, during the designated Cub Scout weeks, the activities in camp are based on a theme. During the week there are many activities centered around the theme of the year. These themes rotate on a 4-year cycle between Safari, Wild West, Knights of the Round Table, and Pirates of Camp Tuckahoe.

Safari (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014) Wild West (2003, 2007, 2011, 2015) Knights of the Round Table (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016) Pirates of Camp Tuckahoe (2005, 2009, 2013).

Hidden Valley Scout Reservation

Situated on 830+ acres near Loysville, PA in Perry County, with the scenic Sherman’s Creek and its exciting fishing opportunities running through it, Hidden Valley has been in operation since 1927. It is one of four camps operated by the New Birth of Freedom Council.

Hidden Valley currently offers five weeks of Boy Scout summer camp as well as a Trail to Eagle Camp.[2]

For Scouting units and non-stop groups looking for year-round outdoor opportunities, Hidden Valley also offers a wide variety of comfortable cabins, with capacities ranging from 10 to 65 people.

Hidden Valley is the camp at which the fictional story of alleged Boy Scout Teddy Braybill originated. The story, conceived by Edward Craig, tells of a Scout named Teddy Braybill who was sleeping in the Kiwanis II campsite when a storm hit. His entire troop was alleged to have crossed the bridge over Sherman's Creek to get to the safety of the mess hall. The next day when Teddy's troop returned to the campsite, Teddy was gone.

Craig later developed this story, getting more into depth with each trip to Hidden Valley, and used strange occurrences to scare the Scouts. At one point, a mattress was found atop a pavilion, the mattress was said to be the sleeping place of Teddy Braybill, and was not to be disturbed.

Approximately five years after Craig first told the tale of Teddy Braybill, the story ended when his son requested that it be put to a stop. Craig no longer told the tale, and the story was left to the Scouts to develop and spread.

Wizard Ranch

Carefully preserved as a primitive camping area, Wizard Ranch is 300 acres of fields and woodlands in eastern York County (Hellam Township) near the western banks of the Susquehanna River and is available for year-round short-term camping or day use.

The Wizard Ranch was donated to the council in 1960 by Mahlon N. Haines, owner of the Haines Shoe Company. Haines was an ardent supporter of the Scouting movement and in 1941, Haines conceived the idea of hosting on his farm in Hellam Township a special gathering of Scouts from all parts of the Council to celebrate his birthday. This event became the first “Haines Safari” and it was such a success that Haines Safaris were repeated in 1945, 1950, 1955 and 1960, each one striving to be bigger and better than its predecessor. 1960 would be the last of the true Haines Safaris because Haines died very shortly thereafter. Just before his death, Haines gave the land to the York-Adams Area Council. Although Haines intended that his land would thereafter be known as something like the “Colonel Mahlon N. Haines Memorial Scout Reservation, it, however, has always been called by generations of Scouts who have come to know and appreciate it, as simply “Wizard Ranch.” In a letter to the Council dated simply “October 1960,” bearing in the stationery logo the message “Wizard Ranch – the Yellowstone Park of the East,” Haines noted “I hope to live long enough to see this one of the great Scout reservations in America, which will add much to making better boys, better men and better people in our community, by enjoying the privileges of being out of doors …”

In using Haines’ gift of the Wizard Ranch, the Council decided to build on Haines’ tradition of doing things “bigger and better” and decided to begin holding its own Safaris. The tradition of the Safari was reborn in 1987, with the first of the modern Safaris. This was followed with Safaris occurring in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2010, and 2015. The next Safari is scheduled for October 2019.[3]

Sasquesahanough Lodge

The Sasquesahanough Lodge 11 was just formed effective January 1, 2011 after the merger of Keystone and York-Adams Area Councils into New Birth of Freedom Council in 2010. The merger created the new lodge by combining respective council lodges of Susquehannock and Tuckahoe. At a special meeting in October 2010, the two former lodges picked the new name 'Sasquesahanough (which is the 1612 spelling of Susquehanna and reflects the geographic area covered by the lodge) and new totem which is the phoenix.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://newbirthoffreedom.org/camping-2/camp-conewago//
  2. ↑ http://newbirthoffreedom.org/boyscoutsummercamp
  3. ↑ http://newbirthoffreedom.org/camping-2/wizard-ranch/
  4. ↑ http://lodge.newbirthoffreedom.org/
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