Click here for all of the Roundtable Dates and Topics

ROUGH RIDER DISTRICT – BOY SCOUT ROUNDTABLE
OCTOBER 12, 2011

Here are the notes from our camping discussion from the October Roundtable. We’ve attempted to transfer as much of the discussion as we were able to record. We’ve also tried to indicate the Troop that recommended a camp so you can contact them if you want more information.

If we’ve missed anything or posted incorrect information, feel free to send the correct info out to the group. Thanks for your outstanding contributions!

 – Jerry & the Roundtable Staff

·       Harriman State Park – good trails, challenging, good for backpacking (T323)

1       Durland Scout Camp (a/k/a Clear Lake) – great trails, great cabins, proximity to Fahnestock State Park, Westchester-Putnam Council camp (T323)

2       Camp Bullowa – close proximity to Harriman, Hudson Valley Council camp (T323)
3       Camp Conron – privately owned camp in Pawling, NY (owned by T257 of Flushing), have access to part of a house with a commercial grade kitchen. Tent sites, lean-to’s, small pond & hiking trails (T323)

4       Ski trip in the Poconos (T261)
5       Camp Workcoeman – Connecticut Rivers Council summer camp (T261)
6       West Hills Park – Suffolk County park accessible to scout units, easy access & private sites (T205)
7       Alpine Scout Camp – Greater NY Council camp in NJ - has nice cabins and hiking trails. Offers indoor activities (rock climbing) in the event of bad weather. (T362)

8       Schiff Scout Reservation – great for Thanksgiving feasts with packs. Hayden Hall side of camp is great for camping. (T362)

9       Hiking/backpacking in the Catskills, especially Slide Mountain (T157)
10      Camping tips from T157 (Russ Rensch):

·       Use pieces of Duraflame logs as firestarters

1       Use warm, watered-down Jell-o as a great cold weather drink
2       Challenge your scouts to cook with #10 cans and to go on survival hikes. It can help keep them interested in the program.

·       Camp Pouch – Greater NY Council camp in Staten Island. Many troops have used this camp. Some had good experiences, others did not. Pro’s – close proximity to NYC, good fishing in the lake. Con’s – no security against public access. (T930 & others)

1       Quail Hill – a boy scout camp in Monmouth County, NJ. Has access to the Battle of Monmouth Historic Trail (T291)

2       Camping in Herkimer County, NY – visit a diamond mine, earn Geology MB, visit Howe Caverns (T305)
3       Beach camping at Morry’s (sp.?) Pier at the Jersey shore (Beach Jam?)
4       Camp Hero State Park (Montauk Point) – Call 631-668-3781 for more info. (Mike Zembruski)
5       Take older scouts on day hikes in NYC (Mike Zembruski)
6       North-South Lake Campground – good hiking trails (T604)
7       Canoe trips on the Delaware River – use Whitewater Challengers (T604)
8       Baiting Hollow Scout Camp – good for Thanksgiving feasts. Has access to the LI Sound (T382)
9       Camp Glen Gray – former scout camp in Mahwah, NJ. Good for ski trips (T382)
10      Go on historic trips to Philadelphia, Boston, Gettysburg (T382)
11      Resica Falls Scout Reservation – Just over the Delaware Water Gap in the Poconos. Great hiking trails. Good for ski trips (T57)

12      Kittatinny Scout Reservation – Just before the Delaware Water Gap in NJ. Nice cabins, good hiking trails. Good for ski trips (T57)

13      Ten Mile River Scout Reservation – Greater NY Council camp in the Catskills. Huge camp, great trails (T57)
14      Hike the Nassau/Suffolk Greenbelt Trail from the south shore to the north shore – over 20 miles. (T57)
15      Spice up your camping trips by having patrol competitions, such as: Iron Chef, survival weekends, scout skills, trebuchet building, etc… (T57)

16      Hold an isolation camping trip (by patrols) at West Hills (T423)
17      Camp at Goose Pond in Scranton, PA – has a good COPE course (T423)
18      Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco – Northern NJ Council camp. Friday the 13th filmed there (T2830)
19      Camp at Deer Run in western PA (T291)
20      Take a 3-day trip to Washington DC (T291)
21      Camp at Hershey Park – good food, great amusement park (T330)
22      Camp Winnebago in NJ – has canoeing on a reservoir, indoor BB gun shooting (John Schmidt)

·       Utilize the “Where To Go Camping” book published by our OA Lodge. It can be found on our Council’s web site (http://www.trcbsa.org/TRC_E_ServCtr/E-Forms/Camping/where%20to%20go.pdf). Even though it’s a little dated (2002 ed.), it still has a lot of good places to camp in the northeast, including contact information.

Other notes from the October roundtable:

• Journey To Excellence (JTE) – Please start completing your 2011 forms. Be sure to check your advancement records against the records shown on your charters. Also be sure to enter your service projects in the Service Project web site. All things JTE can be found here, http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Awards/JourneyToExcellence.aspx?rel=external . Contact your Unit Commissioner if you have any questions.
• It’s Order of the Arrow election season. Please contact Dom Agnese with your troop’s OA election date. Dom can be reached at, AgneseD@mscdirect.com .
• Our OA Chapter needs its members to conduct the OA elections. Please contact Dom Agnese or Chapter Chief James Fischer (jamesjfischeri@gmail.com) for more info.
• Pine Tree Training is available and is underutilized by most troops. It’s available in many subject areas and is great for training younger scouts. Check the Pine Tree site (http://www.trcbsa.org/TRC_Outdoor_Programs/PineTree/TRC_PineTree.htm) for more details.
• Advancement changes are coming in 2012, especially with regard to the Eagle project process. More details will be discussed at upcoming Roundtables.
• If you haven’t received your unit’s charter, please contact your Unit Commissioner. Ken Rubino will be at the next two roundtables to answer your questions and to help you in any way with your charter. Remember, they’re due by December 15th. Please make every effort to recharter on time!