Kids at camp: Camp Sam Wood and Camp Scouthaven inspire hundreds of youth to learn through fun

Camps package life-skills opportunities with fun activities for youth 

WNY Scout Council Press Release and Photos

Two premier youth camps owned by the WNY Scout Council are welcoming hundreds of kids to fresh air and freedom this summer. Nestled in the hills of Western New York, Camp Sam Wood in Pike, and Camp Scouthaven in Freedom, provide life skills, values-based programming and many fun activities for girls and boys, ages 5 to 18, at both overnight and day camps during July and early August.

Over their long histories, both camps have welcomed tens of thousands of campers, including more than a thousand Scout youth and adult leaders this summer. Cub Scouts, who are organized into “packs,” are elementary-aged girls and boys from ages 5 to 11. Scouts BSA youth are middle- and high-school aged girls and boys, ages 11 to 18, and are organized into “troops.” 

“Scouting teaches children skills they need for life, like leadership, citizenship and good character, and it uses camping and the great outdoors as the classroom,” said Gary Decker, president and CEO of the WNY Scout Council. “The importance of providing high-quality summer camps where kids can find fresh air and freedom is so important, and we want even more Western New York children to have the opportunity to know about and attend our camps.”

Camp programming

Each day of summer camp at Camps Sam Wood and Scouthaven starts with a flag ceremony and rollcall, where each Cub Scout pack or Scouts BSA troop lines up, in uniform, while holding their group’s flags, for the raising of the American and camp flags. The Scouts are invited to have fun with rollcall, with witty remarks, songs or slogans that are often in line with the camp theme. Each day ends in a similar way with the retirement of the flags. Citizenship, patriotism and tradition are evident in these ceremonies. 

Programming at camp is tailored to older or younger Scouts, but the goal is the same: learning through fun! Activities include: 

√ First aid, fire-making, Dutch-oven cooking, campsite setup 

√ How to safely carry, use and store axes and saws 

√ Using 3-D pens in the STEM lodge or observing a bearded dragon at the ecology lodge 

√ Fifty merit badges were offered for older Scouts, including emergency preparedness, disabilities awareness, photography, insect study, camping, citizenship, orienteering, sailing, and pottery 

√ Target practice and safety skills at the archery and shooting ranges 

√ Free time to swim, canoe, whittle, craft, play games, and cook 

Programming is provided by a highly trained staff, who excel at engaging the youth. This year, 30 staff are leading merit badge classes, overseeing waterfront safety and activities, teaching life skills and entertaining both young and old at campfire programs, which are a highlight to summer camp. Each Scouting pack and troop is encouraged to contribute a short skit, song, cheer, or story to the campfire program, which brings everyone together in fellowship and camaraderie. 

“Camping and the outdoors are often mentioned by Scouts as being their primary reasons for joining,” Decker said. “Scouting provides that and so much more. As young people yearn for outdoor programs that stir their imagination and interest, Scouting offers them a break from screens and devices, where they have opportunities to discover new interests, make lifelong friendships, and acquire skills that make them more self-reliant. We encourage all families to look into Scouting for their children.” 

How to join Scouts

Girls and boys are invited to join Scouting at any time during the year through BeAScout.org, which is how families can locate the Cub Scout pack or Scouts BSA troop that’s closest to them. Additionally, groups throughout the WNY Scout Council are planning and announcing their fall joining events, and flyers or emails will be going home to parents in many school districts in September. Information may also be found through local searches in social media, including the Council’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/WNYSCBSA.

Parents are also welcome to contact the WNY Scout Council for leads to groups in their areas by calling 716-891-4073 or visiting www.wnyscouting.org.

More about Camp Sam Wood and Camp Scouthaven

Camp Sam Wood in Pike was established in 1939 and was named after the first Eagle Scout in Genesee County. It’s located on forested land in Wyoming County along the renowned trout stream, Wiscoy Creek, and features a swimming pool, campsites, lodges and lean-tos. This summer, Camp Sam Wood hosted a weeklong day camp, a weekend overnight camp for Cub Scouts, and National Youth Leadership Training, a youth-led leadership training camp for young troop leaders in the council. 

Camp Scouthaven in Freedom was established in 1918 and is one of the five oldest Scout camps still in operation in the U.S. It’s situated on Crystal Lake among the rolling hills of Cattaraugus County and offers campsites, cabins, lean-tos, and a variety of waterfront activities. This summer, Camp Scouthaven hosted two sessions of Scouts BSA weeklong summer camp and four sessions of Cub Scout overnight camp. 

Both camps are home to many packs and troops throughout the year for weekend campouts and camporees, which are large group campouts.

The WNY Scout Council, Boy Scouts of America (Scouting America), serves over 6,000 boys, girls and adult volunteer leaders in youth development programming in six counties across Western New York. Scouting’s year-round programs are open to all youth from kindergarten through age 20. More information is available at www.wnyscouting.org.