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Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation

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Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation
Scouts swimming in the lake on a c. 1950 postcard
OwnerBaltimore Area Council
Location1929 Susquehanna Hall Rd
Whiteford, MD 21160
Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation is located in USA Maryland Broad Creek
Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation
Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation
Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation is located in Maryland
Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation
Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation
Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation is located in the United States
Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation
Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation
CountryUnited States
Coordinates39°41′24″N 76°15′54″W / 39.69°N 76.265°W / 39.69; -76.265
Camp size1,676 acres (6.78 km2)[1]
Founded1948[2]
Website
broadcreekbsa.org
 Scouting portal

Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation, more commonly called just Broad Creek, is the sum of eight separate areas in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The reservation is 3 miles (4.8 km) from the Maryland and Pennsylvania border within Harford County, 25 miles (40 km) from the Maryland and Delaware border, and 28 miles (45 km) from Baltimore. The Camp Saffran component hosts summer camp, while Camp Oest is now often used for special events, such as Woodbadge and NYLT. During the non-summer season Camps Oest, Saffran, and Spencer are open for weekend tent and cabin camping. Five other less developed areas of the reservation, Camp Cone, Camp Finney, The Pines, The Hemlocks, and OA Hill, are used for outpost camping and hiking. The facilities at the reservation in 2012 were used by 36,000 youth, 17% of which were not affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America.[3]

History

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The Baltimore Area Council acquired the first 45 acres of this camp on April 17, 1946 from W. David Terrell. [4] It is now the fifth largest block of undeveloped land in the traditional Baltimore metropolitan area (after Aberdeen/Edgewater, Patuxent Wildlife Refuge, and parts of Gunpowder and Patapsco State Parks). [5] The reservation's centerpiece, Lake Straus, was formed in 1948 as 55 acres (0.22 km2) when Susquehanna River tributary Broad Creek was dammed.[6] Later Saffran, Spencer, and Oest (then called Areas I, II, and III) each built piers on the lake.[7] Spencer added an additional waterfront site on the narrow upper part of Lake Straus.[7] In 1948 lodges and maintanance and administration buildings were added in Area I (Saffran).[8] Canoe trips for older Boy Scouts were held as early as May 1954.[9] In 1966 the Seabees completed a bridge across the Lake Straus dam.[10] In June 1972 Hurricane Agnes overflowed the dam by 7 feet (2.1 m).[11] Camp Spencer was closed for summer camp use after 2012. Spencer reopened in 2015 as a specialty resident STEM camp.[12] That program moved to Camp Saffran just before the summer of 2017. In 2016 and 2017 Camp Spencer hosted a resident camp for the youngest youth called Cub Camp at Broad Creek.[13] A total of 1624 acres of the reservation's 1676 acres have been permanently protected under a combination county, state, and federal conservation easements.

Hemlocks

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The easternmost substantial hemlock forest in Maryland, home to the smokey shrew, is a 60 acres (0.24 km2) old-growth hemlock forest with trees measured (by tree ring cores) up to 325 years old, located on both The Hemlocks area of the reservation and Conowingo Dam property. In 2005 area volunteers worked with state officials to study and reduce the destruction caused by an invasive species, the hemlock woolly adelgid. Since May 15-16, 2005, when the first 218 trees were treated, area youth volunteers have recorded data and marked trees while trained adult volunteers have injected imidacloprid into soil at the base of over 2000 hemlock trees. Trees closer to streams and wetlands have received trunk imidacloprid injections from Maryland Department of Agriculture staff. As a biocontrol remedy the Forest Service released over 2,300 Laricobius beetles into the forest. In 2013 the Forest Service reported that the "Laricobius beetles are spreading, the hemlock woolly adelgid is less prevalent, and the condition of the hemlock forest has noticeably improved."[14]

Camp Cone

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The southwest part of the reservation is named after the Baltimore Area Council's former Camp Cone[15] where summer camp was held from 1945-47[16] and which was located near Glen Arm, Maryland. It is now part of Gunpowder Falls State Park.[17]

Land patent

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In 1632 Charles I of England granted Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore the land that is now Maryland in a charter. That charter land was divided by land patents. By the 19th century almost all land in Maryland had been so divided. In 2012 land surveyor Frank S. Richardson confirmed what had appeared on reservation surveys as "vacant land" since the 1940s that 19.014 acres (0.07695 km2) used by the reservation for a universal access site and other campsites was apparently not a part of any existing patent or subsequent land acquisition. The Baltimore Area Council applied for a land patent to resolve the issue. On June 20, 2012 Governor Martin O'Malley signed a land patent granting the acreage to the Baltimore Area Council.[18]

Camp Saffran

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Programs

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Camp Saffran's summer camp includes a kayaking, canoeing, and sailing program on the nearby Susquehanna River, canoeing, backpacking, and Leave No Trace training at the reservation, BSA aquatics in three swimming pools, basketball, camp-wide campfires in an amphitheater enlarged and modernized in 2024, a tall climbing tower, conservation and nature programs, cooking, an Eagle summit program (Eagle Scout required merit badges), ecology programs, family nights, a first year camper program, fishing, a handicraft program, merit badge counseling, mile swim qualifying, patrol awards, Scoutcraft, a STEM program, shooting sports, stand-up paddleboarding, themed camp-wide games, volleyball, and wilderness survival.[19]

Facilities

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Campsites have canvas wall tents, each with two cots. Each campsite has picnic tables, a bulletin board, a flagpole, and a group pavilion. Some campsites have lodges equipped with a full kitchen that includes a stove, hot water, refrigerator, bunks, and electricity and can support 24 to 40 people. Some campsites have a pavilion and an Adirondack shelter with a cooking space and electricity and can support 16 to 24 people. [20] [21]

While the Nentico Pavilion dining hall serves cafeteria style meals, Camp Saffran in summer also offers groups the option to prepare food from their own supplies at a reduced fee.[22] Other facilities include an archery range, dam, a family cabin area, the Jacobs Health Lodge, a parade ground, several ranger's houses, shotgun and rifle ranges, the Rosenberg Welcome Center, a large maintenance shop and "quartermaster" supply building, a skeet range, a stock control area, and trading posts.[23]: 12–15 


Other Programs

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The Cub Camp at Broad Creek focuses on younger youth. Programs include: aquanaut, archery, BB gun, a closing party with a songfest, gaga ball, geology, nature, an opening campfire, paddling, a pool luau, rowing, Scoutcraft, slingshots, a s’mores fire, a staff hunt, a life skills (STEAM) discovery program, swimming, team building, water games, and wildlife.[24] Project Moving Onward & Outward Scouting Experience or M.O.O.S.E. is a hike or canoe trip to an outpost where participants spend the night after a campfire with singing, s’mores, a ceremony, and more.[25]: 12  Adult training programs can include Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation (BALOO), Cubmaster Leader Specifics, Religious Awards Awareness, Safe Swim Defense, Safety Afloat, This is Scouting, Youth Protection, and more.[25]: 14 

Facilities

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All three major camps have shower houses with individual hot water shower stalls, and flush toilets. Camps Saffran and Spencer have Olympic-size swimming pools. Each campsite includes a latrine with running water.[25]: 10  Other facilities include an archery range, chapel, and Olympic-sized swimming pool in each.[26] The Camp Saffran trading post offers branded apparel, camping supplies, candy, craft supplies, embroidered patches, Scouting literature, Scouting supplies, snacks, and sodas.[25]: 17 

Events

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Harmony, the Broad Creek bald eagle

In addition to summer camps and weekend camping, the reservation hosts other Scouting events. Two of the many examples were the July 1986 Pennsylvania State University Science and Energy Specialty Camp.[27]: 29  and the April, 2010 Harford County Astronomical Society Broad Creek Boy Scout Program.[28]

The reservation has also hosted non-boy Scout groups including schools, governments, community, church groups and other non-profit organizations including Girl Scouts, Boys and Girls Clubs, the Cal Ripken Foundation, Quantico Orienteering Club events,[29]: 42  Royal Rangers events, the NAACP youth program, search and rescue training groups including a K-9 facility in Camp Finney, and Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Harford County High School programs."[3] In July 1997 the camp hosted the United States Army Research Laboratory Extended Use of Night Vision Goggles: An Evaluation of Comfort for Monocular and Biocular Configurations.[30]: 5  The reservation routinely hosts Harford County Sheriff's Office training exercises. Camp Finney hosts the Harford County Sheriff's Office Rifle Range and K-9 training course facilities[31] and, every four years since 2005, the Council's big annual orienteering day.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Size:
    "Baltimore Speeds Scout Camp Work". Washington Post. Jul 22, 1947.: B1 
    "Maryland Conservationist Volumes 35–36". Maryland Game and Inland Fish Commission. 1958.: 12 
    Nichols, Maggie (1986). "A Different Kind of Scout Camp". Scouting. No. Nov–Dec. Boy Scouts of America.: 47 
  2. ^ "Bulletin". Garden Club of America. 1955. The Broad Creek Camp was established in 1948: 75 
  3. ^ a b Glassman, Barry; DeBoy Sr., Steven J. (2012). "Bond Bill Fact Sheet". State of Maryland.
  4. ^ "Land Records 1946, Book GCB 295". Harford County Circuit Court. p. 276. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  5. ^ "2014 Leaders and Program Guide" (PDF). Baltimore Area Council. p. 5. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  6. ^ Lake Straus:
    "Baltimore Speeds Scout Camp Work". Washington Post. Jul 22, 1947.: B1 
    Healey, David (Sep 18, 2012). Great Storms of the Chesapeake. Arcadia. p. 160.
  7. ^ a b Broadwater, JoAnne C. (July 30, 1995). "Broad Creek Scout Reservation puts youth in touch with nature". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  8. ^ Engineering News-Record, Volume 141, Part 1. McGraw-Hill. 1948.: 328 
  9. ^ Alan, Corney; Simpson, Elizabeth Léonie (Apr 29, 2014). Out of Our Past Lives. iUniverse. p. 136.: 1 
  10. ^ Robbins, L. J. (1967). "Over the Dam". The Military Engineer Volume 59-60.
  11. ^ Flooding:
    Healey, David (Sep 18, 2012). Great Storms of the Chesapeake. Arcadia. p. 160.
  12. ^ Fischer, Marc (March 27, 2015). "NEW – STEM-botics Camp at Camp Spencer". BSA Troop 883. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  13. ^ Smith, Tony (Feb 17, 2016). Camp E. Wallace Oest 2016 Camper's Guide. Baltimore Area Council.
  14. ^ Ferguson, Tony L. (January 2013). "Boy Scouts Protect Hemlocks on Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation" (PDF). A Forest Stewardship Success Story. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Forest Service. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  15. ^ Scocca, David A. "Baltimore Area Council Camping Patches". tegularius.org. Retrieved 2015-09-10.
  16. ^ "2017 - 2021 Strategic Plan". Baltimore Area Council. BSA. 2017. p. 4. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
  17. ^ "Youth Group Camping". Gunpowder Falls State Park. dnr.maryland.gov. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
  18. ^ "Governor signs land patent for Scouts at Broad Creek". Baltimore Sun. June 25, 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  19. ^ Programs:
    Weaver, Richard Lee (1959). Manual for Outdoor Laboratories: The Development and Use of Schoolgrounds as Outdoor Laboratories for Teaching Science and Conservation. Interstate. p. 81.: 63 
    Martin, Ed (Feb 2, 2016). "Leaders and Program Guide". Baltimore Area Council.: 21, 23–26, 28–30 
    Bates, Bill (2005). Harford County in Vintage Postcards. Arcadia. p. 128.: 14 
    Broadwater, JoAnne C. (July 30, 1995). "Broad Creek Scout Reservation puts youth in touch with nature". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  20. ^ Campsites:
    Dunham, Peter H. (Jun 1960). "Add: Shelter for Scouts". The Rotarian. Vol. 96, no. 6. Rotary International. ISSN 0035-838X.: 7 
    Martin, Ed (Feb 2, 2016). "Leaders and Program Guide". Baltimore Area Council.: 6 
    Broadwater, JoAnne C. (July 30, 1995). "Broad Creek Scout Reservation puts youth in touch with nature". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  21. ^ Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation. (2015). Scouting Magazine. Retrieved from http://scoutingmagazine.org/2015/12/guide-to-cool-camps-2/10-05-cool-camp/
  22. ^ Dining hall:
    Martin, Ed (Feb 2, 2016). "Leaders and Program Guide". Baltimore Area Council.: 6 
    Broadwater, JoAnne C. (July 30, 1995). "Broad Creek Scout Reservation puts youth in touch with nature". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  23. ^ Martin, Ed (Feb 2, 2016). "Leaders and Program Guide". Baltimore Area Council.
  24. ^ Programs:
    "Bulletin Volumes 42–43". Garden Club of America. 1954.: 111 
    Smith, Tony (Feb 17, 2016). "Camper's Guide". Baltimore Area Council.: 12, 14 
    Bates, Bill (2005). Harford County in Vintage Postcards. Arcadia. p. 128.: 14 
    Broadwater, JoAnne C. (July 30, 1995). "Broad Creek Scout Reservation puts youth in touch with nature". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  25. ^ a b c d Smith, Tony (Feb 17, 2016). "Camper's Guide". Baltimore Area Council.
  26. ^ Facilities:
    Nichols, Maggie (1986). "A Different Kind of Scout Camp". Scouting. No. Nov–Dec. Boy Scouts of America.: 47 
    DePaola, Rudy (Jun 21, 2012). Back From Oblivion and Into Reality. Xlibris. p. 135.
    Broadwater, JoAnne C. (July 30, 1995). "Broad Creek Scout Reservation puts youth in touch with nature". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  27. ^ Nichols, Maggie (1986). "A Different Kind of Scout Camp". Scouting. No. Nov–Dec. Boy Scouts of America.
  28. ^ "Broad Creek Boy Scout Program". Night Sky Network. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  29. ^ "Get Involved!". Boys' Life. Vol. 93, no. 3. Boy Scouts of America. March 2003. ISSN 0006-8608.
  30. ^ CuQlock-Knopp, V. G.; Sipes, Dawn E.; Torgerson, Warren; Bender, Edward; Merritt, John O. (July 1997). "Extended Use of Night Vision Goggles: An Evaluation of Comfort for Monocular and Biocular Configurations". Army Research Lab. p. 59. Archived from the original on March 9, 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  31. ^ Elloff, Mark (May 31, 2012). "Harford County Citizens Police Academy, Week 13: Firearms Range, K-9 Unit, and Dive Team". Dagger. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
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