Washington Crossing Council

Washington Crossing Council (#777)
Owner Boy Scouts of America
Headquarters Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Country United States
Founded August 13, 1928
President Michael J Shavel
Scout Executive Magne Gundersen
Website
washingtoncrossingbsa.org

Washington Crossing Council serves Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Mercer County, New Jersey and Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The council achieved the top "Gold" level in its 2014 Journey to Excellence.

Organization

The council has four districts:

Camps

Ockanickon Scout Reservation

Ockanickon Scout Reservation
Coordinates 40°26′13″N 75°05′13″W / 40.4369°N 75.0869°W / 40.4369; -75.0869
Website
http://www.ockanickon.org

Ockanickon Scout Reservation is located in Pipersville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The camp was founded in 1941 and named after a Lenape chief who assisted William Penn in the exploration of the Bucks Country area. The camp is run as a weekend camp during spring, fall and winter, and as a full-time summer camp during the summer. There are fifteen separate camp sites, and a wide range of activities and programs including the first ever Scout Science Center.[1]

Camp Ockanickon contains 15 campsites which are available to troops during the summer, and a sixteenth which is occupied by staff during the summer but is available for camping during the off-season. Currently, the camp hosts about five hundred Scouts and adult leaders during each of eight weeks of summer camp. Camp Ockanickon is notable for the GE Betz Science center, its air-conditioned dining hall, and the numerous awards it has received from the BSA National Office for excellence.

Facilities

GE Betz Science Center

The GE Betz Science Center , came about when the Betz Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Betz Laboratories, Inc. (later acquired by General Electric), granted Camp Ockanickon money to establish a program in which to teach science merit badges. GE continues to support the science center with annual contributions dedicated to upkeep of the center. Besides being the first of its kind, the science center is notable for:

Future plans for the science center include an observatory with a 19" telescope.

Other departments

Summer camp

Favorite non-merit badge activities at the camp include lunchtime Ultimate Frisbee challenges against the camp staff, the inter-troop Water Carnival on Wednesday nights, Thursday night's volleyball tournament, an Airband competition, and the opening and closing campfires. There is also times when scouts can woodburn, free shoot, free swim, and, free canoe. Most of these activities are done on Friday because many merit badges last only four days.

Order of the Arrow

Ajapeu Lodge #2 (formerly #33) serves Washington Crossing Council as its Order of the Arrow Lodge.

See also

References

  1. "Welcome to the GE Betz Science Center at Ockanickon Scout Reservation!". Ockanickon Scout Reservation. Retrieved 2007-11-03.
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