Gerber Scout Reservation

Gerber Scout Reservation
Location Twin Lake, Michigan
Coordinates 43°26′49″N 86°11′46″W / 43.447031°N 86.196091°W / 43.447031; -86.196091
Founded 1951
Reservation Director Matt Langlois
Reservation Ranger Charlie Brown
Website
http://www.gerberscoutreservation.org

Gerber Scout Reservation (GSR), located in Twin Lake, Michigan is a resident camp owned and operated by the Michigan Crossroads Council of the Boy Scouts of America. It began operation in 1950 and had its first official summer camp program in 1951. The Original property was purchased through a gift of 275 shares from Dan Gerber President of the famous baby food company.[1] The reservation operates two camps; the Boy Scout Camp Gerber Scout Camp and the Cub Scout Camp Betty Ford Cub Scout and Webelos Adventureland as well as numerous year round weekend programming outside of the summer months.

Geography

Gerber Scout Reservation lies within the boundaries of the Manistee National Forest in Blue Lake Township, Muskegon County, Michigan and is approximately 800 acres. the property is boarded on the north by Owasippe Road. The Blue Lake Township Hall and Fire Department lie within a quarter mile from the camps main entrance. On the South and East Boarders of the property Gerber boarders Owasippe Scout Reservation. The property contains four lakes; Big Britton, Little Britton, Mayo, Grub and shares Mud Lake with Owasippe. Gerber contains wetlands, oak and pine forests, and several areas of Michigan prairie.

History

In 1949 the Timer Trails Council Board decided that it was time to find a larger site for local scouts to go camping. Their current site Camp Merit was only 17 acres and bordered on all sides by other area summer camps with no room to expand. In 1950 the board purchased the original 80 acres of Gerber Scout Reservation that included most of Britton Lake. This purchase was made on credit but later paid off by the donation of stocks from Dan Gerber. The site was originally called Camp Britton or Britton Lake Camp but was remained in honor of Dan Gerber and renamed Gerber Scout Reservation in 1951. Between 1950 and 1952 the first buildings were completed on the property. Bruce Cleveland Lodge the original Rangers House now use as the Reservation Directors house was completed early in 1951. Evans Lodge the original Boy Scout Camp Dining Hall was completed in 1951 with a generous donation from the Elks Lodge. The Ranger Station a large maintenance building used to service the camps many maintenance and building projects was believed completed in the first few years of the camp opening. Tryon Lodge a log cabin used for staff housing in the summer and troop rentals and events during the year was finished in 1952.[2]

Chaffee Bunkhouse was officially dedicated Roger B. Chaffee and expanded to memorialize the sacrifice he gave to science and the space program. The Lodge features a photo of Mr. Chaffee as well as news articles about him framed in the common area.[3]

In 2008 the Reservation built a replica of Fort Clatsop, the fort that Lewis and Clark built when they reached the pacific. In 2012 they were recognized by the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation with the Meritorious Achievement Award for its construction and use in youth programming.[4]

Resident Camping

Gerber Scout Reservation has two Resident camps Gerber Scout Camp that serves Boy Scouts and Betty Ford Adventureland that serves Cub Scouts. In 2010 and 2011 Gerber also operated the DeVos Family Venture Base however in 2011 when Gerber Scout Reservation became a part of the Michigan Crossroads Council it was not selected to continue run its Venturing Program. The buildings from the Venture base have since been used as staff housing as the Boy Scout and Cub Scout Resident.

Gerber Scout Camp (GSC) - Boy Scout Resident Camp

Gerber Scout Camp serves boy scouts and is currently accredited through the Boy Scout National Camp Accreditation Process.

Gerber Scout camp has gone through major facilities improvements starting in 2002 and continuing through today.[5] Some of theses were the addition of a Climbing Tower and a High and Low Ropes Course. In the middle of these improvements the Dining Hall collapsed on December 24, 2008.[6] In 2009 the camp used a 500 Person Tent as its Dining Hall. The Centennial Dining Hall built was then built and opened in 2010 and seats 720 people.[7]

Program Areas[8]

Each program area is where scouts participate in actives. Each area has a theme or purpose to interest scout. The area is listed with the year it was introduced to the camp and who it was dedicated to if known.

Betty Ford Adventureland (BFA) - Cub Scout Resident Camp

Betty Ford Adventureland runs two distinct programs. One for Cub Scouts ranked Tiger through Bear that is three days two night of camping. The second is for Webelos and is four days and three nights of camping. Adventureland features a tent village where all of the Cub Scouts and Leaders camp together with a Showerhouse,Trading Post and Health Lodge right in the village.

References

  1. ↑ Todish, Tim (2009). A Legacy for the Future. p. 180. ISBN 978-09843104-0-1.
  2. ↑ Todish, Tim (2009). A Legacy for the Future. pp. 179–190. ISBN 978-09843104-0-1.
  3. ↑ "Roger B. Chaffee".
  4. ↑ "Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation Awards 2012" (PDF). Retrieved 11/25/15. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  5. ↑ "Just down the road from Owasippe, Camp Gerber thrives". MLive.com. Retrieved 2015-11-19.
  6. ↑ "Camp Gerber dining hall collapse was well-timed". MLive.com. Retrieved 2015-11-19.
  7. ↑ "Gerber Scout Camp building $1.5 million dining hall in Blue Lake Township". MLive.com. Retrieved 2015-11-19.
  8. ↑ "Boy Scout Resident Camp". archive.michiganscouting.org. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, April 02, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.