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The Reservation Today For many of us, serving on summer camp staff at the Blue Ridge Scout Reservation has been a highlight of our lives. We made lasting friendships, and a few even found their partners for life! We were paid to do something that we often would've enjoyed doing for free, if we could afford it. A summer spent on the lake, or canoeing, rafting and hiking... teaching basic scouting skills to young people... hanging out with folks who shared our interests — it was almost like a paid vacation, if the hours weren't so long. Summer camp was our first real job, and we learned that the boss expected us to show up on time for meals and classes. Hot, dirty jobs could almost be enjoyable, with the right friends and a "can do" attitude. There were strict rules for behavior, dress, and language that we carefully followed - except for those times we didn't. We howled at the moon until the wee hours, but still had to make a 7 a.m. breakfast. Status and responsibility went to those who worked long hours, and who still spent extra time helping a Scout or leader with a problem. Our reservation is one of the great success stories of scout camping. Twenty years ago, we were camping about 1,000 Scouts a summer. In 2006, we camped nearly 10,000 scouts from 32 states, and one group from France. Over the years, we added Camp Ottari, High Knoll Trail, New River Adventure, Claytor Lake Aquatics Base, Voyageur Trek, Fish Camp, Mountain Man Camp, and the Brownsea Island program. We probably offer the most varied camping menu in the BSA! While many things have changed over the years, certain elements never do. Our strength has always been a superior staff whose work ethic, responsibility and enthusiasm have inspired boys, and impressed adults. We are still located on an abandoned pig iron mine, and – with the help of filtration – we no longer turn orange after drinking the water for two months. The lakes are still liquid ice – but we celebrate that now with a weekly "Polar Bear Swim" for those crazy enough to jump in at 6 a.m. A full nights sleep is still just 5 hours. The camp food has gotten better, but you still yearn for mom's home cooking. And, unbelievably, no one gains weight over the summer! The trails are still rugged and filled with rocks, yet the mountains have actually gotten much steeper in the last twenty-five years, according to my experience. It's still a marvelous place to raise boys into young men, and to help camp staff develop into exceptional adults. Please come and visit. Your efforts made us successful, and helped to change the lives of tens of thousands of youth.
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