Camp Buckskin Overview
Camp Buckskin of Read Scout Reservation is the finest dining hall camp in the Northeast. Offering a wide variety of traditional advancement programs and the benefits of the Summit high adventure activities, a week at Buckskin is a true adventure for your Scouts. Our pledge to you is to do everything in our power to ensure that your Scouts have a camp experience they will always treasure. If you see something that needs improvement, please point it out to us immediately. A correction improves the week for your Scouts and all that follow.

Camp Map  [PDF, 23K]

Advancement Schedule

The First Day in Camp
Check-In
Check-in will be at the Dining Hall beginning at 1:00 p.m. The Business Manager will check over the unit's roster and payment records.  The roster form is available in the Download section of this site.

	By Joe Ronca

Note: Any outstanding camper fees will be collected at this time!

Units (with Leaders) will be allowed to enter Camp beginning at 1:00 p.m. The unit should make plans to arrive together, along with their Leader.

Camp Orientation
A staff guide will meet your troop upon your arrival in camp. They will accompany you to your campsite. With the senior patrol leader and the scoutmaster, the site guide will inspect the campsite equipment. A camp orientation will then be conducted by the site guide. Before leaving the site, each Scout and Leader should have changed into swimming gear and have his medical form and any medication.

Medical Recheck
There will be a medical recheck at the Dining Hall. The health officer or his designee will check and collect all medical forms and any medication. Blank medical forms are available at the Council Service Center and are available in the Download section of this site. Buddy tags will be issued at this time. Your guide will bring these to the waterfront.

If any child or adult has any special needs due to medical or physical disabilities, please notify the Health Officer and Camp Director immediately upon medical check.

Swim Check
A swim check will take place at the waterfront. Buddy tags will be kept at the waterfront. Several waterfront rules will be explained by the staff. Each scout should understand these rules. These rules will be enforced by the waterfront staff throughout the week.

By Joe Ronca

Opening night retreat

Camp Tour
A camp tour will follow the swim check. Everyone in the troop should participate in this tour even if they are veterans of the camp. Each of the program areas visited will have a staff member who will explain the program and answer any questions. Troops should sign up for troop activities offered at the various program areas during the camp tour. 

Leaders' Meeting
A unit leaders meeting will take place at 4:30 p.m. on the back porch of the dining hall. It is required that at least one adult leader and the senior patrol leader from each troop attend. If supervision of your campsite is needed due to a leader's attendance at this meeting, an adult staff member will be assigned to the campsite upon request.

During this meeting you will plan the rest of your troop activities for the week. You should know prior to this meeting what your troop wishes to do for activities. Troops who have signed up in advance should attend as well. New camp opportunities as well as other important information will discussed. 

Retreat
Formal retreat will be held at 5:45 p.m. on the parade field. Troops' formation will be discussed at the Scoutmasters' meeting. Class A uniform is expected; troop and patrol flags are welcome.

Dinner
Waiters (1 per table) should report to the dining hall at 5:30 p.m. Dinner will be served at 6:00 p.m.

Merit Badge Sign-up
Merit badge sign-up will be held inside the dining hall beginning at 7:15PM.  All Scouts badges should have been registered here well before coming to camp. Unit Leaders can make any changes that their Scouts may have. This eliminates the crush of having two hundred plus Scouts trying to make changes at once. If a unit only has one or two leaders, the Senior Patrol Leader may also participate. The easiest way to get through this process is to have all badges registered before arrival in camp.

It is critical that you have a schedule made out with each boy before coming to camp. The advancement system on the internet will allow you to print out a master schedule for your troop. Simply make note of any changes or additions before Sunday evening. Please be aware that some very popular badges may have limitations on the number of Scouts that can be instructed properly and safely. If a badge is over booked, a system has been established where each troop gets a boy in the class for every so many Scouts in camp. The ratio is established based on the demand for the badge. Badges that may be limited during the heavier attended weeks include swimming, lifesaving, archery, rifle shooting, canoeing, small boat sailing, climbing, shotgun shooting and horsemanship. These limits will be evident on the reservation pages.

Opening Campfire
The opening campfire is the final event of the day. It will begin at 8:30 p.m. at the campfire ring. The campfire is put on by the staff.

Taps
Taps is at 10:00 p.m. Everyone should be back in their campsites and getting ready for the next day.

Daily and Weekly Themes
Daily Themes

• Tuesday of each week - Counselor-In-Training Day: CIT's will run retreat on this day.
• Wednesday of each week - Order of the Arrow Day: OA members are encouraged to wear OA T-shirts during the day, and their sashes to retreat.
• Thursday of each week - Theme Day: Scouts and leaders are encouraged to dress for the theme for retreat and dinner. (See below)

Weekly Themes
During the summer each week of camp will follow a different theme. Various camp programs will be designed around these themes and the camp atmosphere will reflect the theme.

The themes for 2010 are below:

Week 1– Sports
Week 2 - Super Hero
Week 3 - Shrek
Week 4 - Pirate
Week 5 - Broadway
Week 6 - Monty Python
 

Rainy Day Program
The regularly scheduled camp program continues, rain or shine. The waterfront program may need to be adjusted in the case of an electrical storm, but everything else operates as normal.

Additional program options may be added during open program periods in the dining hall at Buckskin. Announcements will be made as necessary.

BOSS
During the week troops compete for the BOSS (Best of Scout Skills) award. It is given out on the basis of a troop’s participation in camp programs. This award is given to one troop each week.

Camp Newspaper
The camp daily newspaper will be distributed each day at breakfast. Updates on program happenings as well as important inspection information will be contained in the newspaper. Leaders should post the newspaper on their bulletin boards.

Trading Post
Camp Buckskin's Trading Post is located at the back of the Camp Office. 

Opening Day: 1:00 - 5:00 PM
Weekdays: 8:50 - NOON
1:50 - 4:45 PM
6:50 - 8:30 PM
Closing Day: After retreat until 11:00 AM

The trading post is stocked with an assortment of patches, cups, merit badge pamphlets, Scouting supplies, camp T-shirts, soda and various other items. No candy will be sold just before meals.

Flag Ceremonies
Camp Buckskin holds flag raising at 7:50 a.m. and retreat at 5:50 p.m. daily.

Full class "A" uniform is requested at all retreats except the "Weekly Theme" day.

Showers
Camp Buckskin has two shower houses—one near Teheco camp site and just above Scoutcraft on the Trans-Siberian trail.

There are separate showers times posted for Scouts and Adults. These times must be adhered to. Adults must not be in the showers when boys are present.

A shower cleaning schedule will be posted. Please adhere to this to keep these facilities clean!

Trash Separation
Trash must be separated for recycling per local laws. Further details will be available here in late spring and from your Commissioner when you arrive in camp.

	By Joe Ronca
	Campsite life

Campsite Inspection
Campsite inspection will be conducted daily by your Commissioner. Each troop will be responsible for a specific area of camp to clean as well. Specific details will be distributed at the opening day leaders meeting.

Meals
Camp Buckskin meal times

• Breakfast: 8:00 a.m.
• Lunch: 12:15 p.m.
• Dinner: 6:00 p.m.

Waiters are to report to the Dining Hall 20 minutes before meals. One waiter per table is needed. Dining Hall procedure will be explained during the opening day camp tour.

Full Class "A" uniform is requested at all dinners, except the "Weekly Theme" day.

Please note that the first served meal for Troops arriving Sunday is supper. Sunday brunch is not included in the camp fee except between weeks for unit staying multiple weeks.  Any unit wishing to make special arrangements for extra meals must contact the Central Office by Thursday of the previous week.

Siesta
A quiet period will be observed at Buckskin following lunch until 2:00 p.m.

By Tom Chlupsa

Handicraft lodge