Rotary Scout Reservation
family resource guide
Family Resource Guide
Welcome to the Family Resource Guide, designed especially for parents. Here you will find access to all of the resources you need to ensure that your son’s visit to Rotary Scout Reservation is a memorable success. If you do not see something that you are looking for, please contact Brian Murray, Camp Director, at campdirector@rsrbsa.org.
Family Night BBQ
Every Wednesday night during RSR Summer Camp is Family Night and you’re invited! Join us as we celebrate BSA’s Centennial Anniversary with a birthday party one hundred years in the making. For all the details, including updated ticket prices, please visit our Family Night BBQ page.
Council Camperships Available
Camperships to attend Summer Camp at RSR are available to Scouts in Twin Rivers Council units who have demonstrated financial need. Camperships may be used to cover a portion of the Scout’s fee to attend camp, frequently in conjunction with other fundraising opportunities. To apply for a Twin Rivers Council Campership, please submit the following application to the Council Service Center by April 1st.
Download the Council Campership form here: 2013 Campership Application.pdf
Provisional Camping
A Scout who is unable to go to camp with his own troop or wishes to got to camp for a second week without his unit will be assigned to a RSR provisional troop. Typically, provisional campers are placed with carefully selected existing troops and function as a member of that troop for the week. In some cases, a larger number of provisional campers will be formed into a separate troop for the week, with trained, qualified leadership provided by the camp staff.
Download the Provisional Camping Registration Form here: 2013 Provisional Camping Registration Form.pdf
Scouts Love Mail:
Scout’s Name
Troop # and/or Campsite
Rotary Scout Reservation
279 Davitt Lake Road
Averill Park, NY 12018
Phone: (518) 283-4794
Fax: (518) 286-2374
What To Bring To Camp
Unsure what your Scout needs for a week of camp? We’ve compiled a handy list of suggested items most Scouts need. Individual needs may vary.
Download the suggested Summer Camp Packing List here: Camper Packing List.pdf
Please remember that while all campers are expected to behave in a Scout-like manner, the Camp is not responsible for valuables lost or stolen while at camp. Also consider that electronic devices may be affected by heat and humidity while at camp.
Contacting Your Scout At Camp
Every Scout enjoys receiving letters or care packages from home while at camp. Incoming mail arrives at the Camp Office, where it is then given to Scoutmasters for distribution to the boys. Mail to camp should be sent at least three days in advance to ensure that it arrives while the Scout is still at camp.
To help prevent homesickness, it is important for parents to refrain from comments such as “We miss you very much,” “it’s lonely without you,” etc. This is especially true for our first year campers.
Camp Mailing Address:
Scout’s Name
Troop # and/or Campsite
Rotary Scout Reservation
279 Davitt Lake Road
Averill Park, NY 12018
Phone: (518) 283-4794
Fax: (518) 286-2374
All phone messages will be placed in the troop mailbox for leader pickup. Emergency messages will be delivered immediately. Please indicate clearly that a message is an emergency.
Camp Cell Phone Policy
While the camp does not officially prohibit the use of cell phones by Scouts, we do support and encourage troops to adopt such a policy while at Summer Camp. The use of cell phones and other electronic equipment can distract a Scout from the numerous outdoor program opportunities available to him at camp.
The use of cell phones by Scouts may also encourage homesickness and allows a Scout to circumvent the responsible unit and camp leadership when upset. The Camp Staff is trained in how to support the troop leadership when dealing with cases of homesickness, but can do so only when informed before a parent arrives to take the boy home. The camp phone is always available for any Scout who wishes to call home (with the approval of his Scoutmaster), and many Scoutmasters are happy to allow Scouts to use their personal cell phones when needed to contact home.
Camper Release Form
If your son needs to leave camp at any point during the week, such as for a baseball game or doctor’s appointment, it is important that the troop and camp leadership be made aware of his departure and any plans for his return. This is especially true if someone other than the Scout’s parents will be picking him up. If you plan to remove your Scout from camp, you must complete a Camper Release Form, which the Scoutmaster must sign, and submit the form at the Camp Office when signing the Scout out. It is best to do this ahead of time, in case the Scoutmaster is unavailable to sign the form when you arrive.
Positive ID will be required of anyone removing a Scout from camp.
Download the Camper Release Form here: Camper Release Form.pdf
The Rotary Scout Reservation Camp Planning Guide is now available for download. The Camp Planning Guide features information for parents and unit leaders regarding campsite registration, camp policies and guidelines, and health and safety procedures.
Download the Camp Planning Guide here: Camp Planning Guide.pdf
For the latest information on camp fees, campsite availability, please visit our Registration page.
Camp Planning Guide Available
Annual Health and Medical Record
BSA has released the newest update to the BSA Annual Health and Medical Record 2013. Please distribute the new form to all camp participants, including adult leaders who will be staying at camp. This form is mandatory for camp participants and must be completed by a licensed health care provider.
To learn what you need to know about the new Health Form, and to download your copy today, please visit our Health & Safety Information page.
Twin Rivers Council, BSA
Merit Badge Prerequisites
The merit badge program at RSR is specifically designed to reflect the outdoor experience of camp. As a result, nearly all merit badges offered may be completed entirely at camp. In some cases, however, a requirement may be more easily or necessarily completed at home. In such cases the Scout is asked to bring evidence of completion for review by his merit badge counselor. The list of merit badges that contain prerequisites may be found here: Merit Badge Prerequisites 2013.pdf
2013 Program Schedule is Here!
The 2013 RSR Summer Camp program schedule is here, featuring over 40 merit badges - including Search and Rescue Merit Badge!
Search and Rescue is one of BSA’s newest merit badges, introduced in June 2012. This is a unique, older boy experience that will fit right at home as part of RSR’s Community Safety program alongside longtime favorites such as First Aid, Fire Safety, and Emergency Preparedness.
To see everything RSR will be offering this summer, please download the 2013 Daily Program Schedule.
