Scout reservation celebrates 50th anniversary
COSHOCTON – Brothers Bill and John Guegold were part of the Muskingum Valley Scout Reservation first staff when it opened 50 years ago.
“Back then we slept in tents like the campers and there were times it rained so hard that it would blow right under your bunk,” Bill said.
Another memory he has is being bused to Conesville Elementary for meals. Campers today though have a dining hall to enjoy meals in and staff members sleep in cabins.
“The camp has seen phenomenal growth,” John said.
He is still involved with scouts in the Columbus area and Bill is a life member of the National Eagle Scout Association. Both were in Coshocton July 12 to take part in the scout reservation’s 50th anniversary celebration.
“A lot of kids don’t get the chance to be involved in nature so this (the camp) gives them the chance to experience that,” Bill said.
Visitors were invited to tour the site to see how it’s changed and what campers were working on, enjoy games and supper and take part in a camp fire.
“We are excited to see all the folks come back to camp and for them to see that we are still changing lives,” said Ed Mulholland, scout executive with the Boy Scouts of America Muskingum Valley Council.
He was especially looking forward to showing visitors the dining hall, the metal roofs that replaced 45 year old ones that were starting to go bad and how Boy Scouts are incorporating STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) lessons into their projects.
“That (STEM) is not something they would have had here years ago,” Mulholland said. “The stand up boards for the lake also are something we didn’t have even 10 years ago.”
Linda Udischas, business manager at the camp, believes one reason people are drawn back to the camp year after year is the staff.
“We are more of a family and love meeting people,” she said.
Her children grew up being involved in Boy Scouts and this is now her 31st season at the camp.
“It’s a really neat summer out here,” Udischas said. “I’m out here every year and just love it.”
Staff members Kevin Peyton and Matt Winland also love working with the campers and giving them new experiences.
“Adults get to be kids again out here,” said Winland as he prepared to teach an archery lesson.
Peyton was getting ready to work with Matthew Sayers from Boy Scout Troop 6035 out of Morrow County in the area of camp set aside for using shotguns.
“A lot of kids haven’t been around guns so out here they can learn how to properly handle them and about safety,” Peyton said. “Camp gives kids opportunities that they don’t have at home.”
John Guegold also believes being involved in Boy Scouts and going to camp accomplishes another goal.
“It turns boys into men,” he said.
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