2015 has been an incredible year for New England Base Camp. So much has happened that it is near impossible to make a top list for the year. With that being said, here is our top ten moments or events for 2015:
10) We started to host Birthday Parties at Base Camp
This is a new way for us to reach out to families that are involved in Scouting and to families that are potentially interested in Scouting. Families can come and for a low price get 4 hours of program for the group, a room to host their party and a birthday cake. This service is offered every weekend that program is being offered. My favorite moment with the parties was the Sweet 16 party that we hosted.
9) Andrew Kelly
You may not have heard about Andrew Kelly, but you will. He is an 18 year old swimmer from Belmont that trains with our friends at the Shamrock Swim 5 days a week and he made the Olympic Tryouts. This summer he was invited to a special training session where he got to swim with Michael Phelps! This is not a one off with Shamrock. This is the second year in a row where we have had a swimmer be invited to try out for the National Team!
8) Changes to the Egan Center
If you walk straight to the program areas instead of walking into the Egan Center when you come to Base Camp, you are missing a HUGE difference from last year. When you walk in, you will see our display of famous Massachusetts scouts on the wall. 56 Scouts and former Scouts are being displayed and more are being added on a regular basis. Walk down the hall and you will see kids working on their climbing skills on our bouldering wall. Once you get to the end of the hall, you will walk straight into the STEM Room where you can spend hours building dinosaurs, identifying the animals of the Blue Hills or designing the tree house that we are going to build. Before you walk about the door, take a look to your right. We hope you will never need it, but there is our new 1st Aid Center.
7) Service Projects
Several groups and Scout Units have come out to Base Camp this year and worked on service projects. Companies like Vertex brought a whole crew of volunteers to work on painting the walls, installing the program signs around the camp and getting the cabins ready for renovation. Several units have done service projects at camp. Some of them, like Pack 42’s owl houses, worked on a service project at the Pack level and then installed them on a day outing to camp. Are you or your unit interested in helping out and doing a service project? Contact us today to let us assist you.
6) Will Bales and HyperShock
Eagle Scout Will Bales has become a huge part of the New England Base Camp experience. Will has been very generous with his time and came out to Day Camp this summer, along with his robot HyperShock, and spent the day talking about robotics. You may know Will from the TV show BattleBots. If you don’t, one of your Scouts will. Equally exciting is that Will has agreed to teach Robots Merit Badge at STEM Camp this April Vacation. I am sure that will make a highlight for 2016 as well!
5) Boy’s Life and P.R
New England has been getting lots of exposure for the program that we have been developing and rolling out. If started with an article in the Globe on March 1st about the year round program that we offer (https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/south/2015/03/01/move-boy-scouts-camp-for-all-seasons/yeRbQFNP3vkg5IGkEp29AI/story.html). Not to be outdone, the Patriot Ledger ran an article this fall about Base Camp being open to the public (http://www.patriotledger.com/article/20150918/NEWS/150915802). The biggest press came this December in Boy’s Life. If you missed it, we are featured in the center of the magazine about our amazing winter program.
4) STEM Camp
Once again we hosted an amazing STEM Camp at New England Base Camp. This year we hosted Scott Lagasse Jr. at camp along with his NASCAR. Every participant got to spend time talking to Scotty and take a look at his car. Scouts in the Nuclear Science Merit Badge took a field trip to MIT where they took a tour of the Fusion Department.
3) Peter and Paul Reynolds
Twin brothers Peter (and Eagle Scout) and Paul (a Star Scout) stopped by Pumpkinfest this year where they hosted a little drawing session and a book signing. Not only is an Eagle Scout, but he is also the author and illustrator of “The Dot”. One of the many jobs that Peter and Paul do is the CEO’s of the animation company FableVision. I am always excited to see Peter and Paul, but this time they announced that they, along with FableVision, will be hosting Animation Merit Badge at STEM Camp in 2016. As an added bonus, Peter produced an amazing piece of artwork for the Famous Scout exhibit in the Egan Center
https://www.facebook.com/nebasecamp/videos
2) The Winter Program
in 2014 we started to play with the winter program. In 2015 we expanded what we offered. The big program being offered is our Ice Climbing, but Scouts, groups and families can come and enjoy ice skating, swimming, shooting, sledding and snurfing, how to build a quincy, and much more. The ice climbing is already sold out for 2016, but that does not mean that you can not come and enjoy the other program. Call today, 617-615-0004, to book your winter adventure
1) Change of names
There is a big difference between Camp Sayre and New England Base Camp. Camp Sayre is a beautiful place to come and go camping. After all, you are in the middle of the Blue Hills. New England Base Camp is the premiere location to do outdoor activities. With 15 different program areas and over 250 different activities that are offered every weekend, you will find yourself coming over and over. So come and camp at Camp Sayre and enjoy a day that you will not soon forget at New England Base Camp.
