Program areas & descriptions

So-Kee-Tay (First-Year Program)

The So-Kee-Tay program is designed to provide first year Scouts with a structured introduction to camp program. The name “So-Kee-Tay” comes from the name of the junior program of Camp Chadwick and early Wah-Tut-Ca. So-Kee-Tay utilizes other program areas such as Discovery, Frontier, and Aquatics to promote fun and the learning of basic skills in a patrol environment where rank requirements will be covered organically.

Opportunities Summary:

Merit Badges: Moviemaking (afternoon)

Rank Requirements: Various Requirements from Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class. Please refer to the So-Kee-Tay guide for more information on the basic outlines of the program.

Other: Totin’ Chit, Firem’n Chip

Archery

As always, qualified instruction is available to improve shooting for the first time archer as well as the seasoned archer. Instruction is also available for Scoutmasters! Scouts may go into the area to learn about the parts of the bow and arrow, or how to repair and make arrows and bowstrings.

Awards will also be given to the best shooters in camp. Scouts may earn the Silver arrow for beating their Scoutmaster’s score, the Gold Arrow for the highest score in the troop and the Platinum Arrow for the highest score in camp.

Opportunities Summary:

Merit Badges: Archery

Other: Free shoot, Tomahawks, Silver Arrow, Gold Arrow, Platinum Arrow

Rifle Range

Shooters may go to the Rifle Range to use a .22 caliber rifle. There are multiple staff members on the range at all times who provide personal instruction to the first time shooter who wants to learn the basics or for the experienced marksman who just wants to improve their shot.

Shotgun shooting is also available during the week. We recommend the use of the 20 gauge shotgun for smaller Scouts or first time shooters. However, for those experienced shooters, the 12 gauge is all yours!

Scouts may earn the Silver Bullet for beating their Scoutmaster’s score, the Gold Bullet for the highest score in his Troop, and the Platinum Bullet for the highest score in camp for that week. There are many fun and exciting activities, such as shotgun shooting and muzzleloader interactive demonstrations, so go check it out!

Opportunities Summary:

Merit Badges: Rifle Shooting, Shotgun Shooting

Other: Free shoot, Silver Bullet, Gold Bullet, and Platinum Bullet

Trading Post

The Trading Post offers Salesmanship merit badge. Due to the nature of the area we are only able to offer this badge during the afternoon program session. The merit badge will not be offered during evening program due to the increased demand for treats. We really encourage you to start the badge on Monday or Tuesday so that you can do your project and finish before the end of the week. If you have any questions about their availability just check in with the Trading Post staff.

Opportunities Summary:

Merit Badge: Salesmanship

Discovery

Discovery is Wah-Tut-Ca’s technology, nature, science and exploration center. The Discovery program consists of every activity from a simple scientific hike around camp to a night long Leave No Trace Backpacking Outpost in the backwoods. The natural world of WTCSR can be explored through Discovery’s self-directed Nature Trail. These stations allow Scouts to explore a wide range of topics at their own pace. Among the many interesting topics studied at the Discovery are: astronomy, ecology, natural history, native history, oceanography and the exploration of the many mysteries buried within the land of Wah-Tut-Ca.

Opportunities Summary:

Rank Requirements: Scout 1E; Tenderfoot 4b, 5abc 7b; Second Class 1b, 3abcd, 4, 8e ; First Class 1b, 4ab, 5abcd, 9d

Merit Badges: Environmental Science, Mammal Study, Soil and Water Conservation, Space Exploration, Chemistry, Geology, Exploration

Other: Archeology, Astronomy, Bird Studies, Oceanography, Nature Hikes, Nuclear Science, Leave No Trace Outpost Camping, Geology, Swamp Stomps, Soil Study, Native American History, Meteorology, Bottle Rockets (Please bring your own 2-liter bottles), Troop Conservation Award, World Conservation Award, Leave No Trace Certification

The Frontier

The Frontier is the outdoor skills program founded in the Outdoor Code of Scouting. This area is an unique place in which scouts can learn about camping, how to survive in the wilderness, how to build pioneering structures including forts in the area, and how to cook, as well as several other skills. In addition to working on merit badges and rank advancement, scouts can also build fires in fire pits, tie knots and use their lashing skills to make forts, make rope, and use wood tools in the ax-yard.

Opportunities Summary:

Rank Requirements: Scout 4ab, 5; Tenderfoot 1c, 2bc; Second Class 2abcdefg; First Class 2abc, 3abcd

Merit Badges: Camping, Cooking, Emergency Preparedness, Pioneering, Wilderness Survival, Indian Lore (with handicrafts)

Other: Paul Bunyan Woodsman, Leave No Trace, Trek Safely, Axe yard

Sports

Not only can you work on merit badges, but you’ll be able to get in a pickup game of anything from Basketball to Gaga Ball, to Pickle ball, to Bocce ball, to even pogo stick competitions. If you want serious competition you can enter your Troop or friends into one of our sports brackets and challenge other teams to a game.

Opportunities Summary:

Rank Requirements: Tenderfoot 6abc

Merit Badges: Sports, Athletics, Golf, Personal Fitness, Chess

Other: Various tournaments, pick-up games, water polo, GaGa ball

Handicrafts

Handicrafts is the Reservation's arts and crafts center. Scouts can work on a variety of projects in paint, clay, wax, etc. There are a wide variety of projects and materials for Scouts to use as they please to stimulate their creativity. The area provides Scouts every opportunity to express themselves through all types of artwork. Handicrafts will run programs such as tie dye, finger painting, splatter paint, sand art, making wax models, clay sculpting, etc. Scouts are given an opportunity to display their work in an art gallery at the end of the week. Also, housed in a shed next to Abbott Lodge is the infamous Dorothy, the kiln. Scouts can make clay projects by hand or use the pottery wheel, and have the staff fire them for pick up later in the week.

Opportunities Summary:

Merit Badges: Art, Basketry, Painting, Indian Lore (With Frontier), Sculpture, Pottery,

Other: Patrol Flag Making, Wire Art, Tie-Dyeing, Craft Stick Sculptures, Hemp Jewelry, Fused Glass, Wax Candle Making, And Much, Much More!

Workshop

As subset of the handicrafts program at Wah-Tut-Ca is the Workshop. The workshop is geared toward older, creative, crafty Scouts. The Workshop will run programs that include leatherwork, woodwork, and metalwork.

Opportunities Summary:

Merit Badges: Leatherworking, Wood Carving, Metalworking

Other: Leather Tooling, Metalworking, Woodworking, Wood burning, Spoon Rings, and much more!

Aquatics

With over a mile of shoreline, we have two separate aquatic areas! Each aquatic area will have its own expertise and program delivery. Make sure you advise your Scouts to go to the correct aquatic area depending on what they are looking to do.

The Waterfront (where the boathouse is) will offer the boating merit badges, free swim, free boat, and free sailing. This is also where to go for mile swim. The schedule will feature skills extravaganza, Mile Swim, and BSA Snorkeling from 9-9:45am in the morning, and 2-2:45pm in the afternoon. All merit badges, free swim, and free boat will be offered in the morning and afternoon sessions.

The Bay (down by Lower Wannalancit) is the aquatic area for swimming and lifesaving merit badge. Lifesaving is offered in the morning program session and swimming is offered in the afternoon program session. This is also the place to go to learn to become a better swimmer and solidify the skills and techniques needed to pass the swim test.

We offer many exciting opportunities and adventures on Northwood Lake with our Aquatics program. Scouts will be able to play on our water-park, search for a sunken motorboat, or take a variety of vessels beyond our boating area to explore the lake. Our motor boat, The Red Zeppelin is available for scouts to go tubing, water skiing, and wake-boarding. These activities are open to Troops and Patrols who sign up for through the Rare Adventure Program.

Opportunities Summary:

Rank Requirements: Second Class 5ABCD; First Class 6ABCDE

Merit Badges: Canoeing, Lifesaving, Small Boat Sailing, Swimming, Kayaking, and Water Sports

Other: Swimming and Boating skills instruction, Free swim, Free boat, Mile Swim, BSA Kayaking, BSA Snorkeling, Safety Afloat, Safe Swim Defense. BSA Aquatics Supervision Swimming and Water Rescue, BSA Aquatics Supervision Paddle Craft Safety.

Climbing

Climbing is a fun and exciting program whose popularity is growing quickly in Scout camps across the nation. Scouts taking the Climbing merit badge will begin the week with a basic introduction to climbing knots, gear, and skills. Participants will then work their way through the Climbing merit badge requirements. Basic skill work will be done on our bouldering wall. More intensive work can be done with our climbing tower once the basics are understood. By the end of the week we’ll venture out of camp to some great natural climbing routes in Pawtuckaway State Park. People just looking for something to do will also be able to get some hands on instruction and try out the wall as well.

Opportunities Summary:

Merit Badges: Climbing, First- Aid

Other: The Helix, bouldering wall, Climb on Safely