Reneker

Third is Camp Reneker (Go For It). This camp serves the families of scout campers, and is located on the south end of the reservation on holton-whitehall road. While the idea of having families near a Boy Scout Camp may seem a bit modern, Camp Reneker is actually the longest continuously operating staffed camp on property. It was built in 1965 as and updated version Family Camp, which actually holds the title of being the second oldest camp in Owasippe history. The site that Camp Reneker still operates on is different spot then the original Family Camp was built on, with the original Crystal Lake Family Camp being located just east of Stuart and Beard. In any case, anything left of the previous camp, which operated between the 1920s and 1950s seems to be long gone. Everything relating to the modern Camp Reneker including pool, cabins, and lodge for families to visit was built in 1965, although the lodge that used to occupy the space that the tent currently inhabits has since burned down. Today, Reneker has a fully staffed program for people of all ages, although it’s up to the families to feed themselves. Family Camp was renamed Camp Reneker several years following its founding. One of the unique historical aspects of Camp Reneker was that it was historically staffed only by women, going back to the 1960s. While it’s taken for granted that women are allowed to be on staff, and that women can even come to Owasippe, it’s worth noting that this was not remotely the case even 40 years ago. Boy Scout camps usually didn’t have female staff outside from perhaps a nurse, and although administration roles were sometimes filled by women (oftentimes the wives of other staff members) much of Owasippe’s staff was dominated by men. For a girl to get involved in scouting, their choices were either the Girl Scouts (or some other youth program) or working at Family Camp. And so the Family Camp at Owasippe became one of the few places that women could get involved with Boy Scout camping. This began to change in the 1980s and 1990s, as more and more women began to show up in regular staffing roles, but the extent that women played a role in Owasippe history is uncommon if not totally unique in the history of Boy Scout Camping. Keep in mind, that not too many council camps have a fully-staffed, programmed family camp. To this day, many families still return to camp Reneker year after year, and have become as part of Owasippe history as any troop.