Camp Powhatan Team Page

There’s nothing like it. You can imagine it, just like it was yesterday. Driving through the winding roads of Hiwassee, making the turn onto Max Creek Rd, passing the warehouse and taking the final right onto the camp road with the old furnace in full view. 2 miles of driving at 25 MPHish over 6 rickety bridges (hoping Charlie is truly at home because you saw his Suburban there). More big turns with beautiful views of Max Creek follow.

There’s the “Powhatan stretch” where we were probably going quite a bit faster than 25 MPH only to slow down as we roll past Bowles Lodge. We drive on into camp past Rockridge and the lake, past Scoutcraft on the left, Handicraft and the office on the right. There’s the Parade Field and the Dining Hall, and at this point in the summer the field is still green and awaiting thousands of campers to trample over it in the coming weeks.

It's been ten years since I experienced the excitement of driving to camp to start my summer. Not a summer goes by that I don’t think about it. Some of my fondest memories and very best friends came from my time working at Powhatan.

This will be the first summer in the life of the Reservation that summer camp staff members will not have the opportunity to experience that same drive and the same great memories you and I had. This is the first summer that young campers, many going off for their first summer camp experience, won’t have the opportunity to cut their finger in woodcarving or take a jump off the Blob. There are so many that will not experience a Friday night campfire or be tapped out to begin their Ordeal.

Scouting is in a tough place. Summer camp has been cancelled due to coronavirus. The council has had to refund over $1 million in camp fees and will miss out on over $500,000 in revenue that they were banking on to help deliver the scouting program in the Blue Ridge Mountains Council for the next year.

It’s up to you, me, and our fellow camp staff members to help ensure these experiences can happen next summer and well into the future.

Fortunately, there are those of us who care too much about our camp and about the reservation. And there happens to be an opportunity for us to pitch in.

There won’t be a Reservation Olympics on the Reservation this year, but there’s another way that we can share in some fun, beat the pants off our friends at Ottari and Claytor Lake, while also helping the camp we love so much.

On June 24th the Reservation is participating in GiveLocalNRV. It’s a day of giving that puts us in direct competition with camp alumni from the other camps. More importantly, it’s a day of giving to make sure camp memories live on.

I’ve made both a financial commitment and a commitment to reach as many Powhatan alums as I can find to ask that they will join in giving back. Camp Powhatan needs your help. By helping during the GiveLocalNRV giving day we will bring awareness to the scouting movement and also extend giving from the Community Foundation of the New River Valley as they will be pitching in money throughout the day.

Will you consider a gift today, right now, to help out the camp we love?

 GiveLocalNRV takes place on June 24th, but you can make your gift right now and schedule it for that day.

It’s easy to make your gift.  Just click the DONATE button below.

I’ve got one other big ask – please share that you made a gift with a fellow camp staff member. If you could make it 2 or 3, that’s even better. Please also share it on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. I’ve include a photo that you can post on each of those.

Thank you for what you are doing for scouts and future camp staffers. We’re going to make sure, right now, that they have the best summer camping experience in 2021.

Thank you for what you have done for scouting and for Camp Powhatan. Above all, I am grateful for your friendship.