Past Web Page News Notes
AUGUST, 2025, NEWS
- It is now possible to join the Massawepie Alumni Association, or to renew your membership, online! Click
here.
Thanks to Matt Thurston and Jacob Emery for figuring out how to make this available! ($1 processing fee is added to online dues.)
- A new Massawepie History chapter is now available on the History Summaries page:
Peak Summer Camp Years: the 1960s.
Read how Massawepie reached its peak camper usage, with 4 camps and 6000+ boy-weeks, in 1969.
- The 1976 Camp Mountaineer Staff Photo, with all of the names(!), has been added to the
Camp Mountaineer Staff Photos page. Thanks to Patrick Burns, Doug Downs, and Jeff Cook.
Also, the 2008 & 2011 Camp Pioneer Staff Photos have been added to the Camp Pioneer Staff Photos page,
thanks to Jacob Emery and Mary Beth Boyle. Also thanks to Jon Northrup for supplying many names for the 2008 photo.
If you can add any names or staff positions to the 2008 or 2011 keys, or if you can supply a copy of the 2008 Camp Pioneer Staff Roster,
please contact Peter Collinge.
- The photo below shows this year's excellent Massawepie Camp Pioneer staff! The 2025 Trek Staff Photo and
Ranger Staff Photo are also found on those separate pages.
(Click on the photo for a larger version.)
JUNE, 2025, NEWS
- A new Massawepie History chapter is now available on the History Summaries page:
From One Camp to Three: 1953-1959.
Read how Massawepie grew during the 1950s, including the building of Camps Mountaineer and Voyageur.
- Three new documents are now posted on the Massawepie Historical Documents: 1952-59 webpage:
a 1953 camp flyer, a 1958 letter about new camp chapels, and a 1958 Campital Campaign flyers containing budgets.
- Two magazine articles (from 2025 and 2022) describing bicycle rides in the Massawepie area have now been linked on the
Massawepie in the Media webpage.
- An updated Camp Pioneer map has been added to the Massawepie Maps page (scroll to the bottom).
- The Alumni Association's 2025 Annual Meeting was held in the Pioneer Dining Hall on May 31. In addition to electing officers and
Executive Committee members, those present heard about past accomplishments and future plans, including the upcoming 25th anniversary
celebration for the association on Saturday, Nov. 29. The attendees also approved rebranding the group to "Massawepie Alumni Association,"
in hopes of being more welcoming to supporters of Massawepie who did not work on staff. Here's a photo of the hard-working alumni volunteers
who attended Beaver Weekend and the Annual Meeting!
APRIL, 2025, NEWS
- The Alumni Association's Annual Meeting will be held on Saturday, May 31, at approximately 7:30 PM
in the Loren Hakes Campfire Circle in Camp Pioneer, weather permitting. (Otherwise, in the Pioneer Dining Hall.)
Members will find more details in the Beaver Tales newsletter that should arrive in late April or early May.
- There are still a number of staff openings for Massawepie for 2025. Tell your friends! What better way could anyone spend a summer?
For information or to apply,
click here.
- A new Massawepie History chapter is now available on the History Summaries page:
Funding, Building, and Opening Camp Pioneer.
Read the amazing story of how in only nine months the Otetiana Council raised the funds to buy and build Massawepie,
then built Camp Pioneer (thanks to the onsite leadership of Property Superintendent Harley Burgdorf) in time to open it in June, 1952,
and learn about the first summer of Massawepie as a Scout camp.
- Now posted on the Massawepie Historical Documents 1952-59 webpage: A 1953 "For Sale" ad for
Camp Eagle Island in Sodus Bay, which became surplus after Massawepie was acquired.
- Several new maps, including an updated Hiking Trail map have been added to the
Massawepie Maps page (scroll to the bottom). And several camp mugs from the 1980s have been added to the
Massawepie Memorabilia - 1980s page.
FEBRUARY, 2025, NEWS
- 2025 Massawepie Camp Director Matt Thurston is making great progress in hiring summer camp staff, with the following key
positions already filled:
Jacob Emery- Asst. Camp Director
Cordell Reynolds- Treks Director
Caryn Wright- Business Manager
Alex McBeth- CIT Director
Keegan Rhoades- Barkeater Director & Ha-De-Ron-Dah Village Director
Rob Byers- Range & Target Activities Director
Chris Tsai- Shotgun Director
Shawn Walter- Cope & Climbing Director
Jacob Spence- Handicraft Director
Matthew & Michelle Trost- Mountaineer Family Camp Directors
If you know anyone (especially lifeguards) who might like to work at Massawepie this summer, please encourage them to apply
here.
- The 1960 Camp Voyageur staff neckerchief, has been added to the
Massawepie Memorabilia - 1950s & 1960s page, thanks to Brad Van Auken. .
- Planning has begun for an alumni gathering to celebrate the Alumni Association's 25th anniversary. Save the evening of Saturday,
November 29, 2025, in the Rochester area. More details coming; we hope to see you there!
- Welcome to Cordell Reynolds who is now working full-time at Massawepie, spending part of his time as an Assistant Ranger,
and also promoting and planning the Treks program. Thanks to Phil Bartels for financial support that helped to make this position possible!
NOVEMBER, 2024, NEWS
- The Alumni Association is planning a Winter Gathering for the evening of Saturday, Dec. 28 at
L & M Lanes in Rochester. Members will find more details in the Beaver Tales newsletter that should arrive in early December.
- The 2024 Massawepie Ranger Staff photo, has been added to the
Massawepie Ranger Staff Photos page, thanks to Josh Steiner. Also, the
2024 Massawepie Trek Staff photo, has been added to the Massawepie Trek Staff Photos
page, thanks to Cordell Reynolds.
- Now posted on the Massawepie Historical Documents webpage: a sample 1988 staff evaluation and
sample 1990 ASR staff agreement, along with the 1990 Camp Mountaineer "First Days in Camp" and Merit Badge Schedule. All
were sent in by Jeremy Whitmore.
- The 1972 and 1990 Camp Forester Staff Photos have been added to the Camp Forester Staff Photos page.
Thanks to Ken McSpadden for the 1972 photo and to Heather Rhodes for the 1990 photo. If you can add any names to the keys, please contact
Peter Collinge.
- Here's a Fall photo of the Massawepie Mire, for your enjoyment:
4
AUGUST, 2024, NEWS
- Summer camp at Massawepie was great as usual, and its higher attendance this year included a significant increase in out-of-council Scouts!
Camp Pioneer and the Trek Program received full accreditation
from the National Camp Accreditation Program of the Boy Scouts of America on July 4.
- The 2024 Massawepie camp patch, 2024 Camp Volunteer mug, and new Car Magnet have been added to the
Massawepie Memorabilia - 2020s page.
- Now posted on the Massawepie Historical Documents webpage: sample staff contracts from
1964 and 1973, thaks to Paul Gorski and Dave Polansky. If you worked on camp staff since then, you might be interested in seeing what
old contracts (and pay!) looked like.
- The 1973 and 1974 Camp Forester Staff Photos have been added to the
Camp Forester Staff Photos page, the 1976 Central Staff Photo has been added to the
Central Staff Photos page, and the 1976 CIT Photos have been added to the
CIT Photos page. All of those photos are courtesy of John Poray. The 1989 Camp Forester Staff Photo
has also been added to the Camp Forester Staff Photos page, courtesy of Bill Bement.
- Another article, from 2021, has been added to the Massawepie in the Media web page.
JUNE, 2024, NEWS
- The Alumni Association's 2024 Annual Meeting was held at Massawepie on June 1, during Beaver Weekend. Attendees heard about 2023-24
activities of the Association, approved the proposed slate of officers and Executive Committee members,
and thanked Jon Northrup for his 2020-24 service as MSAA Chair. Finally, the traditional group photo was taken:
4
- A 1ink to a 1999 Adirondack Explorer article about the Massawepie Mire ("Where Mortals Can Walk on Water") has been added to the
Massawepie in the Media web page (scroll down to see it).
- The 1970 Camp Mountaineer Staff Photo has been added to the Camp Mountaineer Staff Photos page,
and the 1971 and 1974 Camp Voyageur Staff Photos have been added to the Camp Voyageur Staff Photos page.
All three new photos are courtesy of Jim Miller.
APRIL, 2024, NEWS
- There's now a new Massawepie history webpage: Massawepie in the Media. On that page you'll find a number of
places that Massawepie has been mentioned in print, from recent blogs and magazine articles to an 1897 novel. Take a look!
- Now posted on the Massawepie Historical Documents webpage: the 1969 CIT Guidebook,
the 1969-70 Troop Leader Guide, the 1970 or 1971 Staff Guidebook,
and the 1970(+/-) Trail Information and Canoe Routes booklet. Those who are more familiar with Massawepie in recent years might be
interested to see what has changed and what has remained the same.
- Several new images of 1990s Massawepie mugs have been posted on the Memorabilia - 1990s page,
including Adirondack Scout Reservation (ASR) mugs, Massawepie 40th anniversary (1992) mugs, and Beaver Weekend mugs. Thanks to Mike Leneway who
pointed out the lack of mug images from the 1990s.
FEBRUARY, 2024 NEWS
DECEMBER, 2023, NEWS
- Matt Thurston has been announced as the 2024 Massawepie Camp Director. He's looking for staff.
Interested? Visit the
2024 Camp Staff Info/Application page.
- Each fall, St. Lawrence University runs an "Adirondack Semester" with about a dozen students living at Tenderfoot Cove on Massawepie Lake.
Read a recent Adirondack Explorer article about this program
here.
- The 2023 Massawepie Camp Staff Photo has been added to the Camp Pioneer Staff Photos page,
and 2023 Ranger Staff Photo has been added to the Ranger Staff Photos page. You can also click
on the photos below to see larger images.
OCTOBER, 2023, NEWS
- October 7-9, Massawepie hosted over 90 Scouts and leaders for the Fire Tower Challenge Weekend.
Despite rainy weather, the various troops managed to climb a total of 17 different Adirondack fire towers!
- Massawepie in the News: The recent Adirondack Explorer article,
Lincoln's Sparrow: Sweet Notes from a Secretive Bird" tells of a visit to the Massawepie Mire to find this small boreal bird. And the
bog boardwalk mentioned in the article is probably the one that Massawepie maintains off the canoe carry from Boottree Pond to Deer & Townline Ponds.
This article was also found on page 59 of the September/October 2023 print edition of the Adirondack Explorer.
- Massawepie in Print: In a selection from a 1969 Adirondack Life article (excerpted on p. 381 of the 2009 3rd edition of
The Adirondack Reader), Paul Jamieson said that there are three great attractions for canoeists in southern St. Lawrence County:
the Raquette River, the Cranberry Lake/Oswegatchie River area, and "Massawepie Park, with its kame and kettle topography and its chain of lakes
and ponds strung like beads on both sides of the central esker." 71+ years of Scout campers would agree that Massawepie is a great place for
canoeing! Note: Massawepie Park was a name sometimes used by pre-BSA owners of the Massawepie property.
- Several new images of Massawepie memorabilia have been posted on the Memorabilia - 2010s and
Memorabilia - 2020s pages, including the
2019 Massawepie Outpost Camping map patch with Econ Rock outpost and the
2022 70th Anniversary Bandana with 70 years of beaver logos.
JULY, 2023, NEWS
- Scouts at Massawepie are having a great summer, thanks to a stellar staff! Camp Pioneer received full accreditation (with flying colors)
from the National Camp Accreditation Program of the Boy Scouts of America on July 13.
- The 2023 Massawepie camp patch and 2023 Camp Volunteer patch have been added to the
Massawepie Memorabilia - 2020s page.
- The Massawepie Staff Alumni Association's annual meeting was held on June 3 at the Camp Pioneer
Campfire Circle. Reports were given, Executive Committee members and officers were elected, and fellowship was shared!
(Photo below; click on it for a larger version)
MAY, 2023, NEWS
- All Alumni Association members are invited to the Annual Meeting
at 7:30 PM on Saturday, June 3 in the Loren Hakes (Camp Pioneer) Campfire Circle at Massawepie.
The slate of Executive Committee nominees is in the Spring newsletter. We hope to see you there!!!
- Another reminder for Alumni Association members: If the membership renewal form that came with your newsletter
says that your membership is expiring at the end of June, please return that form with your dues or donation NOW to keep your membership continuous.
- In 1998, the Otetiana Council signed a Conservation Easement on Massawepie with the New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation. That step was key to preserving Massawepie for the future, both by providing some funding and by reducing
any future development pressure. But how did that easement come about? One of the key players, Tom Duffus (an Eagle Scout originally from Rochester
who worked for the Adirondack Land Trust/Adirondack Nature Conservancy) has written a brief history of the process of negotiating the easement.
That history, along with a summary of the easement provisions and the actual easement language, can now be found on the
Historical Documents page (look for 1998).
- Why visit Massawepie? It's great for Scouting, but also for birds! Adirondack Life's
"2023 Guide to the Great Outdoors" (p.62) lists Massawepie Scout Camps as one of their five recommended birding spots in the Adirondacks.
And at Massawepie's annual Conservation Meeting on May 19, avid birder Rob Sielaff gave a bird presentation including info on which birds are
found at Massawepie, where, when, and why. Let's all look a bit more closely at the birds on our next trip to Massawepie!
FEBRUARY, 2023, NEWS
- Some key staff for the 2023 Massawepie summer camp have been announced:
- Camp Director: Brendan Flaherty
- Program Director: Peter Huber
- Senior Commissioner: Nick Hann
- CIT Director: Dominic Mruzek
- Mountaineer Family Camp Director: Christielee Geiger
Also, many of the favorite 2022 program staffers are returning in 2023!
- Did you know that the decision and negotiations to purchase Massawepie took more than three years,
from 1948-1951? You can now see on the Massawepie History
Site Purchase Documents page a copy (thanks to Peter Scribner) of
a 1948 survey of unit Scouters from the former Otetiana Council, asking their opinions about the
possibility of purchasing the Massawepie property and using it for summer camp in 1949. (After the
purchase finally closed in September, 1951, Massawepie Scout Camps actually opened in the summer of 1952.)
- Many new Massawepie patches from the 2010s have been added to the
Massawepie Memorabilia - 2010s page, thanks to Mike Kensek.
- An updated (2023) Camp Pioneer map has been added to the
Massawepie Maps page, thanks to Anthony Ferrari.
Also new on the Maps page: an 1873 Adirondack map from Verplanck Colvin showing Massawepie Lake and Arab Mt. Note:
A clearer copy of this map was uploaded on Feb. 20, thanks to Jim Whitcomb.
DECEMBER, 2022, NEWS
- The Alumni Association help a successful 70th Anniversary Celebration for Massawepie on Saturday, Nov. 26 at the
Stevens-Connor Lehigh Valley Lodge in Rush. A good time was had by all! Thanks to the organizing committee,
and to Phil Bartels who subsidized the food. (Photo below by Doug Perryman from his drone!
Click on photo to enlarge.)
- A number of updates have been posted in the Massawepie History pages.
OCTOBER, 2022, NEWS
- All adult friends of Massawepie are invited to a 70th Anniversary Gathering
from 1-4 PM on Saturday, November 26 at the Stevens-Connor Lehigh Valley Lodge in Rush, NY. For more details,
see this invitation. If you plan to come, please let
Alumni Association Chair Jon Northrup know, as indicated in the invitation, by November 20. Also please
note the food and beverage arrangements as explained in the invitation. It should be a fun afternoon;
we hope to see you there!!!
- The camp rangers play an important role in maintaining the appearance and function of the camp facilities.
The 2022 Ranger staff photo is now posted on the
the Massawepie Ranger Staff Photos page.
- The 1968 Camp Mountaineer staff photo has been now posted on the
Camp Mountaineer Staff Photos page. Can you help supply some of the
names of folks in the photo? If so, please send them to
Peter Collinge.
AUGUST, 2022, NEWS
- Summer Camp 2022 was a success, with positive reviews from the campers, and almost all troops already reserving
a site to return to Massawepie in 2023. Camp Pioneer and the Massawepie Trek program also earned full accreditation
from the Boy Scouts of America National Camp Accreditation Program (NCAP). This success was due to the hard work of
the camp leadership and staff, who are shown below in the 2022 Staff Photo. For staff photos from prior years, visit
the Massawepie Historic Photos page.
- The 2022 summer camp patches have been posted on the 2020s Massawepie
Memorabilia page. As an example, the jacket patch is shown below. (Click on the photo for more detail.)
- A recent
profile of professional photographer and Massawepie staff alumnus
Mark Kurtz in the online
Adirondack Almanack featured several photos from Massawepie. Mark also had an article,
"Massawepie Journal," printed in Adirondack Life's "2022 Guide to the Great Outdoors"
issue. That article featured photos Mark had taken during frequent walks at Massawepie during the pandemic.
Mark is compiling some of these photos into a book.
JULY, 2022, NEWS
- Summer Camp 2022 began on July 3, and more than 1600 Scouts are expected to attend Camp Pioneer under new Camp Director
(and experienced staffer; also Alumni Association Vice Chair) Mary Beth Boyle!
- A number of updates have been posted in the Massawepie History pages.
The 1981 Mountaineer mug and the 1981 CIT neckerchief are now shown on the
Massawepie Memorabilia - 1980s page. The 1978 staff neckerchief has been added
to the Massawepie Memorabilia - 1970s page. And (thanks to Tom Knoebel) a better
copy of the 1979 Camp Forester staff photo, with a key of names, has been posted on the
Camp Forester Staff Photos page.
- Don DeClerck, who has been the Staff Advisor for the Massawepie Staff Alumni Association since its inception
in 2000, has retired from the BSA after 35 years of service. Don (first photo below) has most recently been
Camp Operations Director, overseeing all three of the Seneca Waterways Council's camps. His depth of institutional
knowledge and his ability to connect with both volunteers and staff will be greatly missed. The Alumni Association
recognized Don at Beaver Weekend 2022 (see cake photo below), and also dedicated a Square Yard of Massawepie
(via a gift to the Massawepie Square Foot Endowment Fund) to him.
- The Massawepie Staff Alumni Association's annual meeting was held on June 4 at the Camp Pioneer
Campfire Circle. Reports were given, Executive Committee members elected, officers reelected, and fellowship shared!
(Photo below)
MAY, 2022, NEWS
- All Alumni Association members are encouraged to attend Beaver Weekend
June 3-5 and help get camp ready for summer! If you plan to come, please let Property Superintendent
Ben Geiger know in advance. And all are welcome to attend the
Alumni Association annual meeting at camp after dinner on Saturday, June 4th.
- Have you completed the
Massawepie Nine? Each fall, a small number of students from St. Lawrence University spend an "Adirondack
Semester" at Massawepie, and apparently some of them decided to visit all nine ponds on the property.
You can, too! (Much of the Massawepie property, outside the "base camp" area, is open to the public for hiking
and canoeing and camping in designated areas during September 1 - June 14 each year.)
- How much did it cost to stay at the Hotel Childwold on Massawepie Lake
(in the current Camp Pioneer parade field)? According to the book The United States : with excursions to Mexico,
Cuba, Porto Rico, and Alaska : handbook for travellers, by Karl Baedecker and James Muirhead, published in 1909,
the 6-mile coach ride from Childwold Station (on the St. Lawrence and Adirondack branch of the New York Central
Railroad) to the hotel cost $1 and the hotel cost $4-5 per night.
- A 1961 story explaining How Childwold Got Its Name has now been posted in the
Historical Documents section of the Massawepie History pages.
FEBRUARY, 2022, NEWS
- Many more Massawepie patches from the 2010s have now been posted on the
Massawepie Memorabilia 2010-2019 page, including these two classics
that have been used for many years:
If you know of any patches that aren't listed in the Massawepie Memorabilia pages,
please send a picture to Peter Collinge!
- A 1998 preliminary redevelopment map for Camp Pioneer is now posted on the
Massawepie Maps page. It's interesting to see how the actual Camp Pioneer when
it reopened in 2000 varied somewhat from the preliminary plan. Thanks to Brendan Flaherty for the map image.
- The posted Massawepie CIT pictures have been updated with more names from the
1980 and 1981 CITs. If you can add any more names (especially from 1981!) or other CIT photos, please contact
Peter Collinge.
- We are sad to report that Chuck Burgdorf died on February 8. Chuck was a teenager when his father, Harley Burgdorf,
became the first Property Superintendent of Massawepie Scout Camps. Chuck lived with his family in the old,
drafty "Park House" during the winter of 1951-52, before the current Property Superintendent's house was built.
Chuck sometimes helped his father at Massawepie, graduated from Tupper Lake High School and the Wanakena
School of Forestry, then later worked at Camp Cutler.
He was eventually recruited by Elgin Deering to become the Superintendent of Goshen Scout Reservation,
owned by the National Capital Area Council BSA, for 25+ years. Chuck returned to visit Massawepie many times
over the years. The Alumni Association is very grateful to Chuck for sharing entries from
his father's diary of building Massawepie.
More details are found in his obituary.
DECEMBER, 2021, NEWS
- The Alumni Association's Winter Gathering, originally scheduled for January 8,
has unfortunately been postponed out of an abundance of caution given the current spike in local COVID cases.
The event committee hopes to reschedule it for sometime later in the winter. Watch this space or the
MSAA Facebook page
for updates.
- Pictures of the 2021 Massawepie summer camp patches have now been posted on the
Massawepie Memorabilia 2020-present page. The patch from the 2020
"summer camp that wasn't" (due to the pandemic) is also shown.
- Staff Photo key posted: The key of names for the 2021
Camp Pioneer Staff Photo,
taken by Tyge Kelley, is now posted.
OCTOBER, 2021, NEWS
- The Massawepie Area has been in the news online lately. A recent
blog post
about public recreational opportunities (Sept. 1 - June 14 each year) at Massawepie includes some geologic and
natural history. For some reason the writer refers to the white trail around Massawepie Lake as the
"Mountaineer Trail." By the way, the white trail only goes "around the lake" for Scout campers; the "Base Camp"
(Pioneer/Mountaineer) area at the north end of Massawepie Lake is always off limits to the public.
An article
in the September/October, 2021 issue of Adirondack Explorer described a bike ride through the
Massawepie Mire on the old Grasse River Railroad bed west of Massawepie. The ride then turned onto the
Massawepie Road south of the Scout camp and proceeded south to Horseshoe Lake.
- More Staff Photos Posted: The 2021 Camp Pioneer Staff Photo,
taken by Tyge Kelley, is now posted, as is the 1957 Camp Pioneer Staff Photo
sent by Doug Mantegna. Also, the 1992 Camp Mountaineer Staff Photo
is now posted, thanks to Jason Kelley. If you can provide more staff names, please contact Peter Collinge (see below).
AUGUST, 2021, NEWS
- At Massawepie's Closing Staff Banquet on August 15, nine camp staffers from 2021 were presented with special
ringer t-shirts recognizing three years of service on Massawepie staff, and six others were presented with
custom fleece blankets for completing five years on Massawepie camp staff. (Samples shown below.)
Congratulations to all of these staffers for their many summers of dedicated service, and thanks to everyone who
served on the 2021 Massawepie camp staff for your efforts in providing a quality camp program to our Scouts BSA
youth! (The shirts and blankets are provided by the Massawepie Staff Alumni Association and are paid for by the
dues of our MSAA members.)
- More Staff Photos Posted: The 1970 Camp Forester Staff Photo
is now posted, along with a more complete key for the 1971 Forester Staff Photo, thanks to Jeff Backus. If you can
provide a better quality copy of the 1970 photo, or more staff names, please contact Peter Collinge (see below).
JULY, 2021, NEWS
- Massawepie's 2021 summer camp season is off to a great start, with strong
attendance and a quality program. On July 8, a Northeast Region Area 3 Camp Assessment
team visited Massawepie to review compliance with the National Camp Accreditation Program standards for
Boy Scout Resident Camp, High Adventure, and the COPE/Climbing program. As usual, Massawepie was fully accredited in
all areas, and the Camp Assessment team had very positive comments about the camp program (along with a few helpful
suggestions).
- More Staff Photos Posted: There are some new Massawepie Trek staff photos (2004 and 2010-2013 and 2019)
and Ranger staff photos (2017-19) now posted in the Massawepie History - Photographs
pages. Thanks to Brendan Flaherty for providing some of these.
JUNE, 2021, NEWS
- The 2021 Beaver Weekend was a big success, with 90+ volunteers (the biggest turnout in years). Much work was
accomplished toward making camp ready for National Camping School (6/12 - 6/18) and the Scouts BSA summer camp
(reopened! for 2021: 7/4 - 8/14). The Massawepie Staff Alumni Association annual meeting was held Saturday night (6/5).
A photo from the meeting is shown below.
- The Massawepie Area has been in the news lately. The
Adirondack Explorer in its "May/June, 2021" issue listed the Massawepie Mire hike on the old Grasse River Railroad
bed south of Massawepie as one of its "Routes Less Traveled."
That list may be available
online. The Adirondack Explorer's "Outings Guide 2021" also mentioned (p.55) St. Lawrence University's
Adirondack Semester at Massawepie.
And the May-June, 2021, issue of
Adirondac magazine
(the membership magazine for Adirondack Mountain club
members) had an article (p.30) on canoeing the Grass (or Grasse,
in the local spelling) River near Massawepie.
- Here are two Massawepie photos from May/June, 2021. The first is a picture of Mount Matumbla over Massawepie
Lake, taken by Carol Thiel while canoeing back to Pioneer after doing trail work in the Massawepie Lake Outlet area.
To the right are two photos from the 2021 Alumni Association annual meeting on June 5. You can click on each photo
for a larger image.
MAY, 2021, NEWS
- With summer camp scheduled to run this year, after not running in 2020, help is definitely needed to get
things ready. If you can attend Beaver Weekend (June 4-6, food provided) or come another time (bring your own food),
please contact Property Superintendent Ben Geiger by email or
phone (518)359-3900 in advance. Ben needs to coordinate work, housing, and food
(during Beaver Weekend), all of which is more complicated this year during COVID restrictions.
- More Staff Photos Posted: The 1982 Central Staff Photo,
1968 Camp Voyageur Staff Photo, and 1960, 1961 and 1991
Camp Mountaineer Staff Photos are now online.
If you can add to the collection of photos or identify any of the names not listed in the photo keys,
please contact Peter Collinge.
APRIL, 2021, NEWS
- Massawepie summer camp is on for 2021, but the details remain somewhat fuzzy until the New York State Health
Department issues its rules for mitigating COVID risks in Children's Camps. Rght now, camp attendance looks like
it will be strong.
- Another Staff Photo Posted: The 1975 Mountaineer Staff Photo
is now online thanks to Ed Farrell. As always, if you can add to the collection of photos or identify any of the names not
listed in the photo keys, please contact
Peter Collinge.
MARCH, 2021, NEWS
- New 1960s Photos Posted: A number of photos of Rush Troop 134's
1963 stay at Camp Voyageur have now been posted, providing an interesting view of daily camp life in the 1960s.
The photos were taken by Paul Pallett and were shared by his nephew David Hunt.
- Another Staff Photo Posted: The 1979 Mountaineer Staff Photo
is now online thanks to Lonnie Hovey. If you can add to the collection of photos or identify any of the names not
listed in the photo keys, please contact
Peter Collinge.
- To help prevent Massawepie withdrawal, here are three photos from September, 2020.
The first shows Eagle Island and Massawepie Lake, taken from the White Trail. The second shows cotton grass in
the Massawepie Mire. The third shows the edge of the Massawepie Mire with an interpretive sign.
Photos by Carol Thiel and Peter Collinge.
FEBRUARY, 2021, NEWS
- New on YouTube: Irondequoit Troop 154's video
of their 1957 Massawepie/Camp Mountaineer experience, recently digitized and posted by the Seneca Waterways
Council Historical Society. This 31-minute film spans the camp experience from the bus ride up to the closing campfire.
It's fun to see the similarities and differences between camp in 1957 and more recently years. The sign photo
below was clipped from that video. If anyone thinks the Mountaineer road is iffy now, back in the 1950s it was
definitely "Drive at own risk!"
- More Staff Photos Posted: The 1981 Central Staff Photo
and 1977 Mountaineer Staff Photo are now online thanks to Mike Brennan
via Mark Kurtz. If you can add to the collection of photos or identify any of the names not listed in the photo keys,
please contact Peter Collinge.
JANUARY, 2021, NEWS
- Happy New Year, and let's hope that the next six months brings enough progress on the pandemic so that
Scouts will be able to enjoy summer camp as currently planned at Massawepie in 2021!
- New in the Massawepie History section of this website: Trek Staff Photos,
including most of those from 1985 - 2018. Starting in 1985 (after a few years of rotating among camps), Adirondack
treks were run from Massawepie by the Association of Adirondacks Scout Camps (AASC), then by the Adirondack Scout
Reservation (ASR), then since 1999 by Massawepie Scout Camps. Thanks to Doug Turner who kept all of these trek staff
photos posted in the Massawepie Trek Center and also kept a list of the names of those in the photos, and thanks to
Carol Thiel for photographing the photos (in challenging conditions) so that they could be posted here.
Also, the 1979 Forester staff photo has been posted in Forester Staff Photos,
thanks to Michael Doerr. If anyone can identify some of those in the photo (or send a better quality image) that would
be appreciated!
DECEMBER, 2020, NEWS
- The Alumni Association's 2020 Annual Meeting was held on November 28 over Zoom
(for the first time, like so many other things in this strange year). Being on Zoom did allow members from other
parts of the country to participate conveniently. Participants heard about Alumni Association activities of the
past year and approved the proposed slate of officers and Executive Committee members. The
draft minutes are now available with more details.
And the annual group photo became a screenshot:
- A number of new staff photos have been added in the Massawepie History pages of this website, including
1953, 1965-67, and 2002 Camp Pioneer Staff Photos,
1964-65 Camp Voyageur Staff Photos, and
the 1992 Camp Forester Staff Photo. Thanks to Mark Ferraro, Rosemary Varga, and
Bob Plant for supplying some of these. Also, many more names have now been identified on
the Pioneer Staff Photos and Central Staff Photos
from the 1950s thanks to Bill Oette and Bob Maurice (especially). Take a look at past staffs you may remember,
and if you can add to the collection of photos or identify any of the names of staff members on photos without keys,
please contact Peter Collinge.
NOVEMBER, 2020, NEWS
- Reminder: The Massawepie Staff Alumni Association's 2020 Annual Meeting
will be held online at 6:30 PM on Saturday, Nov. 28.
A Zoom link will be sent by email and posted on the Alumni Association Facebook page in the week prior to the event.
Hopefully many MSAA members will attend that meeting, which should only last about 30 minutes, and will be followed
by an online "Happy Hour"/social get-together.
- Counselor-in-Training (CIT) Photos Posted: A number of past CIT Photos
are now available online thanks to Pat Gleason, Michael Doerr, and Mark Kurtz who sent these in.
Take a look at past CITs you may remember, and if you can add to the collection of photos or identify any of the names
of CITs not listed in the photo keys, please contact
Peter Collinge.
- Massawepie History Summaries Posted: A new collection of summaries
of the history of various Massawepie eras has now been posted. Read about the Hotel Childwold era, the Sykes era,
and the Scout purchase of Massawepie (which took several years). More to come!
OCTOBER, 2020, NEWS
- The dinner celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Massawepie Staff Alumni Association!
has been Postponed Indefinitely, until pandemic health concerns diminish. But the Association's
2020 Annual Meeting will still be held, online at 6:30 PM on Saturday, Nov. 28.
A Zoom link will be sent by email and posted on the Alumni Association Facebook page in the week prior to the event.
Hopefully many MSAA members will attend that meeting, which should only last about 30 minutes, and will be followed
by an online Happy Hour/social get-together.
- New on the Massawepie History 1950s/1960s Memorabilia page, thanks to Mike O'Brien:
a Spring, 1952 Massawepie patch (the first ever?), and several event listings from Mountaineer's first year (1953).
- To help prevent Massawepie withdrawal, here are three photos from September, 2020.
The first is taken across Massawepie Lake at sunset from near Horseshoe Campsite in Camp Pioneer. The second was
taken from the bog access boardwalk near "Canoe Junction" (the junction of the canoe carries to Deer, Townline,
and Boottree Ponds). The third shows the Camp Pioneer Sports Field and Sports/Bike Building surrounded by fall colors.
Click on any image to see a larger version. Photos by Peter Collinge and Carol Thiel.
SEPTEMBER, 2020, NEWS
- New from the Seneca Waterways Council Scouting Historical Society:
A restored interview recorded in the Camp Massawepie (Pioneer)
Office by a staff member from WHAM on July 16, 1952. A clear digital copy was produced from the fragile, nearly 70-year
old audio tape using funds raised by the Council Historical Society. The recording is a glimpse into the first few weeks
of the camp's very first season, and some of the activities described will still sound familiar to more recent
campers. Those interviewed include Dick Cordell (with an orphan Sparrow Hawk),
Walt Hastings (Otetiana Council Executive Board member), Bob "Parky" Parkinson (Camp Director),
Joe Klein (Program Director), and Dewey Sawyer (Trail Camp Director).
- New in the Massawepie History pages of this website:
Pioneer Staff Photos. Take a look at past staffs you may remember,
and if you can add to the collection of photos or identify any of the names of staff members on photos without keys,
please contact Peter Collinge.
AUGUST, 2020, NEWS
- New Mountaineer Staff Photos Posted: The 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1995, and 1998
Mountaineer Staff Photos are now available online thanks to
Eric Meisenzahl, Jess Markel, and Mark Kurtz who sent these in. Take a look at past staffs you may remember,
and if you can add to the collection of photos or identify any of the names of staff members on photos not listed
in the keys, please contact Peter Collinge.
- Other New Staff Photos Posted: The 1972 Central Staff, 1975 Forester Staff,
1975 Voyageur Staff, and 1976 Pioneer/Voyageur Staff Photos are now available online
thanks to David Lippitt and Bill Boyle who provided these. Again, if you can add to the collection of photos or
identify any of the names of staff members on photos not listed
in the keys, please contact Peter Collinge.
- New Maps Posted: Two "new" 1970 Massawepie maps
(Camp Voyageur and Hiking Trails) have now been posted online thanks to Dick DePalma who provided these.
- Over 100 families and other small groups have participated in Family Camp at Massawepie as of mid-August.
This rental program has given people a chance to experience Massawepie even though the Scouts BSA summer camp is
not operating in 2020, and it has given the Scout council some revenue to help offset the loss of summer camp income.
Similarly, over 350 Scouts BSA members have particpated in the Seneca Waterways Council's virtual Camp Racdeever
this summer.
JULY, 2020, NEWS
- The Alumni Association Annual Meeting will now be held November 20
during 20th Anniversary Celebration, hopefully in person in the Rochester area.
If that's impractical due to the pandemic, we'll have an online meeting and celebration. Keep watching this
website or the Alumni Association Facebook page for more details.
- New in the Massawepie History pages of this website:
Mountaineer Staff Photos. Take a look at past staffs you may remember,
and if you can add to the collection of photos or identify any of the names of staff members on photos without keys,
please contact Peter Collinge.
- For those of you suffering from "Massawepie withdrawal" in this unusual year (or from the heat), here's a picture
of the "Tree of Girth" in a colder season. This huge white pine is located along the yellow trail just south of the
southern tip of the Massawepie Lake cove between Vingo and Distillery Hill, south of Eagle Island.
JUNE, 2020, NEWS
- After much discussion and deliberation, the rescheduled Beaver Weekend will be held
on June 26-28. It will unlike any we've experienced in the past! We will be working on maintenance projects and getting
the camp ready for a summer of family camping. Projects will be smaller in scale and consist of small groups working on
designated projects. (Massawepie will be open for family camping on July 1st. Reservations can be made through the
Seneca Waterways Council office.)
For Beaver Weekend, any interested groups/persons need to make a reservation with Ben. This will insure that we have
your housing for the weekend ready and a project set up. Unfortunately this year we will not be able to offer community
meals due to Covid concerns and council budgetary restrictions. You must provide your own food for the weekend.
Please reach out to Property Superintendent Ben Geiger through email: ben.geiger@scouting.org or phone: 518-359-3900.
We will also encourage any and all interested to come up throughout the summer to help improve our camp.
Thank you for your continued support
- Given the changes in Beaver Weekend, the Alumni Association Executive Committee is considering whether to hold the
Association's annual meeting on June 27 or change it.
Keep watching this space for more information.
- The Seneca Waterways Council has announced that unfortunately none of the council's overnight Scout camps will operate
this summer, so Camp Pioneer and the Massawepie Treks will not operate as summer camps in 2020. Instead, the council will
operate a virtual summer camp. The original decision not to operate
summer camps was based on being unable to guarantee a quality program while maintaining COVID-19 safety procedures and
given the uncertain regulatory and pandemic situation, but since then New York State has announced that it will not allow
any overnight children's camps to operate this summer in New York.
- For anyone missing Massawepie in this strange year, here are two panoramic images
(by Carol Thiel) to remind you of the camp:
360-degree view from the White Trail bridge over the Massawepie Lake Outlet
View from Distillery Hill outpost, including a view of Eagle Island
MAY, 2020, NEWS
- MAY 23 UPDATE: Beaver Weekend has now been moved to
June 26-28. See the explanation here. Keep watching this space for further news,
since holding Beaver Weekend then will depend on the status of summer camp and on any restrictions from New York State
at that time. Assuming Beaver Weekend goes ahead, please expect more social distancing and/or mask-wearing.
The Alumni Association annual meeting
has been tentatively rescheduled for 8 PM on Saturday, June 27.
- SUMMER CAMP UPDATE: Planning for summer camp 2020 is going ahead, though whether or
how summer camp will happen is still unclear. See more details on summer camp plans and staffing
here.
-
This article mentions Massawepie and gives an idea of some of the challenges that summer camps face in 2020 and various
options being considered. (Note the photo of the Pioneer climbing tower.) Check back here for more news as we get closer.
- New in the Massawepie History pages of this website: A 1960s-era Massawepie Trail/Property Map
, thanks to Mark Kurtz. Find it on the Massawepie maps page.
- The Massawepie Memorabilia pages of this website now contain the images of all of the
camp patches through 2019. Thanks to Brad VanAuken for supplying many of the scans of
recent patches.
- The 1976 Forester Staff Photo and
1978 Central Staff Photo have now been added, courtesy of Mike Scheetz.
You can find the links here.
MARCH, 2020, NEWS
- The Alumni Association 20th Anniversary Celebration will be held in the fall,
tentatively on November 28, 2020 in the Rochester area. The original plans to hold this in the spring were delayed
due to the coronavirus outbreak. Watch for more information in the Spring newsletter.
- New in the Massawepie History pages of this website: Voyageur Staff Photos
. Take a look at past staffs you may remember, and (as with the Central staff photos) if you can add
to the collection of photos or identify any of the names of staff members on photos without keys,
please contact Peter Collinge.
New 3/22: The 1973 Voyageur staff photo and partial key have been added from
Brad VanAuken, and a few names from 1963 were supplied by Wally Bloss. Thanks, guys!
- Keys of names for the 1982 and 1983 Forester Staff Photos
have now been added, thanks to help from Mark Kurtz and Kathy Hakes Elliott.
New 3/18: The 1981, 1982, and 1983 Forester staff keys have been
updated with more names thanks to Bob Lewis.
JANUARY, 2020, NEWS
- Planning is underway for a dinner celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the
Massawepie Staff Alumni Association! The dinner will be held in late April or May in the Rochester area,
and will be open to all Friends of Massawepie. More details to come!
- On January 5, Massawepie alumni from various eras gathered at Radio Social in Rochester for a Post-Holiday event:
- A key of names for the 1981 Forester Staff Photo
has now been added, thanks to help from Mark Kurtz, Kathy Hakes Elliott, and Doug Turner.
Click BELOW to see earlier News Notes from:
Massawepie is the Boy Scout summer
camp for the Seneca Waterways Council
which serves youth in five counties near Rochester, New York: Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne, & Yates counties.
The Massawepie Scout Camps are located on New York State Route 3
between Cranberry Lake and Tupper Lake in the Adirondack Mountains.
Page URL: http://MassStaffAlumni.org/pastnews.htm
Web Page Designed and Maintained by
Peter Collinge
Added to the Web: November 25, 2000; Last Updated: February 18, 2026
