Rodney Scout Reservation
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The Del-Mar-Va Council serves
Scouts Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...
in
Delmarva The Delmarva Peninsula, or simply Delmarva, is a large peninsula and proposed state on the East Coast of the United States, occupied by the vast majority of the state of Delaware and parts of the Eastern Shore regions of Maryland and Virginia ...
.


Organization

Del-Mar-Va Council is divided into the following districts: *Cecil District *Choptank District *Powder Mill *Iron Hill *Sussex District *Tri-County District *Two Bays District *Virginia District


Henson Scout Reservation

Henson Scout Reservation, also known as Camp Nanticoke, is an Scout camp located on the
Delmarva Peninsula The Delmarva Peninsula, or simply Delmarva, is a large peninsula and proposed state on the East Coast of the United States, occupied by the vast majority of the state of Delaware and parts of the Eastern Shore regions of Maryland and Virginia ...
near Galestown, Maryland. One of two Scout camps on the peninsula, it serves thousands of Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts throughout the summer months, and is open year-round for special Scout programs and for rental by outside groups. Boy Scout and Cub Scout summer programs are run separately.


History

Named for the aviator and philanthropist from
Salisbury, Maryland Salisbury () is a city in and the county seat of Wicomico County, Maryland, Wicomico County, Maryland, United States, and the largest city in Eastern Shore of Maryland, the state's Eastern Shore region. The population was 33,050 at the 2020 United ...
Richard A. Henson, Henson Scout Reservation has been in continuous operation by the Del-Mar-Va Council since the summer of 1965. The camp was originally known as Camp Nanticoke, which is now the name of the primary camping area. (The original plan was to develop two camps on a single reservation — Camp Nanticoke and Camp Choptank — but that never materialized.) Today, the entire reservation is still known by many as simply "Camp Nanticoke." The camp's largely undeveloped are widely recognized as an environmental gem, with habitat for countless birds, mammals and fish, including the bald eagle. The entire camp was protected in a conservation easement in partnership with
The Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in 1951, The Natu ...
.


Boy Scouting programs

Henson Scout Reservation offers a wide range of traditional Boy Scout summer camp programs, including swimming, nature/ecology, handicrafts, Scoutcraft (camping and outdoors skills), archery, rifle and shotgun shooting and fishing. Its first-year camper program, known as Brownsea, is extremely popular. Located on the
Marshyhope Creek Marshyhope Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the Nanticoke River on the Delmarva Peninsula. It rises in Kent County, Delaware, and r ...
, a tributary of the Nanticoke River, the camp has a thriving waterfront program, offering canoeing, rowing, sailing and motorboating. It also has a fitness program, including physical fitness, biking and golf merit badges. For older Boy Scouts, the camp offers a high adventure trekking program, involving a week-long canoe/bicycling trek around the Nanticoke River watershed. Its Eagle Base program is designed to give older Scouts the opportunity to earn specialized merit badges required for the Eagle rank.


Cub Scouting programs

While traditionally Cub Scouts have participated in day camps, Henson Scout Reservation offers an overnight/resident camp, designed to introduce Cub Scouts to the basics of camping in a supportive, structured environment. It offers 3-day, 2-night sessions for both Cub Scouts and Webelos and weeklong sessions just for Webelos. Each year's programs are thematic. The summer 2008 theme is Wild West. The 2007 theme was "Exploring the New World," marking the 400th anniversary of
Capt. John Smith John Smith (baptized 6 January 1580 – 21 June 1631) was an English soldier, explorer, colonial governor, Admiral of New England, and author. He played an important role in the establishment of the colony at Jamestown, Virginia, the first pe ...
's exploration of the
Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the ...
.


Rodney Scout Reservation

Rodney Scout Reservation, operated by the Del-Mar-Va Council,
Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded i ...
, is located on of rolling upland woodlands at the head of the
Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the ...
and boasts over a mile of prime bay frontage. It has been in continuous operation since 1923.


History

Rodney is located in
Cecil County, Maryland Cecil County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland at the northeastern corner of the state, bordering both Pennsylvania and Delaware. As of the 2020 census, the population was 103,725. The county seat is Elkton. The county was n ...
, about Southeast of
Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1, US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...
or U.S. Route 40 off Maryland Route 272 near North East. The camp location provides easy access from
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
,
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
, Wilmington, and
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. It is on the site of an old abandoned iron mining site formerly titled Whitaker Iron. In 1922, Senator T. Coleman du Pont and his wife donated the land to the Wilmington Council, as the Del-Mar-Va Council was then known. The couple gave much funding for the fledgling Scout camp that has multiple facilities, campgrounds for roughly two dozen troops and many merit badges. Such activities include traditional Scouting programs as well as robotics, shooting sports, sailboating and power boating, rock climbing, cycling, and geocaching.


Summer Camp

For seven to eight weeks during the summer, Rodney is open for long-term summer camping, staffed by paid employees of Del-Mar-Va Council. Merit badges and other programs are offered in the areas of: *Aquatics: pool, sailing base, and boatyard. *Brownsea: 1st year camper program located behind the main trading post. *Climbing: located across the path from Brown Lodge. *Handicraft: connected to the main trading post. *High adventure sailing: a week long trip up the Chesapeake. *Health and Fitness: located behind the Sampson Lodge small trading post. *NEST (Nature, Ecology, Science, and Technology): located at the Nature Lodge down the road from the parade field. *Scoutcraft: located next to the Camp Director's house. *Shooting sports (archery, shotgun, and rifle): grouped together between the trading post and Scoutcraft.


Winter camping

From September to May, Rodney is open for weekend camping, staffed by the volunteer Rodney Campmaster Crews. Some weekends offer programs put forth by districts in Del-Mar-Va Council. Most weekends include a program such as orienteering, cooking, rifle shooting, or many others put on by the campmaster crews.


Akridge Scout Reservation

Akridge Scout Reservation, operated by the Del-Mar-Va Council,
Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded i ...
, is located on of farmland in
Dover, Delaware Dover () is the capital and second-largest city of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County and the principal city of the Dover, DE, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County and is part of ...
, and is the first Boy Scout camp in Delaware. Groundbreaking took place on September 17, 2011. The first event held there was a Council Jamboree on May 4–6, 2012.


Order of the Arrow


Nentego Lodge 20 History

On July 29, 1925, an
Order of the Arrow The Order of the Arrow (OA) is the honor society of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), composed of Scouts and Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives as elected by their peers. The society was created by E. Urner G ...
charter was granted to Unalachtico Lodge of the Del-Mar-Va Council. The Lodge drew its membership from Camp Rodney and was named after the
Unalachtigo Lenape The Unalachtigo were a purported division of the Lenape ( Delaware Indians), a Native American tribe whose homeland ''Lenapehoking'' was in what is today the Northeastern United States. They were part of the Forks Indians.Goddard, "Delaware," 236 ...
(or Delaware Indians) who had inhabited the area. The totem was the turkey. By the late 1930s, the lodge had become inactive and was disbanded. Through the efforts of the Delmont Lodge #43 of the
Valley Forge Council A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...
, Lodge #20 was reorganized on June 22, 1957. The new name chosen by the membership was Nentego, a derivation of the name of one of the major Delaware Tribes, which means, "People from across the water." Delmont Lodge inducted two youth from each district and the council professional staff to provide the initial core of Nentego Lodge. The Lodge totem is the Rockfish, which can be found in the Chesapeake Bay. The lodge colors are blue, for the water of the Chesapeake, and grey, for the Rockfish. The first lodge flap appeared in 1957, and its basic design remains in use today.


Section NE-4C History

Section NE-4C was established in June 1994, following a realignment of the councils and areas of the Northeast Region. The Section had been formerly known as NE-6 until the 1994 realignment, which resulted in the elimination of Area 6 and the transfer of NE-6 charter lodge Ahthuhquog #540 to Section NE-5. Section NE-4C is now one of the three Order of the Arrow Sections in Area 4 of the Northeast Region. Section NE-6 was formed on May 22, 1982 when its five charter lodges were transferred with their respective councils from SE-9 in the Southeast Region to the Northeast Region. A sixth lodge, Black Eagle, transferred from NE-3A to NE-6 in June 1982. Section NE-6 continued as a group of six lodges until a 1988 realignment of the Northeast Region. In November of that year, Susquehannock and Tuckahoe Lodges from NE-5B and Wunita Gokhos from NE-5A joined Section NE-6. Since the formation of NE-4C, three lodges have been transferred to other sections, Ahthuhquog, Black Eagle, and Wunita Gokhos.


See also

*
Scouting in Delaware Scouting in Delaware has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live. Boy Scouts of America The Wilmington Council (#081) was formed in 1914. In 1931 tha ...
*
Scouting in Maryland Scouting in Maryland has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving millions of youth with activities that have adapted to the changing cultural environment but have always been rooted in an active outdoor program. Early history (1 ...
* Scouting in Virginia


References


External links


Henson/Camp Nanticoke history site (unofficial)
{{Scouting Delaware culture Maryland culture Virginia culture Dorchester County, Maryland Local councils of the Boy Scouts of America Northeast Region (Boy Scouts of America)