If you are still wavering about whether to send your son to Camp Bell or Hidden Valley, I would say BOTH. But if you can go to only one, I would seriously think about Bell over Hidden Valley.
First, while the food at Hidden Valley is fine, the food at Bell is better. The move last year to non-prepackaged lunches was a fine move. Yes, you do have to cook it, but you will end up taking less time to make it yourself than you will trucking down to the dining hall for every meal as we do at Hidden Valley.
Second, you get to spend more time on each activity.
Third, you work as a patrol.
Last year it became clear to me that the First Year Program at Bell needs a tuneup. While still a good program, it is not as good as the one at Hidden Valley. Two years in a row we have hit a crowded week which caused some problems in the Brownsea area. That didn’t help matters so this year we are going to roll our own program. We are going to construct a program for Bell which gives all New Scouts who attend from Troop 160 a thorough grounding in patrol fundamentals, swimming, and first aid. We expect all New Scouts from Troop 160 who attend Bell to finish many of the requirements for Second and First Class and they will have earned Swimming merit badge to boot. In addition they will be at least well on their way to earning First Aid.
For those who attended Bell last year for the first time, the first year at camp is always tough. If you attend this year, though, you will have already solved the problems which seemed so difficult last year, leaving you plenty of time for full concentration on half and full-day programs. Where else can you learn about horses, participate in a logging camp, live like a Mountain Man, or learn basic blacksmithing? The answer is only at Camp Bell.
So if you are wavering at all, and if you can go to camp for just one week, think hard about going to Camp Bell.
One last thing–if money is an issue, it shouldn’t be. Get in touch with the financial aid person and let us help out. That’s a major reason we run the Pancake Breakfast–so finances won’t be a problem where Scouting is concerned. You can e-mail financial aid at 160financialaid -at- troop160 -dot- com. Use the standard address form, replacing the “-dot-” with “.” and the “-at-” with “@”. We list it the way we do to fool SPAMmers. All correspondence is absolutely confidential. There is no huge committee. There are no lists passed around. No long forms to fill out. Just let the financial aid person know.
-Hank