
Looking for Minsi Trails Sea Scout Ship 940? Click here. Page last updated: November 11, 2020
Introducing Sea Scout Academy 2021 at Camp Minsi
Sunday - Wednesday, August 1-4
Sea Scout Academy is a regional BSA summer camp experience focusing on youth leadership skills and advancement through the Sea Scout ranks. This Sunday through Wednesday event will feature both shore-based and water-based sessions at Camp Minsi’s Aquatics Center on Stillwater Lake, located in the heart of the Pocono Mountains in east-central Pennsylvania. There will also be several fun activities designed to build camaraderie between Ships, culminating with Tuesday’s “The Big Day Out” event, featuring biking, hiking, and rafting in the Lehigh River Gorge State Park. Venture Crews interested in water-based adventures are also welcome to participate. The Sea Scout Academy is sponsored by BSA Northeast Region – Area 5 Sea Scouts and hosted by Minsi Trails Council at Camp Minsi, Pocono Summit, Pennsylvania.
Participation:
- YOUTH (14-20): Sea Scout Ships, as well as any Venturing Crews interested in a week of water-based adventure! Provisional camper registrations are not yet active.
- ADULT (over 21): Adults are welcome to participate in all open programs and sessions, with preference to youth participants (such as marksmanship programs). Additionally, adults are welcome to attend the Tuesday "Big Day Out" and the planned Adult Paddle Craft Safety training course on Sunday and Monday.
Cost:
- YOUTH (14-20): $300 all inclusive fee
- ADULT (over 21): $100 base fee, plus optional ...
- Additional fee for Sunday-Monday Paddle Craft Safety training: $50
- Additional fee for Tuesday's "Big Day Out": $60
A CALL FOR INSTRUCTORS: Last updated: November 8, 2020
Skill Session Leaders are needed to staff the requirement sessions. If you are a Sea Scout Leader, a member of the US Coast Guard, USCG Auxiliary or are generally skilled in seamanship, the Academy needs your assistance to conduct the rank advancement skill sessions. We will be utilizing a University of Scouting approach for identifying and staffing the sessions delivered at the Academy. We hope you'll jump on board and help us provide a rich set of sessions for the Scouts.
Sessions needed are from the Apprentice, Ordinary and Able Ranks, found at Sea Scout Advancement Central.
Volunteer? Questions? Please reach out with your topic(s) or questions to our coordinator, Walt Witucki, via e-mail or 610-704-4766
The target date for compiling all the skill session details is February 1, 2021 . By this date our goal is to have each Session's Name, Description and Presenter available for publication to the Sea Scout and Venture Crew communities.
Registration:
- Opens January 1, 2021 for Ships and Crews
- Individual / provisional youth and adult participants registration opens early Spring, 2021, space permitting.
Academy Location:
The Academy will be conducted at Camp Minsi, which is located in Pocono Summit, PA, approximately 90 miles west of New York City and 90 miles north of Philadelphia. It is near the intersection of I-80 and I-380 on PA 940 west, across form the Pocono Mountain Regional Police station. The camp address is: 106 Camp Minsi Rd., Pocono Summit, PA 18346.
About Camp Minsi:
Camp Minsi is located on the shores of Stillwater Lake in the heart of the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Donated to the scouts in 1949, Camp Minsi encompasses more than 1,200 acres of relatively flat Pennsylvania woodlands. The camp's 314-acre lake provides sailing, swimming, fishing and other aquatic activities to the thousands of Scouts and Scouters who visit throughout the year.
Camp Minsi Aquatics includes a "flotilla" of sunfish sailboats, kayaks, paddle boards, a 15-person Voyageur Canoe, a Hobie Cat as well as the traditional canoes and rowboats.
Camp Minsi features a centrally-located and spacious dining hall that serves three delicious meals a day. Within a short walk from the dining hall are 11 troop campsites with capacities that range from 20 to 90 campers. Further away are a number of backwoods outpost sites for a more rustic camping experience. There are over 20 miles of hiking trails throughout the camp that give Scouts an opportunity to experience a variety of flora, fauna and the intriguing geology of a glacial moraine. The varied wildlife that makes the camp their home grants both youth and adults the opportunity of experiencing and interacting with nature first-hand.
Tentative Schedule: Last updated: November 15, 2020
Sunday, August 1
2 pm Check-in, health screen and move in
3-5 pm Swim test (All participants are expected to be able to pass.)
- Apprentice: BSA swim test
5:45 - 7 pm Colors, Dinner
7-8 pm Aquatics /Sailboat orientation
7-8 pm Paddle Craft Safety Introduction adult training
7-9 pm First aid / safety discussions for swimming and lifesaving merit badges
8 - 10 pm Meet and greet beach party
10 pm Taps
Monday, August 2
7:45 am Colors, reflection, breakfast
9 am – 5 pm Paddle Craft Safety Trek on the Delaware River adult training
9-12 am Aquatics session
9 am - Noon Training & Aquatics sessions
12 – 1 pm Lunch
1-4 pm Voyageur Outpost Adventure
- Canoe up lake to experience northwest fur trapper activities
1 - 4 pm Training & Aquatics sessions
1-5 pm Aquatics session - Ordinary: Swimming Merit Badge
1-5 pm Aquatics session - Able: Lifesaving Merit Badge
4 - 5:30 pm Open swim, boat, fishing on Stillwater Lake or Tunkhannock Creek
5:45 - 7 pm Colors, Dinner
7 - 9 pm Aquatics, Marksmanship, Fishing activities
10 pm Taps
Tuesday, August 3
7:45 am Colors, reflection, breakfast
9 am “The Big Day Out !“
- Experience the Pocono Mountain’s Lehigh River Gorge on whitewater raft and mountain bike and trail climb
- BSA Whitewater Rafting Award
~6:30 / 7 pm Late Dinner (upon return)
8 - 10 pm Movie night
10 pm Taps
Wednesday, August 4
7:45 am Colors, reflection, breakfast
9 - 10:30 am Aquatics competitions
9 - 10:30 am Fishing on Stillwater Lake or Tunkhannock Creek
9 - 10:30 am Swimming / Lifesaving MB catchup
10:30 - Noon Service Time- pack up aquatics
10:30 - Noon Service Time - pack up shooting sports
12 - 1 pm Lunch
1 - 2 pm Understanding the Sea Scout advancement process
2 - 3 pm Planning the Long Cruise
3 - 4 pm AUXSCOUT: Sea Scouts – The youth program of The Coast Guard Auxiliary
4 - 5 pm Planning for the Quartermaster Rank discussion
5 - 545 pm Pack and clean up campsite
5:45 - 7 pm Closing colors, awards, and parent pickup picnic
7 pm Depart for your home port