Looking for Minsi Trails Sea Scout Ship 940?  Click here.                                                                                                                                 Page last updated: March 14, 2022

Sea Scout & Venturing Academy at Camp Minsi

Sunday July 31st through Thursday, August 4th

The Sea Scout & Venturing Academy is a regional BSA summer camp experience focusing on youth leadership skills and advancement through the Sea Scout, ranks, Venturing ranks and the Venturing Ranger Award. This Sunday through Thursday 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 and Crews, including Thursday's "Tall Ship Experience" featuring climbing riggings and zipping between ships (aka high ropes course and dual racing zip line) and bouncing over "ocean waves" (aka whitewater rafting. Older Scouts BSA members interested in water-based adventures are also welcomed to participate.  The Sea Scout & Venturing Academy is hosted by Minsi Trails Council at Camp Minsi, Pocono Summit, Pennsylvania, in cooperation with the National Service Territory 13 Venturing and Sea Scout youth leadership teams.

Participation:

• YOUTH (14-20): Sea Scout Ships, Venturing Crews and Older Scouts from Scouts BSA Troops interested in awesome adventures!  
• 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 Thursday's "Tall Ship Experience" !

Cost:

• YOUTH PARTICIPANTS (14-20):   $375 all-inclusive fee     (All sessions & Thursday trip)
• YOUTH STAFF (older Venturers and Sea Scouts):   $200
• ADULT (over 21):
  • $125 basic fee   (Includes sessions not size limited)
  • $200 with the "Tall Ship Experience"    (All sessions and Thursday trip)
• LATE FEE of $50 begins June 1st

Important Dates:  

• Due Now      Registration open with $100 deposit.
• May 15th      Preliminary course selection closes.
• June 1st       Late fee of $50 begins.
• July 15th      Registration closes.  Balance of fees due.

Registration:  

• INDIVIDUAL SIGN-UP NOW OPEN:  Click here.
• If multiple individuals from the same Crew or Ship are registering, we ask that adult leaders from those units also attend for YPT coverage.  Thank you.
• Initial sessions should be made prior to May 15th

Course Selections:   

• Session offerings can be found here.
• Initial sessions should be made prior to May 15th
• Anticipated are over 80 requirements to be offered in single, multiple and some all-day sessions.
• NEW for 2022 are:
  • Additional Sea Scout paddlecraft-based sessions
  • Introduction to SCUBA sessions (limited availability)
  • Venturing rank requirement sessions
  • Ranger Award requirement sessions.

Additional Resources:   (NOTE: 2021 had only Sea Scout sessions)

• 2022 Boarding Manual:  CLICK HERE for the Skipper's and Leader's guide.
• Camp Minsi Maps:  CLICK HERE for maps of Camp maps and campsite layout maps.
• Email:  Contact WWITUCKI@GMAIL.COM , Walt Witucki, Sea Scout Academy Coordinator, with additional questions

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.  CLICK HERE for Google Maps.

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.

Schedule Highlights:  

• Sunday Afternoon, July 31^st
  • Check-in
  • Safety and Orientation Sessions
  • “Welcome!” Beach Party

• Monday - Wednesday, August 1^st  –  3^rd
  • Expanded sessions for 2022!
  • Requirement / Skill Sessions
  • Informational / Discussion Sessions
  • Swimming and Lifesaving MBs
  • Sea Scout / Venturing Marksmanship Awards
  • BSA paddlecraft awards
  • Open Aquatics

• Thursday, August 4^th , the “Tall Ship Experience”
  • Climbing the “riggings” (aka high ropes at Tree Top Adventure)
  • Zipping between “ships” (aka dual racing zip lines at Tree Top Adventure)
  • Bouncing over “ocean waves” (aka rafting the Lehigh River)

•  Optional Friday morning, August 5th departure