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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

• BSA Kayaking Award

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 - 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