Word is beginning to spread and the excitement is growing over the wonderful things that are beginning to happen in our council. One of them is our new initiative to raise funds for special projects and equipment that we badly need at Goose Pond and at Acahela. We've created what I think will be one of the best patch sets our council has ever had. Below are images of the first two patches in a new series that will be offered annually with the proceeds going towards those items and equipment that we need right now or in the very near future. Two beautiful wildlife designs will be released each year during 2008, 2009, and 2010 featuring the animals that can be seen at either camp. The patches for 2008 are pasted below:

Click on each of the images above to view larger, high resolution images of these patches. Click here for your order form.

What a terrific way to show your support of our camps! And there are three ways to do it!!

Order the Special Limited Collector’s Edition

Each patch will have a Limited Edition run of only 200 collector’s patches. These will differ from the standard patch in a number of ways. First, each will have their own serial number, stitched right on the front of the patch. Second, they will come on a Special Collector’s Edition Card suitable for framing, which will be numbered and signed by the artist. Lastly, with only 200 produced, these are bound to be very valuable in the years to come – true collector’s pieces! You can even request a specific number in the run – if it’s available, it’s yours. (Orders will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis.) You can even subscribe to get the entire set and lock in your number so that all your patches have the same number! Special Edition patches are only $25 each – a bargain and a real help to our camps!!

Order the Standard Edition Patch

Regular editions of the patches will be offered as well. They won’t carry the special serial number and we won’t limit production, but these attractive patches will be another great way you can show and WEAR your support of the council’s camps. As official council CSPs, you are authorized to wear these beautifully embroidered patches in place of our regular Council patch. And at only $7 each, every Scout and Scouter can easily show their support and enthusiasm for our council. Plus they would make outstanding trading patches as well! Order as many as you like – we’ll make each year’s editions as long as there is demand for them during that calendar year.

Subscribe for a Complete Set

You can even subscribe for a complete set of patches – get one each of the Special Editions and one each of the Standard Edition patches – all shipped at one time!

Reserve Your Number by E-mail

We’re setting up a special e-mail address to allow you to reserve your Collector’s Edition number – camppatch@nepabsa.org . As of Tuesday, January 22^nd, you can send in the number you want to request – and we’ll hold it for you (if it’s available) pending receipt of your payment. You have to act fast! We’ll only hold your requested number for 4 days pending arrival of your payment at the Council Office – after that, the number is back up for grabs. Remember, numbers will be assigned on a first-come, first served basis.

Here’s Your Chance

As your Ranger, I know so many of you have been concerned about our camps and have been supportive of all the hard effort we together have put into The Pond and Acahela over the last four years. Many of you have asked what you could do to help and have wished for something like this. Well, here’s your chance! Every Scout and Scouter now has an opportunity to show the pride we have in our camps and to do something that will make a difference.

Click here to print an order form and get more information on the program. Please look them over and place your order today!

Thanks for your help. It’s what you do that makes a difference!

Ranger Tim

Welcome to our Camps!

Welcome to the Northeastern Pennsylvania Council's Camps website. The purpose of this site is to provide you with detailed information about Camp Acahela and Goose Pond Scout Reservation; the facilities, the on-going projects, and the endless possibilities these two camps hold for Scouting units looking for outstanding camping opportunities.

We like to think that our camps aren't just camps - they're Scouting Resource Centers, full of opportunities that can enrich your outdoor program. Acahela and Goose Pond are two of America's oldest Scout Camps and are rich in tradition and Scouting history. Goose Pond is renowned for its outstanding Summer Resident Camp while Acahela has earned a reputation for staging adventures within its 242 acres of wilderness or anywhere else on the Pocono Plateau including famous ski resorts like Jack Frost, Camelback, and Big Boulder.

Our dedicated staff and volunteers are working harder than ever to make both camps even better with all sorts of on-going restoration, renovation, and conservation projects. Take a tour of this site, then come visit our camps. We think you'll agree that we are a resource you can visit again and again!

Weekend Camping Opportunities

Sites at Camp Acahela and Goose Pond are now available for camping in autumn until the end of May with some additional weekends being made available at Acahela in June and July (some restrictions apply to the later dates). At Acahela, campers will be able to take advantage of our excellent rivers with some great fishing, fly-tying classes and casting classes at a nearby outfitter, a great rocket flying field, fantastic star gazing, and a host of other activities. Goose Pond offers great fishing in the Pond, nearby Steamtown and other attractions, plus all the tradition that makes Goose Pond "The Pond". Make your reservations now by contacting Jan Shoener at our Council Office at (570) 207-1227 or e-mail her at jshoener@nepabsa.org . For any questions regarding sites or activities, contact our Ranger, Tim Bongard at (570) 335-0283 or e-mail him at tbongard@nepabsa.org . Three to Four weeks notice IS REQUESTED if assistance is needed in helping to set up your weekend program. Sites are rented on a first come, first served basis, so don't delay in setting up your reservation today!

News - Fall is here and Winter is soon to arrive!

And with it we will begin our conversion of both camps over to Winter camping status, which means a few changes in where you can get water, what heating is available, and the kind of access available at each site. It also means that there are a wide variety of cool and cold weather activities in the area, so be sure to check out the links we've provided. 

Greg Hodl photographed this Bobcat near the entrance to Camp Acahela at dusk. Click here for more great photos.

Hero List - Our Special "Thanks!" to the following:

This last few months has seen some very special donations made to the council and our camps. We would like to acknowledge these individuals and companies for their generous donations to our ongoing work.

• Jim Chmiola and J&E Sheet Metal for donating a new DeWalt 18Volt cordless drill set, DeWalt grinder, and a 1998 Ford F-250 stake body truck for use as a camp truck at Acahela!
• Walt Godshall for donating a Black & Decker generator and a Dremel scroll saw!
• Mike Gallagher and friends for donating a lightly used Maytag washer and dryer for the Staff Building at Acahela!
• Dr. Paul Kutish and the Wyoming Valley Veterinary Clinic for donating a new Ridgid twin tank portable compressor to run our air tools at our job sites!
• The Dillenburgs for donating a 9KW generator, fuel tanks, and a wood burning stove.
• Lowappanau Lodge for their work at the Ordeal weekends at Acahela and Goose Pond.
• Alan Stroud, Fran Layou, and all the volunteers who helped at our recent Hammer and Saw Day at Goose Pond. Special thanks for the renovation work on our Dish Room floor in the Dining Hall!
• Troop 421 for their outstanding brush clearing and timber removal work around the Twins and on Upper Road at Acahela. They have beavers in their blood!!
• Troop 55 for their outstanding work in constructing a walkable path down from Niagara to the rest of Goose Pond.
• Bob Burry for his donations of materials and paint.
• Bob Burry and Al Kircher for their work over this season at the Handicraft Building, on chimneys around camp, and for the manpower in pouring the pad at Handicraft.

You have our thanks and appreciation, one and all. Generosity for others is at the heart of the Scouting program and your contributions are helping to build a lasting legacy at our camps.

This site is part of an ongoing Wood Badge project...

This site is an all volunteer effort and ongoing Wood Badge project of NE-II-137. Become a Wood Badger - Learn about a Wood Badge for the 21st Century Course near you or contact this site's webmaster for more information. SEE THE NEED - DO THE DEED!

Thanks for visiting this new Council website. The purpose of it is to evaluate the need for and the content of a website for use by our Council that deals with the details of Goose Pond Scout Reservation and Camp Acahela. This is still very much a work-in-progress, so please let me know what you like and what you don't. Send your comments to: tbongard@nepabsa.org . And thanks for your support of our camps!