Camp Powhatan
During the day, there would be a wave of activity as lifeguards managed to instruct campers on swimming and boating techniques. The quiet and stillness on the waterfront around me in the fall was almost eerie as I walked along the docks.
Camp Powhatan, the largest council-owned Boy Scout camp in the nation, has been offering summer programs to youth since 1950. This summer, I had the privilege of working there.
My weeks were spent teaching eager, young scouts the art of woodcarving and other crafts. I had grown accustomed to the warm, sticky days of July and the persistent hollers and hooplas of the campers we so adored.
But a few weeks ago, I saw a completely different Camp Powhatan.
The wind was cool and whispering, the sun set much earlier and the only noises I could tune into were the cliche sounds of nature.
During the summer, the camp grounds are often packed with counselors and campers, filling the surroundings with an abundance of activity. Visiting in the fall was a refreshing moment to reflect on the beauty and peacefulness of the world around me.
For those of us that spend our summers here, this place is home. There’s nowhere else like it.
Every morning, we would cross this bridge and walk up to the dining hall to prepare to sing and deliver announcements. This time, I could cross the bridge at my own pace. There was nothing to rush me along.
We never needed a flashlight here. After a week or two, we all managed to memorize the number of steps. This is one of my favorite views of camp.
December 3, 2012 - 7:00 AM
Camp Powhatan is a special place for all of those who have been blessed to have called it home for the summer. My favorite drive is going along camp road in just about any season. I always feel like I am returning home and getting recharged. Even though I am an adult and never worked as a kid Camp is always in my heart and all the young people I have been so blessed to know over the years. I have been very blessed to have my Camp Powhatan family.
You need to go up and visit in the spring when everything has been asleep for the winter and all of nature is waking up. The colors of the trees in bloom and before it gets worn down from all the campers it host through out the summer. You may even be lucky enough to see a bald eagle that has been visiting in the spring. He likes to use the tower at the lake and enjoys fishing in our lake.
A great story! Thanks for sharing! I worked at Powhatan a little over a decade ago, it’s nice to see some things don’t change (we never carried flashlights either)
Oh wow, Chris… it HAS been a little over a decade, hasn’t it??
Yes,flashlights were for the weak. >:)
Working there was a pretty amazing time, that’s for sure. Thanks for bringing out some memories, here.