Centreville Cub Scouts Join Thousands of Campers in the Great Outdoors

Almost 3000 campers throughout the summer who descended upon Camp William B. Snyder near Haymarket have gone home to their respective Cub Scout packs tired but full of memories.  

Although Camp Snyder activities occur each summer, it is unique and special to every youngster who attends.  It is important to that young boy as it creates individual experiences.  For some, it is the first time away from home, camping, shooting a BB gun, sleeping in a tent and enjoying a real campfire in the outdoors.

This has been a full summer for scouts and leaders from Maryland, Washington D.C. and Virginia. This year’s theme was Superheroes and Villains and according to Cub Master James Benslay, the theme was fresh and the staff was enthusiastic and great with the kids. This key aspect was echoed by numerous adult leaders and parents. There were silly songs, skits, campfires and of course activities ranging from BB gun shooting, digging in the mine for Kryptonite, hunting for bugs, shooting slingshots and swimming. 

According to Anand Behl, “the Big Dig was great because there was a tunnel and General Zod was cool.” Joseph Prince from Culpeper said that the Nature Pavilion was his favorite because they got to look for bugs.  Seth Cabresa from Pack 177 said, “Archery and BB guns were awesome and I liked the Green Arrow!”  Scout leader Doug Douher emphasized that Camp Snyder was one the two best places to go as a Cub Scout and his pack had a record number of boys attend this year. 

As the final song was sung for this year and the campfire activities were closing, one young boy broke down in tears.  He has come to Camp Snyder for six years and this was his last year.  He was advancing to become a Boy Scout.  There were a lot of fun times and he will miss some of the staff that he has seen repeatedly over the years.  The staff members range from those with master’s degrees to current college and high school students, of who many who are Eagle Scouts. They come from throughout the region to make sure the camp runs efficiently for all the Cub Scouts.

Camp Snyder is located on 325 acres and maintains facilities to include 14 campsites.  The Boy Scouts of America National Capital Area Council operates Camp Snyder.  Not only is Camp Snyder busy with summer programs, but there are parent/son overnighters throughout the year that give parents an opportunity to spend quality time with their sons.  If you have any questions or would like to know more about Scouting or Camp Snyder, contact Dan Ross, 571-248-4902.                                    

--By Brenda Bess