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Home > Boy Scouts > Camp Freedom > Program

Open Program

• Open Program from 3:30-5 p.m. is great for activities like open shooting, boating, climbing, field sports, swimming and additional program area instruction.
• This is a great time to finish that partial from last year.
• Program areas will also have organized special activities/events/competitions that will be promoted throughout the week.
• You can pick up a map of the marked Hiking Trails in the Program Hall and hike away.
• Use the time to work on some of the various Heritage awards

Special Programs

Outpost
You can spend a night away from the camp hiking, canoeing or riding mountain bikes to and from the Outpost camps. Choose from Discovery with platform tents and a latrine or Point Spear where you provide your overnight gear practicing Leave No Trace. Safety Afloat Training is Required for units selecting the canoe option.

Outstanding Acorn Award
Tall Oaks From Little Acorns Grow. Plant your acorn by performing one hour of service to camp. We have many conservation and maintenance projects available.

Troop or Patrol C.O.P.E., 3:30-5 p.m., Monday through Friday
Take your troop or patrol on the ultimate team building experience. Challenge them at our C.O.P.E. area with initiative games and low C.O.P.E. elements.

Polar Bear Swim, 6:30-7:30 a.m., Monday and Wednesday
There is no better way to start your day. Head down to Aquatics and join us for an early morning swim or take out a watercraft.

Polar Bear Mile, 6:30-8 a.m., Friday
Earn the Mile Swim, BSA award. New requirements call for four hours of training with a maximum of one hour per day. Join us from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m Monday thru Friday for training.

Iron Man, 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Friday
This is the ultimate Heritage challenge. Swim the Polar Bear Mile before breakfast (must do qualifying swims), hike the Courage Trail before lunch and to complete the challenge, canoe the perimeter of Lake Courage after lunch. T-shirts are available in the Trading Post.

Orienteering
Maps are available in the program hall and Scoutcraft for the Heritage Orienteering course set up in 1984 by the late “Green Bar” Bill Hillcourt. Can you find each of the way points?

Brownsea Island Honor Camper Award
This award provides each Scout the opportunity to earn an award based upon his own personal experience during a week-long encampment.

Green Bar Bill Honor Patrol Award
Includes opportunity for group-decision making, as well as gives your Patrol Leaders an opportunity to take initiative to lead their patrols towards earning the award.

Baden-Powell Honor Troop Award
This award is designed to give your Senior Patrol Leader and junior leadership the initiative to work towards completing requirements for an award that honors the Troop as a whole.

Evening Programs

Sunday

• Leaders’ Meeting, 6:45 p.m., Program Hall: A first day orientation to prepare you for the rest of the week. Please send at least one adult leader from your unit and bring advancement changes.
• Opening Campfire, 8:00-9:00 p.m., Campfire Circle: Following dinner, sit back and enjoy the staff welcoming you home with skits, songs and special messages.

Monday

• Campwide Event, 7:30-8:45 p.m., Campers will compete as patrols in a variety of activities. Events will challenge each member’s Scout skills, teamwork and spirit.

Tuesday

• Vespers, 7:30-8:15 p.m., Duty to God Chapel: The twelfth point, Reverent. Take time to reflect on all that is good. The Camp Chaplain is looking for any Leader or Scout to assist with the Vesper Service. If interested, please notify your Camp Director by Sunday night to arrange for your place in the service.
  

Wednesday

• Visitor Night, 3:30-10:00 p.m.: Invite your friends and family to camp for a visit and give them a tour. During the afternoon, visit program areas and in the evening have them visit your campsite and the Order of the Arrow ceremony.
• Order of the Arrow Call Out Ceremony, 7:45-8:45 p.m., Meet at Parade Field: Each Scoutmaster should talk with the Order of the Arrow Coordinator on Sunday to discuss your unit’s involvement with the Order of the Arrow during your stay.

Thursday

• Campsite Cookout, 6:00 p.m., your campsite: Each unit will cook their Steak dinner in their campsite. Freedom picks up food at the dining hall.
• Troop Program Night, 7:30-9:00 p.m.: Let your PLC decide. Run the Aquatics area using Safe Swim Defense and Safety Afloat, sign up for a Troop Shoot, go on outpost, challenge another Troop to a friendly competition? Your imagination is the limit.
• Order of the Arrow Brotherhood Ceremony, 7:45-8:30 p.m., Reservation Circle: All Brotherhood and Vigil Order of the Arrow members are encouraged to attend these induction ceremonies.

Friday

• Closing Campfire, 7:30-8:30 p.m., Campfire Circle: To finish off your last night with us, we will have some special entertainment and recognitions to share with you. Some units will be chosen to perform skits or songs for the rest of camp to enjoy.
• Blue Card Party, 8:45-9:30 p.m., Program Hall: Verify that all your Scouts’ blue cards and activity awards have been properly processed. Staff will be available to clarify and resolve and discrepencies.

Leader Meetings

• In order to share important information and answer leader questions a unit leaders’ meeting is scheduled each day (except check-out day) in camp. We will meet at 9:15 a.m. in the Program Hall (6:45 p.m. on check-in day) to review the day and discuss tomorrow’s activities.

Senior Patrol Leader Meetings

• In order to help strengthen the youth leadership in your unit, a senior patrol leaders meeting is scheduled. We will also review of the day and discuss tomorrow’s activities. Meetings will be at 12:00 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Program Hall.

Leader Programs

Please note that leaders may take training at either Boy Scout camp during the week.

Help Us Help You
We understand that your own unit’s interests are the number one priority, but we welcome your assistance to make Heritage even better. We ask that you help contribute to the camp with any special skills that you have. Help is always appreciated within program areas, merit badge instruction, guarding on the Waterfront and service projects.

Adult Leader Service Award
Have you always wanted to earn your own award? Pick up a list of the requirements in the Program Hall to get started exploring camp, participating in activities and helping Scouts have a great camping experience. This program is an explosion of fun. Open to ALL leaders.

Youth Protection, 2-3:30 p.m., Wednesday (Liberty), Friday (Freedom)
Program Hall: All Cub Scout and Boy Scout adult volunteers should take this course. It covers the Boy Scouts of America’s Youth Protection policies, kinds of abuse, signs of abuse, how to respond to disclosure of abuse and proper reporting procedures.

Leave No Trace, 2-3 p.m., Tuesday (Liberty), Thursday (Freedom)
Program Hall: Learn the basics of outdoor ethics, how it relates to the Boy Scouts of America and how to start implementing it in your Troop.

Safe Swim Defense and Safety Afloat, 2-3:30 p.m., Monday (Liberty), Tuesday (Freedom)
Program Hall: Learn what it takes to safely operate aquatic programs within your Troop.

Trek Safely, 2-2:45 p.m., Monday (Freedom), Thursday (Liberty)
Program Hall: Designed to help youth and adult leaders plan and carry out a safe trekking experience for the members of their unit. Trek Safely applies to all types of outdoor experiences that involve trekking, including hiking, backpacking, canoeing, horseback riding, caving, rafting, kayaking, sailing, ski touring, mountain climbing and mountain biking.

Climb On Safely, 2:45-3:30 p.m., Monday (Freedom), Thursday (Liberty)
Program Hall: Adult leader training which outlines the procedure for organizing Boy Scouts of America climbing/rapelling activities at a natural site or a specifically designed facility such as a climbing wall or tower.

Risk Zone, 2-3 p.m., Wednesday (Freedom), Friday (Liberty)
This required course for all Greater Pittsburgh Council units informs you how to minimize the risk in Scouting activities.

Swimming and Water Rescue & Paddlecraft Safety
These two new Boy Scouts of America courses replace BSA Lifeguard for unit level swimming and boating activities. Each course is 7.5 hours long. Offered Monday through Friday at 10:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. respectively.