For Scouts of all ages, summer camps are a one-of-a-kind experience filled with amazing adventures and personal growth. There are many opportunities to develop vital life skills, like self-esteem and independence — even leadership skills. As Tom Rosenberg, the President and CEO of the American Camping Association, put it:
“Camp plays a vital role in the educational development of the whole child, and that includes mental health.”
Big Sky Country also offers miles upon miles of rustic mountain trails and winding rivers, making the summer camp experience even more special. Whether it’s testing your physical endurance through rafting or mountain biking or learning new skills like archery and wood carving, summer camp in Montana has something for every Scout. Let’s explore some of the other ways summer camps benefit Scouts.
Nurturing Creativity, Exploration, and Adventure
In an ideal setting, young people should spend the warm summer months doing fun activities outside, not trapped inside playing video games or watching TikTok videos. A 2022 study by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that outdoor play improves a child’s ability to think creatively and engage with peers. It’s also important for their physical and emotional well-being. Luckily, summer camp offers ample opportunities for youth to explore their creative and adventurous sides.
At Camp Melita Island, Scouts can unleash their creativity through courses like photography and animation. The boating area offers the best of Melita Island and Flathead Lake. Scouts learn new skills and expand their experiences through activities like canoeing, kayaking, and small-boat sailing.
For Scouts looking to embrace adventure, there’s K-M Scout Ranch, a world-class camp in the heart of Big Sky Country. K-M offers miles of mountain bike and ATV trails, a climbing wall, shooting sports, and much more. There’s even a game design course for Scouts wanting to channel their creative instincts into a fun activity that everyone can play.
Both camps offer Scouts endless opportunities for adventure, exploration, and creativity. But beyond the fun, Scouts develop valuable skills and build self-confidence, setting the stage for meaningful personal growth.
Learning New Things Accelerates Personal Growth
Since its earliest days, summer camp has been a part of the Scouting experience, going back to the first camp organized in 1907 by Scouting’s founder, Robert Baden-Powell. Not long after that, Baden-Powell famously stated,
“A week of camp life is worth six months of theoretical teaching in the meeting room.”
Today, those wise words still ring true. In an age where people resort to YouTube videos and AI for advice on how to perform a task, there’s value in learning from experience. That’s exactly what summer camp offers Scouts — the chance to learn a wide range of practical skills that can be applied in real-life situations. Eagle Scout Brian Vincent put it best when he said:
“Want to learn to sail? There’s not an app for that. Want to learn to ski? There’s not an app for that either.”
For instance, younger Scouts at the Webelos/Arrow of Light Camp and Cub Scout Camp at K-M learn archery skills, while older Scouts at Melita Island learn first aid and emergency preparedness. There are even programs for those wanting to use their STEM skills, whether learning to build and design a robot at K-M Scout Ranch or diving into the exciting world of inventing at Melita Island.
At summer camp, Scouts do more than just learn. They experience, grow, and build confidence in ways that no app or online tutorial ever could.
How MOHAB Fosters Leadership and Teamwork
Scouts also develop essential leadership skills at camp, and one of the best places to sharpen these skills is the Montana Outdoor High Adventure Base (MOHAB) summer camp. MOHAB is regarded as one of the best wilderness expeditions in the world and allows Scouts to build crucial skills while journeying through the remote Bob Marshall Wilderness.
By teaching Scouts how to plan and execute a wilderness trek, MOHAB aims to provide the necessary tools needed to lead expeditions of their own. The curriculum teaches Scouts invaluable skills like conflict resolution, risk management, decision-making, and embracing uncertainty. A Scout named Spencer L. had a transformative experience at MOHAB, telling Boone and Crockett Club,
“It was an opportunity to showcase my Scouting skills while learning new ones in an environment that was rigorously challenging, but also fun.”
Through MOHAB and other summer camps, Scouts gain invaluable leadership and teamwork skills that serve them throughout their lives.
Making an Impact as a Counselor
Since MOHAB and other summer camps teach Scouts how to be effective leaders, it’s only natural for Scouts to take the next step by becoming camp staff members — an opportunity that offers a wide range of benefits.
Camp staff not only gain hands-on experience in leading groups, but they also improve their communication, teamwork, and collaboration skills. Staff can further personal growth by acting as role models to younger campers and using what they learn to help the campers develop new skills and have positive experiences.
The biggest advantage of being on camp staff is the sense of accomplishment from watching campers grow, learn new skills, and – most importantly – have fun in the outdoors. Being on staff at a Scout camp is a wonderful opportunity to make a meaningful impact on someone’s life.
Are you ready to make this summer unforgettable? Scouting America, Montana Council offers a wide variety of summer camps, with spots still available at Camp Melita Island, K-M Scout Ranch, Cub Scout Camp, and Arrow of Light Camp. Contact us today to register for Scouting and kick off your summer camp adventure—let the fun begin
