Wow. If I could have left a lower rating I would have done so. Our Scouts just arrived home from this camp and it was beyond atrocious.
I don't even know where to begin to describe the problems but if you have a group scheduled to go to this camp this summer make a very wise decision and cancel or choose another camp. It's unbelievable that this camp has incredible gall to charge Scouts $240+ for how little they received. How dare they do so when many Scouts have spent a year working hard in fund-raising efforts for the privilege to attend.
Even though the majority of the camp staff were "nice" they were woefully inadequate or inexperienced in many areas. Problems began with check in and included uneducated staff who were unable to answer many basic questions and demonstrated a lack of professionalism, especially regarding the submission of Scout medications which includes prescriptions for ADD/ADHD, autism, etc. Huge liability.
The camp cafeteria was horribly stocked, managed and prepared for the Scouts. How do you give a Scout and their leaders a hot dog wiener served on a piece of bread, not bun because they ran out due to poor planning, and consider it their evening meal? To make matters even worse the majority of the wieners served still had ice crystals in them and had not been heated appropriately. That alone is a health hazard and a definite risk of food poisoning. On other nights the food served was either overcooked to the point of being inedible or undercooked. Have you ever tried to eat a baked potato that is still so raw that it is crunchy? Really? This stuff is not rocket science. Lunch often consisted of a piece (yes 1 piece) of bread with some lunch meat slapped on top. Apparently breakfast was somewhat better and was definitely the least atrocious meal of the day but was in no way remarkable.
The other problems with the camp included an overall lack of organization in regards to staff being where they were scheduled and leadership skills. Management was definitely needed. Staff also seemed to lack experience in several areas and several of the Scouts reported having inappropriate and offensive language used around them.
Summer camp, especially when a Scout has worked so hard to be able to afford to attend and traveled for hours, is expected to be one of the highlights of a young person's life. When you experienced what our Scouts did at San Isabel Scout Ranch it just ends up being a major disappointment. How sad and how reprehensible it is for this camp to be taking advantage of our best youth and future leaders. read more