'It's still fun, just with masks:" Pandemic precautions keep summer camp safe

Jul. 15—SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — Precautions to stop the spread of COVID-19 are being credited with there not being outbreaks of the disease among campers and staff at the Hawk Mountain Scout Reservation.

Reservation Ranger Kevin Huneke said by following guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state Department of Health and National Council of Boy Scouts, there have been no cases of COVID-19 among campers, troop leaders and reservation employees.

After being canceled last year, camps at the 700-acre reservation outside Summit Station have been running for four weeks, beginning June 20. They will end in two weeks. There are 18 troops, 450 campers and 50 staff at the reservation this week, Camp Director Rich Howett said. It offers overnight camps for Scouts BSA and Cub Scouts, as well as day camps for Cub Scouts.

This year, face masks are required to be worn indoors or when campers can't socially distance. Huneke said the rule is in place because most of the young population at the reservation isn't vaccinated against COVID-19. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is the only one of the three vaccines available to those ages 12 and older. The others, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, are available for those 18 years and older.

The BSA Camp is for children in grades 5-12, while the Cub Scouts Summer Camp is for those in grades K-4.

In addition, staff put in 20 additional handwashing stations, campers get pre-packaged meals instead of eating in the dining hall and bathrooms are cleaned regularly, with a professional cleaner sanitizing them on weekends.

Two weeks before arriving, campers, leaders and employees have to complete a COVID-19 screening questionnaire. A lodge has also been set up for anyone showing symptoms to quarantine.

Nationwide, there has been a string of COVID-19 outbreaks linked to overnight summer camps in places such as Texas, Illinois, Florida, Missouri and Kansas, according to The Associated Press.

In the Houston area, health officials reported more than 130 youths and adults tested positive for the virus in cases connected to a church camp, the report added.

Experts fear it could be a preview of the upcoming school year, with many students not yet eligible to receive a vaccine.

All the fun of camp, but with masks

Among the campers at the reservation this week are 14 members of Troop 651, Summer Hill, who have been busy with activities to collect merit badges. They said camp this year felt the same as before, with the face covering requirement being the only difference.

"It's still fun, just with masks," said 12-year-old Connor Palerino, of Schuylkill Haven, a member of the troop, adding that he likes the pool, particularly on hot days.

For his fellow troop member, Dominic Minchoff, 11, being at the reservation meant experiencing new things. He rode a boat and shot a rifle for the first time during his time as a camper.

"It felt really good to shoot it," the Auburn resident said.

Both Palerino and Minchoff went to the camp as Cub Scouts, but this year was their first attending the Scouts BSA camp.

Mark Palerino, the troop's assistant scoutmaster, said the camp gives kids a chance to socialize with their peers, which, for some of them, has been hard with virtual learning in school districts.

"It's nice for them to see each other," he said, adding being there teaches them life skills.

Among the activities offered to camp members on Wednesday afternoon were swimming, paddleboarding, canoeing, archery and shooting rifles.

For more information on the Hawk Mountain Scout Reservation visit: https://www.facebook.com/HawkMountainSR and https://hmc-bsa.org/hmsr/.

Contact the writer: clee@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6028; @Cleespot on Twitter

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