The camping season for the Elks Youth Camp is six weeks each summer from mid-June through early August. The camping week runs from Sunday to Saturday with either all girls or all boys attending each week. The camp is an accredited member of the American Camping Association (ACA) and its Camp Director is an active member of the Virginia's Section of the ACA.

All campers are sponsored by 31 local Elks Lodges in Virginia. When sponsoring a camper, the local lodges pay all costs associated for a camper including a pre-camp physical, transportation to and from the camp and meals in transit.

All campers who attend the Virginia Elks Youth Camp have a great chance to bring home an award, as well as many great memories. Ribbons are awarded for our "Land Olympics" and "Water Olympics" activities. Campers start the week with 100 points. During the week their actions and enthusiasm afford the opportunity to gain points or loose points. All campers ending the week with a point total of 90 or more receive an "Outstanding Camper" award. The names of the boy and girl receiving the most points during the camping season will have their name added to the "Outstanding Campers" listed on a wall in the dining room.

Weather permitting, practically all activities are of the outdoor type, with basketball, softball, volleyball, soccer, camp-wide games and races keeping the campers busy from early morning until taps at 9:30 p.m. Instructions in cheer-leading, modem dance, singing, painting and crafts are activities enjoyed by the girls as well as the sports programs. The large dining hall is used for program activities on rainy days, plus the camp provides a fine craft opportunity featuring leatherwork items. Opening and closing campfires, along with other camp-wide events, such as "earth ball", candy carnival, staff hunt, and water carnival are also included during the camping week.

Swimming is high on the list of favorite camp activities. The swimming hole on the Cow Pasture River is fed from cool streams from the surrounding hillsides. . The area is roped off for non-swimmers, beginners and swimmers so that each group can be handled safely. Good fishing and canoeing are also part of the fine waterfront program. All activities are under close supervision of trained and qualified staff members and prior to the start of water activities each camping session, the camper's swimming abilities are carefully accessed by the staff.

Archery range, "the swimming hole",camp kitchen and the fire pit.

All campers live in cabins under the supervision of a Cabin Counselor with each cabin holding as many as eight campers. Cabins are assigned cabins by age group and not by sponsoring lodge. Two large bath and shower buildings are located near the cabin rows.

Blankets and linens are provided by the camp while the camp laundry washes all, clothes of each camper during their stay. Each camper provides his own personal items such as sneakers or shoes, warm sleeping garments, dungarees, T-Shirts, shorts, socks, underwear, bathing trunks, towels and washcloths.

Camp Ranger, who lives at the Youth Camp year round, says he gets a surprising number of former campers who stop by for a visit every year. They invariably want to see if the Youth Camp is as great as they remember it and almost always find that it is.

The 2010 camping season had 309 campers attend, all of whom were sponsored by Virginia Elks Lodges.

Camp Staff

Above left: Camp Director, Ms. Susie Keller, is a resident of Clifton Forge, Va and is a school teacher in the Allegheny County School System. Above right:Camp Ranger, Mike Journell, has been actively involved with the Virginia Elks Youth Camp for over 25 years. Prior to accepting the position as Camp Ranger who oversees the day-to-day maintenance of the camp, Mike was serving as 2nd Vice President on the Virginia Elks Youth Camp Executive Committee. A plumber by trade, he has been responsible for the installation of 90 percent of the plumping at the Camp. Mike is a member of Clifton Forge Elks Lodge 1065.

Above left: Bonnie Journell serves as Food Service and Housekeeping Manager of the Virginia Elks Youth Camp. She, like her husband Mike, has been actively involved at the camp and enjoys reminiscing about "memorable" campers she has seen over the years. Above right: Raymond "Buster" Shaner serves as the Virginia Elks Association Youth Camp Director of Maintenance. Buster has served in this capacity since 2006. He has a commercial door and hardware business in Augusta County and is a member and PER of Staunton Elks Lodge 351.

Cabin Counselors at Lunch. The Camp employs approximately 18 Cabin Councilors during the camping sessions. They are usually college students or young teachers.

Click here to view more Elks Youth Camp photos in our photo gallery.

(Page updated 08/29/2010)