The Babcock-Hovey Alumni Association is going to attempt to tell a story; a wonderful story of a 300 acre camp on Seneca Lake near Ovid, NY. The camp is 80 years in the making but the story is not yet complete. To tell the story, we need your help. Please correct us if we are wrong, add your own memories, and enjoy the story as it unfolds. Since the human memory is imperfect and many of these events occurred before our life times, these memories may not be complete and perfect. We really hope that you will enjoy these post. We hope we can gather as many alumni as possible in celebrating the anniversary of our beloved camp.
Yours in Scouting,
Babcock-Hovey Alumni Association
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Property History of Camp Babcock-Hovey
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1920’s-
Camp Tarion on Canandaigua Lake
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1930’s-
1936 – Camp Tarion holds its final Season
1938 – Anonymous gift to purchase the camp announced, Main Road built and Dinning Hall started
1939 – The Camp Dedication Ceremony occurs. Camp opens with the Dining Hall (Kitchen in South end Living Quarters North), an outdoor shower, the maintenance building, the present day Memorial Lodge, a wooden boat house, an “F” type dock, a high lookout chair, a flag pole and a totem pole located in the center of the loop near the current kitchen.. The first three campsites being Onondaga, Mohawk, and Cliff Dwellers (current day Cayuga). Staff were housed in Oneida (between Tuscarora and Eagle Lodge on South Side of Road 2012)
Other Items – Scouts write Thank You Letters to Babcock and Hovey
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1940’s-
1941 – Legend of Bigfoot is first told
1943 – Scouts plant trees in memory of sailors and soldiers in WWII
1944 – Wooden Anniversary and Babcock Chapel
1944 – Penn Yan Lodge dedicated
1944 – Boat House rebuilt with scrap buildings from Seneca Naval Station
1945 – First rifle range built in current location
1947 – 15,000 Gallon Water Tower installed (between Memorial Lodge and Mohawk campsite)
1948 – Hovey Lodge Built
1948 – Ganeodiyo Lodge is founded, Historical Vigil List, Historical Lodge chief and Lodge Advisor list
1949 – Tuscarora is added as the second Lean-to Site
Other items –
Newsletter – The Red Cedar Whispers
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1950’s
1951 – Ranger’s House built to house first Ranger Vern Brown and Ranger Shop expanded to current size
1951 – Mohican (2012 – Sunday night campfire) is added as a third Lean-to Site
1952 – Campfire area behind Eagle Lodge created and The Legend of the Dying Chieftain is first told
1953 – Cherokee Added as a Campsite
1954 – Cayuga become a Lean-to site after high winds took down some 4 man tents.
1955 – Land swap with state
1956 – Camp ONSEYAWA Starts, originally called “Rotarians’ Handicapped Children’s Camp”
1957 – Nature Lodge built and Camp Celebrates its 20th year
1958 – Algonquin added as a Campsite
1959 – CANUSA Mootoree starts, alternated between Babcock-Hovey and Canada
Other Items –
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1960’s-
1962 – Camp Celebrates its 25th Anniversary,
1962 – New Kitchen on Dinning Hall to the East and Addition in Acreage on the south side
1963 – Current Totem Pole erected,Camp Gateway Installed
1965 – Ranges House Addition – east section
1966 – Swimming pool added
1966 – Vern Brown Retires
1967 – Richard Becker Starts
1969 – Family Cabins (Winter Cabins 2012) Built during OA Ordeals
Other Items-
Lean-to’s from Mohican (2012 – Sunday Night campfire area) moved to Cayuga
Conservation pond added Late 1960’s
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1970’s-
1970 – First bridge over south ravine built by Army Corp of Engineers- only lasted 3 years
1971 – 50th Anniversary Finger Lakes Council
1972 – Last CANUSA Mootoree
1974 – Pedersen Lodge Dedicated,
1976 – Yolanda Schofield pens her first Pen and Ink drawings of camp
1973 – Lakefront Area moves from below Tuscarora to current location with previous dock, Boat house always stayed at its current location (2012)
1979 – Shenandoah Shelter built (Trading Post 2012)
Other Items-
Movie from the 1970’s (coming soon)
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1980’s-
1980 – Replacement of Main Pedestrian Bridge over South Ravine
1984 – Major renovations on Pool and North Shower House, with help of Camp ONSEYAWA
1984 – COPE begins at summer camp in Ravine
1986 – Rifle Range rebuilt with cement deck and a secure storage area
1986 – Diamond Jubilee of the Boy Scouts of America
1987 – Bridge Decking replaced on Main Pedestrian Bridge
1987 – Morrow-Blondell Health Lodge construction complete
1987 – Richard Becker retires as Camp Ranger, Conrad Wedding Starts as Camp Ranger
1987 – Golden Anniversary Hovey, Green Bar Bill in attendance
1987 – COPE Climbing Tower under construction
Other items –
Video from the Golden Anniversary
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1990’s-
1990 – Nature/NAC Leanto Built
1991 – The Horton Building (South Shower House)
1992 – Penn Yan Lodge Porch Addition
1993 – BBQ Pit added at Kitchen
1993 – Lakefront dock washes away
1994 – Lakefront dock replaced
1994 – Sandy and Gramps pass away
1994 – COPE Pavilion started
1995 – Start of a major capital campaign to improve camp
1998/1999 – Dining Hall Expansion and Kitchen Renovations
Other items –
Skit – Ode to Wednesday Nights Supper
Camp Map from the 1990’s (coming soon)
Archery Pavilion Built
Nature Lento Built
Pedersen Lodge Upgrade
Shotgun Area Moved
Major upgrade to water system and the change to vaulted Latrines
Reinstalling of Mohican and Oneida along Camporee Field
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2000’s-
2000 – Baby Foxes or Pups invade the New Dinning Hall
2000 – Pool Renovated by a combined effort of Camp Onseyawa and Boy Scouts
2001 – Original Frisbee Golf Course Developed
2002 – Road signs added to Rt 96A
2003 – Chapel Renovation and Rededication
2006 – Main Camp Road is improved
2007 – Goodbye Hovey Lodge
2008 – Eagle Lodge Built
2008 – Yolanda Pens her last Pen and Ink Drawing of Camp
2009 – Seneca Waterways Council is formed as a merger of Finger Lakes Council and Otetiana Council.
Other Items –
New Stage built by Ganeodiyo Lodge
Detailed Orienteering Map developed
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2010’s-
2010 – Skip passes away
2010 – Pavilion added to Trading Post, Tuscarora, PF Field
2010 – Ganeodiyo Lodge and Tyoni Lodges were merged together to form Tschipey Achtu Lodge.
2010 – Camp Babcock-Hovey Alumni Association Founded
2010 – Pooler’s Pond added as a fishing pond – not full with water until 2017
2011 – Pavilion added to Scoutcraft, Algonquin, Cayuga, Delaware
2011 – Frisbee Golf Course Moved to Current Location, Nature Trails are marked with metal signs and trail blazes, Nature Pavilion is fully enclosed,
2011 – South Shower House renovations
2011 – First CTC Camporee at Babcock-Hovey, CTC shed comes into Camp
2012 – Camp Celebrates its Diamond Jubilee
2012 – Pavilion added to Winter Cabins, OA provides funds for Dock at Pooler’s Pond,
2013 – Lakefront and Boathouse Renovations Started
2013 – Brother Chan Campfire Area Renovations
2013 – Poolers Pond Shelter and OA Shed
2013 – New Tractor and Mower
2013 – Dining Hall Facelift and Speaker System
2013 – Add Small Directional Road Signs to Camp in Willard
2013 – Added Counter to Penn Yan Lodge
2013 – Addition of Amphibian Pond
2014 – Trading Post upgrades and Museum Move, Memorial Lodge Upgrades
2014 – Addition of BB Gun and Archery Shooting Shelters
2014 – Addition of a Bouldering Wall to the C.O.P.E. Building
2014 – Spring Floods, loss of Lakefront Lean-to and Bridge Repair.
2014 – Mohawk Campsite brought back into service, Onondaga allowed to rest
2015 – Retirement of Conrad Wedding, Kyle Bunce Starts as our Fourth Ranger
2015 – Shop Upgrades
2015 – Ranger House Upgrades
2015 – Staff Area Upgrades
2016 – Coffee Mess Insulated, PF Expanded (Sand VolleyBall, GAGA PIT), Iceburg added at Lakefront, gravel added to road from South Shower house to Onieda
2017 – Onondaga brought back into service, Algonquin allowed to rest
Other items –
Memorial Bench Program is started
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UNDER CONSTRUCTION…. PLEASE EXCUSE OUR DUST……
BANG BANG, CLANK CLANK, ZZZZZEWWWWWW, MEDIC!!!!!!!!
Babcock-Hovey Alumni Association 
