The
history of CampShohola
for boys is richly mixed
with the history of the local area.Some
of the earliest local economy was related to the timber industry.At one time a logging
company in Shohola PA
cut timber and floated the logs down the stream to a mill, the remnants
of
which remain to this day.After
the
logging company ceased operations in the area, the property was
purchased as a
private summer camp.Several
cabins were
built at that time, and the dining hall, in its earliest rendition
before
several additions, was placed in the center of it all.
CampShohola
for Boys was at one time called CampSkyland
for girls, and CampShohola
for girls.In 1943,
Frank Barger and his
wife Helen purchased it.Frank,
known as
“Pop Barger”, was a school teacher and administrator at the SidwellFriendsSchool
in WashingtonDC.He was an excellent
athlete who loved the
outdoors and had previous camping experience that sold him on the value
of
camping as a developmental benefit to children.He decided to operate Shohola as a boys’ camp
and seven
years later
purchased CampNetimus
for girls with several partners to operate as Shohola’s sister camp.
When
Pop Barger passed away in 1967, his son Frank Barger,
known as “Kit” Barger, took over directorship.Kit was also a teacher and administrator at
Sidwell
Friends and, having
grown up at Shohola, needed no convincing about the value of the
experience.He and
his wife Marilyn
operated the camp until they retired in 2002.Under Kit’s and Marilyn’s directorship the
camp grew and
thrived with
the addition of many new activities and facilities.Even so, one thing that was always preserved
was the “Classic Camp” feel which is so noticeable when you visit
Shohola.The
beautiful natural setting of camp remains
quite intact to this day, and the growth in enrollment to approximately
160
boys has not changed the fact that Shohola feels like a nice small camp
where
everybody knows each other.
Kit’s
son Duncan Barger and his wife Holly assumed the
directorship of Shohola in 2002 and are very proud to be building on
the firm
foundation laid by previous generations.Camp’s traditions remain vibrant and healthy
even while
the program
continues to evolve in order to embrace the interests of today’s boys.Come and see for yourself
why Shohola is
still going strong after three generations!
The Philosophy of Camp Shohola
Although
CampShohola
has never offered any religious education, the values taught by Quakers
have a
foundational place in the SidwellFriendsSchool,
and seem evident in the
Shohola environment as well.The
Quakers
are also called the Society of Friends.At Shohola we have always strived to create a
safe and
encouraging
environment where boys are free to test themselves in athletics,
express
themselves in the arts, or simply be themselves while enjoying the
beautiful
natural surroundings.Shohola
embraces
diversity, encourages understanding between people who are different,
and
nurtures the individual talents of boys from many different cultures,
races,
and religions. When you come to CampShohola,
you will become a part of our “society of friends”.
(May
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Benefits
of
a Small
Camp
The
benefits of a small camp are simple.At Shohola, each child has more personal
attention from the counselors, better supervision during activities,
and
everyone in camp knows each other by name.Shohola parents can call any time and expect
to speak to
the
director.What’s
more, they can expect
the director to know their child by name.CampShohola
has one of the best supervision ratios in the camping industry with
nearly a
two-to-one camper to counselor ratio.
