Camp Shohola is located on 75 acre Lake Greeley, in Greeley, PA, in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. It is approximately 90 miles from New York City. 120 miles from Philadelphia, 235 miles north of Baltimore, and 270 miles north of Washington, D.C.
Camp Shohola is for boys from age 7 to 16. At age 16, boys are “Junior Counselors in Training” and must have been with us for at least one previous summer.
We average 120 to 150 campers ages 7 through 16 and 80 staff members. Eight to ten campers and two or three counselors live in each cabin.
The average daytime temperature during the camp season reaches about 85 degrees. It gets cool at night, and blankets are often needed for sleeping.
Camp Shohola is an accredited member of the American Camp Association (ACA), which inspects safety, cleanliness, procedures and programs on a regular basis. We are also inspected and licensed annually by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for drinking water, public bathing facilities, and food service.
Duncan Barger has been directing Shohola since 2002. He is a third-generation director. His grandfather purchased the camp in 1943, and a Barger has been running it ever since. Duncan has over 30 years of camping experience and the senior staff of Shohola together have over 75 years at Shohola.
Many on the staff are teachers or college students who were previous Shohola campers. We have a diverse and interesting counselor group representing many countries, languages, and cultural backgrounds. We hold our staff to the highest standards and the majority of our counselors are Red Cross certified in lifesaving, first aid and/or C.P.R. This includes all waterfront staff and trip leaders. Many of our staff attend certification clinics related to their specific responsibilities. Since counselors are hired for their experience in activity instruction, many already have achieved a high degree of proficiency in their instructional areas.
WHERE DO YOUR CAMPERS COME FROM?
Most of the campers are from the mid-Atlantic states, although campers come from across the United States and many European, Latin American, and Asian countries.
We have optional bus service from Washington, Baltimore, New York and Philadelphia. We also meet incoming flights at any of the New York City airports and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PA for a small additional fee. Campers arriving by air will be driven to camp escorted by a camp representative.
Cabins are frame buildings with screened sliding windows, bunk beds, electricity, and a bathroom with toilet and sink. There are two centrally located shower houses.
Cabin placement is based on camper age, grade, length of stay, and parental requests. There is also an attempt to have a balance of new and returning campers in each cabin along with an attempt to avoid having too many in one cabin speaking a language other than English.
Each camper chooses ten instructional activities for the session. Swimming is mandatory. Campers may choose from more than 40 selections. These activities meet three times a week, 5 activity periods per day. It is our hope that campers will select a varied program from water-sports, land sports, the arts, and specialty areas, so that they will return home with new skills as well as expanding former interests.
HOW COMPETITIVE IS SHOHOLA?
As members of the Pike County Camp Athletic Association, we can offer a level of competition to satisfy the most avid sports enthusiast. We field intermural teams to compete with other camps in our region, and any boy who has signed up for the camp instruction activity can also sign-up for the team. Our teams do very well, and we are the proud recipients of trophies in tennis, swimming, baseball, basketball, street hockey, soccer, riflery, archery, golf and volleyball.
Our intramural sports offerings are varied, and nearly everyone participates in them – there is no bench-warming, and each boy plays in every game.
Our instructors are chosen for their proven expertise in their instructional areas. Many possess necessary certifications for instruction and safety. All staff are trained in American Red Cross first aid and CPR.
Camp Shohola trips include:
• Rafting trips on the Youghiogheny and Lehigh Rivers.
• Canoeing and kayaking trips on the local Lackawaxen and Delaware Rivers.
• Extensive hiking and rock-climbing trips to New York, New Jersey and northeastern Pa.
• Camping and hiking are also done on the Appalachian Trail and in state parks.
• Special excursions are scheduled to area historical sites.
(If a camper wants to participate in an extended trip away from camp, parents will be called for permission.)
Campers who sign up for waterskiing are driven 20 miles to our property on Lake Wallenpaupack where they spend a half day waterskiing, wake-boarding and/or tubing.
WHAT ABOUT THE SPECIALIZATION IN WAKE-BOARDING/WATER-SKIING
Wake-boarding and waterskiing specialists go all day three days per week for two weeks. This allows them to really focus during a concentrated period to improve their skills rapidly. This program carries an extra fee.
Shohola is a perfect environment for a kid who wants to be super-competitive and for a boy who does not love competitive sports. We get back to basics by unplugging from technology (other than instructional technology) for a while and learning to have fun connecting with each other and enjoying the beautiful outdoors. We are big enough to offer a superb program but small enough to get to know your son very personally. Shohola really is like a large family. Our camp environment is filled with love, acceptance, nurture, and limitless opportunities. There are many aspects of our program that are intentionally designed to foster this family environment.
Our method of activity scheduling allows campers to customize their own camp experience to their interests. This degree of customization in the program is second to none in the industry. Many camps require campers to go to activities as a cabin group or allow campers to choose only a part of their schedule. Some camps allow full choice of activities every single day, giving plenty of choice, but very little consistent instruction. We think we offer the best of all worlds with our program design.
Our Communications and Technology Program, CommTech, is one of a kind. We have a licensed Summer Camp Amateur Radio Station WB3DGR and continue to operate one of the first camp radio broadcasting stations in the United States. Campers learn and put to practical use knowledge gained in electronics, computer programming, telecommunications, photography, radio, sports broadcasting, acting and video production. Our comm-tech department has helped start more than one career in broadcasting.
We also have a complete arts department, a strong instructional program in English horseback riding, and an extensive Ropes/Initiative course. Please consult the activity list for other creative programs.
Each camper is expected to help serve a table about four meals per week. He also is expected to participate daily in a general clean-up around camp, as well as make his bed and keep his personal property and cabin in order. We stress conservation of natural resources and have an active recycling and energy conservation program in which all campers are encouraged to participate.
Camp Shohola has two full-time medical personnel in accordance with American Camp Association guidelines and all campers receive a regular weekly health inspection. Our infirmary consists of a six-bed ward, two isolation rooms and one treatment room. Cost of infirmary care is included in the camp fee. The nurses are able to be in consultation with a doctor if the need arises and there are two minor emergency clinics and one full service hospital within a short distance from the camp.
WHAT ARE MEALS LIKE?
Meals are served family style. We have a diverse menu with unlimited quantities except for desserts which are kept to one serving to limit sugar intake. Yes, there is singing and silliness in the dining hall – and a certain amount of foot-stomping to accompany announcements. We have a full breakfast bar at each breakfast serving fresh fruit, granola, and yogurt. And there is a full salad bar at every lunch and every dinner.
HOW ARE FOOD ALLERGIES HANDLED?
We are small enough to handle individual food allergies any way they need to be handled. If we need to go completely peanut free to ensure a child’s safety, we can and are willing to do so. Our chef is well acquainted with food allergy issues and is trained in food handling safety. We can customize a plan to address your son’s dietary needs with your input and full participation. We have been doing this for years with great success.
Each cabin’s laundry is washed weekly in our on-site laundry facility. The cost of this service is included in the camp fee. It is very important that all campers’ possessions are properly labeled.
Camp Netimus for Girls in nearby Milford, is our sister camp. Their program and philosophy are very similar to ours.
IS THERE MUCH CONTACT WITH CAMP NETIMUS?
Events such as horse shows, canoe trips and fishing tournaments are scheduled throughout the summer. Brother/sister visits and dances are held bi-weekly. There are even occasional coed sports events.
Camp Shohola is a non-sectarian camp. Historically, campers have been taken to church based on parent requests, but no religious services are held on camp property.
For more information, please call or write to Duncan Barger. We have a camp video which is easily viewable from within our website. Slide shows are scheduled at regular intervals in Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. If you would like names of current families, the Director would be happy to provide them. We encourage and welcome visits from parents and prospective campers. Just contact us to arrange a convenient time.
Duncan Barger, Director
Camp Shohola For Boys
105 Weber Road
Greeley, PA 18425
Phone 570.371.4760
FAX 570.504.1702
E-Mail duncan@shohola.com