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Camp Anderson groundbreaking Many were in attendance for the groundbreaking for the expansion and renovation of the dining hall at Camp Anderson, just outside of Tyrone. Participating in the groundbreaking ceremony: Cletus McConville, Executive Director of the Penns Woods Council, Boy Scouts of America; Congressman Bill Shuster; Tim Sissler, President of Reliance Bank; John Cassanave, Engineer with the EADS Group and project engineer; Mike Yeaton, Camp Anderson Properties Chairman; Joseph Keller, Vice President for Administration of the Penns Woods Council, Boy Scouts of America and Jay Robertson, Camp Manager of Camp Anderson. (The Daily Herald/Mark Raffetto) |
A local Boy Scout Camp that has provided generations of local Scouts with fantastic memories will be getting an expansion and major upgrade to one of its facilities.
Camp Anderson, located along Van Scoyoc Hollow Road in Snyder Township will be undergoing a major renovation and expansion to the camp dining hall. The dining hall, which is the largest building at the camp, is also used for a variety of other activities and is usually serves as the gathering point of any event on the camp grounds.
The original building was built by the Tyrone Kiwanis 80 years ago to provide local Troops a physical building to cook meals for the 100 plus Boy Scouts attending a yearly 2 week summer camp.
Over the years, the local Boy Scout Council has grown to the point that the current council, the Penns Woods Council, is several times larger than the original council. The facilities at Camp Anderson no longer have the capabilities to house a summer camp. The final summer camp was held at Camp Anderson in 1992.
However, Camp Anderson has become extremely useful for a variety of different short term events, such as yearly Cub Scout Day Camps, countless weekend campouts for Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, and trainings for Boy Scouts and their leaders. This 96 acre camp is widely used year-round by Scouts of all ages even though a long term summer camp is not held there anymore.
Through a number of donations, including a $100,00 HUD grant through Congressman Bill Shuster, a $50,000 donation through Ward Trucking, and $10,000 provided by a Pennsylvania DCED grant will fund the expansion and upgrades in a variety of aspects.
The building will be completely handicap accessible and meet all ADA codes for use of groups with special needs. There will also be significant upgrades to all utilities, including electrical, water, septic and plumbing. There will also be a high efficiency heating system installed. The entire roof will be replaced, along with the dining hall becoming a highly functional room with technology and furnishings to support group meetings, training facilitation and a variety of other activities.
The new expansion to the facility will include five handicap accessible restrooms, one that will contain shower facilities; a new camp office that will serve as headquarters and a first aid station for many activities held at the camp, along with a new audio-visual room.
Also seeing major renovations will be the kitchen area of the dining hall. Thanks to a $25,000 capital gift from Reliance Bank, there will be significant upgrades to the equipment in the kitchen in this facility. This will include new stainless steel wash basins, an industrial strength microwave oven, a six tier heat proofer warming oven, 20 pieces of industrial grade stainless steel cookware, an industrial stand mixer, a new Bunn Coffee Maker, coffee and warm beverage service, a new 54 by 49 cubic foot refrigerator unit, a new 54 by 49 cubic book freezer unit, new ventilation and ansel fire service upgrades, a number of new cabinets and pest proof storage units, and complete reconditioning of existing commercial stoves and ovens.
The contract for this project was awarded to Maines Engineering of Tyrone.
“It will be a nearly brand new building when complete,” said Cletus McConville, Executive Director of the Penns Woods Council. “It will be a great resource to scouting groups.”
According to the Penns Woods Council, Camp Anderson is an important asset to the council and gives them the ability to meet the camping needs of their scouts and scouting leaders.
Camp Anderson has served the local boy scouts since June 30, 1925, when the property was sold to the Tyrone Council of the Boy Scouts of America and continues to be an important aspect of the Tyrone scouting community.
