Camp Rotary Is a Time-Honored and Treasured Retreat
barren county, boy scout, brian shields, camp rotary, culture, glasgow, retreat,
Camp Rotary is more than a rugged Boy Scout retreat 15 miles south-east of Glasgow. It’s a deep-seated local tradition.
“Lots of kids who camp there today most likely had grandparents who camped in the same cabin years ago‚” says Brian Shields‚ a former Boy Scout and Boy Scout leader from Glasgow. “Kids have been camping here for generations.”
With hiking and nature trails‚ a 5-acre lake‚ wildlife areas‚ a picnic shelter and nine cabins on 200 acres‚ Camp Rotary is a huge asset to Barren County. Both the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts use it‚ and it’s also used for church and community events.
“It’s been a Boy Scout camp since the 1930s‚ when the local Rotary club bought it for the youth‚” Shields says. “What’s unique is that most Boy Scout camps are owned by the Boy Scouts of America‚ but this one is owned locally.”
Residents of Barren County treasure the camp and work hard to maintain it. A group recently renovated one of the camp’s oldest cabins.
“The cabin we renovated had 150-year-old logs‚” Shields says. “We found more logs of the same age and rebuilt it using some of the originals and some replacement logs.”
Barren County’s commitment to scouting is also evident in the fact there have been active troops in Glasgow since 1912.
“There have been two or three troops here for many years‚ and the Boy Scouts always march in the Veterans Day parade and help put out flowers‚” Shields says. “Glasgow is so supportive of Boy Scouts‚ especially because many local judges and businesspeople grew up here. The rite of passage in Glasgow is the Boy Scout camp. People pay back the community by helping out with it.”
Story by Jessica Mozo
Photo by David Mudd
