Past Web Page News Notes
APRIL, 2026, NEWS
- A PROPOSED REVISION of the Rules of Operation for the Alumni Association will be up for a vote at
the Annual Meeting on June 6 during Beaver Weekend at Massawepie. Here is
a summary and
the full wording
of the proposed changes, which are being recommended by the Alumni Association Executive Committee to the membership for approval.
- The latest Massawepie History chapter is now available on the History Summaries page:
1990-1999: The Rise and Fall of ASR. Read how the Rochester and Syracuse councils operated Massawepie
and Sabattis as a Joint Venture for 9 summers.
- The 1974 Camp Mountaineer Staff Photo, with names, has been added to the
Camp Mountaineer Staff Photos page, thanks to Doug Downs.
Also, a copy of the 2000 "New" Camp Pioneer Dedication invitation have been added to the
Historical Documents page.
- Many Massawepie Alumni gathered March 22 to celebrate the coming of Spring. A few photos from the
event are shown below. (Click on a photo to see a larger version.) For Alumni Association membership info,
see the About Us page.
FEBRUARY, 2026, NEWS
- You are invited to the Massawepie Alumni Association's Spring Get-together on Sunday afternoon,
March 22, 1-4 PM at the Rising Storm Brewery (formerly Daisy Flour Mill) in Penfield. Pizza will be served!
Please register here
in advance.
- A new 1954 Camp Pioneer Staff Photo and Key has been added to the Camp Pioneer Staff Photos
page, after being found in the Scout office. Also on the same page, the keys of names for the 2005 and 2006 Camp Pioneer Staff Photos
have been added, thanks to much help from Bill Finan and Kendall Smith. The keys for the 1955 & 1956 Camp Mountaineer Staff Photos
have been added and/or updated on the Camp Mountaineer Staff Photos page.
Also, the keys for the 1956-66 Central Staff Photos have been updated on the Central Staff Photos
page, thanks to recently discovered information from the Burdorf family. If you can add any names or staff positions to any of these photo keys,
please contact Peter Collinge.
- The 1980s chapter of Massawepie history, available on the History Summaries page,
has been updated to include information from Dick Trier about the formation of the Adirondack Scout Reservation in 1989.
DECEMBER, 2025, NEWS
- The latest Massawepie History chapter is now available on the History Summaries page:
1980-1989: Two Rival Camps. Read how Mountaineer and Forester continued for another decade
to give troops the choice of either a dining hall or patrol cooking camp.
- The 1958 Camp Mountaineer Staff Photo, with some of the names, has been added to the
Camp Mountaineer Staff Photos page. Thanks to Alex Bloss and Les Loysen.
Also, the 2003-06 Camp Pioneer Staff Photos have been added to the Camp Pioneer Staff Photos page,
thanks to Joe LoTemple. If you can add any names or staff positions to any of these photo keys,
please contact Peter Collinge.
- Many Massawepie Alumni gathered November 29 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Massawepie Alumni Association. A few photos from the
event are shown below. For Alumni Association membership info, see the About Us page.
OCTOBER, 2025, NEWS
- Come to the Massawepie Alumni Association's 25th anniversary celebration on Saturday evening, Nov. 29,
6-9 PM at Irondequoit Country Club in the Rochester area (but NOT in Irondequoit!). Price is $40 if registered by Oct. 31; $50 after that.
Click here
for more details or to register.
- Would you like a souvenir of Massawepie Alumni Association's 25th anniversary?
You can purchase clothing (shirt/hat/fleece/jacket) or a tumbler, all with the Alumni Association logo including a special "25" on the paddle,
through Nov. 29, via
Recognition Experts.
- A new Massawepie History chapter is now available on the History Summaries page:
1970-1979: From Four Camps to Two.
Read how Mountaineer and Forester continued to thrive, though Pioneer and Voyageur closed by 1978 due to declining attendance.
- The 2025 camp patch and council shoulder patches (CSPs), all honoring the 25th anniversary of "New Camp Pioneer" (2000-2025)
are all posted on the Massawepie Memorabilia from the 1970s webpage.
- A key of names for the 2025 Camp Pioneer Staff Photo is now posted on the
Camp Pioneer Staff Photos page.
AUGUST, 2025, NEWS
- It is now possible to join the Massawepie Alumni Association, or to renew your membership, online! Click
here.
Thanks to Matt Thurston and Jacob Emery for figuring out how to make this available! ($1 processing fee is added to online dues.)
- A new Massawepie History chapter is now available on the History Summaries page:
Peak Summer Camp Years: the 1960s.
Read how Massawepie reached its peak camper usage, with 4 camps and 6000+ boy-weeks, in 1969.
- The 1976 Camp Mountaineer Staff Photo, with all of the names(!), has been added to the
Camp Mountaineer Staff Photos page. Thanks to Patrick Burns, Doug Downs, and Jeff Cook.
Also, the 2008 & 2011 Camp Pioneer Staff Photos have been added to the Camp Pioneer Staff Photos page,
thanks to Jacob Emery and Mary Beth Boyle. Also thanks to Jon Northrup for supplying many names for the 2008 photo.
If you can add any names or staff positions to the 2008 or 2011 keys, or if you can supply a copy of the 2008 Camp Pioneer Staff Roster,
please contact Peter Collinge.
- The photo below shows this year's excellent Massawepie Camp Pioneer staff! The 2025 Trek Staff Photo and
Ranger Staff Photo are also found on those separate pages.
(Click on the photo for a larger version.)
JUNE, 2025, NEWS
- A new Massawepie History chapter is now available on the History Summaries page:
From One Camp to Three: 1953-1959.
Read how Massawepie grew during the 1950s, including the building of Camps Mountaineer and Voyageur.
- Three new documents are now posted on the Massawepie Historical Documents: 1952-59 webpage:
a 1953 camp flyer, a 1958 letter about new camp chapels, and a 1958 Campital Campaign flyers containing budgets.
- Two magazine articles (from 2025 and 2022) describing bicycle rides in the Massawepie area have now been linked on the
Massawepie in the Media webpage.
- An updated Camp Pioneer map has been added to the Massawepie Maps page (scroll to the bottom).
- The Alumni Association's 2025 Annual Meeting was held in the Pioneer Dining Hall on May 31. In addition to electing officers and
Executive Committee members, those present heard about past accomplishments and future plans, including the upcoming 25th anniversary
celebration for the association on Saturday, Nov. 29. The attendees also approved rebranding the group to "Massawepie Alumni Association,"
in hopes of being more welcoming to supporters of Massawepie who did not work on staff. Here's a photo of the hard-working alumni volunteers
who attended Beaver Weekend and the Annual Meeting!
APRIL, 2025, NEWS
- The Alumni Association's Annual Meeting will be held on Saturday, May 31, at approximately 7:30 PM
in the Loren Hakes Campfire Circle in Camp Pioneer, weather permitting. (Otherwise, in the Pioneer Dining Hall.)
Members will find more details in the Beaver Tales newsletter that should arrive in late April or early May.
- There are still a number of staff openings for Massawepie for 2025. Tell your friends! What better way could anyone spend a summer?
For information or to apply,
click here.
- A new Massawepie History chapter is now available on the History Summaries page:
Funding, Building, and Opening Camp Pioneer.
Read the amazing story of how in only nine months the Otetiana Council raised the funds to buy and build Massawepie,
then built Camp Pioneer (thanks to the onsite leadership of Property Superintendent Harley Burgdorf) in time to open it in June, 1952,
and learn about the first summer of Massawepie as a Scout camp.
- Now posted on the Massawepie Historical Documents 1952-59 webpage: A 1953 "For Sale" ad for
Camp Eagle Island in Sodus Bay, which became surplus after Massawepie was acquired.
- Several new maps, including an updated Hiking Trail map have been added to the
Massawepie Maps page (scroll to the bottom). And several camp mugs from the 1980s have been added to the
Massawepie Memorabilia - 1980s page.
FEBRUARY, 2025, NEWS
- 2025 Massawepie Camp Director Matt Thurston is making great progress in hiring summer camp staff, with the following key
positions already filled:
Jacob Emery- Asst. Camp Director
Cordell Reynolds- Treks Director
Caryn Wright- Business Manager
Alex McBeth- CIT Director
Keegan Rhoades- Barkeater Director & Ha-De-Ron-Dah Village Director
Rob Byers- Range & Target Activities Director
Chris Tsai- Shotgun Director
Shawn Walter- Cope & Climbing Director
Jacob Spence- Handicraft Director
Matthew & Michelle Trost- Mountaineer Family Camp Directors
If you know anyone (especially lifeguards) who might like to work at Massawepie this summer, please encourage them to apply
here.
- The 1960 Camp Voyageur staff neckerchief, has been added to the
Massawepie Memorabilia - 1950s & 1960s page, thanks to Brad Van Auken. .
- Planning has begun for an alumni gathering to celebrate the Alumni Association's 25th anniversary. Save the evening of Saturday,
November 29, 2025, in the Rochester area. More details coming; we hope to see you there!
- Welcome to Cordell Reynolds who is now working full-time at Massawepie, spending part of his time as an Assistant Ranger,
and also promoting and planning the Treks program. Thanks to Phil Bartels for financial support that helped to make this position possible!
Click BELOW to see earlier News Notes from:
Massawepie is a Scouts BSA summer
camp for the Greater Finger Lakes Council
which is headquarted in Rochester, NY, and serves youth in nine counties in New York and one county in Pennsylvania.
The Massawepie Scout Camps are located on New York State Route 3
between Cranberry Lake and Tupper Lake in the Adirondack Mountains.
Page URL: http://MassStaffAlumni.org/pastnews.htm
Web Page Designed and Maintained by
Peter Collinge
Added to the Web: November 25, 2000; Last Updated: October 31, 2026