This Tuesday, several of our talented artists and customer service representatives got the chance to visit one of the most impressive Scout camping facilities in the Southeastern United States. Located just a few miles north of Orlando, Camp La-No-Che sits discreetly within the 1,627 acre Leonard & Marjorie Williams Family Scout Reservation on the outskirts of the small town of Paisley, Florida.

Camp La-No-Che is jam-packed with tons of fun and adventure, and provides scouts from all over the World the opportunity to earn merit badges, work on first year and older scouting programs, Adventure Camp, Attraction Trek (visiting local area attractions and theme parks) and much more. There is so much to see and do that even an entire week is hardly enough time to get it all in. In fact, I think there is more to do at Camp La-No-Che than at any other camp I have ever had the opportunity to visit.

We jumped at the chance to tour the camp because we knew it would give our staff the chance to understand exactly what camp is about and see, first hand, what the Scouts do. Our idea is that the more our staff understands Scouting and can experience what the Scouts do, the better we can serve them.

Our tour started out at the main gate, right outside the Camp Office. We met up with Matthew, one of the camp’s Assistant Directors. Matthew was a great tour guide who was full of information about the camp – and scouting in general. He gave us a quick history lesson about the camp, laid down a few rules, and we were off on our way.

The first part of the tour took us through the Shooting Sports area. As we got closer, a new rifle shooting class was getting started and before we knew it, it sounded like we were in the middle of an Old-West shoot out. At the same time, a trap shooting lesson was going on in the shotgun range. While all this shooting made me a bit nervous at first, my worry turned to relief as Matthew explained the  extensive amount of safety training and security that the boys receive while participating in the shooting activities.

As we moved along the path and were finally able to take our fingers out of our ears, we arrived at the archery range. While much quieter, it was just as interesting to watch. The Archery Leader even spent a few minutes explaining compound bows vs. regular bows and the different requirements the Scouts needed to achieve in order to earn their archery merit badge.

Then it was off to the actual campgrounds where the troops reside. The first thing that stood out to me was how clean the campsite was. I mean REALLY clean. That’s when Matthew explained the, “Leave No Trace,” motto that is posted at every campsite and practiced by all the campers. It means that each camper will “leave no trace” that they were ever there – by picking up after themselves and keeping the area as pristine and intact as it was when they arrived.

Camp La-No-Che is currently upgrading every single campsite with new latrines and campsite activity shelters. The completed campsites that we saw are very impressive and they look great. They do have electricity and running water, but no air conditioners to be found. Electric fans are fine, but portable AC’s are a no-no.

After seeing the campsites, we continued along the path and came upon one of the many education areas at the camp, where Leaders can teach and the Scouts can gain requirements for their merit badges. There were several small shelters, each with a table, chairs, and an area for supplies. As we walked through the area, there were three separate groups of Scouts being trained on different points of Scouting. The area is also used for Handicraft activities and all-around instruction and education.

Camp La-No-Che provides the kids with a high dose of education on the native American Indian tribes and their cultures as well. This became obvious as Matthew led us into a large, open area with teepees, drying deerskin, a traditional Indian dance circle and several small man-made huts.  It was amazing how cool it was inside the teepees and the other small huts considering they’re made with nothing but the surrounding natural wood, earth and palm leaves…very cool.

The history and culture that the kids are learning at La-No-Che is very impressive. Alongside the teepees and other fun activities in the American Indian area lies the camp’s American Indian Museum. We were able to quickly walk through the museum – there was a class going on at the time – and saw some really nice and well-preserved artifacts from the local native American Indian tribes. There were also several scale models of other tribes, their cultures and habitats.

Then it was onward to what is probably the most popular part of the camp for the kids, the Phillip Starr Waterfront at Lake Norris – aka. the lake!

There are several different activities that the kids can participate in at the lakefront – canoeing, sailing, water skiing, wake boarding, row boating, motor boating, mile swim, slide seat rowing and much more. They even offer a brand new waterspout that only 5 other Scout camps in the country currently offer. Camp La-No-Che is one of 5 camps that were chosen to offer a pilot program for a brand new Scout merit badge – Personal Watercraft, i.e. Jet Skiing.

Over a small hill and down a short path, we made it to the swimming pool area. La-No-Che is home to a large, multi-lane, olympic-sized pool, complete with a diving board and diving area. The pool is staffed with certified lifeguards and is thoroughly cleaned every other day. The pool is also home to several classes, including swimming, snorkeling and scuba. According to Matthew, it becomes so crowded sometimes that they are now planning on building a second, even larger pool right next to the existing pool. I’m not surprised, though – it can get pretty hot and humid in the Florida summertime. A dip in the pool was starting sound like a good idea to me too!

After taking a breather and cooling off a bit at the pool pavilion, we proceeded toward our next stop, the Ecology Lodge.  This is where all of the environmental learning programs are conducted at Camp La-No-Che. Also in the Ecology Lodge is an area where they house exhibits of local plants and animals that are native to the Central Florida area. Live snakes, lizards, turtles, insects and plants were all on display as well as snake skins, educational material and even an alligator head.

The campers are encouraged to use not only the lodge, but the “960 acre classroom” that makes up their environment during their weeklong stay at La-No-Che. Environmental education and preservation are huge topics that are constantly instilled and demonstrated to the campers.

After we got our full dose of Florida Ecology, which was very interesting for all of us, we headed toward the Florida Hospital Health Lodge. One of the only air-conditioned buildings on the camp grounds, this impressive facility houses a licensed EMT and/or Registered Nurse at all times. It has a waiting room, a nurses office, two examination rooms and a small apartment/kitchen for the residing nurse or EMT. Toward the back of the building are an isolation room and a 6 bed “hospital” where kids can rest and cool down until they are feeling better or until they need to leave camp.

Needless to say, all of this touring made us all pretty hungry. Fortunately our next stop was the Dining Hall and lunch! We all received a lunch tray, which included ham or turkey wraps, chips and applesauce, but what really impressed me were the two salad bars, PB&J station and unlimited soft drinks, water, juice and tea that were available. These kids certainly won’t have a problem being hungry.

And with that, our tour of camp La-No-Che came to an end.

We got to ask Matthew a few more questions and we said our goodbyes. But not until we were all presented with a commemorative 100 year anniversary Camp La-No-Che Scouting patch. Thanks Matthew!

I have to say that I was extremely impressed with Camp La-No-Che. There are so many activities for the campers to participate in and so much for them to do. If I were 14 years old again and was able to go to camp for a week, I wouldn’t hesitate to make it Camp La-No-Che.  It was clean, well-kept, the staff was very courteous and professional and the kids were well-behaved. All around, it was an awesome experience.

All of us had a really great time and we appreciate the Camp La-No-Che staff for allowing us to come in and tour their facilities. Now that they have seen it with their own eyes, our staff has a much better understanding of the scouts and what goes on at scouting camp. We trust that this will allow us to provide the Scouting community with even better custom t-shirts.

If anyone else has had a chance to visit Camp La-No-Che, or if you plan on going there soon, post a comment below asking any questions you may have, or let us know about your own experience!

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