Gerber Scout Reservation

Location

Twin Lake, Michigan

Coordinates

43°26′49″N 86°11′46″W / 43.447031°N 86.196091°W

Founded

October 7, 1951

Reservation Director

Shawn Dennany

Reservation Ranger

Charlie Brown

Website
http://www.gerberscoutreservation.org

Gerber Scout Reservation (GSR), located in Twin Lake, Michigan is a resident camp owned and operated by the Michigan Crossroads Council of the Boy Scouts of America. It began operation in 1950 and had its first official summer camp program in 1951. The Original property was purchased through a gift of 275 shares from Dan Gerber President of the famous baby food company. The reservation operates two camps; the Boy Scout Camp Gerber Scout Camp and the Cub Scout Camp Betty Ford Cub Scout and Webelos Adventureland as well as numerous year round weekend programming outside of the summer months.

Gerber Scout Reservation lies within the boundaries of the Manistee National Forest in Blue Lake Township, Muskegon County, Michigan and is approximately 800 acres. the property is bordered on the north by Owasippe Road. The Blue Lake Township Hall and Fire Department lie within a quarter mile from the camps main entrance. On the South and East borders of the property Gerber borders Owasippe Scout Reservation. The property contains four lakes; Big Britton, Little Britton, Mayo, Grub and shares Mud Lake with Owasippe. Gerber contains wetlands, oak and pine forests, and several areas of Michigan prairie. Some hills and very sandy in some places.

In 1949 the Timber Trails Council Board decided that it was time to find a larger site for local scouts to go camping. Their current site Camp Merritt was only 17 acres and bordered on all sides by other area summer camps with no room to expand. In 1950 the board purchased the original 80 acres of Gerber Scout Reservation that included most of Britton Lake. This purchase was made on credit but later paid off by the donation of stocks from Dan Gerber. The site was originally called Camp Britton or Britton Lake Camp but was renamed in honor of Dan Gerber and christened Gerber Scout Reservation in 1951. Between 1950 and 1952 the first buildings were completed on the property. Bruce Cleveland Lodge the original Rangers House, now used as the Reservation Director's house, was completed early in 1951. Evans Lodge, the original Boy Scout Camp Dining Hall, was completed in 1951 with a generous donation from the Elks Lodge. The Ranger Station, a large maintenance building used to service the camps many maintenance and building projects, was believed completed in the first few years of the camp opening. Tryon Lodge, a log cabin used for staff housing in the summer and troop rentals and events during the year, was finished in 1952.

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Wikipedia