Seven Mountains Scout Camp Hammer Crew Brings Volunteers Together

This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette.

SPRING MILLS — A new volunteer crew is giving Seven Mountains Scout Camp a helping hand to tackle maintenance projects and help keep the Centre County camp ready for Scouts and other visitors.

The Seven Mountains Hammer Crew has completed its first two Wednesday workdays, hanging panels in a three-season shower house. Its next major project is replacing the dining hall ceiling with tongue-and-groove wood. About 15 people have expressed interest in volunteering, said Frank Savino, one of the crew’s organizers.

The crew grew out of years of volunteer work at the camp by Savino, Craig Colwell and others. They had taken on projects as needed, but the work was informal with volunteers coming when they could. That made it difficult to keep projects moving when an urgent repair or another task took priority.

“We just weren’t making progress,” Savino said.

Colwell’s experience volunteering at a church camp helped shape the idea. There, volunteers gather for regular workdays and take care of jobs ranging from landscaping and painting to plumbing and electrical repairs. Savino also learned about a Hammer Crew at another Scout camp from his brother, Tom, who had recently retired and joined the group.

The organizers decided Seven Mountains Scout Camp could benefit from a similar approach with a regular day when volunteers could work together and make steady progress.

In the first two workdays, volunteers focused on finishing trim work in the shower house, a project that had been started several years ago. The crew’s next large task is installing a tongue-and-groove ceiling in the dining hall. Savino said the work will be broken into steps, including sorting, finishing and cutting the wood before installation.

The crew currently meets Wednesdays. Volunteers can arrive at 8:30 a.m. for coffee and planning at the dining hall or Kriner Lodge, with work scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The schedule is flexible. There is no weekly commitment, and volunteers may help for only part of the day if they choose.

The work varies with the camp’s needs. Projects may include staining cabins, repairs, troubleshooting everyday problems and assisting with new construction. Volunteers may also help prepare firewood for the camp’s January Klondike Derby. Past volunteer efforts at the camp have included replacing a well pump, building new bunk-bed rails and installing a ceiling.

Those improvements benefit more than Scouts. The camp hosts groups throughout the year, including horseback riders, wedding parties and mountain biking events. Keeping the facilities in good condition helps it serve those visitors as well as young people attending Scouting activities.

Colwell said the camp gives young people a chance to take part in outdoor activities and hands-on challenges.

“A place like Seven Mountains Scout Camp gives them this window into a world that they may not even know about,” he said.

Maintaining the camp helps preserve that opportunity for future generations, the organizers said. Modern facilities also help make the camp welcoming to families and groups who expect amenities such as hot showers and electricity alongside outdoor activities.

The Hammer Crew welcomes people of all ages, including men and women, whether or not they have construction, maintenance or Scouting experience. Volunteers can learn skills as they go, Savino said.

“The only minimum requirement we have is a willingness to be there and be enthusiastic and learn new skills,” he said.

The camp provides tools and project supplies. Volunteers are encouraged to bring work gloves, eye and hearing protection, sunscreen, a lunch and a refillable water container. The camp has refrigerators and microwaves available, and bottled water is provided.

Savino said the crew also helps take pressure off the camp ranger, who must respond to urgent problems such as a broken water line. Those emergencies can push other projects to the back burner. A group of volunteers can work through them over time and complete jobs that might otherwise remain unfinished.

Colwell said the camaraderie is another benefit. Volunteers can see the results of their work at the end of the day and know they have helped keep the camp operating.

“Yeah, I’m tired, but it’s a good tired,” Savino said.

The crew’s press release sums up its invitation with two questions: “If not us, then who? If not now, then when?” It calls volunteering “the best part-time job you can have without the complexity of getting paid.”

People interested in volunteering may fill out an interest form through Volunteer Centre County, email 7mhcrew@gmail.com or calling (717) 363-6664 for information about upcoming workdays. Volunteers are also welcome to show up to observe or help.