New Kriner Lodge to Open This Fall at Seven Mountains Scout Camp

SPRING MILLS — Sitting on the expansive back deck of the soon-to-be-completed John M. Kriner II Lodge at Seven Mountains Scout Camp, looking out across the lake at the camp that has served as an outdoor haven for area scouts for years, is very peaceful.

“Couldn’t you just picture it … waking up and coming out here with a cup of coffee and taking it all in,” said David Eng, board president of the Juniata Valley Council of The Boy Scouts of America.

The camp has been quiet this year. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, the grounds have been without the local scouts and other camp groups that usually keep things lively. While the Juniata Valley Council has been holding virtual camps throughout the summer, it just hasn’t been the same.

“We didn’t have summer camp here for the first time in I think 80 years,” said Eng.

But there is still something to be excited about as the lodge, set to open this fall, will help make the grounds more accessible to all.

Through the years, the camp has grown to be more than just a scout camp. From the dining hall, commercial kitchen, multiple pavilions, cabins, outdoor chapel, the Don Bailey Campfire Circle and much more, Eng said Seven Mountains is perfect for outdoor educational school outings, retreats, company gatherings, family reunions and even weddings.

With 10, four-bunk rooms, enough space to comfortably sleep 40 people, and a large open area with a fireplace, kitchen and windows that overlook the lake, the new lodge is a beautiful addition that will be available year-round.

Ten years in the making, the lodge was made possible through a donation by John and Betta Kriner and named after their son and Eagle Scout, John Kriner II, a 1979 graduate of State College Area High School. Kriner II was born with Down Syndrome, and his parents were “ahead of their time. They wanted John to be involved in everything,” said Scout Executive Jim Kennedy of the Juniata Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

“To their credit, they really helped young John lead as normal of a life as he could. They were kind ahead of their time in that regard,” said Eng. “John Sr. was very into scouting, so he obviously wanted young John to do the same and young John was a part of a special needs troop in State College and became an Eagle Scout and did just about all the things that all the other scouts did.”

Boy, did he ever. Among other accomplishments, the younger Kriner was a recipient of the Juniata Valley Council Silver Beaver Award, Vigil member of the Order of the Arrow and was even known as Seven Mountains Scout Camp “Honorary Camp Director.”

Juniata Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America’s Jim Kennedy and board President David Eng gather around the fireplace in the nearly complete John Kriner II Lodge at Seven Mountains Scout Camp.

All three members of the Kriner family passed before the lodge was completed, but the younger Kriner’s name will live on at the camp that he loved so dearly. It is fitting that the lodge named after him will help to make the grounds even more accessible than before, with accessible sleeping accommodations, restroom facilities and meeting spaces, allowing all abilities to enjoy the camp.

“The Kriners were really unassuming people and they came along and somewhere along the line when we decided that we wanted to build this building, they said they would give a significant donation, kind of matching some of those deals that launched the capital campaign,” said Eng.

In addition to their lead gift for the lodge, John and Betta Kriner established an endowment fund for maintenance of the lodge throughout its lifetime.

“That is what the Kriners wanted … to make this accessible to everybody,” said Kennedy. He added that as scouting has become increasingly co-ed, the facility also provides a housing facility that can host co-ed groups with two separate wings that can be designated accordingly.

The Juniata Valley Council, Boy Scouts of America is the sole provider of local scouting programs, partnering with more than 75 community organizations to serve more than 1,200 youths in Centre, Huntingdon, Juniata and Mifflin counties of central Pennsylvania. It has an operating budget of $720,000.

The camp annually hosts more than 15,000 scouts, volunteer leaders, parents and community organizations. The lodge will help to meet the demands of increased usage over the past 10 years, said Kennedy.

The open basement will provide classroom space with emphasis on STEM activities for campers.

COVID restrictions pushed construction of the lodge back, but the camp hopes to host a virtual dedication ceremony in October; keep an eye on the camp’s website for more details.

Besides the Kriners, the project has received donations from more than 100 other individuals or groups. Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc. donated stone, milling and paving to the project and it was a large recipient of the company’s 2019 Charity Golf Outing.

Dan Hawbaker said GOH feels this is an important project as the Boy Scouts are inclusive and provide educational experiences for all.

“We are blessed to have so many donors who helped to make this happen,” said Kennedy.