Heights Boy Scouts Celebrate 85 Years of Camp NoBe

Members of the Boy Scout Troop 17 of joined hundreds of other scouts, leaders and family members at the recent anniversary celebration of No-Be-Bo-Sco, the camp which has been serving Bergen County Boy Scouts  for 85 years.

The Heights troop along with other county troops from boroughs like Mahwah Lyndhurst and Elmwood Park attended the festivities this summer at the Blairstown camp. Heights' Troop 17 had the largest delegation in attendance with 25 boys and 5 leaders participating, according to Jai Patel, Eagle Scout for the Sand Pond Society of Camp NoBeBoSco.

Anniversary attendants participated in activities ranging from a black powder rifle demonstration to leatherwork and knot tying, reliving the old days with current campers and staff. More than 400 members attended some traveling as far as Washington and California to take part.

Twelve-year-old Peter Neumann of Troop 17 in Hasbrouck Heights attended the event with his brother, father and grandfather who represent three generations of Boy Scouts. 

Below is his personal account of the event.

Peter Neumann’s experience of the 85th Anniversary

I returned home at midnight on Saturday, July 28, 2012, just after attending
the 85th anniversary at Boy Scout Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco. My father, brother and I
walked in singing camp favorites.

My mother and sister were looking at us with that “Here we go again look” full knowing that they were in for at least another hour of Camp NoBe stories.

This was my second year at NoBe summer camp. I knew what to expect this year and I really enjoyed myself. I made a lot of new friends with other Scouts from around New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It was special for me because my older brother was on Staff, and my dad was in camp with the Troop.

My dad is a dad at home but when he is at camp he is like a big Scout, singing the songs and belly-laughing at the skits. My grandfather and my father’s summercamp Scoutmaster came up for Saturday’s 85th Anniversary celebration. Sitting at the dinner table and hearing all the stories made me think that Scout camp was very much the same back in the 1970’s when my dad was a scout at Camp NoBe.

My dad participated in skits and campfires. My dad took the swimming test and took part in serving meals. These are stories that I have heard for years and now I am doing the same things.

My father was a boy scout in Troop 14 in Maywood. He would go to Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco for two weeks with his two brothers and father in the 1970’s. He still has his camp patches and memorabilia. He takes them out annually as we prepare for our trip. They worked on merit badges for one week and would take a Troop canoe trip during the second week. My grandfather was born in 1927. He had a brother 12 years older than him who did attend summer camp at NoBe in the early 1930's.

The memory my grandfather has of this is the car trip to drop his brother off at camp. He fondly remembers entering this beautiful campsite which at the time was fairly new. The Depression forced my grandfather to work in the family flooring business during his childhood. When it was my grandfather's turn to join Scouting, money was tight and had to be used for other things.

It was Maywood's Stan McCluskey who persuaded my grandfather who I call Papa, to get involved in Cub Pack 214 as an adult leader. My grandmother was a den mother to their 3 boys during the mid 60s until my Uncle Eric was old enough to be a Boy Scout. Both of my uncles and my father eventually were in the same Boy Scout troop. This is the same troop that my grandfather volunteered his time with.

During this time my grandfather made lifelong friendships with other Scout leaders. Two of these friends, Mr. Eric Hagburg and Mr. Rudy Schwartz are still his best friends today. These men shared history and many fun experiences together In Boy Scouts.

When my brother was ready to join boy scouts, he joined Troop 17 in Hasbrouck
Heights. Troop 17 had a long history that included troop camping every summer.
Camp No-Be was mentioned as the summer camp of choice. I don’t know who was happier: my brother or my father. After my father and brother came back from their first year, I could not wait until it was my turn to go.

To sum it up, I am proud to be a third generation Boy Scout in my family. I am
proud to carry on tradition and I am already planning for my next trip to NoBe.

My grandfather Rich is 85

Uncle Eric is 52

My father Rich is 51

My Uncle Gary is 50

My brother Richard is 15

And I am 12

Peter is a Second Class Scout of Troop 17 - Hasbrouck Heights, NJ