CFR Worker Bees Patrol

CFR Worker Bees Patrol The WBP was founded in 2013 with the intention of helping improve and prepare camp for summer.

With our final workday of the season in the books, here is our summary of all we accomplished…NUMBERS - Across 3 full wo...
05/17/2026

With our final workday of the season in the books, here is our summary of all we accomplished…

NUMBERS - Across 3 full workdays and a small commando weekend, 1719 hours of service were logged by 151 different volunteers. We had 72 volunteers experience their first workday with us this season, and 79 volunteers returning from previous seasons. Additionally, 15 volunteers hit forty hours and earned their WBP shirts, while 1 hit 100 hours and earned their assistant patrol leader shirt. We also would like to celebrate the following volunteer milestones:

Darren - 400 Hours
Ethan - 300 Hours
Xander - 200 Hours
Bev - 200 Hours
Chop - 200 Hours
Geoff - 200 Hours

Looking at our totals over the past 13 years, 950 different volunteers have logged more than 21500 hours at CLR and CFR.

PROJECTS - Below is a list of just some of our accomplishments from this spring
-Starting and completion of a large terrace in Maple Grove A intended to provide level camping space for multiple tents
-Disassembly of old, deteriorating tent platforms
-Completion of a new footbridge providing access to a new portion of our 5-mile hike trail
-Overseeding the new wildflower pasture to foster additional growth and pollinator support, as well as receiving certification as a nationally registered Monarch Waystation
-Creation and certification of a nationally registered Firefly Sanctuary near the tower
-Harvesting several dozen poles for summer camp pioneering projects
-Setting up platforms in all campsites for summer camp, as well as setting up all staff tents
-Clearing, splitting, and disposal over 100+ cubic yards of debris leftover from the logging of the pines
-Construction of 12 new tent platforms
-Cleaning and pressure washing the pool to prepare it to be filled for summer camp
-Cutting and splitting of 5+ cords of firewood
-Cleaning out 750+ feet of ditches along the hillside road to ensure smooth water flow and minimize washout of the road in future storms
-Laying out 3 of the 4 newly reconfigured campsites in the recently cleared pine grove
-Initial setup of the new, star-shaped fire pit at BSI

Thank you to everyone who joined us this spring as we made some amazing improvements and progress as CFR!

We closed our season out with one heck of a workday! Thank you to the 82 volunteers that logged over 630 hours of servic...
05/10/2026

We closed our season out with one heck of a workday! Thank you to the 82 volunteers that logged over 630 hours of service at CFR yesterday. Check out this list of projects accomplished...

-Campsite setups and adjustments in 12 campsites, leveling and putting tents on 24 new platforms while assembling or adjusting 48 older platforms
-Raking out the amphitheater so the ground under the benches can dry out
-Setting up all the staff row tents so our summer camp staff can move right in when they arrive this summer
-Laying out platforms 3 of the 4 newly reconfigured campsites in the recently cleared pine grove
-Initial setup of the new, star-shaped fire pit at BSI
-Removal of two large brush piles
-Beginning trench work near Handicraft
-Cutting, splitting, and stacking of wood from downed trees near the rifle range
-Pressure washing the archery shelter
-Inventory and maintenance of the fi****ms at the rifle range
-Final landscaping with gravel for the mini amphitheater style instruction area at the nature center
-Fixing of multiple water leaks to allow water to begin to be turned on to campsites and program areas
-Re-burying of an exposed pipe along a camp road
-Clearing of high grass and brush along the newest section of the five-mile hike trail
-Clearing of weeds around major buildings
-Installation of signage for our recently registered monarch and firefly conservation areas
-Removal of a broken footbridge, and conservation work in the creek it crossed over

Congrats to Bob, Jordan, Ellie, Katie, and Garrett for hitting 40 hours and earning their Worker Bees Patrol shirts, as well as Geoff for hitting 200 hours of service. A special thanks to troops 141, 7071, and 7241 for joining us for the workday.

What a way to end our season. Stay tuned for more information about our fall workdays in the coming weeks!

What a perfect weather workday! Thank you to everyone who came out to CFR this weekend to join us for our second spring ...
04/26/2026

What a perfect weather workday! Thank you to everyone who came out to CFR this weekend to join us for our second spring workday. All said and told, we had 66 volunteers log about 510 service hours yesterday

Projects included:
- Finishing up terracing in Maple Grove A campsite to create level ground for tents
-Reclearing of a service road that had been greatly obstructed between the logging of the pines and several severe storms
-Cleaning out and pressure washing the pool to prepare it to be filled for summer camp
-Cutting and removing most of the final debris leftover from the logging of the pines.
-Splitting firewood from the remaining downed trees near Kiwanis Lodge
-Assembling and attaching new tent frames on recently constructed tent platforms, and moving the completed platforms into the new campsites in the recently logged pine grove
-Cleaning about 750 feet of ditches along the hillside road to ensure smooth water flow and minimize washout of the road in future storms
-Cutting and clearing of several fallen trees from trails around camp
-Filling in holes and smoothing out the ground in our summer frontier program rendezvous site.
-Setting up and leveling tent platforms in campsites for summer camp
-Conservation work around the frog pond by handicap

Congrats to Jacob, Jen, and Cynthia for hitting 40 hours and earning their Worker Bees Patrol shirt, as well as Joseph for hitting 100-hours and earning his assistant patrol leader shirt. We also had Chop and Bev hit 200 hours, and Darren hit 400 hours.. Special shout-outs to Troop 8 from Newark and Troop 166 from Bexley for joining us this weekend.

We hope to see you all in camp for our final spring workday on May 9th!

PROJECT UPDATE: Full disclaimer... the Worker Bees Patrol really has nothing to do with the complete renovation of the C...
04/13/2026

PROJECT UPDATE: Full disclaimer... the Worker Bees Patrol really has nothing to do with the complete renovation of the CFR showerhouse, but we are REALLY excited about it!

Since the end of summer camp last year, the entire building has been gutted, given a new layout, and is getting ever closer to being completed and ready for summer camp. The building will now feature individual, self-contained rooms that will eliminate the need to worry about ages and genders (and having to relabel sections based on numbers). The rooms are laid out in one long hallway with garage doors on each end, eliminating unsupervised corners that can lead to bullying and harassing behaviors that traditional showerhouse layouts have struggled with.

This project represents a tremendous investment by SKC in the future of CFR for many years to come. Make sure to check out the finished project when you are at CFR for summer camp this year!

PROJECT UPDATE: Last fall, after the pines at CFR received a much-needed logging, the Worker Bees Patrol stepped into co...
04/07/2026

PROJECT UPDATE: Last fall, after the pines at CFR received a much-needed logging, the Worker Bees Patrol stepped into conservation mode and spread grass seed over the many recently cleared acres. We were fortunate to have a local pack join us for this HUGE endeavor, and they quickly became pros at scattering several hundred pounds of gas seed. Establishing a base of grass in the area helps to minimize erosion and begin the process of establishing the new ecosystem in the area, which will eventually include the replanting of hundreds of new trees.

Similar to seeding your own yard, there is always that anxious wait to see if your efforts were worthwhile, and our March workday showed the early signs of success!

More info will come in the following months and year as to the plan and efforts by the council, the WBP, and tag team of many people as we continue to plan and care for this area of camp.

THANK YOU: We mentioned earlier this week that we spent part of our recent workday finishing up a new foot bridge as par...
04/02/2026

THANK YOU: We mentioned earlier this week that we spent part of our recent workday finishing up a new foot bridge as part of a new section of our 5-mile hike trail. When we say foot bridge, it may under sell the fact we were aiming to cross a wide creek and needed some serious stability to span the distance.

That's where our new friends at cHc Fabricating (www.chcfab.com) stepped in. They graciously donated the steel beams we needed to make this new bridge possible...AND they also offered to help us with the replacement of another foot bridge destroyed in one of the recent storms that came through CFR.

Thank you to cHc for your generous support!

PROJECT UPDATE: Part of the backbone of a good summer camp is the amazing health and safety team that takes care of camp...
03/30/2026

PROJECT UPDATE: Part of the backbone of a good summer camp is the amazing health and safety team that takes care of campers and staff alike... and a great health she safety team deserves a great health lodge!

Last spring, the Worker Bees Patrol began assisting with a renovation of the health lodge (made possible by the financial generosity of the Luthman family). We assisted with the initial gutting of the inside of the building, some of the reframing for new windows and flooring repairs, and the construction of a new covered deck to accommodate program instruction.

Several weeks ago, the newly renovated health lodge was dedicated and declared ready for summer camp. This was a team effort by many groups and volunteers, and we were honored to be a part of it!

Our first spring workday was a HUGE success! Thank you to everyone who came out to CFR this weekend to join us, as we ha...
03/29/2026

Our first spring workday was a HUGE success! Thank you to everyone who came out to CFR this weekend to join us, as we had 59 volunteers log 416 service hours.

Projects included:
-Clearing of a bunch of downed debris along the pool road
-Construction of four more new tent platforms
-Disassembly of old, deteriorating tent platforms
-Rehabbing of other old tent platforms using parts from the disassembled platforms
-Construction of a large portion of the new terracing in Maple Grove A/Black Cherry campsite (to eventually provide flatter spaces for tent camping
-Completion of a new footbridge providing access to a new portion of our 5-mile hike trail
-Construction of a new summer camp patrol box, and the rehabbing of an old patrol box for continued use
-Finishing touches on the tent terraces in Old Hickory campsite
-Overseeding the new wildflower pasture to foster additional growth and pollinator support
-Minor final touches on infrastructure for the newly renovated and dedicated health lodge
-Harvesting of poles for summer camp pioneering projects
-Placement of summer camp tent platforms in several campsites

Congrats to AJ, Allison, Dustin, Lauren, Marianna, and TJ on hitting 40 hours and earning their Worker Bees Patrol shirt. Special shout-outs to Troop 844 from Lewis Center and Epsilon Tau Pi from Ohio University for joining us this weekend.

We hope to see you all in camp for our next workday on April 25th (Worker Bees Patrol - 4/25 CFR Workday)

Even when we're not in "work season", there is still a lot going on behind the scenes to plan and prepare for our spring...
02/14/2026

Even when we're not in "work season", there is still a lot going on behind the scenes to plan and prepare for our spring workdays.

These pictures are of Maple Grove A campsite. Remind us in a year to post pictures again, because we promise you this campsite is going to have ALOT of changes by then.

DONORS WANTED! - We are very fortunate to have such great financial support from Simon Kenton Council, with many of our ...
12/30/2025

DONORS WANTED! - We are very fortunate to have such great financial support from Simon Kenton Council, with many of our important projects at CFR being paid for with council funding.

From time to time, we like to take on experimental projects or pet projects that we feel shouldn't use council funding (so that it is available for the more critical projects later). With that in mind, we are seeking some donors to help fund some projects we would like to take on in 2026:

FIREFLY SANCTUARY - $500 - As part of our quest to model good stewardship of the camp property, we are planning to take an area of camp to establish as part of a national registry of firefly sanctuaries. We want to find an area with the ideal conditions so that we can grow firefly-friendly plants and do our part to help protect and support a rapidly declining species that has been such a memorable part of many camping trips for generations. Funding will cover minor landscaping, seeding of firefly-friendly plants, and signage identifying this conservation project to passing campers.

MONARCH WAYSTATIONS - $700 - We have several areas of camp that, which some minor improvements, could qualify for the national registry of Monarch Waystations that support the annual and international migration of monarch butterflies. Funding will cover minor landscaping, seeding of monarch-friendly plants, and signage identifying each area as part of educating visitors to camp of our ongoing conservation efforts.

WILDFLOWER PASTURE RESEEDING - $500 - Last year, a generous donation allowed us to experiment with establishing a pollinator-friendly wildflower pasture along the main road by the parking lot. That pasture will require some upkeep this spring, including reseeding to foster continued growth towards being a permanently established habitat.

SECOND WILDFLOWER PASTURE - $500 - Given our success last year with our first pasture, we would like to repurposed an unmowed area of grass by the climbing tower as a second pollinator-friendly habitat. Funding will go towards the purchase of native wildflower seeds to establish this new pasture.
If you are interested in helping to fund one of these upcoming projects, please reach out to us. Donations to the Worker Bee Patrol are tax-deductible as we are part of an independent non-profit organization.

If you are interested in financially supporting one of our projects, please reach out to us at [email protected]. Thank you for your support!

Address

12637 Houdeshell Rd
Newark, OH
43055

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when CFR Worker Bees Patrol posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to CFR Worker Bees Patrol:

Shortcuts

Share

Category