From 1948 until its closure in 1971, Camp Monocan served as the summer home to thousands of Boy Scouts from Central and Southside Virginia, including Lynchburg, Bedford, Danville, Farmville, South Boston and Blackstone.

Shortly after the camp was sold, the Piedmont Area Council in Lynchburg merged with the Blue Ridge Council in Roanoke to form the Blue Ridge Mountains Council. Summer camp operations were consolidated at Camps Ottari and Powhatan near Pulaski. Now surrounded by Wintergreen’s Stony Creek neighborhood in Nelson County, Camp Monocan’s lake and dining hall serve as a recreational hub for area residents and special Wintergreen Resort programs.

Forty-five years after the camp’s closing, former Scout campers and staff members are invited to participate in an alumni reunion to be held Sunday, April 3, from 1-6 p.m. The event will be held in the old Camp Monocan dining hall at 239 Camping Ridge Road in Nellysford.

The event will feature a brief presentation on the history of the camp, a walking tour of remaining camp features, and time for fellowship and reconnecting. A representative from the Blue Ridge Mountains Council will be on hand to share information on today’s Scouting program.

This reunion is a continuation of a project that began in 2014 collecting history on the Order of the Arrow (OA), Scouting’s service-based honor society. The activities of the Order of the Arrow (locally known to Camp Monocan alumni as Koo Koo Ku Hoo Lodge 161) were largely based at Camp Monocan.

Former Scout campers and staff members are invited to bring photographs, documents and memorabilia to the reunion. Several volunteers will be on hand at the event to scan or photograph these items in an effort to preserve Camp Monocan’s rich history.

Those interested in attending may RSVP by visiting www.tutelohistory.org/camp-monocan-reunion or contacting Scott Smith at (434) 401-3995 or wsbsmith@gmail.com.