Miami Student

Issue date: 3/29/05 Section: Community

From square dancing to church retreats, Greek events to bonfires, College Corner's Camp America has been an important gathering place for the Oxford community as well as the tri-state area.Positioned adjacent to Hueston Woods, the 26-acre sports and adventure camp has hosted a variety of events throughout its 36-year existence.Part owner and President of Camp America Jay Fry expressed the facility's ability to accommodate a range of activities."You name it, we can do it for you," said Fry, a 1952 Miami University graduate who played football for the Redskins under Coach Woody Hayes.He described the three levels of the land: a lower level for tents and motor homes, a middle level for the demolition derby and show area, and a top field of bunk houses that can accommodate about 150 people. Each of the houses possesses a college name, reflecting Miami football's interactions with other colleges. For example, the Ohio State cabin was named when Woody Hayes moved to coach the Buckeyes; the Harvard cabin because the team played the Pilgrims; the Yale cabin because Fry once coached Yale.Camp America also served as the first location for the Ohio Renaissance Festival.Active in the spring, summer and fall, Camp America carries out summer camps for high school cheerleading squads, marching bands and football teams. It has contained overnight retreats, Bible studies and pow-wows of American Indians - who, as Fry said, set up rigorous campgrounds that included teepees. "If you want good health, you want to be outside and doing activities throughout your lifetime," Fry said. "It is important to have exercise, and there's definitely a place to exercise here."One of Camp America's recent events involved the Olympics of Boy Scout Troup 114 from Richmond, Ind., which involves a variety of sports like archery, tomahawk throwing, golf, football and basketball."Camp America is the ideal place for any youth group - in particular, one like ours that needed different facilities such as basketball courts and a football field with goal posts," said Scoutmaster Bill Snipe.Snipe, who has been a scoutmaster since 1967, expressed the magnitude of the role of Boy Scouts and adult involvement in the lives of children."I think that the youth of today is every bit as excellent as they were years ago," Snipe said. "Any young man can achieve anything they want to do if they have someone that gives them the opportunity. I feel that scouting gives every boy that opportunity."He noted that Boy Scouts focuses on overall development, rather than just winning. Snipe lives by his motto, "No man stands so tall when he stoops to help a boy."Snipe also acknowledged the effort Camp America has put forth to aid in their activities."They're very friendly, very accommodating, and we've had an association with them for eight or nine years now," Snipe said. "It's easy to get there from Richmond, and they bend over backwards to meet whatever program you want to run there."According to Fry, the camp's largest event belongs to Miami fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon's event in the 1983. Called "Town and Gown," the fraternity invited everyone in Oxford to come to Camp America to watch three bands, a turnout that exceeded 4,000 at noon.Instead of being intimidated by large numbers, Fry challenges community members to include as many participants as possible."If you've got a group that wants to break the Guinness World Record for the most campers in one spot, give me call," Fry said.Camp America's next event is the Demolition Derby on April 9. With 83 cars lined up, the competition will feature four heats and declare the last running car the champion. Tickets for adults are $10, and the derby winners will receive cash back from their entry fees."You're not out there to get anybody hurt," Fry said, "just to have fun and be declared the champion."

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