As Camp William B. Snyder celebrates its 20th summer serving youth and families across Scouting America National Capital Area Council, one former staff member found himself walking familiar trails once again, but this time, he was alongside his own son.
Joe Sciacca was part of Camp William B. Snyder’s very first summer staff when the camp opened in 2006. Over the next several years, he helped shape the camp experience for hundreds of young people as a member of the Aquatics staff.
Two decades later, he returned as a father and volunteer Assistant Scoutmaster which was a journey through time, “It’s been so long. The trees have grown. There were no trees when camp opened. The first year was all mud. I can see how time has passed.”
As Joe walked through camp, he could see the dramatic transformation that has taken place over twenty years. Today, mature trees provide shade throughout the property, and the camp’s established program areas welcome thousands of visitors each year. Yet for Joe, it was easy to remember a very different Camp William B. Snyder that was built with great potential.
Located in Prince William County, Virginia, Camp William B. Snyder encompasses 350 acres, including a managed wetland with program areas for fishing and boating, a water-slide pool, and an air-conditioned dining hall. A premier camping destination within Scouting America National Capital Area Council, the camp has welcomed Scouts, Leaders, and community organizations year-round since 2006.
Those first staff members were helping to create traditions and experiences that future generations would simply take for granted. Fortunately, the camp’s inaugural staff brought experience with them, “A number of staff came with experience from Camp Ross at Goshen Scout Reservation.” That experience made a difference. “They were a solid team, said Joe.”
“The first year staff stayed by shower house 5 and then they stayed in Sites 1 and 2 the next year.” For Joe, his return visit brought the opportunity to relive part of his own camp experience. As fate would have it, he and his son’s troop stayed in Sites 1 and 2, the very locations where staff members lived during the camp’s second year.
Among the traditions born during those formative weeks was one that continues to bring smiles today. “Wayne Dillon wrote the Camp Snyder Grace during a really bad storm during the first staff week,” explained Joe. The grace quickly became a beloved part of camp life. However, an unexpected twist helped create another tradition that has endured for twenty years. Because Wayne Dillon’s name appeared beneath the prayer in camp materials, young Cub Scouts who were asked to read the grace often continued reading right through the signature line. To this day, Scouts still say Wayne Dillon’s name aloud at the end of the grace, a special reminder of camp’s earliest days and the people who helped establish its culture.
While serving overnight as an Assistant Scoutmaster, Joe also volunteered to assist with Canoeing and Rowing Merit Badge instruction. It was a natural fit. Back in his staff days, Joe had served on Camp Snyder’s Aquatics staff. His willingness to share that knowledge with today’s Scouts demonstrated one of Scouting’s most enduring successes: the lifelong impact of experiences learned at camp. The skills, confidence, and leadership developed during those early summers did not disappear when Joe left staff and now they are being passed to a new generation.
For Camp Director Cindy Griffiths, Joe’s participation perfectly captured what Camp Snyder’s 20th summer celebration is all about. “When we talked with Joe and realized he was in the big staff photo in the lobby of the Administration building from the very first year, we just had to talk with him about that first year and what it was like.”
Seeing one of the original staff members return as a parent and volunteer offered a powerful reminder of the camp’s lasting influence. “It was heartwarming to see him enjoying camp skills and the camp facilities and know that he had returned to camp which was obviously a part of his life he wanted to share with his son.”
That sentiment may be the true story of Camp William B. Snyder’s first twenty summers. Buildings have been added. Trees have grown. Programs have expanded. Thousands of young people have learned skills, earned advancements, and discovered newfound confidence. Yet the camp’s greatest achievement is something less visible. It is found in moments like Joe Sciacca’s return, when a former staff member sleeps in the same campsites, teaches the same aquatics skills he learned years ago, and shares those experiences with his son.
Twenty years after helping launch Camp William B. Snyder, although camp has changed, its purpose remains exactly the same: to bring generations together through adventure, service, leadership, and the timeless values of Scouting.
And for Camp Snyder, there may be no better way to celebrate twenty summers than that!
The project helped James discover that successful woodworking often requires understanding the purpose behind what is being built. Creating a bat habitat meant learning about local wildlife, conservation practices, and the threats bats face in their natural environment.
While woodworking skills remain at the heart of the program, volunteers emphasize that every project incorporates lessons that extend far beyond the workshop.