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Finbrooke Outdoor Center

2740 Finbrooke Road

Rogersville, MO 65742

(417) 581-4943

Finbrooke Outdoor Center stretches over 286 acres of land and is roughly shaped in the form of the state of Texas. It is located south of Rogersville, Missouri on the Finley River. It is approximately 20 miles southeast of Springfield, Missouri.

There are six different camping units at camp in addition to the wilderness sites:

• Hickory Knoll: This is the first camp unit at the top of the hill above the Main Lodge. It has a pavilion with indoor washroom and showers. The campground has 10 screened cabins on platforms and is generally used for camping for the younger girls. There are also two fire circles in camp.
• Oak Ridge: This is the second camp unit on the hill and it also has a pavilion with indoor washroom and showers. This campground has 9 perma-tents, 5 platform huts and two fire circles.
• Cedar Crest: This is the third camp unit on the hill and it is more primitive than the first two. This campground has 10 perma-tents, which are cabin-type units, and shares washrooms and showers with the fourth campground, Sassafras Point. Plans are underway to build a pavilion in this camp unit, as well. There are two fire circles.
• Sassafras Point (Everyone calls it Sass!): This is the fourth campground on the hill and shares washrooms and showers with Cedar Crest. It has 10 platform tents, two fire circles and is generally used by the older girls.
• Waterfront: This campground is directly below Main Camp and located adjacent to the new swimming pool. There are 5 platform tents and one fire circle in this campground and washrooms and showers are in the new pool bathhouse. This camp unit is generally used by Camp Aides and Staff during Resident Camp.
• Jake's House: This camp unit is down the hill from Waterfront and has 3 platform tents and one fire circle. Jake's House is the original structure on the property and is over one hundred years old!

For Resident Camp every summer, there are many possible activities to choose from:

• Swimming
• Hiking
• Horseback Riding
• Mountain Biking
• Field Sports
• Archery
• Canoeing
• Backpacking
• Ropes Course
• Golf Driving Range
• Others

The maximum number of overnight campers at Finbrooke Outdoor Center is about 200 campers, allowing for four campers per tent or cabin. The campground is open to visitors year-round. Some of the wildlife that can be seen at camp includes opossums, raccoons, deer, beavers, minks, turkeys and hawks. There are also 39 different types of birds that have been spotted and identified.

The following training is required for leaders that are planning on taking their troops camping overnight at Finbrooke Outdoor Center:

• Basic Outdoor Skills
• Basic Troop Camping
• First Aid Training
• CPR Training
  

They must also maintain the proper ratio of adults to girls, pay a ten-dollar deposit at least four weeks prior to the overnight camping and return an evaluation form after the campout to receive the refund of deposit.

The swimming pool holds 1,220 gallons. It comes with a new bathhouse and showers that campers in Waterfront and Jake's will very much appreciate! The new pool and bathhouse are both wheelchair accessible. There is a in-water "classroom" area at the shallow, South end and the deep end, diving area on the North end. There is much more deck area that the previous pool and plenty of available shade for those wanting to get out of the hot sun. Everyone will enjoy the hot showers in the bathhouse, backed by a 100-gallon hot water tank.

In 1962, the first facility was the water well. In 1963, Camp Finbrooke opened to the first campers. In 1967, there were four camp units opened. At that time they had only outdoor latrines and open, outdoor showers. The Main Lodge burned to the ground in the early Spring of 1993. The annual Leader's Weekend Event was still held and leaders still remember line dancing on the cement slab that was once the Lodge floor. Resident Camp was canceled for the Summer of 1993 and was not held until the Summer of 1994 when the new Main Lodge was built on the hill above the old one. The new Main Lodge houses the infirmary, kitchen and dining hall. The cement slab is now the site of Gloria'a Pavilion which was built in memory of Gloria Rosenberger, a Girl Scout Leader, and encompasses the original fireplace from the old Main Lodge; all that was still standing after the fire! Ranger Roy, our current Camp Ranger, has been running the property since 1986. He lives in the house at the entrance to the camp with his wife, Linda.

The future looks good for our camp! Plans include adding many new items; a new trading post, a new craft barn, a new year-round troop house, tennis courts and a sports area. Plans are on the table for the development of a new parking area and easier access to the camp units on the "hill" and the development of mountain bike trails. New additions to the ropes course and team-building areas will be underway and a rappelling tower has been mentioned. Many of the platform tents are being replaced with cabin-type units to make for better camping. Tornado and storm shelters also will be added to each of the camp units to allow maximum protection to campers when strong storms develop in the area.

There are many traditions at our camp, but one that the girls the most is hiking down to the Finley River banks and searching for friendship rocks! These are rocks that have a hole through them and are suitable for lacing to make a necklace to present to a good friend. The girls will hike down to the river and cross at two different bridges to get there, one that is a "swinging" bridge over a river tributary that shakes and sways when you cross! They also might pass Jake's House on the way, which everyone who knows Camp Finbrooke will know that Jake still haunts this area and it is rumored that he may still be seen in the area! Some of the more nocturnal activities that the girls might participate in when they are camping include "Nauga Hunting" and "Spider Sniffing". It is not uncommon to hear the howl of coyotes at night, or cross paths with a wild turkey or deer on the hiking trails.

There are many programs held at Finbrooke and they can be held year round. Many of them are annual events. Some of these include:

1. Me and My Guy Weekend

2. Me and My Gal Weekend

3. Leader's Weekend

4. Memorial Day Family Camp Weekend

5. Labor Day Family Camp Weekend

6. Summer Resident Camp Programs

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