Information for Clements Scout Ranch / Camp Meisenbach
Trevor Rees-Jones Scout Camp (Scout-owned)


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11217 FM 2970
Athens, TX 75751

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    Lat: 32.098672, Lon: -95.897081
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    Comments for Clements Scout Ranch / Camp Meisenbach
    Trevor Rees-Jones Scout Camp

    Fees are 130.00 in council. Horse Program Camp Cherokee and Camp Meisenbach are located on the magnificent 3,300 acre Clement Scout Ranch near Athens, Texas. A total of four major lakes contribute to make this a true outdoorman’s paradise. Soft rolling hills covered with oak, hickory and pine trees provide favorable natural habitat for the various wildlife to be found on the property. Bobcat, fox, opossum, raccoon, skunk, muskrat and rabbit can be found at various points on the property.


    (posted on Jun 8,2000)

    The Crown Jewel of Circle Ten Council's 4 camps. The acreage was graciously donated by former Governor Bill Clements. I have camped there for over 15 years and still can't get enough of it. There are actually 2 camps in one, Cherokee and Meisenbach (Commanche).


    (posted on Dec 4,2000)

    We've spent the last two summers at Cherokee with great results. The lakefront area is super, and this year we really enjoyed the climbing tower. The campsites are large, and secluded enough from the other troops. The rodeo on Wednesday night was a blast!


    (posted on Aug 27,2001)

    Camp Cherokee and Camp Meisenbach are located on the magnificent 3,300 acre Clement Scout Ranch near Athens, Texas. Camp Cherokee operates as a regular summer camp for the Circle 10 Council.



    (posted on Sep 2,2001)

    Per Rick, Circle 10's Camps Director, no horror films were shot at this camp. It's an urban legend.


    (posted on Jun 15,2002)

    We attended Camp Cherokee in East Texas. This is not a small camp (2,000 or 3,000 acres), and I don't really know why our hut was so close to the camping merit badge class.

    Almost all of the staff were younger than probably 22 or 23. My husband stayed for 3 days, and none of the incidents occurred while he was there (of course). There were no SMs present during the incidents.

    One of my sons (they're all first year Lone Scouts) asked if they had some different music or even some Christian music. The counselor said, among other things, "You listen to that WOW #$%*, don't you?" (WOW stands for Winds of Worship) The 12 yo said, "Hey, a Scout is clean!" and the
    counselor's answer infuriates me. He told my boys that when you reach puberty, mature and become a man, you can say any word that you want as long as you can back it up. All the other boys in the class told my boys to grow up -so what about the Scout oath and law? That's just one instance of many.

    The counselor that was using profanity was an eagle scout that had been in the military for a couple of years. That was the thing that really
    disappointed my 12 year old. My boys have "eagles in their eyes" and they are making plans for achieving Eagle.

    There are other issues at this camp that need to be addressed, too. They were signed off on requirements that they didn't do in other mb classes. They didn't do things that they could have done in camping if they would have turned off the music and got down to business. The swimming instructors told my youngest son to dog paddle for 75 yards and then swim on his back for 25 yards. That's how he passed the BSA Swimmer Test. I'm NOT signing him off for passing that test until he can swim "in a confident manner" for 75 yards.

    There was a female swimming merit badge instructor that had the whole camp in an uproar (maybe 500 boys). One of the scouts in the troop we went with, left the swimming mb class one day because he felt that she was stepping over
    the line with him. He told my son, "I'm not going to put up with that!" These boys were there for the experience of Scouting, not for gaining experience with girls.

    We will probably make a personal visit back to camp to talk with the camp director.

    Marcy
    morganfam7@AOL.COM


    (posted on Jul 4,2002)

    Cherokee is a beautiful place to camp. Our camp was right on the waterfront with a bridge that our boys lived on between classes. We took little fish nets that the boys used to catch and release water life and insects. The dragonflies around camp were enchanting. The overall camp was wonderful. We have a special needs troop with 3 diabetics (one boy is brittle). The kitchen staff was so wonderful to provide an extra piece of fruit or juice when blood sugar levels where off. What a VERY generous group- they went out of their way to help. We had camp contact with an armadillo, baby racoon, copperhead, scorpion, spiders, and even an alligator (about 3 ft. long) on our last day!

    The flushing toilets and warm showers were wonderful when you get past the feeling of not having closing doors on the bathroom (there are doors on the shower stalls and the toilets). What an improvement over camp when I was young! I loved the look in the boys faces when they were told they had to clean the latrine. It became fun when they found out there were frogs in the showers.
    Nothing is perfect- we did have problems with the camp director. We took 5 adults knowing that we would ALL be needed for our special group of boys. We arrived early Sunday knowing that we would need that time to keep the boys on task to set up camp and keep them focused. While registering 3 of our adults were pulled to be camp ambassadors. This was our first year at camp with a troop that is just one year old. These adults were eager to help with the task asked, but had no idea they would be giving up their entire week with their own sons and helping with the needs of the troop. Most of the time we were left with only one leader trying to take care of all the special needs in the camp. When this situation was brought to the attention of Camp directore Chris he refused to allow the replacement of any of the ambassadors. There were other troops in camp asking to have one of their adults be an ambassador. We were told it was because he didn't want to pay for another cap and apron. We never should have been left with one leader for 9 boys. Our boys have needs from diabetes to neurological and behavoior disabilities.(Stocking the camping RX box is like stocking a hospital on most trips.) One deep leadership never should have happened and our camp director should have set a better example for the boys by living the boy scout law. By Friday we had boy who wanted to go home early and nearly in fist fights. Not what a female leader 12 weeks out of spinal surgery needs to settle by herself.

    Camp Cherokee is a wonderful place to visit, but caution your adults that only one or two need to say yes to an ambassador's job- ONLY if you can spare them.

    Keep in mind that directors at the camps change. We were told this was our camp directors last year. We expect next year to be much better.


    (posted on Jul 12,2005)

    New air conditioned dining hall


    (posted on Aug 22,2008)

    Camp Cherokee has recently be renamed to Camp Trevor Rees-Jones. Trevor Rees-Jones donated $25 million to Circle 10 council. Much of that went into brand new facilities at the camp. It is now better then ever. There are now brand new bathroom and shower facilities. There are brand new pavilions in every camp site. And there are many other major improvements.
    They also have an amazing staff, and their programs are excellent. They have one of, if the not the only, rodeo program approved for scouts to take part in. It is a beautiful camp that every should experience.


    (posted on May 1,2012)

    Camp TRJ and Meisenbach are open year round and are free to use for all in-council units and very inexpensive for out-of-council units. It is my absolute favorite camp of all Scout camps that I have visited. Keep the Ranger happy; offer him a cup of coffee when he stops by on his rounds. You'll reap great dividends in doing so! Scout on!


    (posted on Sep 20,2019)

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