Joseph Aaron Abbott Campership Fund

Learn all about our campership fund and how we go about earning money to support it.

  • Joseph Aaron Abbott
    Joseph Aaron Abbott was a remarkable young man and Scout. His Scouting trail began at age 8 when he became a Cub Scout. Over the next 6 years, he earned the Arrow of Light Award, the Faith In God LDS Award, became an Eagle Scout, received the On My Honor LDS Award, earned the Duty To God LDS Award, and was elected to the Order of the Arrow, O-Shot-Caw Lodge.

    On the last full day of his normal life, Aaron helped clear trails and set up tents for summer camp at Lone Oak. Thus the last day of his life was totally dedicated to serving his fellowman. In honor of this young man’s life and example, the Joseph Aaron Abbott Campership fund has been created in part to help worthy scouts attend summer camp.

  • A Scout is Thrifty

    The ninth point of the Scout Law, “He saves his money so that he may pay his own way”. The Joseph Aaron Abbott Campership Fund was created to help Scouts overcome some of their financial hardship to attend summer camp and to help worthy brothers of the O-Shot-Caw Lodge attend the National Youth Leaders Training Program. Scouts are expected to earn at least a portion of the camp fees. The Joseph Aaron Abbott Campership Fund will award up to half your camp or program fees. The Fund will not pay for transportation or any other expenses.

  • Campership Qualifications For Summer Camp
    • On your honor, you must have genuine financial need that would otherwise prohibit you from attending summer camp.
    • You must be under 18 years of age while attending camp.
    • You cannot receive a Campership Award more than 2 times.
    • The Campership Awards are not transferable to other scouts.
    • You must complete and submit a Campership Application by March 30th of the year you are attending camp and return it by mail to South Florida Council. Applications can be picked up at South Florida Council, 3301 SW 142nd Avenue, Davie, FL 33330
JOSEPH-AARON-ABBOTT-CAMPERSHIP-FUND-SCHOLARSHIP-APPLICATION-2024Download
  • Campership Qualifications For Youth Leaders Training Program
    • On your honor, you must have genuine financial need that would otherwise prohibit you from attending the National Youth Leaders Training Program.
    • You must be an active youth member of the O-Shot-Caw Lodge. Active means: Dues paid and that you have attended a minimum of two Lodge events in the 12 months prior to you applying for this award.
    • You must be under 21 years of age while attending the program.
    • You cannot receive a Campership Award more than 2 times.
    • The Campership Awards are not transferable to another brother.
    • You must complete and submit a Campership Application 60 days prior to the program date. Applications can be picked up at Scout Headquarters, 15255 N.W. 82nd Avenue, Miami Lakes, FL 33016, or by emailing Cliff Freiwald.

Two Important Service Projects

Haunted Forest

This event raises funds to support the Joseph Aaron Abbott Campership Fund , to send underprivileged scouts to summer camp. Each chapter is assigned an area of Camp Elmore to “haunt”. Then for two hours on Saturday before Halloween, scouts, scouters, and their families take the half hour tour through the trail. Many Arrowmen believe this is the best event, because it is just plain fun! They get to scare little Cub Scouts and even grown ups and they get to develop ideas that Stephen King would be proud of.

From the February 2000 Patchwork, a reflection of the 1990’s

In 1989, the Haunted Forest began as a two-night event to raise funds to send scouts to summer camp. The Lodge raised a little over $1,000 those two nights. Little did they know back then that during the course of the following decade, the Haunted Forest would become the biggest most successful event of its type in the nation. During the 1990s, O-Shot-Caw had donated over $50,000 to help send scouts to summer camp. No other Lodge in the country has even come close.

In 1993, the Haunted Forest went from a two night event to just one night. Despite cutting the time in half, the profits continued to climb at alarming rates. The Forest was becoming so large that the Lodge created a committee with the sole responsibility of overseeing and planning the yearly Forest. Trent Gilbert was the first Haunted Forest Chairman.”It was real rewarding to see the Forest grow so much,” says Gilbert, “After a while we didn’t have to advertise the Forest, the scouts started coming to us and spreading the word.”

In 1997, the Lodge suffered a scare. Game 6 of the 1997 World Series was being played miles away, and the Florida Marlins were one win away from claiming South Florida’s first pro sports championship since 1973. The Lodge survived the scare and hundreds came out that Saturday night. The Lodge donated $12,000 to the Joseph Aaron Abbott Campership Fund that year.

The following year, the Lodge hosted the largest Forest in its history. The Lodge raised over $15,000, and there was no sign of it slowing down. However, in 1999 Mother Nature struck again. Tropical Storm Irene drenched South Florida and put Camp Seminole under water. The Lodge tried to postpone the Forest, but ultimately had to cancel it as the water level failed to go down.”

The Lodge has done well to support the Campership Fund from 2000 to 2018.