Kanes Open located in Tallman (near Suffren), NY. It was acquired in 1928 from a donation from the John P. Kane Estate to the Boy Scout Foundation of Greater New York. The donation was to be used to establish and maintain a weekend camp for Boy Scouts under the jurisdiction of the Manhattan Council of NYC.
The camp included both tent and cabin sites with single and double-deck cots and straw ticks. Heat was provided by coal heaters and cooking in oil or coal burning cooking stoves.
While the camp was used primarily as a week-end camp, during World War II and its gasoline rationing, it was also used a summer camp do to its closer proximity to NYC. A full summer camp program was held at the camp including waterfront, handcraft and naturalist. This camp did not have a lake, but used a pool.
During this time, Kanes Open also had a Kanes Open Scout program similar to the TMR Scout program. Due to the smaller size of the camp and the limited years it was used as a summer camp, these Kanes Open Scout patches are much more difficult to find than the equivalent TMR Scout patches.
To those who attended, the camp was affectionately known as KO. This is shown in one of the early felt issues from the camp.
The camp was eventually closed as a Scout camp in 1956 and sold by GNYC in 1969 and is in use today as the Spook Rock Town Golf Course.
Information for this post was derived from the information Sheet on Kanes Open from the GNYC 12 Short-Term Camp CSP Series and Summer Camp! by David Malatzky.
I remember going to a Campground called KANES OPEN in suffolk county in the early 50′s. I belonged to troop 312 from Brooklyn N.Y. and we went camping all over. I remember this campsite having alot of Birch trees, leantoo’s and some cabins.The weekend we were there it was so cold all of our eggs froze. If anyone could remember excatly where it was, would you please list the location.
Thankm you
Ron
The camp was located in Tallman, N.Y. / Rockland County / on Spook Rock Road/ My uncle was a Scoutmaster there Henry Brightenback.