The Camp Spirit Scholarship Fund of Camp Mont Shenandoah

Camp Mont Shenandoah, a traditional summer camp located in beautiful Bath County, Virginia, and one of the oldest girls’ camps in the country, was started in 1927 by Nannie West with fewer than thirty girls. Since that time, the camp has grown and developed to welcome close to 300 campers during the summer season. The camp is very fortunate to have many second, third and fourth generation girls attend as well as a high rate of returning campers, an attribute to her unique spirit.

Since its inception, the guiding principles of Camp Mont Shenandoah have been our Five Virtues of Love, Loyalty, Friendship, Sportsmanship and Spiritual Awareness, and the Twelve Laws of Woodcraft: Be Brave; Be Silent; Obey; Be Clean; Be Strong; Protect Wildlife Always; Speak True; Be Reverent; Play Fair As You Strive; Be Kind; Be Helpful; Be Glad That You Are Alive.

Traditions abound during the camp season, including the Green and Buff teams, initiation, Christmas, Songfest, Wishing Boats, Final Banquet, and the Final Honor Meet where the team with the most points accrued during the summer has the honor of carrying the ceremonial torch to Vesper Hill. At Final Honor Meet, one camper is selected by the campers and staff as “Camp Spirit,” the girl who best exemplifies the Five Virtues and Twelve Laws of Woodcraft.

Camp Mont Shenandoah continues to thrive through the remarkable love and strong commitment of her campers, staff and alumnae. The Camp Spirit Scholarship of CMS was established to honor and recognize the many lives that Camp Mont Shenandoah has touched and changed since 1927 as well as to perpetuate the value of the CMS experience.

Camp Okahahwis Scholarship Fund

In 2001, alumnae of Camp Okahahwis established the Camp Okahahwis Scholarship Fund to memorialize their camp (which closed in 1966), and to acknowledge and perpetuate the values instilled in them through generations of summer camp experiences. In 2017, the members of the Camp Okahahwis Scholarship committee resigned, designating their Fund’s annual spendable income for distribution to eligible young women attending Camp Mont Shenandoah. They felt strongly that Camp Mont Shenandoah and the Camp Spirit Scholarship mirrored the spirit and values they sought to perpetuate through the Camp Okahahwis Scholarship Fund.

Applying for Scholarships to Camp Mont Shenandoah

All applicants will be considered for both scholarships detailed above. Please note: Applicants must be registered and have paid the deposit for Camp Mont Shenandoah’s 2024 camping season to be considered for scholarship funding. Award recipients and their parents/guardians are notified by email from the CFRBA, and emails will detail the total amount of scholarship funding received. Each scholarship award will be made payable to Camp Mont Shenandoah, Ltd. in the name of the camper.

Beginning with applications for summer 2021, the entire application process will be electronic. All completed applications must be submitted no later than Friday, December 15, 2023.

To apply for scholarship funding for your child, please access the electronic application available on the Camp Mont Shenandoah website (www.campmontshenandoah.com), the CFRBA website (www.cfrba.org), or via the link below:

Online Scholarship Application Link – CMS Scholarships Applications for 2024 

If you have issues with the electronic application or would prefer a paper application, please contact Lori Turner, the Executive Director of the CRFBA, at lori.turner@cfrba.org. If you choose to submit a paper application through Lori, she must receive it on or before Friday, December 15, 2023. This is NOT a postmark deadline.

Any questions you may have about the scholarship or application process may be directed to Dr. Pamela Minkler, Selection Committee Chair, at 434-384-4817 or phminkler@gmail.com.