Military families looking to get their kids into scouting just got a break: the Dan Beard Council of Scouting America is waiving the $85 national registration fee for children of active-duty service members, and the program has a direct connection to Loveland's two scout camps.
The council wrapped its summer season at Camp Friedlander and Cub World Adventure Camp, both in Loveland, with more than 2,000 youth attending sessions that ran from June 14 through July 22. Now the organization is pushing to make fall enrollment easier for military families who relocate frequently.
"We've been partnered with them for over 115 years, so we understand the plight of military families," Rachel Estepp-Ennis, vice president of marketing for the Dan Beard Council, told WCPO on Aug. 4. "Kids have to change schools, change churches, change support systems."
The fee waiver is part of a national Scouting America initiative timed to mark the country's 250th anniversary. To enroll, military families visit BeAScout.org, enter their zip code, find a local unit and complete a military credential verification. The $85 fee drops off automatically at checkout. The waiver is available only through the online process.
Individual council and troop fees may still apply, though those costs can often be offset through fundraising such as popcorn sales and service projects, according to the council's website.
Camp Friedlander's 107th summer
Camp Friedlander, at 581 Ibold Road, marked its 107th summer in 2026 with five weekly sessions. Cub World Adventure Camp, at 6035 Price Road, ran eight sessions plus a Camp Rising Arrow week for older Cub Scouts through July 22.
The council also opened the Dever Family Foundation Skilled Trades Education Center at Camp Friedlander earlier this year. The facility, which held its ribbon cutting Jan. 24, features automotive bays, plumbing instruction and a robotics bay. Sources differ on the project's cost, with figures ranging from $2 million to $2.5 million.
Estepp-Ennis said the council is targeting outreach to more than 100,000 youth across the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky region for fall enrollment.
What's next at Camp Friedlander
The Dan Beard Council's Fall Camporees return to Camp Friedlander this autumn:
- Session 1: Sept. 18–20
- Session 2: Oct. 2–4 (America's 250th Anniversary theme, featuring the debut of a new climbing wall)
Registration for both sessions opens Aug. 6. Families interested in joining a local troop can start at BeAScout.org or call the Dan Beard Council's Scout Achievement Center at (513) 577-7700.
