Summer Camp

Summer Camp at H. Roe Bartle Scout Reservation

Ahh… Summer Camp.

Ask anyone in Troop 318 or across the Heart of America Council why they return to camp each summer, and they’ll tell you hear the same answer: H. Roe Bartle Scout Reservation feels like home.

Once a Scout experiences Bartle, they understand why it keeps calling them back.

Each summer, Troop 318 spends 10 days and 9 nights at H. Roe Bartle Scout Reservation, located near Osceola, Missouri (technically Iconium, but with an Osceola mailing address). Scouts trade routine comforts for the full outdoor experience — heat, bugs, dust, mud, rain, rocks, and canvas tents — but gain something far more valuable: unforgettable memories, independence, and adventure.

Three Camps, One Tradition

Bartle is made up of three distinct camps, each with its own identity and program:

  • Lone Star (originally Wigwam) - Campsites named after Native American Tribes
  • Sawmill - Campsites named after trees, honoring the site's logging history, the former site of the Camp Osceola's sawmill
  • Piercing Arrow (originally Frontier) - Campsites named after American forts

Each camp operates its own dining hall, pool, campsites, and merit badge program, creating a self-contained community within the larger reservation.

A Legacy Rooted in History

The reservation dates back to 1929, when Kansas City Mayor H. Roe Bartle established what was then Camp Osceola. As participation grew, additional camps were added in 1955 and 1962, evolving into the three-camp system that exists today.

Over time, the camps were renamed to honor key figures in the camp's history:

  • Camp Wigwam became Lone Star in honor of Wallace "Pappy" Grube
  • Camp Frontier became Piercing Arrow in honor of Paul D. Ahrend

More Than a Camp

Bartle is more than just a summer destination—it's a tradition built on growth, challenge, and connection. Generations of Scouts return year after year because the experience stays with them long after they leave.

And here's a piece of local history: H. Roe Bartle also played a role in bringing professional football to Kansas City, helping lay the foundation for what would become the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Call of the Hills

There's only one way to truly understand Bartle.

You have to be there.

Can you hear it? The hills of Osceola are calling. Will you answer?