Renton Lions Youth Camp An Oasis For Kids

Nestled in a serene wooded area along the Cedar River off Maple Valley Highway, the Youth Camp has been hosting kids since 1946. Children's camps and eagle scouts, as well as retreats, family reunions and private events are common events on the roughly 15-acre parcel.

After several invitations by Lions members, Lynn Peretti and Janice Tanner, I finally decided to see what the hub-bub was all about. They have every reason to take pride in the facility.

Peretti gave me the first-class tour of the remarkable camp.

On my visit, the Girl Scouts were there for their day-light camp. Camp Director Kendra Cabrera gave a round of introduction before talking about the camp theme for this year: "a mid-summer's dream."

She explained that every activity the girls participated in were centered around the medieval theme.

The activities were wide and varying giving kids of every learning style a chance to participate. A Monday afternoon found the kids decorating swords and shields, jousting and making dragon drool.

On Tuesday the kids worked on cooking stew, chopping vegetables for salads, and making pie for the after-meal dessert. They also learned weaving, the art of the sundial, cloth dying, sewing, paper making, rock jewelry, made spun wool on a spinning wheel and discovered the art of quills and ink.

"I couldn't imagine having the camp anywhere else," Cabrera said.

Lions Club President Roger Richert gave me the low-down on all the camp has to offer.

“The camp grounds consist of a main pavilion that seats 75-100 people,” he said. It was built in several stages. Three of the parcels were donated by R. E. Theinhardt in 1946.

"Mr. Theinhardt was a local Banker and Rotarian.  Word is that he was so impressed with the Lions Club’s service activities, that he gave the three parcels (a major portion of the Camp) because he felt we would develop it into a Youth Camp," Richert said.

A fourth parcel was donated by Emma Cugini in 1988. "The parcel she donated was a small crossover parcel from the bank side of the river to a little of the Camp side of the river," Richert said.

In addition to the main pavilion, there is a kitchen area, a barbecue facility, a fire pit with seating, a storage area, horse shoe pits and rustic cabins that can sleep 12 people. There is river access and lavatory facilities.

“The fire pit and seating was built in 1970 as a memorial to Anne Richert,” Richert said, his wife of 12 years who died of cancer at the age of thirty-three. "I created the fire pit as a memorial to her so our boys and other Lion members children so enjoyed the youth camp."

The Eagles Scouts have also been responsible for many updates to the camp, including major signage and plant markers.

If you want to check out the camp for yourself, the address is 21230 SE 184th Street, Maple Valley, WA 98038. Pack up a picnic and take a look for yourself, directions to the camp are located here.  http://www.rentonlions.com/youth_camp_map.jpg

For reservations for the camp, contact the Renton Lions Club here.