Camp Abercorn | |
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Genre | Drama, LGBT |
Written by | Jeffrey Simon Matthew Andrews Meg Grgurich [1] |
Directed by | Jeffrey Simon |
Starring | Brad Leland Declan Michael Laird Tyler Cook Morgan West |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 7 |
Production | |
Executive producers | Jeffrey Simon Matthew Andrews |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Production company | Gray Oak Productions |
Original release | |
Release | September 4, 2014 |
Camp Abercorn is an American web series originally slated to release in September 2014 that focuses on being a member of the Boy Scouts of America and also being gay. Using the fictional scouting organization called the Compass Guides of America, Camp Abercorn brings attention to the BSA's position on homosexuality and "the real situations young men face while away from home for an entire summer." [2]
The show is working with a $100,000 budget, which it met through crowdfunding on Indiegogo. [3] [4] [5] George Takei endorsed the series and the Indiegogo campaign in early August, 2014, posting that people should fund it. [6] [7] [8] The post on Facebook stated, "This is an excellent new Web series in the final hours of its crowd funding campaign. The filmmaker - a gay Eagle Scout - shines light on the Boy Scouts of America, both what it stands for, and the controversies it still faces." [9]
The series is set in the Rocky Mountains at a summer camp mirroring a BSA-structured camp. GLAAD describes Camp Abercorn as "A new fictional dramatic web series... follow[ing] the staff [who] develop as leaders, or Compass Guides, while learning and growing away from the pressures of school and work." [10] The camp is typical of scouting camps that generally deal with social interactions that are almost exclusively between males.
Colin: Colin hails from London and is a direct descendant of one of the Compass Guides founders. He wants nothing to do with the camp.
Mark: Mark is Camp Abercorn's new director.
Russell: Russell is a "archetypical life-time scout" who is the shooting sports director at Camp Abercorn. [11] [12]
Zak: Zak is Russell's protege, and also happens to be gay.
A British teenager angry with the world, a closeted Eagle Guide, and a Shooting Sports Director with a thirst for power, are part of the colorful staff that collide at Compass Guide Camp. A mysterious new Camp Director with a militant past (and pet chicken) finds he's not sure where he's going, but he's leading the way.
Zak: Morgan West
Russell: Brad Leland
Colin: Declan Michael Laird
Mark: Tyler Cook
Willy: Zach Louis
Sage: Jeff Rosick
Chris Ayer - Carry
Chris Ayer - The Infinite Abyss of Space
The Currys - Big Cold Mountain
Jeffrey Simon, executive producer of the series, hopes to "re-direct the conversation away from executives in fancy offices and bring it back to the values of scouts and importance of camp". [13] He continues with "I am in awe of what activist organizations like Scouts for Equality and their LGBT allies have done and are still doing to bring change to the BSA. Boycotts and activism can go far to change policy, but no amount of lecturing can change people. What can change people are stories. What can change hearts and minds are stories." [14] This series, acting as one of those stories, brings more attention to the BSA's policy of excluding gay men serving in leadership positions. [15] [16] [17]
Simon continued, "I hope this series will help bring back some interest in the Boy Scouts. We need an organization to train our future leaders; leaders that believe in the power of equality. I hope I can one day join the troop and give back to the organization that gave me so much." [18]
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth social movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking, and sports. Another widely recognized movement characteristic is the Scout uniform, by intent hiding all differences of social standing in a country and encouraging equality, with neckerchief and campaign hat or comparable headwear. Distinctive uniform insignia include the fleur-de-lis and the trefoil, as well as merit badges and other patches.
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 1 million youth, including 176,000 female participants. The BSA was founded in 1910; about 130 million Americans have participated in its programs. Served by 477,000 adult volunteers. BSA became a founding member organization of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1922.
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Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. The Eagle Scout rank has been earned by over 2.5 million youth.
George Takei is an American actor, author and activist known for his role as Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the USS Enterprise in the Star Trek franchise.
Scouts BSA Handbook is the official handbook of Scouts BSA, published by the Boy Scouts of America. It is a descendant publication of Baden-Powell's original handbook, Scouting for Boys, which has been the basis for Scout handbooks in many countries, with some variations to the text of the book depending on each country's codes and customs.
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) use uniforms and insignia to give a Scout visibility and create a level of identity within both the unit and the community. The uniform is used to promote equality while showing individual achievement. While all uniforms are similar in basic design, they do vary in color and detail to identify the different membership divisions of Cub Scouting, Scouts BSA and Venturing. Many people collect BSA insignia such as camporee and jamboree emblems, council shoulder strips and historical badges.
Scouting for All was a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization American advocacy organization whose stated purpose was to promote tolerance and diversity within the Boy Scouts of America in the face of its policies requiring members to be heterosexuals who believe in God.
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA), one of the largest private youth organizations in the United States, has policies which prohibit those who are not willing to subscribe to the BSA's Declaration of Religious Principle, which has been interpreted by some as banning atheists, and, until January 2014, prohibited all "known or avowed homosexuals", from membership in its Scouting program. The ban on adults who are "open or avowed homosexuals" from leadership positions was lifted in July 2015.
Scouts BSA is the flagship program and membership level of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) for coeducational young people between the ages of typically 11 and 17. It provides youth training in character, citizenship, personal fitness, and leadership, and aims to develop the skills necessary to become successful adults.
Scouting in the United States is dominated by the 1.2 million-member Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts of the USA and other associations that are recognized by one of the international Scouting organizations. There are also a few smaller, independent groups that are considered to be "Scout-like" or otherwise Scouting related.
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) was inspired by and modeled on The Boy Scouts Association, established by Robert Baden-Powell in Britain in 1908. In the early 1900s, several youth organizations were active, and many became part of the BSA.
The National Youth Leadership Training Leadership Academy is a program of the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America that trains youth staff members for council level National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) courses. The course, formerly named the Northeast Region Youth Staff Development Course (YSDC) while located in New Jersey, has moved to its new home in Haymarket, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. at the National Capitol Area Council Camp William B. Snyder. The course is currently offered two times each summer. The course is only available to those who staff or will staff a National Youth Leadership Training course in their home council.
The 2013 National Scout Jamboree was the 18th national Scout jamboree held by the Boy Scouts of America from July 15, 2013, to July 24, 2013. It was the first national Scout jamboree held at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia and the first jamboree to include Venturers as participants. Attendance was 40,795 Boy Scouts, Venturers, volunteers and staff.
Scouts for Equality (SFE) is an American advocacy organization that advocates for equal treatment within the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) for all scouts and scout leaders, regardless of sexual orientation. On July 17, 2012, the BSA reaffirmed a policy, first established in 1991, which prohibited "known or avowed" gay scouts and scout leaders from participating in the organization.
Youth organizations in the United States are of many different types. The largest is the government run 4-H program, followed by the federally chartered but private Scouting movement groups: the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and the Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA). Another somewhat smaller but co-ed Scouting derived group is Camp Fire. Other youth groups are religious youth ministries such as the evangelical Christian Awana, Seventh-day Adventist Pathfinders, and Assemblies of God Royal Rangers.
Trail Life USA is a faith-based Scout-like organization providing youth mentorship and character development to boys in the United States. The organization was founded in 2013 in reaction against the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) changing its membership policy to allow homosexual youth in boy scout packs. As of early 2024, Trail Life has grown to over 60,000 members. All charters of Trail Life USA must pledge to follow its "Statement of Faith"; the organization is Trinitarian Christian. Youths of all or no religious beliefs are allowed to join, but individual Charter Organizations may limit Troop membership to boys of a certain faith or membership in a certain organization.
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