Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SILVER LAKE - For 61 years, the Mollenhour Conservation Camp has been a summer treat for young boys and, more recently, girls.
The camp operates for two weeks out of the year but it packs a lot of activities into that time.
Children are taught boating safety, rifle shooting, archery, hunter education and more. Tests are given on hunter education and boating safety.
The camp is meant to be fun and educational at the same time.
"Some kids will handle a gun for the only time in their life," said Carl Lozier, president of the C.O. Mollenhour Conservation Camp Council. "But at least they will learn a safe way of operating it. Hopefully the safe handling of it will register in their mind."
Mollenhour prefers to separate the girls from the boys so that hormones don't create a problem.
Lozier said this year the camp had 64 boys and 41 girls attending. The girls' program started three years ago and has increased in popularity ever since. In its first year, 22 girls attended, and last year there were 30.
According to Lozier, the girls spent some time Thursday evening learning how to "put out turtle line" from one of the many visiting conservation officers.
Today's menu will include turtle stew after the girls clean and prepare their catch.
At first, said Lozier, they were uneasy about eating the turtles but after they were told "if you died in the lake, they'd eat you," they were not so squeamish.
The camp suffered some hard times over the years and was in danger of being closed down. Luckily, through several large donations, the camp was revitalized a few years ago and Lozier said it is now "on the upward swing."
