Camp Fire USA programs offer rich development opportunities for children and families. Camp Fire youth develop leadership skills while contributing to their families and communities.

Children and families engage in all-inclusive, coeducational programs that build service and leadership skills and strengthen communities.

WHAT IS CAMP FIRE USA?

Camp Fire USA is one of the nation’s leading youth development organizations. Founded in 1910, the organization serves both boys and girls in hundreds of communities across America. 

Many of our nearly 750,000 members participate in traditional club activities while hundreds and thousands of others are served by our camping and in-school programs. Our mission is “Camp Fire USA builds caring, confident youth and future leaders.”

HOW MANY PARTICIPATE?

Camp Fire USA currently serves nearly 750,000 children and youth annually. 

WHO CAN JOIN?

In Camp Fire USA, everyone is welcome, regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic status, disability, sexual orientation or other aspect of diversity.

We are inclusive and open to every person in each community we serve. We work to realize the dignity and worth of each individual and to eliminate human barriers based on all assumptions that prejudge individuals. In addition, our program standards are designed and implemented to reduce sex-role, racial and cultural stereotypes and to foster positive intercultural relationships.

HOW CAN MY CHILD PARTICIPATE IN CAMP FIRE USA?

If you're interested in participating in Camp Fire USA programs, please contact your nearest Camp Fire USA Council.

WHAT IF THERE IS NOT A COUNCIL IN MY AREA?

Camp Fire USA has recently developed a new way to serve youth and families that do not currently reside within the jurisdiction of existing councils. This national "Fire Tender Council" allows members to belong to a virtual council that is bound together using e-newsletters and chat-rooms. It offers families flexibility to experience the programs that interest them most. For more information on becoming a member of the Fire Tender Council, contact Camp Fire USA at 816 285 2010 or info@campfireusa.org.

WHAT AGE GROUPS ARE REPRESENTED?

Camp Fire USA provides services for children and youth from age six weeks to 21. However, the majority of the boys and girls who participate in Camp Fire programs are between five and 18 years old.

WHY HAVEN’T I HEARD OF CAMP FIRE USA?

Camp Fire USA isn’t in all 50 states yet, so not everyone has heard of us. However, we’ve launched a national marketing effort and are concentrating on expansion all across the country so we can serve boys, girls and families in every community.

We offer many programs through schools, places of worship and community centers. Often the children and parents who benefit from Camp Fire USA programs are not even aware of who provides the service. However, because our councils are autonomous, we are more flexible to meet the unique needs of the different communities we serve across the United States.

HOW MANY AFFILIATES DO YOU HAVE?

We currently have 145 Camp Fire USA councils and community partners in hundreds of communities across America. 

WHY ISN’T CAMP FIRE USA IN EVERY CITY AND EVERY STATE?

Local leadership, community needs and volunteer participation all play a key role in whether or not Camp Fire USA is present, or will remain so, in a particular community. Camp Fire USA National Headquarters assists in the formation of councils. Camp Fire USA aims to serve every state in the nation. 

WHY SHOULD KIDS BE INVOLVED WITH CAMP FIRE USA?

In Camp Fire USA, we encourage every child to discover his or her talents and abilities in a safe and secure environment. We think it’s important that kids satisfy their need to belong. Camp Fire allows youth to be part of a group that helps them make friends, interact with adult role models and become concerned citizens in their communities. This is taught through fun, coeducational activities, such as camps, clubs and child care, as well as programs such as A Gift of Giving, which teaches children the value of volunteering and service-learning. 

WHAT COMMUNITIES ARE SERVED BY CAMP FIRE USA? 

Camp Fire USA works with children in virtually all communities. You can usually find Camp Fire in community centers, places of worship, schools, apartment complexes and other community-based centers in the urban, suburban and rural areas where we have a presence. Camp Fire also provides positive programming for current and former gang members, teen parents and public-housing residents.

WHY DO YOUR MEMBERS WEAR UNIFORMS?

A uniform creates a sense of belonging, and children love to feel a part of something important. They know they belong. At the same time, it’s important for the public to recognize what a Camp Fire USA member looks like. A unified Camp Fire “look,” which is the same across the country, visually promotes the entire Camp Fire program to the public. When children clean their neighborhood park or sing songs to residents at a nursing home, it’s important for observers to see the official “look” of Camp Fire and members who are proud to be a part of Camp Fire USA.

HOW DOES CAMP FIRE USA DIFFER FROM THE SCOUTING PROGRAMS?

· One important difference is that Camp Fire USA is coeducational—we serve both boys and girls in virtually all programs. Parents who like to consolidate activities for their sons and daughters find Camp Fire valuable. On another level, Camp Fire’s relatively small size and autonomous council structure allow for more custom programs for the local communities. If increasing high school drop-out rates is a problem in one community and availability of school-age child care is a problem in another, then Camp Fire councils have the ability to concentrate on those problems, with assistance from the national system.

· With respect to Boy Scouts of America, Camp Fire USA differs in that we are inclusive, welcoming youth and adults regardless of race, religion, socioeconomic status, disability, sexual orientation or other aspect of diversity.

· We also differ in the processes we use to develop children and youth. Camp Fire USA youth are encouraged to participate in group and individual projects, developing their social interaction skills, as well as their abilities to rely on themselves. We generally work with smaller numbers of children and youth, providing us opportunities to build special, supportive relationships with the girls and boys we serve.

· Camp Fire USA considers other youth groups, such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, to be our allies, not our competitors. The competition is violence, gangs, drugs, HIV/AIDS, truancy and a host of other problems. Whether a child participates in our program or another, the bottom line is that he or she get involved somehow.

HOW IS CAMP FIRE USA DIFFERENT FROM BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS?

Camp Fire USA bolsters the self-image of children and youth through developmentally appropriate leadership and social skill-building programs. These programs build upon the individual’s leadership through age-specific activities. Camp Fire creates opportunities for children and youth to develop personal and group competency skills. 

Boys and Girls Clubs are more activity-based. Often, programs center on sports, games, crafts and similar activities. While including such activities, Camp Fire USA programs are based more upon development of youth as individuals to become self-reliant, caring members of their families, their schools, their communities and their nation. Camp Fire relies on coeducational curriculums to reach the children and youth, therefore providing support and opportunities as they move from dependence to independence to interdependence.

WHEN DID BOYS JOIN AND WHY IS THIS A POSITIVE ACTION?

Boys were invited to Camp Fire Girls Horizon Conferences in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but official membership was not offered to boys until 1975, when the organization became coeducational.

Today, Camp Fire USA brings boys and girls together through one organization, where they learn to play together, work together and appreciate their similarities and differences in positive ways. They understand that people from either gender can be their teachers, coworkers, supervisors, confidantes, coaches and friends. For families, Camp Fire’s co-ed programs allow parents to consolidate schedules for both their daughters and their sons. 

HOW MANY BOYS ARE ACTIVE IN THE ORGANIZATION?

Participation among boys has reached 46 percent in Camp Fire USA, or almost 345,000.

WHY DID YOU CHANGE YOUR NAME TO CAMP FIRE USA?

In 1910, the organization was founded as “Camp Fire Girls.” With the inclusion of boys, the name changed to “Camp Fire” in 1975 and then “Camp Fire, Inc.” in 1984. In the late ‘80s, we became “Camp Fire Boys and Girls” to signify that we are co-ed, serving both boys and girls.

Due to our long history of being “Camp Fire Girls,” the public just wasn’t getting the “boys and girls” part and continued to know us as “Camp Fire Girls.”

In 1999, we chose to undergo a complete identity transformation and image awareness campaign to educate America on who we are in the 21st Century. After extensive research and brand analysis, we became Camp Fire USA in August 2001.

"Camp Fire USA" retains the inherent equity of the organization’s name and promises a cohesive national organization that meets parents’ expectations and the needs of today’s youth.

The new name declares that Camp Fire USA is a national movement. Research supports that youth and parents value this – and it implies a national connection between individuals and community groups.

WHY DID YOU GET A NEW LOGO?

Many organizations revise and update their corporate image every 10-15 years. Camp Fire USA’s identity has not gone through a serious transformation since the mid-1970s. With the development of a new organizational strategic plan that promotes the delivery of new programs and services to a larger national geographic area, the organization felt the time was right for an identity transformation.

The new logo was adopted to contemporize Camp Fire USA. The “fluid flame” reflects the flexibility of Camp Fire USA programs. The triangular flame shape represents both the fire of the hearth and out-of-doors and is open on all sides to represent Camp Fire USA’s inclusiveness commitment. The red and blue colors symbolize citizenship and character.