Camp Chronicles
Camp Mendocino lost this essential facility to a fire on August 19, 1994, due to a dryer combustion accident.
What is the laundry building?
This is the name and city of BGCSF’s administrative headquarters.
What is the Don Fisher Clubhouse in San Francisco?
Name this flying flying mammal that was renamed at camp. Hint: UV's favorite camp lore
What is Tree Shark?
This blue-and-black bird is known for its loud, obnoxious squawk that can be heard all over camp.
What is a Steller’s Jay?
This capital city of Poland made headlines for hosting major climate and youth leadership summits in 2025.
What is Warsaw?
In 1941, the Boys Clubs of SF bought 250 acres from this company, with help from the Rotary Club.
What is the Union Lumber Company?
This is the year BGCSF was founded, making it one of the oldest in the country.
What is 1891?
This alliterative phrase describes the mysterious sickness or fatigue that spreads among staff after long days in the woods.
What is Camp Crud?
These towering trees are strong, can live for over 1,000 years, and have bark that naturally resists fire.
What are Coast Redwoods?
In 2025, Hungary’s government faced criticism from the EU over new laws affecting this fundamental democratic freedom.
What is freedom of the press?
Camp Mendocino and BGCSF exist today largely because of people who have donated these three things: their time, their talent, and this.
What are financial resources?
BGCSF’s mission is to inspire and enable all young people to realize this.
What is their full potential?
This soggy-sounding term describes what happens when your feet stay wet for too long while working in the Clipper Room.
What is Clipper Foot?
These four-legged visitors are often seen grazing peacefully on the camp’s baseball field at dusk.
What are deer?
This global event returned to London in 2025, drawing artists and fans from over 100 countries.
What is Eurovision?
With the motto “Pleasure Above Service,” this alumni-led crew has built and maintained over 70 buildings, roads, and grounds at Camp for more than 50 years.
Who are the Purple Kumquats?
BGCSF operates this many Clubhouses across San Francisco.
What is eight?
If campers are dancing too close at the disco, staff might shout this phrase as a playful reminder to back it up.
What is “Leave room for the Jose”?
These underground fungi, including truffles, help trees communicate by forming vast root networks.
What are mushrooms or mycorrhizal fungi?
Colombia was praised in 2025 for its efforts in protecting this Amazon-adjacent ecosystem, home to Indigenous communities and rich biodiversity.
What is the rainforest (or Amazon Basin)?
With a motto of “Enriching young lives since 1947,” this organization raises over $1 million annually including through a Christmas tree lot to support Camp and Bay Area youth.
Who are the Guardsmen?
These are the five core focus areas of BGCSF’s programs.
What are Academic Success, Healthy Lifestyles, Good Character & Community Engagement, Job Readiness with Earned Income and Camp?
This dramatic, chaotic chant breaks out in the dining hall when seconds run out and campers (or staff) just can’t deal.
What is “No more seconds, we want thirds…”?
(Bonus points if someone can perform the full version!)
Necrophilus hydrophiloides is a rare species found in Jackson State Forest, known for lurking near decaying matter and earning a creepy reputation in the insect world.
What is a carrion beetle?
Germany is set to become the first European country to fully phase out this energy source by the end of 2025.
What is coal?