About Our Camps

Red Oak, a not-for-profit private camp, is proud of its mission to develop children’s inner strengths through outdoor adventure.  It started in 1947 with a small group of boys who worked and played at Red Barn near the Holden Arboretum under the Direction of Frank Dimpsey.   With the help of property acquisitions by Warren J. Corning, Red Oak started in 1952 as an overmight camp for older boys who graduated from the Red Barn program.  And then, in 1957 under the Direction of Allison Corning Jones, Chincapin joined the Red Oak family of camps.   In 1959, Ken Roskos was named Executive Director of all three camps, and for 43 years he and his wife Gerry worked very hard to create a culture of fun, learning, and safety for the campers and staff.

David Roskos was named Executive Director in 2002, and today Red Oak, Red Barn, and Chincapin are thriving as new generations join our tradition.  We also have other short-term day and overnight camps and special programs for boys and girls throughout the year.  We also specialize in team building and retreats for corporate groups.

Red Oak is located on 87 acres surrounded by the world-renown Holden Arboretum in Kirtland, Ohio.  As a not-for-profit organization, our funding goes directly to our staff, training, and reinvestment in our camp facilities.  Our goal is to provide children with a camp experience that promotes self-confidence, teamwork, and an appreciation of our delicate ecology.  

The Goals and Objectives of Red Oak, 
Red Barn and Chincapin

Our mission is to develop our participants inner strengths through outdoor adventure.  Our overall camp goals are to:

• Educate our campers on the importance of the outdoor experience

• Build balanced programs of work and play, developing our participants' sense of responsibility, initiative, sportsmanship, and self-confidence

• Understand and appreciate our role in the environment

• Exhibit responsible personal and social behavior that respects self, others, and their environment

By participating in activities at our camps, our campers:

• Become self-sufficient in camp routines

• Strive to leadership roles

• Have a sense of accomplishment as they master various camp activities and move to different levels of accomplishment

• Learn to have positive interactions with each other

• Respect the beliefs and cultural differences of their fellow campers

• Learn "leave no trace behind" camping techniques, and being sensitive to environment issues

• Become responsible and self-sufficient in the activities and in group interaction

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