Hal Watkins Scout Center and Scout Store at the C. J. Daily Ranch in Camarillo

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The Hal Watkins Scout Center is located at the C. J. Daily Ranch, 509 East Daily Drive, Camarillo. The center is home to the Boy Scouts of America' Ventura County Council office. It also has a great Scout Store that stocks Scouting supplies and camping gear.

As of May 2023, the store is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays (9 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting 6/3/2023) and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays (10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. starting 6/3/2023). Visit www.vccbsa.org/Scoutstore or call 805-482-8938 for more information.

The Ventura County Council serves more than 4,500 youth throughout the county and contributes thousands of service hours annually in community service through the annual Scouting For Food drive, Eagle Service Projects, and other unit, District, Council, and Order of the Arrow service projects.

Who is Hal Watkins? According to this L.A. Times article, Watkins was a longtime Ventura County resident and owner of several local car dealerships. He donated a 1906 house (see it HERE) to the Boy Scouts in 1973. He passed away in 1991 at age 66.

Scout Store is located in this building.

Scout Store is located in this building.

The Roadrunners R/C Club Brings R/C Racing to Freedom Park in Camarillo

The Roadrunners R/C Club manages a facility at Freedom Park near the Camarillo Airport that has several tracks sanctioned for national R/C events. There are off-road and paved tracks that are fun for R/C enthusiasts of all ages, as well as onlookers. The facility is open to the public during the week.

Freedom Park is located at 528 Freedom Park Drive, Camarillo, on 30 acres featuring soccer and softball fields, BMX track and inline-hockey rink. Learn more about the Roadrunners R/C Club at www.roadrunnersrc.com.

Stop by and check it out! It's a lot of fun to watch!

The Conejo Valley Audubon Society Hosts Birding Activities Year-Round

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Founded in 1968, the Conejo Valley Audubon Society (CVAS) is an active chapter of the National Audubon Society. CVAS's 500+ members are from southeastern Ventura County and northwestern Los Angeles County. The chapter's membership is primarily from the cities of Oak Park, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Simi Valley, Fillmore, Moorpark, Somis and Camarillo.

CVAS hosts monthly programs at the Western Foundation for Vertebrate Zoology (aka Camarillo Bird Museum) and frequent birding field trips throughout the Conejo Valley and Ventura County. Recent trips include the Conejo Botanical Gardens, Santa Clara River Estuary, Hill Canyon, Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa, Oakbrook Regional Park and others.

CVAS volunteers also consult with local residents interested in converting their yard into a native plant based oasis to help attract birds to your yard.

For more information about CVAS, visit www.conejovalleyaudubon.org.

Counting Crows in the Conejo Valley and Nearby Communities

Counting crows. Maybe not literally, but figuratively, in the skies of the Conejo Valley, Simi Valley and beyond. We see the crows in the hundreds flying west in the morning and east in the evening ever so frequently here. These fellows were seen from the Conejo Valley Plaza, Moorpark and Janss Roads, the night of August 9, 2018.

Speaking of birds, the Conejo Valley Audubon Society hosts birding activities year-round.

Twelve Interesting Clubs in Ventura County That You May Not Be Aware Of

If you've clicked through this site you already know there are thousands of things to see and do throughout Ventura County, including over 100 local area clubs and organizations, service organizations, moms' clubs and charities of all types. Let's take a look at a dozen of local clubs that you may not have been aware of.

The Hawaii Club of Ventura County is comprised of members from Hawaii and people who want to perpetuate the spirit and culture of the Hawaiian Islands. The groups meets regularly. The next best thing to a trip to Hawaii.

Founded in 1992, the Camarillo White Horse Association records and maintains the lineage of the historic breed of famous Camarillo White Horses dating back to those bred and developed by Adolfo Camarillo.

Conejo Quiet Flyers is a club founded in 2008 for pilots of electric remote-controlled aircraft to get together and enjoy flying in the Thousand Oaks area.

The Conejo Valley Bonsai Society meets the 3rd Thursday of each month at Westlake Village City Hall. This is the only bonsai society in Ventura County.

The Marine Aquarium Society of Ventura County is a group of local reef hobbyists and enthusiasts who are dedicated to the support of reef keeping in the Ventura County area.

Stitch 'n Bitch Ventura County is for those who like to knit or crochet and live in Ventura County and nearby areas. Meetings in Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley.

The Ventura County Chess Club meets Tuesdays in Ventura and is open to all skill levels. Check it out, mate!

The Indian Friends Association is a non-profit organization of Indian Americans and others dedicated to fostering grassroots development in India. Is based in Ventura County.

The Ventura County Writers Club was founded in 1933 by four writers in the Ojai area. Since then the club has grown to more than 150 members, meets regularly and hosts annual contests.

The Ventura County Go Club provides a place for people to learn, play, or just watch the game of Go. Meetings in Camarillo are FREE and open to the public.

The National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors has a Ventura County chapter that meets monthly at Ventura College.

The Ventura County Comets Radio Control Flying Club has been around since 1965. All members must also be members of the Academy of Model Aeronautics.

Boy Scouts of America Launches "Scout Me In" Campaign for Boys and Girls

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The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) recently unveiled the new Scout Me In campaign that features girls, as well as boys, in its iconic Cub Scout program for the first time. Starting this summer, all kids are invited to say, “Scout Me In,” as they join the fun, adventure and character-building opportunities found in Cub Scouts. 

The Scout Me In campaign celebrates the BSA’s expansion to serve families and welcome girls and boys into Scouting in communities across the country. It reinforces that the mission and core values in the Scout Oath and Scout Law are welcoming, inclusive and foundational for both young men and women. Since announcing the BSA’s historic decision to welcome girls into Scouting, more than 3,000 girls across the nation have already enrolled in the BSA’s Early Adopter Program and are participating in Cub Scouts ahead of the full launch later this year.

About the Boy Scouts of America

The Boy Scouts of America provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared. For Life.®” The Scouting organization is composed of nearly 2.3 million youth members between the ages of 5 and 21 and approximately 960,000 volunteers in local councils throughout the United States and its territories. For more information on the Boy Scouts of America, please visit www.scouting.org.

Visit the Boy Scouts of America Ventura County Council website at www.vccbsa.org.