C.O.P.E. participants and staff spell out “COPE RULZ!” on the ground of the C.O.P.E. course as a photographer captures their human spelling feat from the C.O.P.E. tower looming over them.

Part of the C.O.P.E. process is to discuss and digest “What just happened?” Jon DeVirgilio, the facilitator, leads the group in a round of comments on the activity they just completed.

In 2005 one of the facets of the C.O.P.E. program, “Problem Solving”, was emblazoned on the… lavatory door.

Prior to the establishment of today’s C.O.P.E. course, scouts gathered in the Campcraft area to rappel on the camp’s camo wall.

Campers gather in the Campcraft area to lean how to rappel on the camp’s “camo” wall. The camo wall, complete with simulated rocky outcroppings, was a forerunner to the current C.O.P.E course.

Camper Jon DeVirgilio rappels down the original Horseshoe rappelling tower, which was located in the Campcraft area prior to moving to the C.O.P.E. course. Little did he know that about ten years later he’d be the C.O.P.E. director.

These rappelling boards will constructed during staff week in 1990 and were only used for a few years until the COPE course opened . They were build “ladder” style between two large pine trees, and the facing plywood was designed to be removed each offseason (although it rarely was). The original rappelling boards had been build “stilt” style and were used for many, many years prior to 1990, and were taken down by the staff each off-season and stored at Kindness Center. In those days, rappelling was scheduled as a troop activity and open to all scouts, regardless of age.