Horseshoe Retreat Ceremony Photos

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Horseshoe Retreat Ceremony Photos

A 360 degree view of the parade field during retreat.

Parade Field shaped up for traditional Retreat Ceremony.

Norwegian Scouts meet and greet their USA brothers.

Members of the Flag Folding team retire the colors in a dignified way.

Here is the main flag pole for the American Flag at the Camp Horseshoe retreat ceremony.

This troop, staying at Rothrock Adirondacks as evidenced by their top-of-the-line status, prepares to begin the marching.

Staff Line is starting to form up before the Saturday Evening retreat begins.

Troop 176 practicing prior to retreat in the late ’60s.

Camp Director Mike Berkeihiser looks on as the troops begin their march up the parade field.

The full staffline looks on as the color guard settles after the initial set of marching.

Here is a look upon the evening retreat from the crowd’s perspective.

The troop practices marching before doing the real thing a few minutes later.

Practicing marching is quite necessary if a troop expects to win the coveted marching trophy.

Devon 50 begins marching up the parade field before the report.

The Color Guard and Devon 50 pass the Camp Director during the evening retreat.

This photo shows the troops at attention during their SPL reports.

Staff line faces the flag as it’s being lowered.

The Color guard leads the way for the Troops during the evening Retreat Ceremony.

Troop 16’s Senior Patrol Report during a Saturday Retreat Ceremony in the 1980s.

Shooting Sports Director Josh Taylor prepares to fire a blank from the cannon, signifying to the flagline to begin lowering the American flag.

Senior staff members fold the American flag before saluting the Camp Director Mike Berkeihiser and presenting the flag.

Troop 965 of Webster, Maryland marches downfield past the staff line during Saturday evening retreat.

Octoraro Lodge 22 officers as well as Section NE-4B officers lower the American flag during the Saturday retreat of the 1997 Section NE-4B Conclave.

Chester County Council Troop 21 is about to make a right column turn on the parade field.

Program Director Matt Christenson waits for the camp to assemble for Retreat. The open umbrellas in the background suggest wet weather.

Retreat ceremony on Parade Ground. Stockade Leaders report to Camp Director Frank Beam for special orders and in preparation for Flag Ceremony. Flag is far to right on Flag Pole Hill in those days before the trees grew on the hill and the pines were planted behind viewing line.

Staff Color Guard folds the flag during Retreat.

Staff Line and Camp Band.

Troops marching at Horseshoe Retreat.

Troops marching at Retreat.

Troops marching at Horseshoe Retreat

American and Norwegian Scouters on the Retreat Staff Line.

1963 Camp Horseshoe Retreat Ceremony. This picture was scanned from the Paoli 1 75th Anniversary Yearbook.

Here is an expanded version of the Paoli 1 Yearbook photo.

Camp assembled for Retreat Ceremony on Parade Field saluting the Flag on Flag Pole Hill.

The Program Director salutes the Camp Director in the time-honored Camp Horseshoe tradition.

Staff lines up for the all important Retreat Ceremony including Troop 50 and 78 leaders.

The Retreat line-up of leaders goes on and on from generation to generation.

The year is just a guess at this point but the Senior Patrol Leader of Devon 50 is giving his report during the ’70s.

Leaders on line behind Frank Beam on Owen J. Roberts Day at Camp Horseshoe.

Camp Director Frank Beam takes stockade leaders report during the Retreat Ceremony.

The Horseshoe Retreat Cannon.

The staff and senior patrol leaders fold their arms as the staff color guard prepares the flag for lowering.

Staff member Will Stevens makes a crisp fold so that the flag retains the shape of a triangle and that no red is showing once folded.

The color guard holds the flags while the program director salutes each troop as they give their reports.

The staff color guard salutes the camp director before handing over the folded American flag. If the camp director does not approve of its folding, he will hand the flag back to the staff.

Scouts from a Week 5 troop take their turn as the Color Guard during a Retreat Ceremony in 2008.

The staff line takes parade rest while the Color Guard prepares the flag pole for lowering the American flag.

The retreat ceremony on the Parade Field in 1982.

Parkesburg Troop 135 marches at summer camp in 1980.

The Web Cam captures images from the parade field daily during summer camp, which provides some real-time images of the evening retreat ceremony.

During the 2020 pandemic, Scouts participating in the Camp Horseshoe evening retreat program wore masks and socially-distanced from each other.

Here is the Friday evening retreat ceremony in Week 3 of the 2025 summer camping season.

An early retreat ceremony at Camp Horseshoe.

Troop 21 stands at attention during Saturday evening retreat in 1991.

Troop 21 is getting in formation at during Saturday evening retreat in 1992.

Description:

AllBlack and WhiteCannonColorColor GuardFlag CeremonyPass and ReviewPracticeSPL ReportStaff Color GuardStaff LineRetreat PanoramicContributed by Andrew SmithA 360 degree view of the parade field during retreat.Retreat Ceremony2006 – Contributed by G. Ernest HeegardParade Field shaped up for traditional Retreat Ceremony.Norwegian Scouts at Retreat1973 – Contributed by G. Ernest HeegardNorwegian Scouts meet and greet their USA brothers.Folding the…

Created by:

Andrew Coe

Last Updated:

April 4, 2026

Created:

April 3, 2025

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