About Camp Stewart
About Stewart
Why Camp Stewart?
Camp Stewart has been a cornerstone of growth and adventure since 1924. Our mission is to offer boys a supportive environment where they can explore their potential, build lifelong friendships, and develop confidence. Since our first camp session more than 100 years ago, we have been dedicated to our core values of leadership, resilience, and community.
We are proud of the positive impact we have had on generations of boys. Parents often tell us their sons return from camp more confident, focused, and compassionate. Studies support what we’ve known all along: summer camp is a valuable investment in a child’s future.
But, why Camp Stewart?
Here are the things that we think, all together, make up the Camp Stewart experience:
Screen-Free Atmosphere: In an age where children spend 6 to 8 hours daily in front of screens, our camp offers a refreshing break. We prioritize active, outdoor play with healthy eating, encouraging a vibrant, active lifestyle.
Engage All Senses: Camp is all about immersive learning. We believe the best learning happens through hands-on experiences. At Camp Stewart, campers actively engage in activities that stimulate all their senses and foster holistic growth.
Authentic Role Models: Our counselors are real-life heroes, offering guidance and inspiration. They provide support, encouragement, and leadership, serving as positive role models for campers to emulate.
Relationship Building: Without the distraction of technology, campers enhance their face-to-face communication skills. They learn to read social cues, make eye contact, and build lasting friendships through shared experiences.
Trying New Things: Camp is a safe space to explore new activities and challenges. We support campers in overcoming fear and developing resilience, helping them gain confidence in their abilities.
Self-Reliance: Being away from home fosters independence. Campers learn to manage their daily routines and personal interactions, preparing them for future challenges with increased self-reliance.
Our team
Our directors and key staff members bring a wealth of experience and a deep passion for creating a supportive and enriching camp environment.
Kathy Ragsdale
Camp Matriarch
Kathy Ragsdale has made Camp Stewart her focus since 1967, the first summer she and Si ran the camp. She brings continuity as well as being a bridge as the ownership has transitioned. “Si was the general and I was his sergeant from the very beginning. He was an expert delegator, and passionate dreamer about camp. I always said he was the idea man and I was behind the scenes ensuring things went as he wanted. We made a good team, and now I get to play a lesser role as Jeeper and Meredith step to the forefront and have the opportunity to add their energy and innovations.” Kathy loves getting to know the second, third and even fourth generation campers and spending time with her grandchildren. She continues to be involved in landscaping, food services and handling all the financials.
Meredith & Silas B. "Jeeper" Ragsdale, III
Owner / Director
Silas B “Jeeper” Ragsdale, III, Owner/Director, literally grew up at Stewart and experienced every facet of camp life from that of camper to cleaning bathrooms in his journey to Director.
Meredith, Jeeper's wife, taught elementary school for fourteen years before turning her talents towards camp. She is totally involved in daily operations.
Jeeper and Meredith have two children, Silas B. Ragsdale IV and Catherine, who were both campers at Stewart and our sister camp Heart O’ the Hills. The family lives in the home at Stewart where Jeeper grew up, and Jeeper and Meredith strive to have every camper in their home for a special occasion every term.
Like Jeeper's parents before him, Jeeper and Meredith treat each camper as their own and are committed to providing the best experience for each boy, knowing that sometimes the best is not the easiest route.
From a parent’s perspective it may be important to know that Jeeper and Meredith are actively immersed in all camp activities 24/7. Jeeper does Pow Wow with the campers each morning following breakfast and teaches advanced riding for both Stewart and Heart Campers. Meredith is actively involved in the registration, billing, parent relations and canteen, but also does the birthday parties and is very attentive to camper’s needs. Neither sits in the office, but they are nonetheless prompt in returning calls or emails and work hard to be available to parents when needed.
Jeeper has been actively involved in Stewart’s management/ownership since 1987. Jeeper and Meredith attend Harper Methodist Church where her father is pastor. Outside of camp, Jeeper serves on the board of the Hill Country Youth Ranch and the San Antonio Polo Club.
Valarie Buihner
Director
Valarie Buihner has been the most wonderful addition to the Stewart staff! She is a former Arrowhead camper and camp mom. Valarie and her husband Travis have a son who was a Stewart camper and a daughter who went to Honey Creek. Valarie lives here at Stewart year-round and works with first year campers and is an amazing liaison to parents. She also helps with hiring and programming.
George Morgan
Director
George Morgan has been on the Stewart staff since 1984 and on the year-round core staff since 1997. In addition to his passion for camping and the benefits it offers youth, he poses a unique ability to understand boys and their needs. Once campers get to know George, they know he is their #1 advocate. He is known for listening to and helping guide campers to a solution on their own for problems they encounter so they can learn important life skills. George is also an oft-requested story teller at Saturday night campfires. Originally from Italy, Texas, George was very active in the youth program of his home church and attends Hunt Baptist Church in Hunt. Fishing and boating are his ‘off-season’ passions!
Jeff Balderson
Director
Jeff Balderson has been part of camp for over twenty years. Over these years, he has been a counselor, a division leader, junior camp director, senior camp director and program director so he KNOWS camp! After teaching for many years, Jeff has retired and joined camp “full time.” He does not live on camp proper, but he is here as much as he can be! Jeff has two daughters (both Heart girls) and likes to spend time with them and his wife Robin. He is an Elvis enthusiast and an avid collector of many cool things. Ask him about this!
Camp Stewart is licensed by the Texas State Department of Health & Safety Services, and is proud to be accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA).
About ACA
The American Camp Association (ACA) is the only national accrediting body for camps of all types. ACA’s nationally recognized accreditation standards focus on health, safety, and risk management, and are used as benchmarks by government entities. ACA accreditation provides public evidence of a camp’s commitment to the well-being of campers and staff.
Broad areas of concern are administration, facilities, health and wellness, staff and supervision, program and aquatics. We strive for perfect rankings, and are consistently ranked in the A+ category!
Each year, we invest in our staff. Year-round staff attend national conferences, and often, regional or local training, too. Summer staff members arrive two weeks before camp begins for specific skills training or certification in American Red Cross lifeguarding or water safety instruction, horseback instructor training, archery or riflery instructor training, first aid, CPR and more—not to mention Camp Stewart-specific how-to’s!
Here are the things we value
There are a lot of summer camps available, and each one has its own character. You want to choose one that values what you value. Here's what we consider important.
Our rich tradition
With over 100 years of history, our camp is steeped in tradition and values. From time-honored songs to cherished camp activities, we provide a sense of continuity and belonging.
Our people
Our diverse team of compassionate, skilled counselors brings a unique touch to camp. With a mix of former campers and global talent, our counselors create a welcoming and supportive camp community.
Diverse activities
From thrilling adventure activities like archery and riflery to creative arts and performing arts, our wide range of programs ensures there’s something for everyone. Campers spend their days doing the things they love, and trying new activities that will broaden their horizons, instill confidence, and introduce them to new-found passions.
A strong community
Stewart has been nurturing enduring friendships for over 100 years, creating bonds that last a lifetime. Our supportive and inclusive environment fosters a strong sense of community among campers and staff alike. With cabin and divisions, campers feel like they are certainly a ‘part’ of camp!
Our beautiful location
Set alongside the scenic Guadalupe River and nestled in the Texas Hill Country, our camp offers a picturesque environment perfect for outdoor adventures and fun.
Escape from technology
Our campers disconnect from screens and engage with the world around them. This technology-free environment promotes meaningful interactions and personal growth.
Our History, Part 1
IT ALL BEGAN WITH DOC STEWART
Camp Texas, the predecessor of Camp Stewart, opened for its first season in June of 1924, at the Old Texas Fairgrounds on the West Side of Kerrville. The camp founders were E.J. “Doc” Stewart, head coach at the University of Texas at Austin, and Alex Waite, Athletic Director of UT. The original site was the area where the River Oaks Mall, Kerrville, is located today. Combining their talents, Stewart and Waite successfully created a unique coaching school and summer camp where young men could develop excellent athletic, scholastic, and leadership skills.
That first term the camp was divided into four athletic groups supervised by the skilled coaches.
In each sport there was also an age-based Junior and Senior division. In this way, campers of all ages were encouraged to participate in sports. Also, three senior, two junior and one coaches’ team were organized for baseball and had regularly scheduled games to which local citizens were invited as spectators. Leagues were formed in other sports as well.
The first term was so successful that Camp Texas’ second session saw even more campers that first year. The camp was off to a good start!
In 1926 Doc Stewart became the sole owner of Camp Texas and his former partner, Alex Waite, established Camp Lone Star on the North Fork above Hunt.
At the close of the second successful season for Camp Texas, Stewart announced his plans to open “Camp Stewart for Girls” (now Camp Mystic) in 1926. As promised, Doc Stewart opened Camp Stewart for Girls the following summer. The new girls’ facility, called “Log Cabin Lodge,” opened June 15, 1926, in the center of an 800-acre tract on the South Fork of the Guadalupe, 18 miles west of Kerrville.
It was the camp’s second director, Uncle Bill James, who realized the benefits of a more rural location closer to the river and further away from the growing city of Kerrville.
Uncle Bill is credited with successfully persuading Doc Stewart to purchase the camp’s present site.
That year Stewart announced he was moving the boys’ camp, to be called Camp Stewart for Boys, to the new site on the North Fork of the Guadalupe River, 15 miles west of Kerrville.
He further stated that the original (fairground) site would be sub-divided into home sites for the town of Kerrville.
The move to the current site was made in 1927 and camp opened on its current site in the summer of 1927.
Many of the camp’s original buildings (with additions and modifications) are still in use today, including the Dining Hall (Dolly’s Diner) and the open-air gymnasium.
Initially, the campers lived in tents, which were replaced by cabins that sported indoor plumbing and electricity like those at the sister camp, Log Cabin Lodge.
Continuing his entrepreneurial drive, in 1928 Stewart built the original Heart O’ the Hills Lodge as a resort for parents to enjoy during summer season while their children attended camp.
In late November of the same year, to the dismay and shock of a great many people, Doc Stewart met an untimely death in a tragic hunting accident.
His widow (he and his wife had no children) ensured that Camp Stewart for Boys would continue to operate by selling the camp to “Uncle Bill” and Katherine “Aunt Kate” James.
The James’ owned and operated the camp from that time through the summer of 1966.
Our History, Part 2
THE RAGSDALES STEP IN
In the early fall of 1966, they entered a lease-purchase plan with Silas B. Ragsdale and Kathy Coffey Ragsdale of Denton, Texas, who became the camp’s third owners and directors. Si’s interest sprang from a long camping career, which began many years before in the Texas Hill Country at the age of ten as a camper at Camp Rio Vista.
Like Uncle Bill and Aunt Kate before them, Si and Kathy became the stewards of Camp Stewart’s rich heritage and began to write new chapters in Stewart history.
The Ragsdales have continued throughout the years to build on many long-held traditions, while bringing their own unique enhancements and improvements to the program and facilities.
Until 1967, Stewart had tribes but by 1966 campers were being divided into tribes each term by dividing each cabin down the middle: one side would be Apache and the other side Cherokee. Tribe loyalty did not carry from summer to summer. Feeling boys needed to be able to establish rapport with one another in their cabin ‘home’ instead of competing 24/7, tribes were eliminated.
The second session of 1967, Ragsdale introduced the “Advancement Program.” Based on a similar program developed by Ken Paxton in the Northeast, Ragsdale had first put together an Advancement Program during his years at Camp Fern. He now expanded the concept to create Stewart’s current program. Initially, there were four ranks: Pathfinder, Hunter, Brave, Chief.
Through the years, the program has grown to seven ranks. Scout (for campers age eight and under), Hunter Warrior and Brave Warrior were added.
The purpose of Advancement is to encourage campers, from the youngest to the oldest, to participate in all areas of camp life. This unique personal achievement shifts the emphasis from man-to-man competition to “self-competition.”
The Advancement Levels are designed to match the abilities of each camper age level and reflect their participation in camp activities, skill development and camp service. The seven levels are: Trails of the Scout, Pathfinder, Hunter, Hunter-Warrior, Brave, Brave-Warrior, and the Chief.
While many things have changed over the decades, the core traditions of Camp Stewart remain as vibrant as ever. The camp has evolved from its early days, but the essence of friendly competition, skill-building activities, and a supportive atmosphere continues to define our camp experience.
Location
We're located on the beautiful Guadalupe River, not too far from Kerrville. Here's our address:
612 FM 1340
Hunt, Texas 78024
