Chicago Area Council does right and rebuilds 100+ yr old Owasippe Scout Reservation

[RememberSchiff]

A scout camp, perhaps the oldest, saved and restored. It took concerned scouters, local government, legal action, zoning, a change in council leadership, funding, and volunteers.

 

"With its future secure, Owasippe Scout Reservation will receive $1 million in improvements before the next camping season, according to an official with the Chicago Area Council of Boy Scouts of America." "The future of Owasippe had been in question several years ago when the council had a $19 million offer from a Holland-area businessman for the property. But plans to sell the 4,800-acre property were derailed after the township board refused to adjust the zoning and a protracted legal battle began in 2006.

The council argued that it had the right to do with the property what it pleased, and that it didn't have the money for necessary upkeep. The township ended up winning the legal fight, and the council brought in new leaders who were committed to preserving the 102-year-old camp."

 

http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2013/12/boy_scouts_commit_1_million_to.html

 

http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2011/07/owasippe_nations_oldest_boy_sc.html

 

Hallelujah but IMO if council leadership had been changed first, the camp would have been restored years ago.

[Basementdweller]

It is what happens when the bureaucracy forgets who they work for.

 

 

 

So, I gotta question......If we remove the camps from the equation what do councils provide us?????

[SSScout]

For the benefit of folks who are not familiar with this episode, I have been trying to access our history of this sad situation without success. Found this: lots of articles in ChiTrib: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2007-06-14/news/0706131277_1_scouts-plan-boy-scouts-board-members and http://flyingdingbats.wordpress.com/owasippe/ and http://ooec.org/news-info/

[RememberSchiff]

For the benefit of folks who are not familiar with this episode, I have been trying to access our history of this sad situation without success. Found this: lots of articles in ChiTrib: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2007-06-14/news/0706131277_1_scouts-plan-boy-scouts-board-members and http://flyingdingbats.wordpress.com/owasippe/ and http://ooec.org/news-info/

Searching just our previous forums in 2005-2008 timeframe, I found some. Have aspirin handy.

 

http://www.scouter.com/forum/council-relations/23141-hello-owasippe

http://www.scouter.com/forum/summer-camp/15361-camp-owasippe-summer-2007

http://www.scouter.com/forum/council-relations/22975-goodbye-owasippe

http://www.scouter.com/forum/summer-camp/15221-what-s-going-on-with-owassippe

http://www.scouter.com/forum/council-relations/22996-chicago-the-grim-future-of-scouting

 

http://old.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=129632

http://old.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=124597

http://old.scouter.com/forums/viewThread.asp?threadID=110007

[RememberSchiff]

Spring 2014 work weekend flyer

 

http://www.chicagobsa.org/document/help-make-owasippe-better-flyer/132810

[Bando]

I had perhaps my best week of scout camp camping the one summer my troop went to Owasippe instead of our usual camp. An incredible, amazing place that ran a fantastic program. I'm so glad the CAC figured this out and did the right thing.