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The Family Camp at Chicago's Owasippe is splendid. The family camp (Camp Reneker) is a 60-year-old operation that was built to accommodate the families of "on duty" Scouters. The Chicago-area Scouters camp with the Troop and the families have their own special program at the family camp. Owasippe hires about 10 college students, who conduct a summer program targeted to 6 age groupings ranging from 4-year-olds through high school. The 40 cabins have kitchens, living rooms, and two bedroom spaces, with nearby shower houses. The family camp has its own pool, activity shelter, tennis court, bb gun range and other typical camp program facilities. Families can also visit and use the facilities at Owasippe's Scouts BSA and Cub camps. Here is the link: Camp Reneker - Pathway To Adventure Council Through the years Camp Reneker has also become a simple get-away place for Scouting families not connected with an on-reservation troop. Families pick "their" week and "their" cabin and visit each year. It is not a luxury operation, but is certainly a very nice family housekeeping facility. At $350 per week for everything (except self-cooked food), the price is right for many Scouting families in the Chicago area. We started attending years ago when I was council president and have kept coming back for this simple experience each year. Now that my daughter is 14, she helps at Owasippe's horse ranch while she is here. A former Chicago BSA professional who later supervised the high adventure bases patterned the emerging family programming at the bases on what he experienced at Camp Reneker. I'm vaguely aware that there are a few other family camps on BSA council-owned properties, but I have never heard of one that has the full-scale family-focused program and facilities that exist at Owasippe. Owasippe's future as a Scout reservation is now quite secure. Twenty years ago there was an ill-advised effort the sell the camp to developers which was defeated through a series of shrewd moves by members of its staff association. Today, the Council added a seventh week of operations this summer and its Scouts BSA and Cub camps still sold-out. So, we will be considering more capacity next year. Owasippe has two Scouts BSA camps in "mothballs" (complete with Olympic-sized pools). As councils continue to sell properties, it is good to know there are places like Owasippe and Goshen (in Virginia) that have expandable capacity and will continue to be available to visit for summer camp.

Council Executive Boards and Council Executive Committees (subcommittees of the Executive Board consisting of the principal officers) meet in private with members only, plus special guests who make presentations on pending topics. CORs belong to the Council, which meets to elect the Executive Board during the annual business meetings. Including numbers of non-members in Executive Board or Executive Committee meetings is disfavored due to confidentiality issues. Non-members attending would not be bound to confidentiality and would further expect to express viewpoints and arguments. Well-run boards develop effective ways to gather opinion from the CORs and other stakeholders and respect those opinions. The “Owasippe” incident is a good example of when a board did not adequately solicit and take into account the views of its constituency when dealing with property matters – in this case the attempted sale of a huge property with minimal notice. The story is immensely complex and would take hours of blogging to explain. The bottom line is that the attempted sale was blocked through litigation and zoning moves which greatly reduced the desirability of the property to potential purchasers. Another bottom line is that the inadvisable board moves caused years of deformed relations among council volunteers, professionals and supporters. It can be said that bitter feelings created during the incident was a contributing factor in the overall downturn of the Chicago Area Council, which eventually lost its national charter and was merged with three other councils into the Chicagoland "Pathway to Adventure Council". Interestingly, Owasippe Scout Reservation is now in the best physical, program and financial shape it has been in for decades. As the bankruptcy causes the sell-off of many other properties, this massive and well-run operation is easily absorbing the demand of Troops from across the Midwest.

Summer Camp Experiences GREAT This Year Nothing is ever perfect, but my 2 experiences at summer camps this year showed me that we are moving in the right direction. I dropped my beautiful daughter off at Owasippe (reservation for Chicago area located in SW Michigan) to serve as a CIT and stayed 5 days with my wife. The spirit of the Scouts and Scouters could not have been better. Only 4 campsites remained available for the entire summer. Demand is through the roof. Better yet, there was relief and optimism on the part of the Scouters I met about the departure from bankruptcy. Confidence in the future seemed high. I next spent a week as Skipper with my large Ship at Goshen Scout Reservation (large reservation for DC area) and came away with the same basic impression. Attendance was up, spirits were high and program was restored to a high post-covid standard. Admittedly, these are 2 reservations historically operated at the highest levels of quality -- but there was regardless a great improvement of quality and confidence among the scouts, unit leaders, staff and professionals. We still have many things to achieve until we are past the troubles of recent years, but the joy of youthful participation at camp this summer is something to admire. My friends, all is going to be well.

The principal thought about Scouts BSA for girls is that it is so dramatically different as a program from GSUSA at the 11-18 age group that we are not in competition with them. I do not believe the girls in our troop would be happy in a GSUSA unit because they are looking for the rigorous and frequent outdoor programming we offer. I recall being shocked by the fighting words used by their national leadership when we first opened to girls. They have not been harmed by our program opening to girls and I was surprised they were not more confident in their own offerings at the time. In my view, the weak trademark lawsuit was a mistake, and the judge agreed by dismissing the case. I wish them well because they do good works for children. However, I don’t anticipate they will ever be interested in encouraging their people to engage jointly with us. Just think about the benefits their children could obtain at our high adventure bases and at our most-thrilling council long term camps (Ten Mile, Goshen, Owasippe, etc.). Their approach disadvantages their own girls.

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.

A few responses to recent posts. As background, I’ve been on two council boards (a small council and one of the largest in the country, on which I served as Council President) and was directly involved in dealing with needed property closures and sales – but we did it the right way. Everything was public and transparent more than a year in advance and all adult and youth members were given multiple rounds of opportunities to give input to the decisions – and changes reflecting that input were made. Not everyone is going to be happy in these and other contested situations, but when Scouters have their say and observe that what they are saying is being appropriately reacted to, chances for healthy future organizational relationships are far more likely. If your council is considering a property closure or sale in response to the bankruptcy or inability to continue funding its operation, you should be comforted by knowing that no individual professional or volunteer can sell something in our system. That is ultimately why the above-mentioned attempt to sell Owasippe failed. Rather, interested Scouters have the chance to impact on such decisions with logical and businesslike argumentation. We own and operate our properties for the benefit of the young people of today, and not to continue operations that are no longer serving those needs. There is simply no justification to limping-along with a shabby and under-utilized property that is highly-mortgaged due to lack of operating cash. Ultimately these camps are all subject to the market. Operating a 300-acre summer camp that is 200 miles away from a council’s population base for two weeks each year (serving 200-300 Scouts) is an actual example of what I am talking about. As to council board membership, there is no council in the BSA where all CORs automatically serve on a council board or district committee. CORs must go through the nominating committees for a council or district like anyone else. While CORs do cast an annual vote to elect the Council Executive Board, the real sway CORs have is their moral suasion because they represent the chartered organization. Council leadership will always return a phone call to the executive director of a chartered organization. Ignoring a well-spoken COR with a reasoned point of view is not good, because it puts the future of the unit(s) at risk. A disaffected COR needs to discuss the situation with the executive director of the chartered organization and generate communications to resolve the circumstance.

I posted many times about our Family Camp for Pathway to Adventure Council (Chicago). This is located at historic Owasippe Scout Reservation at "Camp Reneker". While it is a specifically-developed facility and program apart from the Scouts BSA program areas, it is popular and a great offering for our Scouting families. We are in a new era for the business-side of camp operations and will need the income stream to maintain our camps in the post-bankruptcy era.

Some camps (at least Owasippe and maybe another) I have heard of have a camp / campsite for this. It is hard work, but, nothing stopping you.

Which BSA properties have you been to this summer and how did it go? No serious discussion allowed in this posting! No bankruptcy, YPT, membership standards, COVID, fingers-getting-severed, "I don't like the professionals", "they sold my camp" and other potentially distressing discussion allowed under penalty of getting jello thrown in your face! For me, I have had two separate one-week stays at the spectacular 5,000-acre Goshen Scout Reservation in Virginia, just south of Shenandoah National Park. The first week was with our all-girl Troop. My wife (an ASM) and Star Scout daughter came to that. A bit hot, but the week restored my faith in the great things we are doing in Scouting. The second week was with my Sea Scout Ship, whose members had not been there before. They spent nearly the entire week on the 700-acre lake. Next week my family will stay in the family camp at the equally-spectacular Owasippe Scout Reservation near the cool-breeze locale of Muskegon Michigan. America's oldest Scout property is equally huge, wonderful and features 40 housekeeping cabins for families throughout the summer. This will be our seventh summer in a row doing this. These pristine places could easily be small national parks. I hope you have had similar experiences this summer.

Yes, the Owasippe Scout Reservation was saved. Owasippe Staff Association and Owasippe Outdoor Education Center members were big winners in this negotiated slate. I find it somewhat ironic that the CO's ended up losing some of their voting strength in the council when the members-at-large were "greatly expanded". This was a poor reward for stepping up and supporting the opposition. I have mixed feeling about the results. I'm glad that Owasippe was saved, but I am disappointed that opposition leaders double-crossed the CO's in the negotiations. The CO's never got the free and fair elections they were promised. My unit has never gone back to Owasippe. Since the membership changes, we have only used church owned campgrounds.

The Chicago Area Council has tonight voted to see off the entire 4,700 acres of the Owasippe camp near Muskegon, MI. CAC has owned this camp since 1911, and it has provided thousands of boys with a wonderful camping experience in a truly beautiful setting. Unfortunately, the CAC has let dollar signs cloud their visions of what scouting is truly about. This pristine, tranquil paradise will now suffer the scars of development, and our scouts in the Chicago Area Council will have one less camping possibility. In fact, the CAC now owns absolutely no camping facilities. For the past several years, many parties have tried to preserve this scout reservation for the future of our scouting program. Unforunately, the CAC has turned a deaf ear to these proposals, and has only been concerned with achieving top dollar for this camp. It is truly a sad day to be a scout or a scouter in the Chicago area.

Who wanted more "independent" information? Other independent reports. Note the web site link. Explore away. Ron is quite forthcoming about the situation there - as are other CAC members. Note - Ron was "suspended" from BSA for his efforts fighting this sale. So much for members having any voice in BSA. The Scarlet Sassafras - Special Edition Blast ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ August 30, 2005 - http://scarlet_sassafras.tripod.com Opening Quotes: "A Scout Is Courteous" ... the 5th point of the Scout Law. The third principle of the Scout Oath..."to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight". Something that ALL should be mindful of as they represent Scouting in Chicago. ======================================= WARNING Issued By Chicago Area Council! ======================================= To TSS Subscribers, Dedicated Scouters & Owasippe Loyalists: You may have read or heard about a plan to conduct a picketing protest outside the homes of some Chicago Area Council BSA board members sometime on Labor Day Weekend. I want it to be clearly known that while I support and encourage all to be fearlessly outspoken and to share their opinions and displeasures about the sale and development of Owasippe and the governance of Chicago Area Council, that... > I do NOT condone any participation in activities deemed to be illegal or unscoutlike, > I am NOT leading nor attending any such picketing protest in front of the private homes of board members, > I ask all to REFRAIN from conducting themselves in any manner that would be breaking the law or jeopardizing your membership in the BSA, > I respectfully request you or those you know to ABANDON any notions of conducting said picketing of private homes, AND > I highly recommend that everyone channel their talents, energy and enthusiasm in such a manner that would be in keeping with the letter of the law, that does not interfere with the rights and liberties of others, that is in keeping with our Scouting ideals, and that is positively and productively oriented toward our common cause. Having said that, there is nothing wrong with exercising one's right to free speech and to freedom of assembly under the letter of the law as was previously conducted last September 4th and on another later date in front of the Scout service center at 1218 W Adams. Proper protest permits were applied for and granted and we conducted our rally in front of a business establishment on "public" rights of way and in keeping with conduct and behavior commensurate with the Scout Oath and Law. You should never be ashamed to speak your mind, to stand up for what you believe in, and to join in any cause for the good of our Scouts and for a fair and democratic process in CAC that respects the will of its frontline Scouters and their chartered institutions. I have recently received a written warning by the legal counsel of Chicago Area Council, Louis Vitullo, and I now share that with you below along with a copy of an Illinois statute that he referenced. While I'm not an attorney and unable to ascertain the current validity of this statute, I think all of you should conduct yourselves on the side of caution and assume that the below referenced statute is still active and inforce. I know that many have legitimate grievances and may feel wronged and disenfranchised from council governance, but this doesn't grant anyone the right to do something immoral and illegal. I've always been taught that two wrongs don't make a right! So, behave yourselves as good and responsible Scouters, stay away from these homes, and do the right thing by your Scouts! -------------------------------------------------------------------- August 25 Letter from Louis Vitullo, Legal Counsel for CAC... "Dear Mr Kulak: I have reviewed your recent emails regarding the proposed activities on Labor Day, September 5, 2005, involving Lewis Greenblatt, James Stone, Mark Linse and Dennis Chookaszian. From the description in the email, it appears you are organizing a picketing activity at the residences of these individuals, and further that it is being organized as a scouting event." "Please be advised that the activities that you contemplate constitute a criminal offense for yourself and all participants under Article 21.1 of the Criminal Code of the State of Illinois, 720 ILCS 5/21.1-1, et seq. (See Enclosure No. 2). Specifically, residential picketing is a Class B Misdemeanor which is punishable by imprisonment for up to six months and/or a fine not to exceed $1,500.00. We will be notifying the appropriate law enforcement officials of your proposed illegal activity and should you choose to proceed, we will seek criminal sanctions to the fullest extent of the law. We sincerely hope this will not be necessary." ~ Louis P Vitullo CAC Legal Counsel to the Board Wildman Harrold, Attorneys and Counselors ------------------------------------------------------------------- & -------------------------------------------------------------------- Illinois Compiled Statutes: Criminal Offenses (720 ILCS 5/) - Criminal Code of 1961. Article 21.1. RESIDENTIAL PICKETING ** (720 ILCS 5/21.1-1) (from Ch. 38, par. 21.1-1) Sec. 21.1-1. Legislative finding and declaration. The Legislature finds and declares that men in a free society have the right to quiet enjoyment of their homes; that the stability of community and family life cannot be maintained unless the right to privacy and a sense of security and peace in the home are respected and encouraged; that residential picketing, however just the cause inspiring it, disrupts home, family and communal life; that residential picketing is inappropriate in our society, where the jealously guarded rights of free speech and assembly have always been associated with the respect for the rights of others. For these reasons the Legislature finds and declares this Article to be necessary. (Source: Laws 1967, p. 940.) ** (720 ILCS 5/21.1-2) (from Ch.38, par. 21.1-2) Sec. 21.1-2. It is unlawful to picket before or about the residence or dwelling of any person, except when the residence or dwelling is used as a place of business. However, this Article does not apply to a person peacefully picketing his own residence or dwelling and does not prohibit the peaceful picketing of the place of holding a meeting or assembly on premises commonly used to discuss subjects of general public interest. (Source: P.A. 81-1270.) ** (720 ilcs 5/21.1-3) (from Ch. 38, par. 21.1-3) Sec. 21.1-3. Sentence. Violation of Section 21.1-2 is a Class B misdemeanor. (Source: P.A. 77-2638.) -------------------------------------------------------------------- When all else fails, you can't go wrong if you always follow the Scout Oath and Law. My personal favorite is the first law, "TRUSTWORTHY"! FYI...I have respectfully responded to Mr Vitullo and to those whom he copied with his correspondence. Have a GREAT Scouting Year with your units, and a joyful and peaceful Labor Day weekend with your loved ones, ~ Ron Kulak Lachawelendamen Lenape, ...Suspended and spurned but not silent ================================================================ OWASIPPE PROSPECTIVE BUYER MAKES HIS COMMENTS ABOUT DEVELOPMENT ================================================================ August 24, 2005 - OOEC Responds to Benjamin Smith's Letter - via www.ooec.org Two weeks after comments by the President of the Chicago Area Council in a Letter to the Editor of the White Lake Beacon, prospective developer Benjamin A. Smith III has used the same forum to make public comment about the pending rezoning and sale of Owasippe. Mr Smith commented that since his purchase offer was made area residents have continued to enjoy the beautiful forests, meadows, lakes and other areas that make this (Owasippe) such a magical location. He also acknowledges Some area residents have also used these intervening months to tellwhy they dont want to see changes in the property. Ben Smith offers assurance that it is my intention of preserving as much of this beautiful acreage in its current condition as feasible. My motivation in purchasing this property was not driven by a profit motive, but rather by an appreciation for the beauty and serenity of this property. The Owasippe Outdoor Education Center observes that Mr. Smith proposed his $19-million+ purchase to be contingent on the Blue Lake Township approval of the Chicago Council of Boy Scouts rezoning proposal. That rezoning proposal was submitted a half-year before Mr. Smiths offer and OOEC believes Mr. Smith was aware of the details of the rezoning request and stands squarely behind the Council and the proposal. The zoning proposal is that 90% of Owasippe would become residential housing while 10% would be preserved. OOEC notes that the vast majority of the land to be preserved is wetlands that by law could not be disturbed. The single minor preservation concession of the rezoning is 41 acres to assist in the preservation of the Karner Blue Butterfly. Mr. Smith asks that the residents of Blue Lake Township look at the track record of the Chicago Area Council concerning their commitment to the property and the stewardship that has been demonstrated. OOEC agrees that a close look is in order. Until the 1980s Owasippe was a property of more than 12,000 acres. The current rezoning proposal is the final disposal by the Chicago Council of their land holdings in West Michigan. One needs to just look west and south at the 8,000+ acres already sold in order to realize what is planned for the remainder of Owasippe. We believe that even the folks now living on former Owasippe property are saying.ENOUGH! OOEC recognizes the personal and professional background that Mr. Smith presented in his letter. However, we do have reservations about just how three decades of civic and business activities in the dramatic development of the City of Holland transfers to the rural character of Blue Lake Township. We observe that the revitalization of downtown Muskegon seems to be a bit more in line with the experience and interests of Mr. Smith. It would take a huge, and we believe unwarranted leap of faith by local residents, to bridge the gap between the Ben Smith comments about preservation and natural set asides and the proposal presented to Blue Lake Township by the Chicago Boy Scouts. This is the very zoning approval that Mr. Smith has made his $19-million+ purchase agreement contingent upon. As we commented earlier this month about the letter from the Council President, Blue Lake Township officials can only respond to what has been presented to them. We fully support the idea that whats on paper and being asked for by the Chicago Scouts is the true future proposed for Blue Lake Township. We steadfastly encourage that no residential development become a part of the designated camping land that is the deep rooted character of Blue Lake Township. Troubling to the OOEC is what seems to be saber rattling from Mr. Smith. We read the following as a threat to the community that is in the process of reviewing its future: the longer and more costly the process of getting the property returned to its former zoning, the more the property will have to be developed. If our investors grow weary of this process, there are others who are willing to step in and I can assure you they will not have the same attitude we have. OOEC and many residents are growing weary of the misrepresentations and pleadings that the Council is a victim of rezoning. The facts do not support these pleadings by the Chicago Council and Mr. Smith. Jim Schlichting OOEC Development Director ======================================== Camp Sauger Lake & Some Turkey Feathers ======================================== Gordon Zion is quoted on page... http://scarlet_sassafras.tripod.com/id16.html as saying, Zion commented on the efforts to save Owasippe: "By way of introduction, I was a professional with the CAC for nine years and a camp director at Owasippe for two (ie. Wolverine North in 1969 and Sauger Lake in its inaugural year of 1970)." Well, I love you for what you do, Gordy, but Sauger Lakes charter year was 1969, not 1970, and Charlie Largent was Camp Director that year. I know, I was on staff at Sauger Lake that year and have the staff picture and the Charter Year patch to prove it (for a picture of that patch, see http://campimages.com/4image/details.php?image_id=7219 and note the year embroidered into the side of the tent). I was waterfront staff and taught rowing and canoeing, mostly. Took my Troop (Troop 69, Des Plaines Valley Council) to Wolverine this year (session 6, site 7), and walked around Sauger Lake (cant quite bring myself to call it Camp Carlen). I walked the loop, checked out the abandoned program areas. The camp is still in use, though; there were two Venture Crews in it, and the kybos have HOT WATER HEATERS! Good Lord! Wish wed had that when I was there. Theres been some changes, but other spots look as they always have. And I was rewarded with a 14 turkey feather that I found and which will be in my hat for a while. ~ Ron Fox ============================================= More Animal Stories From The OSR Hinterlands ============================================= Dateline...First Period 2005 Dateline: First Period 2005 Wolverine Site 5 We all know that keeping food in your tent is an invitation to visits by critters. That apparently includes small packages of TUMS accidentally left in the scoutmaster's toiletry kit. I awoke one night to the sound of grunts and scratching - coming from inside my tent. The animal making these unearthly noises must have been one of the largest raccoons to ever walk the planet - I'm guessing here since I didn't have my glasses on. I stirred, and the beast stopped briefly before continuing it's effort to get at the small morsel in my bag. Finally it lumbered away after more animated movement and noise from me. I related this brush with nature to my scouts, who now know that we are serious when we say "no food in tents." If that isn't enough, an hour or two after the middle-of-the-night visit, a massive raccoon battle took place just outside of our campsite. Since I was already sleeping with one eye open to defend against another raid of my tent, I was the only one to hear any of it. The battle opened with much rustling and some grunts. The rustling and grunts intensified and were accompanied by shrieks and screams. This went on for several minutes and must have involved several animals. It ended with one loud shriek and the defeated scurrying away, alive to fight another day. Edward J Gorz, SM, CAC T-471 ==================================== 4.2% of Scouts Now Make It To Eagle ==================================== - - - previously it was known to be 2% From the 2004 Annual Report of the BSA As of Dec 31, 2004: 988,995 are in Boy Scouting 50,377 earned the Eagle Award The percent then, by simple arithmetic, is 50,377/988,995 x 100% = 5.1% However, there are 250,584 in Venturing as of Dec 31, 2004 If you do the calculation: (50,377 / (988,995 + 250,584)) x 100% = 4.06% Whatever the percentage is Nationally, what really counts is that each boy in Scouting has an excellent experience with the BSA Advancement method. ========================================= Urban Scout Effort Draws Fire in Atlanta! ========================================= August 15, 2005 - www.Boston.com "BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. -- There are towering pines, shimmering lakes, bike trails, target shooting, and cookouts. For Julian White, a Boy Scout camp in the north Georgia mountains seems to be a world away from his life on the streets of Atlanta." To see this story in its entirety, click on the link below or cut and paste it into a Web browser: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/08/15/urban_scout_effort_draws_fire_in_atlanta/ ===================================================================== Closing Quotes: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." ~ First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution "Dissent does not include the freedom to destroy the system of law which guarantees freedom to speak, assemble and march in protest. Dissent is not anarchy." ~ Seymour F Simon ==================================================================== ============================================= *** WHAZZUP? IMPORTANT OSR DATES - 2005 *** ============================================= * August 29, Monday...You have one week to get your board nominations in to the CAC Nominations Committee. Please do so! And what was wrong with the board nominations submitted for the May 5th Slate? * September 5, Monday... Nominations due for CAC members at large, board members, & executive officers with profiles to CAC Nominations Committee Chrmn Dennis Chookaszian at 1218 W Adams St, Chicago. * September 16-19... Owasippe Fall Fixit sponsored by the Owasippe Staff Association. More info at http://www.Owasippe.com. * October 5, Wednesday... Reconvened Chicago Area Council annual meeting for the purpose of voting on five slates of executive officers, board members and members at large. ALL voting members of CAC are highly encouraged to attend and to VOTE their conscience for the good of their Scouting programs!!! Chartered Org Reps and Members at Large should make whatever sacrifices are necessary to be there to vote. * November 25, Friday... Owasippalooza at European Chalet Banquet Hall. Info to follow (formerly known as OSA Pizza Night Rendezvous). * November 26, Saturday... tentative opening day for Owasippe Staff interviews. Location and time TBA. * June 25, 2006... Owasippe's 1st Period opens for its 95th Anniversary Season. Site reservations now being taken. Staff applications now gladly accepted. ====================================================== COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, IDEAS, OPINIONS, CRITICISM, KUDOS ====================================================== The Scarlet Sassafras Blast and Website are private publications and reports and opinions contained therein are not necessarily views shared by this publisher, the Owasippe Staff Association, Owasippe Outdoor Education Center, Chicago Area Council, and the Boy Scouts of America...the latter of which have no direct affiliation to this publication and its related website. If you no longer want to get this periodic bulletin on Owasippe, just e-mail me back at Owasiron@juno.com and type "REMOVE" in the subject if you wish to be taken off of the broadcast list. No hard feelings. >>>-----> Number of subscribers to this edition = 1,175. Help spread the word and forward this bulletin to your friends and family who don't yet directly subscribe. >>> The Scarlet Sassafras, Owasippe's E-zine and "Unwebsite"

Great question. Here is the answer. Over the coming years small facilities will be added to the bases to allow family members to come and experience the sites in a family-appropriate way. This can take place at the time a unit visits or entirely unconnected with a unit visit. A program track for youngsters will be offered. They have been doing this for a long time at Philmont and at the iconic Owasippe Scout Reservation, the pristine 5,000-acre preserve for Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana (the Pathway to Adventure Council). Owasippe has operated its family camp for 55 years and has 40 housekeeping cabins, facilities and program staff unique to the family camp. Generation of Chicagoans have enjoyed that facility and very modest cost. Philmont has operated its family program for a long time (I'm not a Philmont expert and don't know when it started). This capability, built into a limited number of places, will provide a wonderful opportunity for all Scouting families before, during and after their children are active in Scouting.

My son and I had a chance to make a short visit to the Chicago Area Councils Owasippe Scout Camp yesterday. Folks were nice and it seems like a nice facility. They have two summer camps. One is a cook your own meals camp and the other is a dining hall facility. Has anyone attended Owasippe? How was your experience? Ken

I am an optimist and view things quite directly and simply. There are very lengthy and detailed discussions about the addition of female members and the concept of "Family Scouting" that anyone on this site can go back and read. I carefully followed the debate and read the surveys that were widely distributed back then and was convinced that admitting siblings who were girls into separate Troops was the right way to go. I'm not going to go back and re-discuss that content, other than to say it was very convincing and made common sense. The Family Scouting policy did not change one word in either the Scout Handbook or the Scoutmaster's Handbook. They just changed pictures to include girls. So, I am just following the identical program we always did with 32 girls, a 9-member Scoutmaster staff, a 10-member Troop Committee and an amazingly supportive CO. The Family Scouting policy did not change human nature though. The hovering parents we have always had have simply continued their same behaviors. The only difference I have experienced is that girl members are a lot better at telling their parents to not become over-involved. I'm happy to accept that you have experienced an excessive number of hovering parents in your Troops, because those personalities have always existed around Troops and must always be dealt with by Scoutmaster Staffs -- or they will over-run the sensible operation and program experience of our youth members. What I do not accept is that there is some explosion of additional numbers of hover parents because we now have multiple siblings of different sexes in separate Scouts BSA Troops. That is not my experience or the experience of the of the leaders of other Troops in our districts that are Family Scouting. Scout leaders who don't address the situation will experience negative results. It is that simple. It is not a problem in our Troop because in the four instances that arose, we dealt with it effectively. Policies that allow parents of Scouts to camp at the same location as their Scout is really a different issue. This is not Family Scouting, it is the Family Camping policy of the BSA we are speaking of. In our Troop, we do not allow it. It is easy to enforce because everyone must be a registered member to attend a campout. We also make it very clear that we don't want parents to come on weekend campouts in order to allow the girls to gain confidence. A Scoutmaster who allows excessive numbers of parents to camp on weekend campouts is asking for the trouble you relate. What we do allow if for any parent who wants to camp with us to do so in September. We do that under the Family Camping rules. But that is it. I would be happy to have families of our scouts camp elsewhere on our camp properties as long as they do not show up at our camp until Sunday pick-up time. This has been successfully engaged in at the Owasippe Scout Reservation since 1957. Here is a link to the family camp, which also operates in the summer and has a special program offered directly to the families: https://www.owasippeadventure.com/blackhawk-1-1 The Owasippe family camp has been so successful through the years that it was the model followed by Philmont when they designed the family camp there. In fact, if we hold on to the bases, there will be family camps at the other bases in the future. If you have a different view of Family Scouting or the Family Camping policies and wish to see them handled differently or even repealed in the post-bankruptcy phase, I invite you to directly address that issue in a posting.

From today's Chicago Tribune. Boy Scouts decide to hang on to Michigan campground By Gerry Smith | Tribune reporter November 9, 2008 The Chicago Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America said Friday it has decided not to sell part of its Owasippe Scout Reservation, a sprawling campground in Michigan where area Scouts have attended summer camp since 1911. In a statement, the Boy Scouts said backing away from the sale to an investor group based in Holland, Mich., gives them "the flexibility to determine the future direction" of the reservation about 200 miles from Chicago. The Boy Scouts, who own the camp, had signed a contract to sell it for $19 million, hoping to make up for deficits and declining attendance. But in 2006, the governing board in Blue Lake Township, where the camp is located, refused a request for rezoning that would have permitted construction of as many as 1,278 residential units on the property. The Boy Scouts sued the township, claiming it had improperly created an institutional zoning category for the camp, limiting the Scouts' use of the land. A judge in Muskegon County (Mich.) ruled against the Scouts in March. On Friday, the Boy Scouts said they intended to "redevelop a more positive relationship" with Blue Lake Township officials and neighbors and would consider working with conservancy groups to ensure the property remains undeveloped. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-boy-scouts-camp-bulldog-08nov09,0,4357866.story

However, without the qualifier "Available", that statement isn't very useful. Regardless of what many folks would like to believe, many of those assets are restricted (certainly not all of them though). And even where they aren't restricted, they often wouldn't end up on the table in anything but a liquidation. Quite frankly, even among those assets LCs have been selling, I suspect if you actually looked into the past you'd find out the properties were donated on the condition that they be used as scout camps but they've managed to skate by and get them sold without the families involved finding out to file court cases. I know it's happened around me at least once or twice. I think it was Owasippe where they had the whole sale written up in the back room and basically signed when someone popped up and said "Uh.. You can't sell that."

Napowan will be sold off by the PAC (merged old Chicago Area plus others). They recommend going to Owasippe. https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Camp-Napowan-Property-Update.html?soid=1127193000603&aid=9Y0yimgjomo

Many of those people were banned from scouting for non-sexual reasons. I knew someone who was banned for protesting a camp closure (Owasippe) while in uniform. I thought there was something blatantly unfair about the process. The council guys could appear in uniform to speak in support of selling the camp, but the opponents were told they could not wear the uniform. Double standard. I believe he was banned for opposing the sale, not for wearing the uniform. That was just the excuse they used to get rid of him. Some people are talking about the IV files as if everyone who was banned from scouting was a pedophile. This is wrong.

My troop was possibly interested in going to Camp Owasippe summer 2007. It sounds like a terrific camp, based on the brochure. Having been to camps in councils that were having financial difficulties, can someone who has been there in the last couple years speak to the condition of the physical facilities at the camp? Thanks

Family camping at our properties is a great idea. A few camps like the iconic Owasippe Scout Reservation in Michigan (the Reservation that serves Scouting for the greater Chicagoland metropolitan area) have dedicated facilities that are run like this for the entire season. That council has been doing it successfully for 55 years. More of this kind of offering will further establish us as the full-family option and will cause Scouts to spend a week with their family in addition to their Troop’s week of traditional camp. At Owasippe the families of Scouters have been simultaneously staying in the family camp during the week a Troop camps with no ill effects. Let’s share these wonderful places with our own family members.

I seem to remember that the courts have already ruled that Owasippe can not be sold unless it was a camp. The new owners could not develop it due to zoning. I think this was in federal courts. This was part of the whole Chicago Area Council attempt to get money that resulted in several court cases, 2 different executive boards, the scout exec being fired, CAC with condtional charter and several million spent on lawyers already.

LH writes: "I can only figure that your are referring to the sale of Owasippe Lake which to my knowledge occurred after the change in tax assessment, and some say as a result of the reassessment. Land adjacent to CAC's as I understand it was NOT reassessed at the higher rate at that time. That is to say all the property in that area of that zoning type was not reassessed at that time." I am refering to the CAC disposal of about 8,000 acres of Owasippe property which included Owasippe Lake and all of the Owasippe property that was between that Lake and the current Western boundary of the property. This property disposal (almot twice the size of what reamins of the Owasippe property) created the value that was assesed on the remaining portion of the property. Your statement of understanding is just plain wrong. Perhaps you need to go to the Muskegon County records as well as see the assessor records and ask questions of the assesor to know what the actual evolution of taxes on the property have been. Something that I have done. Is your information based on looking at the documentation and discovering the time line and various events or.... is it based on some campfire talk based on speculation? I'd still like to know where you came up with the information you gave that the Owasippe property was once assessed at "resort rates"? What resort? What proof do you have for saying that? **************** LH further writes: "That says it all. This is not a plan to save "Owasippe" it is a plan to prevent houses being built. Opening the 4800 acres to the public seems like a funny way to "preserve the flora and fauna" and continue the near 100 year camp traditions." Where is your plan? It's real easy to sit by a keyboard and dispense false information, dis people, make judgements and do nothing constructive. You seem good at it. For five years others have done some very heavy lifting to keep the remaining Owasippe property from becoming a housing development. Ahhhhh...yes. I found your statement, you need not explain further. As you said, "IF those originators of the save OWASIPPE campaign sought to use the name and emotional power associated with it to champion their fight then I hope Stone wins and builds as many one room shacks as he can." Another statement based on what? More campfire chatter based on pure emotion and a desire to dis the people, who for whatever reason you woke up with today, who are attempting to do something other than have houses built on the property. Under the plan you obviously know little about, The flora and fauna will be preserved by a conservation easement being placed on the property. A conservation easemant that would limit any redevelopment on the property to the footprints of development that the Boy Scouts created....nothing more. Do you have a Plan LH? What is your Plan?

Yep. Search Owasippe here in Scouter dot com. It was an adventure to read, for sure. The CORs managed to wake alot of people up. The local county zoning board managed to take control of their county and by refusing to rezone the property in essence prevented the camp from becoming a lake resort. But Chicago Council still managed to sell off two of their three camp properties before National pulled the strings. I forget, who got the profits there? The CORs are the voting corporate board of a council.

I would like to make something clear once again. There are two separate concerns pertaining to "Owasippe". One concerns 4765 acres of land in Michigan's Manestee National Forest and one concerns a BOY SCOUT CAMP which has been in existence since 1911. When Jschlich speaks about saving Owasippe, and he speaks about the formation of the OOEC (Owasippe Outdoor Education Center)he speaks about 4765 acres of land. Jschlich is a resident of Blue Lake Township in which Owasippe exists. He says that >>"There is no concerted effort to stop the sale of Owasippe...the controversy is about the building of houses or keeping it as camp property, probably under an owner who supports the concept of a youth camp facility on the property."<< He has in the past repeatedly stated that the opposition to the sale has nothing to do with the "governance issues" within the Chicago Area Council. If Jschlich and the OOEC get their way there will no longer be a BOY SCOUT CAMP on the 4765 acres of land serving the SCOUTS of Chicago Area Council. Chicago Area Council may possibly no longer exist after this is finished but even if it did still exists the current board will never authorize a BOY SCOUT CAMP connected with CAC to be sponsored on that land. Owasippe will no longer exist, all we will have is 4765 acres of land that the new owners want to call the OOEC. The fight to prevent the sale and loss of our BOY SCOUT CAMP has not stopped it is only less visible due to the lack of people willing to openly support that effort. Stopping the loss of our camp is a matter of principle for some of us not an effort to protect our own interests. If CAC was going to sell the land to the Gerald Ford Council which owns and operates the camp across the street from Owasippe there are those of us that would be fighting that sale. Jschlich would not be one of that group. I have nothing against Jschlich or the OOEC but this is a BOY SCOUT forum and the loss of Owasippe as a BOY SCOUT camp is far more important than protecting someone's back yard and personal interests. If CAC were planning to expand and open 5 more camps Jschlich would not be hollering about the flora and fauna or the preservation of the land. It's not the land they want to save; it's there personal interest that are threatened. LongHaul