Breaking News - Detroit Area and Clinton Valley Councils vote to merge.

[mmhardy]

After months of study the Clinton Valley and Detroit Area Council boards have just voted and both council boards overwhelmingly supported a merger of the two Southeast Michigan councils. There was a notice that went out. If someone from CVC or DAC has it maybe they can post it.

[MissingArrow]

Yesterday I saw it via Twitter but hadn't seen anything official.

 

Today, they updated the Study website with the vote results and the process forward. You can see it at:

http://www.cvc-bsa.org/study/index.html

[mmhardy]

Thanks...got buy those council strips B4 Jambo.

[Narraticong]

I hope we at least get a creative name for our new council. If it is decided to call us "Southeast Michigan Council" then I think I will just puke. There must be some boys out there with fertile minds. I hope a contest is held to name the new council.

 

Ken

[Narraticong]

A new Council Scout Exectuive has been named for the merged Council. He is John E. Reesor. He currently serves at the BSA Western Region Office as Deputy Region Director / Operations.

 

Welcome to Detroit, John!

 

Ken

[mmhardy]

After a quick review of the data pack preso on the consolidation web site it looks as if both CVC and DAC have significant financial challenges ahead. Of course this mirrors with the Southeast Michigan economy.

[emb021]

Is Michigan State University within the boundaries of this new council? I had heard that the council MSU was in was having problems when I was at NOAC. The next NOAC (2012) will be there.

 

 

[Lisabob]

No, Michigan State is not within those boundaries (it is in Chief Okemos Council, about 40-50 miles west). Neither is U of Michigan, for that matter.

 

Egad Ken, you guys will be a monster council! As if DAC wasn't already enormous. I'm one over from you (in your newly enlarged form) and I always liked the programs CVC put on. I hope those will continue.

 

I wanted to add that rumor around here for years has been that Chief Okemos might merge with Great Sauk Trail Council. Clinton Valley, on the other hand, is (was?) frequently upheld as an example of a solid council standing on its own two feet. So I'm pretty surprised. Maybe the move toward mega councils is only just beginning in SE Michigan.(This message has been edited by lisabob)

[Narraticong]

Yes Lisa, we will be huge. But I think there are some good opportunities to be taken advantage of. Detroit Area Council has great resources and facilities, but it's my opinion our staff is somewhat inefficient. Latest example was turning in an Eagle Application for verification last week and having it go lost for a week. Little things like that are quite common at DAC. On the other hand, I hear good things about how well Clinton Valley is run. So, maybe the consolidation will be a good thing.

 

As to Chief Okemos and Great Saulk, I have heard for some time that Okemos is in trouble. Great Saulk apparently runs well. My troop attended a camporee run by them at Michigan International Speedway several years ago. I believe there were someowhere around 6,00 Scouts in attendance. Everything went perfectly. I went to get some shirts I had to order and the "volunteer" helping me was a really nice guy and more than willing to find my stuff in a large truck container. Turned out he was the Scouncil Scout Executive. I was impressed.

 

I read, though on another forum that a lot of the volunteers from Great Saulk want nothing to do with a merger with Chief Okemos. They feel it would be a detriment to their program. I guess we'll have to see what happens there.

 

Ken