Scout Hut?

[Eagle94-A1]

Do not know how much it's going to cost, but the CO for my son's troop is going to build a building specifcally for Scouting on the new property. The building is suppose to be large enough for both the pack and troop to meet at the same time. Kinda helps when the IH is doing double duty as an ASM, and the #1 deacon who is heading up the new facility layout  is also the committee chairman.

 

Most of the troops in my neck of the woods have their own rooms, usually the basements, of the COs. One such troop has stuff going back to Harding Administration!

[SeattlePioneer]

<<

Okay is that bragging rights for the adults or the boys?

 

$300k would go a long way to outfit 100 boys and pay for summer camp for the next 10 years.

 

To me this ranks right up there with the massive plop camp trailers.>>

 

 

 

Personally,  I think one of the smartest thing BSA does is encourage unitsa to have chartered partners that provide meeting space.

 

This does a huige amount to keep costs down,  and prevents adult leadership from being involved in building maintenance and fundraising rather than the program.

 

Yes,  it would be neat to have your own cabin,  but not neat to have to build and maintain it.

 

Give me a nice church basement any time!

[perdidochas]

I'm betting the boys would enjoy it more if it were simple and rustic.... not much more than a cabin or picnic shelter..... pot belly stove for heat, etc....

I agree.  Not sure the committee members would like it as much, though....

[blw2]

I agree.  Not sure the committee members would like it as much, though....

well they're not at the troop mtg anyway, are they....

The committee can meet at the local pizza place if they want!

[BadenP]

There were several scout huts in some small towns in my area, the land was donated to the local troops 75 years ago. The huts were used by the BSA/GSA jointly and worked out quite well for many years. Several years ago the Council SE found a legal loophole in the donation stating that land could not be donated to a local troop or troops since the units were part of the council and the land legally belonged to the council. After a six month trial the court agreed with the SE and title was turned over to the council. The sad result was the council was in a financial mess so the council sold the properties, the boy and girl scouts were tossed out after 3/4 of a century, the troops in all three towns disbanded, and the land where those scout huts once proudly stood are now strip malls.

[desertrat77]

Good memories!   As a military brat, I recall that most Air Force bases had a scout building...thinking back on our moves:  a building adjacent to the base horse stables...a WWII barracks...another wooden barracks, '50s era...then a non-descript old building that was designed by a mad-man and remodeled several times....

 

As others have said, the scout hut can be a blessing, and occasionally, a white elephant.   Still, it seems troops would rather have one than not.  

[desertrat77]

There were several scout huts in some small towns in my area, the land was donated to the local troops 75 years ago. The huts were used by the BSA/GSA jointly and worked out quite well for many years. Several years ago the Council SE found a legal loophole in the donation stating that land could not be donated to a local troop or troops since the units were part of the council and the land legally belonged to the council. After a six month trial the court agreed with the SE and title was turned over to the council. The sad result was the council was in a financial mess so the council sold the properties, the boy and girl scouts were tossed out after 3/4 of a century, the troops in all three towns disbanded, and the land where those scout huts once proudly stood are now strip malls.

BadenP, I'm sorry to hear this.   Unfortunately, this scenario is happening more and more across the BSA.  

[moosetracker]

BadenP - that is a horrible story, and I don't know why the council won that.. All property of a troop or pack belong to the CO...  If that were true then the council owns all the camping equipment and all the money that units have in their bank accounts and could take all that also.

[SeattlePioneer]

<<There were several scout huts in some small towns in my area, the land was donated to the local troops 75 years ago. The huts were used by the BSA/GSA jointly and worked out quite well for many years. Several years ago the Council SE found a legal loophole in the donation stating that land could not be donated to a local troop or troops since the units were part of the council and the land legally belonged to the council. After a six month trial the court agreed with the SE and title was turned over to the council. The sad result was the council was in a financial mess so the council sold the properties, the boy and girl scouts were tossed out after 3/4 of a century, the troops in all three towns disbanded, and the land where those scout huts once proudly stood are now strip malls.>> 

 

 

Doesn't surprise me AT ALL.

[chrisg478]

^{My pack and troop are lucky enough to have their own "scout house" behind the CO's building (local Moose Lodge) but we are one of the few in our area that have our own space.}

^{There are pro's and con's to having your own space -}

^{Pro - you can have meetings whenever you want}

^{Con - you end up having den meetings in a building with no heat in 20 degree weather because you didn't budget for a new furnace this year.}

^{Pro - I can store equipment, supplies and materials at the scout house instead of in my house/shed/garage.}

^{Con - Other people "borrow" my equipment, supplies and materials and don't take care of them or replace them.}

^{Pro - Everybody enjoys using the scout house for all types of activities.}

^{Con - Nobody wants to help with general clean up and maintenance like taking out the trash and mowing the grass.}

 

^{We also have the added benefit and problem of 2 separate units sharing the same space. When the troop and pack are both strong with good leaders it works out great. But if one (usually the troop) feels that the other (usually the pack) isn't doing their fair share to help maintain the building or pay the bills it gets really ugly really fast.}

[qwazse]

BadenP - that is a horrible story, and I don't know why the council won that.. All property of a troop or pack belong to the CO...  If that were true then the council owns all the camping equipment and all the money that units have in their bank accounts and could take all that also.

@@moosetracker, it's a grey area entirely dependent on how the deed was worded when the land was gifted. It was probably worded as a gift to scouts, not to the CO's in particular. And, unlike equipment, parcels of land may be counted as the equivalent of financial contributions. Which is why the SE pounced.

 

That's why most lawyers in these parts put a stipulation in the title that if the land is sold, all proceeds from the sale revert to the estate of the donor.

Edited May 29, 2015 by qwazse