Camp Bomazeen (ME) to be sold

[RememberSchiff]

Pine Tree Council had a board vote Thursday night to sell the 75-year-old Camp Bomazeen in Belgrade, Maine .

Pine Tree Council had earlier formed an emergency task force to address its financial problems but the task force concluded that unless the camp is sold, council would be out of money in a matter of months. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has decimated the council’s ability to raise money for Scouting activities, officials said.

Matt Klutzaritz, Scout executive and CEO of the Raymond-based Pine Tree Council, said it was a difficult decision and they understand the move will make some loyal Camp Bomazeeners upset. But it’s necessary to keep the organization, and Scouting, going in the council’s region of the state, he said.

https://www.centralmaine.com/2020/07/18/historic-camp-bomazeen-in-belgrade-to-be-sold-by-boy-scouts-council-in-dire-financial-straits/

Edited July 20, 2020 by RememberSchiff

[SSScout]

 God ain't making any more land. When a camp is sold, it is sold and lost to Scouts. And to the future. The lack of forward looking management is always a shame. Such properties can be utilized and pay their own way if imaginative people work at it. Nature, ecological education programs. Public and private school programs. Agricultural education (organic? ) Demonstration gardens. Church , weddings, office "retreats", Isaac Walton utilization, Audubon Societies, even selective harvesting of timber. Publicity , even among Scout groups (limit to BOY Scouts? Why not offer to GIRL ScoutsUSA even?) , LDS has their own program now, can they use a few extra camp grounds ? The State might PAY for the opportunity to plant new trees (experimental American Chestnut?) . The NEED for our ("our") professional Scouters to be so often parochial ("it's got to be SCOUT stuff") is very sad. Want to know WHY Chicago Council wanted to sell all four of their camps? "Follow the money...."

[RememberSchiff]

The council’s emergency task force report, a copy of which was obtained by the Kennebec Journal, recommends selling Camp Bomazeen within three months, with an emphasis on an ability to do a quick closing. It further recommends to auction the property off, if a sale is not made in 45 days.

Klutzaritz said the ideal sale would include an arrangement that would allow Scouting activities to continue to take place at the property, at times, though he wasn’t sure of the likelihood of that happening.

“I can tell you we have a group of people working toward that as their primary goal,” he said of selling it to an entity that would allow the Scouts to at least occasionally use the property.

https://www.centralmaine.com/2020/07/18/historic-camp-bomazeen-in-belgrade-to-be-sold-by-boy-scouts-council-in-dire-financial-straits/

[scotteg83]

On 7/20/2020 at 9:51 PM, SSScout said:

 God ain't making any more land. When a camp is sold, it is sold and lost to Scouts. And to the future. The lack of forward looking management is always a shame. Such properties can be utilized and pay their own way if imaginative people work at it. Nature, ecological education programs. Public and private school programs. Agricultural education (organic? ) Demonstration gardens. Church , weddings, office "retreats", Isaac Walton utilization, Audubon Societies, even selective harvesting of timber. Publicity , even among Scout groups (limit to BOY Scouts? Why not offer to GIRL ScoutsUSA even?) , LDS has their own program now, can they use a few extra camp grounds ? The State might PAY for the opportunity to plant new trees (experimental American Chestnut?) . The NEED for our ("our") professional Scouters to be so often parochial ("it's got to be SCOUT stuff") is very sad. Want to know WHY Chicago Council wanted to sell all four of their camps? "Follow the money...."

While I agree with you 100%, this case is a little different.

 

This council (my council), due to previous unchecked SE and board, caused us to go almost 2 million in debt.  This year was supposed to be the year to lower that debt.  Obviously with everything cancelled, we haven't even scratched the surface.  The Council has done everything possible to lower expenses, and went from projected going belly up mid year, to end of August, and now looks like they can push it till November.   Once November hits, without incoming money, they will not longer be able to pay bills, salaries (limited staffing) and expenses, and will fold.

The camp they are looking to sell would give them more then enough to get the loans back in-line, and help rebuild the program council wide.  The Council board has been infused with newer members and the SE is new this year, so there is better hope not to repeat this all over again.  The current working plans is to sell to a group that will allow Scouting to happen at the camp, as most councils do nowadays anyway,  They just have to find the right group and work out the right deal.  There was a vote a year ago to do the same thing, but they didn't pass it, hoping to have a better year to make things happened, and it didn't, so its already too late now.

[Eagle94-A1]

My council is in a similar situation financially, and are looking to sell properties. I did not attend the town hall meeting last night, but I had friends that did. One of the slides was the 2019 cost per camper for the 4 council camps. Let's just say the data is HEAVILY skewed against one local camp.

They included a $50,000 new  road into the camp in "Maintenance" when it should have been a capital expense. The old road was washed out and caused the camp to be inoperable for 6 months.

Second the council only used the 2019 camp attendance. Since that camp was closed for 6 months, there were no day camps, weekend camp outs, or district camporees. So the attendance was much lower than usual.

Council is trying to make it appear the camp is burden.But what is ironic is if they used the past 3-5 year data, the camp is the most used, and least costly camp. In fact the camp brings n more money than needed to support itself. It is the only council camp that Cubs can go boating at since the other camps are on rivers. And because of its location, a major metropolitan area is within 45 minutes of the camp. It's just the metro area is in another council, for the moment.

[Jameson76]

On 7/20/2020 at 5:47 PM, RememberSchiff said:

Pine Tree Council had a board vote Thursday night to sell the 75-year-old Camp Bomazeen in Belgrade, Maine .

Pine Tree Council had earlier formed an emergency task force to address its financial problems but the task force concluded that unless the camp is sold, council would be out of money in a matter of months. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has decimated the council’s ability to raise money for Scouting activities, officials said.

Matt Klutzaritz, Scout executive and CEO of the Raymond-based Pine Tree Council, said it was a difficult decision and they understand the move will make some loyal Camp Bomazeeners upset. But it’s necessary to keep the organization, and Scouting, going in the council’s region of the state, he said.

https://www.centralmaine.com/2020/07/18/historic-camp-bomazeen-in-belgrade-to-be-sold-by-boy-scouts-council-in-dire-financial-straits/

To use the quote from Blazing Saddles - 

We've got to protect our phony-baloney jobs, gentlemen.  We must do something about this immediately, immediately, immediately!

Often times is seems the Councils are more interested with staying in business than serving youth.  Rather than figuring out how to do it more efficiently, just sell stuff and raise fees.

 

[David CO]

3 hours ago, scotteg83 said:

Once November hits, without incoming money, they will not longer be able to pay bills, salaries (limited staffing) and expenses, and will fold.

Then fold.  Put the camp in a trust and fold.  The camp will be missed.  The council won't.

Edited July 22, 2020 by David CO

[PACAN]

Their web site shows they have 4 camps in the council.  Don't know anything about any of them but the 35% reduction in youth takes the total youth to right at 2000.   Hard to see how they can maintain that many properties. 

[scotteg83]

On 7/22/2020 at 11:27 AM, David CO said:

Then fold.  Put the camp in a trust and fold.  The camp will be missed.  The council won't.

Correct me if I am wrong, but if the council folds, national steps in, and sells everything that's left to square up any debt.

[scotteg83]

On 7/22/2020 at 12:36 PM, PACAN said:

Their web site shows they have 4 camps in the council.  Don't know anything about any of them but the 35% reduction in youth takes the total youth to right at 2000.   Hard to see how they can maintain that many properties. 

And there is the big factor.  Most councils are luckily to keep up with 1 camp, let alone 4. 

[RememberSchiff]

From 2005?, Prepare the Way, A Tribute to the Youth and Volunteers of Pine Tree Council, Celebrating the opening of the ...

very expensive new scout center (sort of cross between Cabelas and LLBean) which was later sold. Scout center moved to Camp Hinds, the main PineTree Council camp.

 

[RememberSchiff]

An opinion from a long time Maine scouter who caught my attention with this Facebook comment

https://m.facebook.com/Friends-of-Bomazeen-689282914851606/

I search further and found this opinion piece in a local paper.

by Chris Bernier

My name is Chris “Montawagon“ Bernier. I am a long time scouter from Winslow here in Pine Tree Council. I joined scouting in 1983. I received my Eagle Scout in 1994. Without scouting my life would have turned out drastically different. I was lucky to have both of my parents in our home growing up, however, my father worked a million hours a week it seemed. My two brothers and I got to see him often but not nearly as much as I wished growing up. I would say more than half of my male influences growing up came from scouting leaders. The other half my father.

My fondest memories in scouting were from summer camp. For me that was Camp Bomazeen. For some of the other youth in my troop it was a combination of Bomazeen and Camp Hinds. I was lucky enough to have attended Camp Hinds in 1989 for a week. I got to see both camps and participate in programs at both camps, however, my heart will always lay at Camp Bomazeen.

Many other youth, have made great memories at Camp Gustin, or Camp Nutter. Many at Camp Hinds. Pine Tree council is lucky enough for the moment to have four amazing non-replaceable assets. This is in danger of changing.

The council has incurred some debts and the national Scouts BSA lawsuits are requiring councils to fork over costs of damages. Yet another debt to our council. It is the responsibility of our council board to figure out how to pay those debts. Unfortunately, the executive board feels selling property (even if protected as a trust) is an option to pay those debts. I, as a Scout of 38 years and an adult leader/volunteer of 27 years feels that Pine Tree Council is about to jump off the cliff by the sale of Bomazeen, with Nutter and Gustin to follow.

That is why I am contacting you today. I would like to ask everyone in the district. Every Pack, Troop, and Crew member who wants to see this stay as a camp for Scouts in perpetuity, to write a personal letter stating why you think it is a bad idea to sell Camp Bomazeen, specifically. I would like to see leaders as well as youth include letters. I would ask you to personally sign it. Then either bring it to the roundtable where I will collect them and make sure they are used in a productive way to try to preserve our camps. If you cannot make it out to the roundtable, please mail them to me or you can scan them on your computer and mail them to me via email where I will print them out.

However, a signature is still strongly advised. I would like to put a deadline of getting these letters in my hand by December 15. At that time, I will take all the letters and make sure they get down to Pine Tree Council. Addressed to every board member and council employee. Think of this as a petition but with more bite as you are not just signing your name, you are explaining why you are signing your name. I would urge you to contact me about how you feel about this via email at circleofone555@hotmai.com.

I would ask that you contact your chartering organizational representatives. Encourage them to become active in what council does. Every Troop’s chartering organizational representative has the obligation to vote on who Pine Tree Councils board members are annually. The council hosts a January meeting with a list of board members. If a majority “Yes” vote is passed those people are that year’s board for council. If a majority “No” vote occurs council must wipe the slate clean and start over. I encourage a “No” vote. Our council is in desperate need of a new board of directors. Most people are not aware of this. It is crucial, even vital, now more than ever, that we let council know that selling irreplaceable property potentially protected in trust is not a good use of resources. A better use of their time should be focusing on membership, “quality” program at all four camps and capital campaigns. If done properly this council could easily recover from its debts. Something the current board clearly is not focused on.

You may or may not be aware of it but the attorney general’s office along with the Bomazeen Oldtimers Association 501(c)(3) is suing Pine Tree Council in an effort to protect the property. The deed of Doctor Averill, who gave the camp for use to central Maine scouts, states that the trustees of Camp Bomazeen govern it. If for any reason a Camp Bomazeen Trustee member leaves said board, the council, who has jurisdiction over Camp Bomazeen, “Shall appoint a successor from the vicinity of where the former Trustee resided.” The deed also states that the original Trustees of Bomazeen were all from the Central Maine, Waterville, Madison, Skowhegan area. The last time I heard there was a Camp Bomazeen board of trustees was more than 20 years ago. The council has failed in its duty to put in place successors.

The deed states “First: Said property is to be held by said Trustees for the use and benefit for members of the Boy Scouts of America, said premises to be at all times available for camping purposes to the troops and members of the Boy Scouts of America, and especially for the troops and members of the Boy Scouts of America in the central part of the State of Maine.” If the council were to sell, it is Pine Tree Council’s obligation that the money received be held in trust for Central Maine Scouting, not to pay debts for poor money management. Any sales of this trust are to be done to further the intention of the trust.

In recent years scouting has been on the decline. Covid struck and rapidly helped to disrupt scouting. The answer to debt is not selling stuff and hope membership rises. The answer to debt is increased membership and give as many opportunities to children within scouting, at as many places as possible. Without our well distributed camps, providing outstanding programs becomes that much more challenging. The current board of directors at Pine Tree Council has clearly lost its way. We the leaders of the packs, troops and crews on the ground sometimes need to remind them what they are voting on. This is one of those times as our packs, troops and crews are the larger bases of income to the council.

I want to thank you for your time and I hope you will consider sending before December 15.

Please, let’s band together as a council and help to protect these four great properties for every youth of scouting to enjoy for the next 100 years of scouting.

Send your letter to Preserve Camp Bomazeen Letter Drive, c/o Chris “Montawagon” Bernier, P.O. Box #2444, Waterville, ME 04903.