Troop owned building

[Eagle732]

Any units out there that own thier own building?

[hotdesk]

Okay...

 

1) The Chartered Organization is responsible for providing a meeting location...so I don't know if a unit needs to own its own building.

 

2) The individual unit is not an actual entity. It would be very hard, if not impossible, for it to own anything in its own name. Usually things like this, if they happen, would have to be done through the Chartered Organization.

 

Therefore if a unit is interested in owning its own building I would suggest:

 

approach your Executive Officer. I would ask him if the unit provided the funding if the Chartered Organization would purchase the building and also provide insurance. I would make sure that it is understood that the building is for use by the unit and that the Chartered Organization can have access as long as the unit does not need to use it.

[Eagle92]

I've encountered this situation only twice. In the UK a sea scout ship I briefly worked with had their own club house where they stored their equipment, conducted meetings, etc right on the beach. I believe that situation was set up as a trust or whatever the British equivalent is.

 

I also saw one unit have their own building. Don't know if it is actually owned by the CO or the troop, but it's about 2 to 3 blocks away from the CO and was a private house at one time.

[scottteng]

When my son first started in scouting in North Florida the scouts had the scout hut which was located at the city park right next to the boys and girls club. Dens met their regularly but the pack meetings were at the local junior college. The girl scouts also met there and I am sure a troop did as well just from the stuff I remember on the walls. The scouts "owned" the hut but I am sure the city had the actual title. It was no great shakes basically an old workshop with a bathroom but it was well located and everyone knew where it was.

[Frank17]

My old Troop 819 in Chester, VA I attended as a youth "owned" their building (a one-room log cabin), and still does as far as I can tell. I am sure the church owns it, but it was dedicated solely for Scout use.

 

A small picture of it is shown on their homepage here: http://www.troop819.org.istemp.com/

[shortridge]

Troop 89 in Millsboro, Del., meets at the "Scout Hut," which is owned by a nonprofit group (Millsboro Hut Inc.). I believe it also serves as meeting space for local Girl Scout troops. There's space out back in a stand of woods for practicing basic Scouting skills.

[Buffalo Skipper]

Our CO "provides" our Trooop with a scout hut. It is on church property, and is a 40x60' building. The building was built (as a scout hut) by volunteers in the 70s. Some of those volunteers still work with the troop. At the time it was built, the troop was 70+ strong. We are now an active troop of 15 boys, but we are beginning to share the building with 2 cub scout packs.

 

Though it is on church property, connected to church power, we (the troop) is entirely responsible for it's upkeep and maintenance, including all costs. Following Hurricane Ivan, we paid to have the roof reshingled. The outside (35 years old) was in bad shape, and the church Board of Trustees directed us to fix it up (it really was becoming an eye-sore). We did so this past summer at a cost of almost $2000, doing most of the work ourselves.

 

I am an active and involved member of this church. I am sometimes miffed that we must foot the bill for what is a church building. On the other hand, the building us used entirely by scouts (troop and 2 packs) and there is no "interference" by the church on what we do. The cost of good facilities.

 

Interestingly, 40 yards across the parking lot, is another church building, now used by the youth (and the troop when needed). This building was the council service center, 20 years ago, until a new property was secured and a larger building raised. This old building was the scouot office when I was a scout, and I was active council leadership (Explorers) and frequently attending and conducting meetings there. It is uniquely nostalgic that I have access to the builing now. In fact, the troop will have a lock-in there this weekend.

 

Another troop/church across town has the most stunning A-frame you can imagine. It was also built by church/troop volunteers 25 years ago and is a much more significant structure than our scout hut. It is probably 70x50 (or larger) with 30' peak height, plenty of storage, and even a means of string up tents to air and/or dry out, high enought not to interfere with meetings. Unlike our troop's scout hut, which is hemmed in by other church buildings and parking lot, this other troop has probably 5 undeveloped acres (mostly field) and even a campfire circle and benches (seats 75 or more).

 

The district is blessed with occational access this large facility for outdoor skills training (Baloo/OWL).

 

Do these troops require such lavish facilites? No and yes. Other troops do well with less elaborate meeting places which are shared with other groups. But we do have a sense of ownership, and have built good programs around what we have.

[Beavah]

Yah, it's a norm in many countries that each troop owns it's own scout hut, eh? Often they do that in part through youth programming dollars from the government.

 

I reckon I've known half a dozen or so units that have exclusive use of a building, maybe a few more. Some have been donations to the CO which the CO then turfed to the troop; I know one barn that was a bequest to a troop.

 

B

 

[sweetspiritpamh]

Our troop 68 in Arlington Texas has a wonderful building that the scouts and scouters built with their own hands. On paper it belongs to our CO but it is designed for scouts use. I believe there are 2 boy scout troops (1 regular and 1 special needs), and a cub pack, and a girl scout troop that regularly use it. It is also used by many troops traveling through or coming to Arlington Texas as a sleep over stop.So if your group is ever in the area call and make reservations. There are pictures at www.troop68.org. The scouts are very proud they have such a great place to call home. By the way it is less than 1/2 a mile from the New Dallas Cowboy Football Stadium, 1 mile from Six Flags over Texas, Texas Rangers Professional Baseball Park and just a 1 and 1/2 mile from Hurricane Harbor Water Park. Its in old downtown of our little town, right in the middle of the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. If you are not aware our little town has 365,000 people in it.

[mikecummings157]

We have a neighboring troop that utilizes a building and property owned by a corporation the parents founded to support Boy & Girl Scouts in their community. That's probably as close as you can get to 'owning" your building.

[ASM915]

Our troop, 915 in Canal Fulton, Ohio has a Scout House (15 by 25 and lofted) down in the towns park. The building was built back in the late 40's or early 50's by the Rotary as a war memorial and to only be used for Scouting. A few times over the years, the town toyed with razing it, but the Rotarians always show up at the council meeting with document in hand, and remind council that it is a memorial. The Troop's been in it since the beginning.

 

The only problem we have is that the building sits between the Ohio & Erie Canal and the Tusc. River, smack dab in the middle of the flood plain. Depending on the time of year and rain fall, we can boast having an indoor pool or ice rink.

 

Utility Wise, we are hooked to park electricity, but never receive a bill. Heating, a wood stove or propane heater. This year we are moving into the church that the Pack uses, and will move back out in the spring when it warms back up.

 

We've toyed with building a new green Scout House out of the flood plain.

 

[mtm25653]

My sons' troop has a building owned by the "Former long-time scoutmaster" Memorial Scouting Foundation. They provide the use of the building at no cost to the scout troop, other scout units (girl scouts/cub scouts/district training) and the troop's charter organization, a Lions Club). Except for the charter organization, no non-scout group can use it. It is on land donated by a former troop member, and was built 8 or 10 years ago with funds raised from current and former troop families. The foundation has its own board, and existed before the building (provided, and still provides, some camp scholarships.)