Hello to my fellow Scouters, I am assistant scoutmaster and Eagle Scout (2000) from 3 Harbors. As you have read the council has moved to close our camps. Though their decision will prove disaterous and ultimately lead to the closure of our southern camps as well who are currently running enormous deficits. I invite you to visit our Facebook group you will see unlike so many councils who have been forced to close their camps you will see through our business plan our group has established that their decision was not only flawed but wrong. Please examine our business plan posted on our Facebook page.
It is the mission of Save the Three Harbors Northern CampsExperience to support and promote camping based on youth leadership and the patrol method in the tradition of Lord Robert Baden-Powell. Additionally, we feel that council ownership of a northern camp experience is critical to the long-term success of scouting in the Three Harbors Council.
It is our recommendation to the council that the decision to close one of the northern camps is deferred for two years while we implement our plan, giving us enough time to prove it is viable. We chose LeFeber Northwoods Camps (LNC) as that camp because it has higher usage, larger capacity and more facilities that meet current NCAP standards. We recognize that Robert S. Lyle Scout Reservation is a wonderful place with many happy memories, but we cannot justify keeping two camps.
Our plan has an immediate positive financial impact. According to the new 2017 accounting standards, LNC finished the 2014-year with a $28,216 deficit. This is the smallest camp loss under these standards, as Lyle lost $38,865, Oh-Da-Ko-Ta lost $85,371, and Indian Mound lost $204,907. By combining campers from LNC and Lyle, LNC has the potential to earn significant money based on the 2017 accounting standards. From a survey we conducted, the majority of Lyle troops have indicated a willingness to switch to LNC if the camp offered an open program, which can be implemented immediately. Both our survey and the council’s survey confirmed that distance is not a factor for 90 percent of troops.
Our group will promote all of the Council camps in new ways to Scouts and potential Scouts. We will show parents and their boys exactly what they will do and where they will go when joining a Three Harbors unit. We have plans to start new programs at minimal or no expense to the camp which will retain and attract troops. These programs include fishing, shooting, high adventure and forestry programs, amongst others. LNC is also already equipped to handle a limited dining hall option for some troops.
Our volunteers have already received commitments from donors for camp enhancement and deferred maintenance. We are ready to utilize new funding sources including crowdfunding, and will arrange for volunteers to help with labor. This will be done without diverting any funds from the southern camps, which we would also work for.
Together, we have the knowledge, skills, and willingness to make this happen. Please join us as we make the Three Harbors Northern camp experience a reality for future generations.
TWO MORE CAMPS BITE THE DUST
in Summer Camp
Posted
Hello to my fellow Scouters, I am assistant scoutmaster and Eagle Scout (2000) from 3 Harbors. As you have read the council has moved to close our camps. Though their decision will prove disaterous and ultimately lead to the closure of our southern camps as well who are currently running enormous deficits. I invite you to visit our Facebook group you will see unlike so many councils who have been forced to close their camps you will see through our business plan our group has established that their decision was not only flawed but wrong. Please examine our business plan posted on our Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SaveThreeHarborsNorthwoodsExperience/
Our Plan
It is the mission of Save the Three Harbors Northern Camps Experience to support and promote camping based on youth leadership and the patrol method in the tradition of Lord Robert Baden-Powell. Additionally, we feel that council ownership of a northern camp experience is critical to the long-term success of scouting in the Three Harbors Council.
It is our recommendation to the council that the decision to close one of the northern camps is deferred for two years while we implement our plan, giving us enough time to prove it is viable. We chose LeFeber Northwoods Camps (LNC) as that camp because it has higher usage, larger capacity and more facilities that meet current NCAP standards. We recognize that Robert S. Lyle Scout Reservation is a wonderful place with many happy memories, but we cannot justify keeping two camps.
Our plan has an immediate positive financial impact. According to the new 2017 accounting standards, LNC finished the 2014-year with a $28,216 deficit. This is the smallest camp loss under these standards, as Lyle lost $38,865, Oh-Da-Ko-Ta lost $85,371, and Indian Mound lost $204,907. By combining campers from LNC and Lyle, LNC has the potential to earn significant money based on the 2017 accounting standards. From a survey we conducted, the majority of Lyle troops have indicated a willingness to switch to LNC if the camp offered an open program, which can be implemented immediately. Both our survey and the council’s survey confirmed that distance is not a factor for 90 percent of troops.
Our group will promote all of the Council camps in new ways to Scouts and potential Scouts. We will show parents and their boys exactly what they will do and where they will go when joining a Three Harbors unit. We have plans to start new programs at minimal or no expense to the camp which will retain and attract troops. These programs include fishing, shooting, high adventure and forestry programs, amongst others. LNC is also already equipped to handle a limited dining hall option for some troops.
Our volunteers have already received commitments from donors for camp enhancement and deferred maintenance. We are ready to utilize new funding sources including crowdfunding, and will arrange for volunteers to help with labor. This will be done without diverting any funds from the southern camps, which we would also work for.
Together, we have the knowledge, skills, and willingness to make this happen. Please join us as we make the Three Harbors Northern camp experience a reality for future generations.