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WIll ZBASE (OK) become the fifth BSA HA?

RememberSchiff
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RememberSchiff Senior Member

RememberSchiff

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http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/columnists/johnklein/john-klein-zbase-in-skiatook-will-join-elite-national-group/article_d907dcce-d61e-5a80-b62e-a03176f516e6.html

 

The Jack Zink Adventure Base (ZBASE) may soon join an elite list of nationally significant adventure camps for the Boy Scouts of America.

 

“That’s the plan,†said Scott Thiessen, assistant director of support services for the Indian Nations Council. “We think this adventure base will eventually draw Scouts from all over the country.â€

 

The Indian Nations Council of the Boy Scouts of America recently completed a $28 million fundraising campaign to build a premier outdoor base at the Zink Scout Ranch near Skiatook Lake.

 

“This is going to be a different type of adventure camp, a unique approach for us,†said Indian Nations Council Executive/CEO Bill Haines. “We will make this a camp with a very diverse type of adventures. We want this to be a place where youth can have a lot of different experiences.â€

 

...

ZBASE, which potentially will join the BSA HA group, plans to be a far different adventure for Boy Scouts from around the country.

 

During the weeklong adventure at ZBASE, Boy Scouts will rotate through about 11 different adventures located on the ranch that has about 30,000 acres. About 13,000 acres will actually be in use as part of the base.

 

The programs include: aerial adventure (sky trail, climbing), ATV course, base camp (jet skis, sailboats, scuba, kayak, canoe, fishing), cable wake park (wake boarding), extreme wilderness survival, mountain bike course, Native American adventure (Native American culture, horse riding), racing center (high-speed go-kart racing), sporting clays challenge, treehouses, ZBASE Ninja course (based on the “Ninja Warrior†television show) and Turkey Creek Canyon (a Western village).

 

Campers will travel between the various adventures by ATV, canoes, boats, bikes and other modes of transportation.

 

When completed, the base will include the longest zip line in Oklahoma, a 50-foot climbing wall, the largest wake park in the state, one of the most challenging wilderness bike trails in Oklahoma, a go-kart race track complete with pits, an 18-station sporting clays course, three treehouses connected by a ropes course, black-powder muzzle-loading firearms and sarsaparilla available in an Old West town. Kids will be housed in various facilities including yurts, treehouses, Adirondacks cabins and a western village.

 

Located less than 30 minutes from downtown Tulsa, (An hour from Tulsa airport!!)  ZBASE is expected to attract not only Scouts but also adult leaders during yearlong educational programs.

...

 

Hmm $28 million fundraiser, how much did Summit cost? :blink:

 

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allangr1024 Senior Member

allangr1024

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I am from this council.  I thought they were raising money for a new summer camp site.  Our current summer camp (Hale Scout Reservation)  is used mostly by Texas troops who want to get out of the 105 degree summer heat, in favor of our 95 degree summer heat.  

 

The current Zink Ranch scout camp is used mainly by Cub Scouts and Webelos for their resident camps.  The Boy Scout section has not been improved in 40 years.  We use it for Wilderness Survival camp outs.  There is just nothing there.  

 

I wonder if local troops will be able to use these facilities.  Or will they be so expensive that the council will fear things will be broken if they are used.  Our Scout Executive is mainly a fund raiser, and the skuttle butt is that if employees do not meet their quotas, they are out.  

 

I wonder what they will do with all the snakes that inhabit the area right now.  It will be interesting.

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Col. Flagg Senior Member

Col. Flagg

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I am from this council.  I thought they were raising money for a new summer camp site.  Our current summer camp (Hale Scout Reservation)  is used mostly by Texas troops who want to get out of the 105 degree summer heat, in favor of our 95 degree summer heat.

LOL, while that is somewhat true, I've been to Hale in summers where 105F was present.

 

What about Slippery Falls? Do more OK units go there?

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CalicoPenn Senior Member

CalicoPenn

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The four bases in the BSA HA group are all owned and run by National.

 

Is the Indian Nations Council suggesting that it would sell their new HA base to National?

 

There are councils that run their own high adventure bases that attract folks from beyond their own councils - Maine High Adventure run by the Katahdin Council comes to mind (mostly because I worked there back when it was a National High Adventure Base).

 

I'm wondering what the cost would be to Scouts for some of these planned activities.  Just the insurance costs alone for the longest zip line in Oklahoma, an ATV course, jet skies, a high speed go-kart race course and a "ninja" course might make this base prohibitively expensive for many units.  If the cost is really high, I think you limit your potential audience to units in Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and New Mexico, once travel costs are factored in.

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desertrat77 Senior Member

desertrat77

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I'm wondering what the cost would be to Scouts for some of these planned activities.  Just the insurance costs alone for the longest zip line in Oklahoma, an ATV course, jet skies, a high speed go-kart race course and a "ninja" course might make this base prohibitively expensive for many units.  If the cost is really high, I think you limit your potential audience to units in Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and New Mexico, once travel costs are factored in.

Calico, the job market is tough, but things are very cheap here, compared to the rest of the nation.

 

LOL, while that is somewhat true, I've been to Hale in summers where 105F was present.

 

What about Slippery Falls? Do more OK units go there?

 

Colonel, I attended SF this summer.  Huge attendance that week.   Rough estimate:  easily half the camp was from TX.  Maybe a bit more.  Lots of troops from TX attend because it's closer and just a darn good camp all the way around.

 

PS  The temps were high, but not 105 high!

Edited by desertrat77
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Col. Flagg Senior Member

Col. Flagg

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Colonel, I attended SF this summer.  Huge attendance that week.   Rough estimate:  easily half the camp was from TX.  Maybe a bit more.  Lots of troops from TX attend because it's closer and just a darn good camp all the way around.

 

PS  The temps were high, but not 105 high!

 

I hear good things about SF. Our guys can't stand Constantin and would rather go to Sid Richardson or go out of state. They plan on going to SF this fall for a weekend camp.

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desertrat77 Senior Member

desertrat77

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I hear good things about SF. Our guys can't stand Constantin and would rather go to Sid Richardson or go out of state. They plan on going to SF this fall for a weekend camp.

Glad to hear it, I believe your troop will enjoy it.   As with most scout ranches, only a fraction of the land is in use.   On the other side the lake, I understand there are old trails and campsites from yesteryear. 

 

And as a bonus, SF has some features that are unusual to folks from the western part of OK:  Green grass.  Trees.  Water.  Clouds. 

Edited by desertrat77
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