Dear Fellow Scouters,
Just over three years ago, we came together to form a new council serving over 14,000 young people and families throughout seven counties in Northeast Ohio. Things have not been easy, but I am of the firm belief that as Scouters, we have done and continue to “do our best” to serve those who have chosen Scouting as a cornerstone for character development in their lives even amidst difficult times and an uncertain landscape for our future. I have consistently made it a practice to come to you directly with all news, whether tough or celebratory. God knows we’ve had our fair share of both.
Today I write to you with the sad news regarding one of the properties, Camp Stigwandish. For the last three years, the Lake Erie Council has worked tirelessly to program and improve our facilities. From the very first day that we became the Lake Erie Council, we started making strategic and sizable improvements at all three camps as well as our downtown Unit Service Center. All told, we have invested over two million dollars to improve these properties in just three years. We have also made investments in full-time staff resulting in the offering of over 150 individual programs between the four properties as well as throughout the community. From Merit Badge workshops to adventure and activity days and resident and day camps to klondikes, camporees and many other events, our commitment to the adventure is evident.
Unfortunately, sometimes factors that are not completely in our control or even sometimes are completely out of our control also weigh heavily upon our ability to achieve our goals. New families joining Scouting, for instance, have suffered a major blow both locally and nationally under the heavyweight of national headlines. Parents and the community are expressing their concern that is felt and noticed in many deciding not to join. To be specific, in the fall of 2019 vs 2018 we saw approximately 500 less families register for Scouting. Our units know this story well. We hear it from them all the time. They share the frustration of the difficulty they encounter when working to engage parents and often lament about how much falls upon them to keep their units afloat. I am certain that many of you can relate.
When we began this journey together, it was our greatest hope that we could grow Scouting and create a path of sustainability that included all three of our camps. Unfortunately, this no longer seems realistic. While the emotional response to this news is difficult, please know that a team spent months evaluating our properties, working to determine a way forward that would not include the divestment of any of them. The reality is that we must address the situation as it is and not simply what we might wish it to be.
I think it is important to provide some background on what went into making this decision and what steps happened along the way.
First, the entire process began as part of the strategic goal setting of our board of directors. Each year the board adopts goals. In the fall of 2018, the Lake Erie Council Executive Board adopted several strategic and tactical priorities for 2019. One of those priorities was to assess all the Lake Erie Council properties. This assessment was to give the new council an understanding of the strengths and shortcomings of each of the 4 properties (Beaumont Scout Reservation, Camp Stigwandish, Firelands Scout Reservation, and the Unit Service Center.) This assessment focused on occupancy, usage, condition, programs, and financial sustainability.
Let’s begin with occupancy. The group reviewed camper nights over the last two years as well as the first half of 2019. The study revealed that our entire occupancy (campers vs. availability) rate for the council was only 26% with a high at Beaumont of 32% and a low at Stigwandish of 17% (FSR= 24%). Next, members of the committee held listening and brainstorming sessions at our camps. Dozens of volunteers came to these meetings to discuss the future and ways that we could improve sustainably. The camper numbers were shared as were the statements which showed overall operating losses including losses at two of the three camps. While there was talk of outside group usage, the reality was that all in attendance could see that the road would be uphill. A key quote came from these meetings, “it is apparent that we will not be able to Scout our way out of this problem.” This is to say that the future of the properties could not be solved by simply adding a few more units to tent sites or by simply adding another camporee (for example).
Next, a comprehensive review of every single structure on the properties was conducted. An evaluation system that incorporated both physical tours of the camps as well as utilizing insurance documents, maps, NCAP (National Camp Accreditation Program) to create a master inventory from which we could evaluate the condition of each building, site or structure and equally evaluate the priority and needs of each. The following key was used to assign letter grades based on both the condition and the need.
• A = NO REPAIRS NEEDED
• B = SOME REPAIRS OR UPGRADES NEEDED
• C = SIGNIFICANT REPAIRS NEEDED
• D = MAJOR REPAIRS OR REPLACEMENT NEEDED
• F = REPLACE
• A = SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN SUMMER & YEAR AROUND
• B = ACTIVITLY USED IN SUMMER OR YEAR AROUND
• C = USED BUT NOT A PRIMARY FACILITY
• D = MINOR USAGE IF ANY
• F = NOT USED
From this process, we were able to determine the scope of the financial investments that would need to be made that would bring our camps up to an acceptable level based on the current assets. This did not include any additions such as flush toilets or additional program structures. The process revealed that to complete the most pressing and needed projects (the A’s), an investment of $2,371,700 is needed between the three camps ($1.64m at Beaumont, $450k at Firelands and $280k at Stigwandish). Further, to complete the list of A-D improvements, the number grows to nearly $4.5m. This also does not include the roads! That number is an additional nearly $1.1m.
The point is, there is sizable investments needed for improvements and we are faced with the questions of how and why. Based on these findings, the committee provided the council’s board of directors with a detailed summary of their report. Several things happened from there. Due diligence was done as the board evaluated these numbers.
Ultimately, from the comprehensive study, among many other outcomes, it was determined that while Stigwandish is aesthetically beautiful, the infrastructure and facilities are simply not adequate for today’s families and most certainly will not meet the expectation for tomorrow's family.
In the ensuing weeks, both internal and external meetings were held that included but weren’t limited to discussions with organizations like the Metroparks to ascertain their interest in purchasing the property similar to potential strategies in the past with other camps and Stigwandish. Unfortunately, those organizations are not able to purchase the entire property, so they had to pass.
So, where does this leave us? While Stigwandish is a beautiful property and holds a special place in the hearts of many who have camped there for years, it is no longer sustainable to operate and keep the camp. Further, it was noted that activities and events that could be held at Stigwandish could be moved to Beaumont (based on occupancy and proximity) or Firelands (if needed, although not ideal). Therefore, the Executive Board of Directors unanimously passed a resolution to approve of the divestment of Camp Stigwandish with operations ceasing on May 4, 2020. All events and unit reservations will go on as planned until May 4, 2020. This covers all major program items currently on the calendar except for day camp and NYLT both of which will be addressed in the coming weeks. As of May 30, 2020, Camp Stigwandish will cease to be a council owned property. However, the Executive Board of Directors has designated the use of proceeds from the divestment of Camp Stigwandish to go to program improvements including the remaining properties or other significant program ventures as approved by the board.
I know this is difficult and hurts our family in many ways. While you might think that I am immune to the pain that goes along with such a decision, I would share that our daughter’s very first camping trip as a member of Scouts BSA was at Stigwandish just under a year ago. I too will miss it and wish the world and Scouting was in a different place. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, and now the unenviable duty of doing the right, not the popular or emotional thing, rests squarely upon our shoulders.
Please know that I appreciate each of you and love this movement with all my heart as you do. I will continue to work tirelessly to move Scouting forward and hope and pray that we can continue to do that by each other’s side.
Yours in service to youth and families,
Marc Ryan
Scout Executive / CEO
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