This was sent from council on Tuesday, November 17..........
Summer Camp
Scout leaders,
We have been discussing summer camp issues for a long time, and believe that the best route for us, at this time, is to have only one organized summer camp opportunity, at Camp Billy Gibbons. We hope to use Billy Gibbons for staff training the week of June 6-10, and have camp for the boys the week of June 13-19, 2010. We are still looking at having volunteer staff and volunteer merit badge counselors, volunteer cooks, etc., to help offset the high cost for paid staff.
Camp Tonkawa will be available for units to come there to camp and use the shooting ranges, archery range, pool, as well as other facilities, but not in an organized fashion, except what the units can arrange together. Long weekends, 3-4 day unit campouts, and using leaders as merit badge counselors will be necessary to try and slow the financial drain on the council. We would not be turning on the A/C for the Training Center, nor the Musgrave, or the swamp coolers for the dining hall. Showers would all be at the pool, and leaders would have to provide trained lifeguards, and supervision for pool activities. We will also need trained NRA Instructors for the shooting ranges and for Archery to come from the leaders who will attend.
It has come down to this for several reasons. Camp staff salaries, high utility costs and low attendance are a big drain on our finances. Larger councils have the financial resources to put in new and exciting programs that we can’t afford, thereby enticing people to travel out of council to camps.
With the arrival of a new Scout Executive and the economy turning around it is our hope that this will be a one year situation. We will continue to keep you informed as we move forward.
Please contact other leaders in your troops who may not be on this list. It will be posted on the Council website as soon as possible.
Yours In Scouting
Mike Dunnahoo
Council President
Texas Trails Council
