February 19, 2004
The Free Press
418 S. 2nd Street
Mankato, MN 56001
To Whom It May Concern:
We, the members of the Camp Cuyuna Alumni Association (CCAA) Executive Board, feel it is imperative that we respond to your February 12, 2004 article titled "Scouts take steps to deal with financial woes." The CCAA represents over 400 former staff of Camp Cuyuna, and it was founded in 2002 by the former staff so that they could continue to be of service and support to Camp Cuyuna.
While we understand that the executive board is facing some very tough decisions, and applaud them for taking responsibility to correct the financial mistakes that have been occurring for many years, we do not agree with their decision to sell the specified 163 acres of the Twin Valley Council's summer camp, Camp Cuyuna.
It is our opinion that selling this 163-acre parcel at Camp Cuyuna without a detailed strategic plan in place is not the best long-term solution to the Twin Valley Council's current financial situation. We are very concerned about the effect that this decision will have on the Scouts within the Twin Valley Council in the future, and we believe that there are other options still available. Therefore, we would like to provide another point of view on this issue and present some other possible solutions to this problem.
First, your article states that the 163-acre parcel "is not used by the Boy Scouts at camp…." While it is true that no troops camp in the area during a weeklong stay, this parcel includes the Family Camp. The Family Camp is used during summer camp to house camp staff and their families, for camping by the families of Scouts and leaders who are staying in the main camp, and for camp activities; such as wilderness survival, fishing, nature studies, and horseback riding. Scouts and other groups also use the Family Camp throughout the year for camping, fishing, and hiking.
Instead of selling this parcel of land at Camp Cuyuna, we urge the executive board to consider the following options that have been presented by the Twin Valley Council's volunteer Asset Assessment Committee, members of the Twin Valley Council, and other volunteers:
The CCAA would like to be very clear that we are not unequivocally opposed to selling unused portions of Camp Cuyuna, but the executive board should only make this decision if it is part of a long-range financial plan-a plan that is in the best interest of the boys whom we all serve. We also feel that this plan needs to be made public before the sale of any assets. The executive board should give the members of the Twin Valley Council the opportunity to be proactive; Boy Scouting is a volunteer-lead organization.
We do understand the severity of the Twin Valley Council's current financial situation, and that Scouting is not just about camping. However, Camp Cuyuna is about much more than just camping. For all of us, Camp Cuyuna brought together everything we learned as Scouts: leadership, teamwork, discipline, planning, self-reliance, ethical behavior, and a love of nature and the outdoors. We have taken these experiences and lessons forward in our lives as we have become educators, doctors, youth advocates, lawyers, environmentalist, manufacturers, and businessmen and women.
This is a call to action for anyone who cares about the future of Camp Cuyuna! Please, if you ever wanted to speak your mind on this issue, act now! If we choose to not voice our opinion and offer solutions, we have no right to criticize the actions of the Twin Valley Council Executive Board at a later time.
The CCAA Executive Board
For more information about the CCAA, see http://www.cloudnet.com/~wgrosk/CCAA
Last Updated: February 19, 2004