February 11, 2004

Dear Scout Volunteer and Scout Parent,

On February 10, 2004, the Executive Board of the Twin Valley Council, Boy Scouts of America adopted a number of recommendations which were presented by the Council's Strategic Planning Committee. A summary of those approved recommendations are listed below:

Sale of a portion of Camp Cuyuna: Twin Valley Council will immediately begin the process of selling approximately 163 Acres of land at Camp Cuyuna in the vicinity of family camp and property located on Big/Little Pickeral Lakes. The appraised value of this property is $1,076,000. The council will be represented by an authorized agent for the sale of this portion of camp, and any sale must be at "arms length" from any individuals with a connection to the Scouting program. The sale will occur in a fair and open bidding process. Final approval of the sale of this property must be approved by the Twin Valley Council Executive Board of Directors.

Lease of a portion of the Center for Scouting to an Outside Interest: Twin Valley Council will lease the portion of the Center for Scouting which is currently used for Scout Shop operations. The Scout Shop will be relocated to another area in the building (to be determined). The shop will continue to supply the same materials which are maintained in the current Scout Shop. The rental of this area will generate $28,262 gross dollars for the council.

Reduction of the Council Long-Term Debt: Proceeds from the sale of approximately 163 acres at Cuyuna Scout Camp will be used to reduce the council long term debt to a more manageable level. This includes the pay down of the building loans that fundraising has not been able to solve for the past three years. The remaining funds generated from the sale of these acres are to be used to upgrade local camp facilities (Norseland Scout Camp and Cedar Point Scout Camp) or help with the construction of a new facility (to be determined). The camps are currently used for Cub Scout Summer Camp programs and weekend camp out for Boy Scout Troops. Any funds generated from the rental of a portion of the Center for Scouting are to be used to pay down the remaining interest/principle on the long term debt.

Development of Local Properties and Programs: Twin Valley Council will continue to investigate and research the possibility of either up grading current local camp properties or the possibility of purchasing a new property which could be developed to help enhance the program which is currently being offered to Twin Valley Council Cub Scout Packs and Boy Scout Troops. This ongoing research needs to also determine if the council needs to own any local properties to accomplish this goal or if other resources are available (State Parks, Local Parks, etc.) which could accomplish this task. The main area of concern with the present facilities revolves around their use for Cub Scout Summer Camp. Neither camp meets the Standards of the Boy Scout of America as they relate to Cub Scout Resident Camp. These camp facilities are also not meeting the needs of our Cub Scouts and their families. The main goal would be to find a location which can better serve the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts throughout the entire council service area. A report from the Strategic Planning Committee on the progress of this objective is due to the Executive Board by the August 12, 2004 Executive Board Meeting.

Thank you for everything which you do for Scouting! If you would like discuss the decisions of the Executive Board in greater detail, please do not hesitate of call, we would be happy to meet with you.

Sincerely,

Thomas ReksteinPaul A. Wilkinson
Volunteer Council PresidentScout Executive

Last Updated: February 21, 2004