Why I believe that Camp Wapello will be closed

It has taken some time for my mind to wrap around what I believe will become a fact: Camp Wapello will no longer play host to official BSA long-term Boy Scout Camp.

This realization does not come to me without a great amount of sadness. I have spent many of my best and most memorable times in Scouting at this fine camp. It has never had the amenities that many other camps have developed over the years. But, generally the program delivered by the staff and the Spirit of Scouting that exists at this property more than compensated for any lack of facilities and amenities. Why, you might ask, do I hold this belief? I will outline it below:

1) As a group, us Wapello supporters have always managed to turn this issue into us against them. Granted, many times this argument was trust upon us by those in council leadership positions. However, rather than push that argument aside, we have gladly picked up the gauntlet and ran with it. The problem is that we are fighting with the law. In other words when we turn it into us against them, it is them with the power. They have the ability to make decisions and allocate resources. And they have.

Over the years they have slowly directed resources elsewhere. Who can blame them? Usually they were met with a sharp stick in the eye if they tried anything else. Let's face it, our Southern Iowa inferiority complex has kicked in again, and again. We haven't wanted others to become involved in Wapello. We have wanted to keep it for ourselves. It has been "our" camp, not theirs. You need look no further than the petition that I put up: "THIS CAMP IS FOR BOYS IN SOUTH EAST IOWA NOT A BUNCH OF HOB NOB MEN IN DES MOINES SO KEEP IT OPEN FOR THE BOYS. AND HAVE YOUR HIGH STATUS FITS AMONG YOUSELVES. AND DO RIGHT BY THE BOYS REMEMBER THE NAME IS BOY SCOUTS. NOT MENS STATUS"

Unfortunately statements such as these do not advance our case. Who are these "hob nob men in Des Moines"? Most of them are men who grew up in small town Iowa. They grew up in places like Ottumwa, Centerville, Sigourney and Keosauqua. They may not live there any longer, but they still have their heart in that small town. For that, they are attacked. So their choice is between an articulate argument that seems to be rooted in truth and fact (professional staff advice) and ad hominem attacks on their character. Who would you believe and trust?

2) Consistently we have shown an inability to put our money where our mouth is. In other words, we would like folks in Des Moines to solve the financial problems of the Camp. By charging them for the use, we hope to be able to keep the camp up and make the payments. I have to admit, I am as guilty as anyone on this count. But then, I have never been asked to give directly. No one has ever come and asked me "Would you consider making a gift to the Wapello Preservation Society so that we could build/fix __________ at camp?" If the camp is going to survive we must support it financially. No one else is going to do that for us. I say this statement with full knowledge that there are a select few that have stepped up to the plate. The vast majority of us Wapello Supporters have not. Between us, we could probably retire the debt on the camp tomorrow if it was really a priority to us.

3) The economic realities of the world have changed. The fact of the matter is that I think you would be hard pressed to find another Boy Scout Camp anywhere in the US that operates for two weeks with 80 or 90 youth. I'm not defending this, but it is a reality. When I was on staff, we ran three weeks of camp. We prepared with a full week of staff training and set-up. Fully one-quarter of the staff's time was spent just getting the camp ready. Unless we are able to draw Troops from other parts of th council and the state, which we have shown no ability to do, then we will not be able to operate the camp within realistic economies of scale.

4) We as a group have been largely reactive in our actions. It seems that we are always waiting for the other shoe to drop. We hope that we can just get by for a couple of more years we will round the corner and the Council will see the wisdom in keeping Wapello open permanently. This hasn't been the case. Time and time again we have known the problems that were looming. The dining hall, the health lodge, the dishwasher, etc. But instead of getting out in front of them we have usually waited for them to get to the point of crisis. The council tells us that unless it is fixed they will have to shut down the camp. Then we act surprised and feel as though we are being held at gunpoint. Even as I have monitored and listened to our reaction to this crisis I haven't been emboldened. There are few reports on this site or anywhere else on progress towards contacting the board. Except for a couple of scattered posts, no one has suggested a coordinated strategy or message. We seem to be a team of free agents, each going in his or her own direction.

Maybe you disagree. Perhaps this post makes you angry. I hope it does. Unless we confront our own short comings as a group, we will never be able to progress in a meaningful fashion. We will spin our wheels for another 15 years. I may very well be wrong, I hope I am. Unfortunately, at this point, I don't think so.

Board Member Contacts

Are you contacting Mid-Iowa Council Board members? If so leave a report of your contacts. Share the information that you have shared with them. What was their response. Post it here.

Below is a list of the Mid-Iowa Council Board members and their phone numbers. In most cases these are home numbers, there are exceptions. For instance, for one reason or another Terry Branstad does not list his home number. When you call, please confirm that you are speaking to the right person.

I believe these to be correct numbers, but some could be wrong. Please post back confirmations of correct numbers and corrections if it is wrong. All information was derived from public sources. I will update these as corrections and confirmations are posted. Please be polite and considerate in you contacts. Thanks!

Greg Abel - Des Moines - (515) 242-4300
James Aipperspach - Clive
Larry Allen – Marshalltown (641) 753-7083
Russell Bierl – Ankeny (515) 965-1882
Chuck Biskner – Ames (515) 292-8880
Terry Branstad – Des Moines 515-271-1400
Michael Brown – West Des Moines (515) 222-0843
Michael Canney – Des Moines (515) 255-4878
Paul Clowser – West Des Moines (515) 224-3605
Karen Collins – Winterset (515) 462-2602
Curran Cotton – Newton (641) 792-7416
Robert Cramer – Boone (515) 432-3521
Johnny Danos –Des Moines (515) 280-3966
Steve Davis – Des Moines
Robert De Waay – Des Moines
Jerald DeWitt – Ankeny
Ken Duker – Ottumwa (641) 682-0529
David Dunn – Eldora (641) 858-3881
Steven Eddy – Des Moines (515) 271-8143
Mariann Edris – Indianola (515) 961-3996
Lina Goeldner – West Des Moines
James Goodding – Des Moines (515) 277-1884
Rusty Goode – Des Moines (515) 243-5475
Mark Hansen – Des Moines (515) 277-7001
Ernest Harms – Ottumwa (641) 684-5881
Stephen Henry – Des Moines (515) 246-824
Ronald Hobbs – Des Moines (515) 255-4020
Gerald Jewett – Des Moines (515) 277-8866
Neil Johnson – Johnston
Bruce Kelley – Des Moines (515) 255-1943
Dr. Robert Kemp – Des Moines
Mike Kinter – Des Moines (515) 262-6460
Michael Knapp – Des Moines 515-223-4000
Bill Knapp – West Des Moines 515-223-4000
Richard Koch – Des Moines (515) 274-3307
Terry Lebo – Des Moines (515) 457-7900
Thomas Miller – Des Moines
George Milligan – Des Moines (515) 222-5606
Dr. Ben Norman – Ankeny (515) 964-7604
James Noyce – West Des Moines (515) 224-1468
Richard Noyce – Urbandale (515) 279-8384
Ted Okiishi – Ames (515) 294-4111
David Oman – Des Moines (515) 277-2116
Donald Pschke – Des Moines (515) 282-7000
Dolph Pulliam – Des Moines (515) 288-8493
Robert Pulver – West Des Moines (515) 226-0541
Len Ringgenberg – Des Moines
Stephen Roberts – Des Moines
Jeffrey Rose – West Des Moines (515) 440-6135
Mark Schlenker – Indianola (515) 961-6567
Jaquie Seymour – Des Moines
Robert Skow – Dallas Center (515) 986-0142
Martin Smith – Urbandale
Walter Smith – Newton (641) 791-1573
Thomas Stanberry – West Des Moines (515) 223-0322
Wayne Stewart – Urbandale (515) 299-3225
Larry Strickling – Centerville
Stephen Sypal – Des Moines (515) 277-0554
Kenneth Talcott – Des Moines (515) 276-9499
Kirk Tibbetts – Des Moines
Kirk Tyler – Waukee
Leslie Uhlmeyer – Ames (515) 296-4814
Roger Underwood – Ames (515) 233-5990
Patricia Van Thomme – Des Moines
Jeff Vance – Marshalltown (641) 753-5267
Samuel Wallace – Des Moines
Mark Wampler – Slater (515) 685-3122
David Ward – Clive (515) 222-1755
James Wissler – Des Moines (515) 225-2624
Ronald Wittenwyler –Des Moines (515) 255-889
Robert Wootten – Des Moines (515) 277-5236

WHO 13 Video Link

Below is the link to the WHO TV 13 news story on Camp Wapello:

http://www.whotv.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=3200037&h1=Camp%20Wapello%20Closing&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=232933&LaunchPageAdTag=Promotion%2012&activePane=info&rnd=98157649

KTVO Story

http://www.heartlandconnection.com/news/story.aspx?id=230725

The boyandgirlscouts.com article on Camp Wapello closing

http://www.boyandgirlscouts.com/camps/bsa-iowa-camp-closing-a-surprise-to-camps-board-chairman/

Letter cancelling 2009 Camp Wapello Program

December 4th Ottumwa Courier Article

This is the link to the December 4th article on the "Fireside Chat" held at Strother Lodge in Ottumwa.

http://www.ottumwacourier.com/archivesearch/local_story_339004638.html

December 1, 2008 Ottumwa Courier Article

Below is the link to the Ottumwa Courier article that appeared on December 1st first breaking the news to Southeast Iowa that the council had decided not to run program at Wapello in 2009.

http://www.ottumwacourier.com/archivesearch/local_story_336235153.html