Are the Camps Really Deteriorating?

• Sugarbush was just recently ACA accredited.
• Pleasant Valley has close to no maintenance needs because it has been so well kept up.
• Lejnar already has just about everything described for a PLC: new buildings, ADA-accessible, green construction, multi-use spaces, lots of flushies & showers. An endowment (the Verby fund) was established exclusively for maintenance at Lejnar, and the camp has been in good shape ever since.
• Great Trail holds the beautiful, large Thomas Hall.
• Crowell Hilaka has Gund Hall, a large, centrally located, multipurpose building in good shape. The historic houses do need work, but have solid foundations (as is typical of pre-WWII architecture). Most of the cabins and tent sites were perfectly fine when they were mothballed in 2009.

Describing these properties as "deteriorating" makes one question how well they were assessed in the first place.

ALL of the camps have some buildings that need extensive work. Some are beyond help and can just as well be torn down and materials salvaged - but these are extremly few. It's true that many roads have been neglected at Great Trail and Crowell/Hilaka - but that's hardly a reason for dismissing the entire camps!

In the survey that was part of the Vision 2012 process, members said they enjoyed the variety of facilities. Some are very partial to the new buildings at Timberlane. Others like the historic houses.

But the favorite features that members looked for was beautiful scenery and hiking trails! Lakes and creeks were another highly popular feature. It's the land itself that is important to members! Not to mention the diversity and choices that each of the 7 camps offers.

Will new creeks and lakes be installed at the PCLCs? New forested areas? How many miles of hilking trails can be added to replace what will be lost? Girls can, of course, go hiking in the nearby national park or country roads - but they can't set up trails signs on public property, and they can't set up girl-led stations for a program along a trail in a national park.