10,000 Acre Boy Scout Camp now called the Thomas S Monson Leadership Complex
In addition to being presented Scouting's Medal of Honor for saving the life a girl who was drowning in the Provo River when he was 12 years old, it was announced that an over 10,000 acre Boy Scout and High Adventure Camp is now going to be renamed the Thomas S Monson Leadership Excellence Complex. This announcement was made by the Boy Scout National President, Wayne Perry. This camp has been called The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve located in Mount Hope, West Virginia, and is the home of the National Scout Jamboree. (The Bechtel Foundation donated $50 million to the BSA to help purchase and develop the land that is now The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve. Not sure how the Bechtel family feels about their name being removed from the Camp. )
Take a look at this video shot at what will now be called the Thomas S Monson Complex, formerly known as The Summit. Looks like an amazing place. Here is the website: The Summit
Here are a few photos of the Century of Honor Celebration held last night at the LDS Conference Center.
The $50 Million the Bechtel Foundation donated to the BSA is peanuts. I can imagine the "Friends for Scouting" drive raises that amount each and every year for the BSA. So many think that friends for scouting raises money for the local troop. Not so. It all goes directly to BSA. You've got to pay those huge million dollar salaries at the top. So is it any wonder that Thomas S. Monson has a camp re-named in his honor.
ReplyDeleteHe's their biggest donor. Period.
FOS goes to your local Council only. The BSA salaries are paid through registration and fees charged to Councils.
DeleteThis is the same camp that is financially upside down and had to issue bonds last year in order to complete the over-budget, risky venture. http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/15/19488798-west-virginia-mega-camp-adds-to-the-boy-scouts-troubles
ReplyDeleteDo we know exactly who purchased the bonds and owns the debt? Could it possibly be an LDS corp subsidiary? Did we not only "aspire to the honors of men" but just purchase it as well?
Barest,
ReplyDeleteWhat is your opinion about this?
Seems there's a lot of "honoring" going on these days...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lds.org/church/news/catholic-church-honors-presiding-bishopric?lang=eng
I know the reporters are largely responsible for how this event was cast as "honoring men", and the article they wrote didn't contain the entire text of the acceptance speech(es), and maybe someone was in attendance that can comment, but I just hope it included something to the effect of:
"Glory, and honor, and power, and might,
Be ascribed to our God; for he is full of mercy,
Justice, grace and truth, and peace,
Forever and ever, Amen."
~Doctrine & Covenants 84:102
I attended the Century of Honor celebration in my stake center with my son, who was given his Duty to God award prior to the event. Overall, we enjoyed the performances as sort of a showcase and reenactment of scouting from its inception to the present day. Scouting is not for everyone, but there are many good principles, skills, and practices embodied in the BSA programs. I have been a BSA leader from time to time and have seen the positive impact it can have in a young man's life, as it did in my own; there are obviously many other pursuits that would yield similar fruits, as most of the church lives outside the USA and does not have access to the BSA program. However, as BSA has grown into a large corporate entity, I think it has evolved away from many of its core functions and purposes, and has become more a-religious and less in harmony with creation.
During the Century of Honor presentation there was very little by way of content that expressed the link between the LDS faith and BSA; even the opening prayer was given by someone of a different denomination. The only real link that was overtly emphasized was when attention turned to honoring President Monson for his 44 years of service on the BSA general board, and announcing the naming of the facility after him. He has certainly been a champion of the BSA for a long, long time and has done much to foster the LDS-BSA alliance. But I was struck by a comment he made in his remarks: "I love the Boy Scout organization and can think of nothing with which I would rather have my name associated than the Leadership Excellence Complex of this organization."
prepares young men for the military--
ReplyDeleteIMO
Bechtel? BAD company--
Words can be so interesting. For example: Collins Gage Dictionary definitions of complex: n. ... 2 a group of related units such as buildings or roads. ... 4 ... an exaggerated preoccupation; ...
ReplyDeleteSM
According to my understanding, it will still be the Summit Bechtel Family Reserve of which will have five sub camps. One of those sub camps will be the Thomas S Monson Leadership Excellence Complex.
ReplyDeleteBechtel? The Iraq war profiteer?
ReplyDeletePlease. Take the tired ideological nonsense elsewhere.
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