Please see the information regarding Camping Operations in the Las Vegas Area Council.
Dear Scoutmasters and Cubmasters,
Outdoor camping is an important part of our youth program and Kimball Scout Reservation has helped us support that activity. The summer camping operations has only averaged slightly more than 300 Scouts BSA level youth per summer. This is both serving only a small portion of our available youth and is a financial challenge for the Council. Youth signups to date for 2019 are only in the range of 30 Scouts and it is anticipated that there could be a significant reduction in attendance this year. Additionally, a significant reduction in youth camping is anticipated at Kimball Scout Reservation going forward with the departure of the LDS Church as a chartering sponsor organization. Based on these factors there is a Committee looking at options for Kimball long term use or sale.
These factors drove the Council’s Board of Directors to pass a resolution last week that will shut down summer camping operations for 2019 and remain shut down until final decisions have been made on the camp’s status. We wanted to take action early in the year to allow Troops that were considering going to Kimball this summer to have the time to pursue other options. Overnight camping will still be available at the facility, but some services may not be available that were available in the past.
There are several Councils around the country that do not operate a summer camp and they can still have very healthy camping activities based upon knowledge of other facilities available in the area and Boy Scout summer camping opportunities within a reasonable driving distance. We are in such a position with some very attractive camps just a few hours away in Arizona, California, and Utah (just to name a few states). We will be inviting other Councils with quality camping opportunities to promote their camps at our Roundtables and through other marketing venues to our Troops. Please contact your District Executive or Brian Porter, our Director of Support Services, if you are looking for other camping venues where your Scouts could have a great camping experience. Attached is a copy of the resolution passed by the board of Directors, as well as a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) concerning this decision and potential impacts on camping.
Yours in Scouting,
Travis Brady, President
Fr. Steve Hoffer, Commissioner
Mike Marchese, Scout Executive
Read the resolution here.
Read our FAQ here.