Scouts Gain New Dining Hall Complex at Camp Meriwether  

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Open House Events held in July and August

([ Portland], [Or], [06/18/04])—The 6,900 Scouts who have a camp experience each year at Boy Scout Camp Meriwether have something new to sing about around the campfire this year. Beginning this summer season, Scouts who attend Camp Meriwether, located 20 miles south of Tillamook on the Three Capes Scenic Highway, will now have some much needed elbow room when they sit down for camp chow. A new 19,000 square foot dining hall complex has been constructed and includes not only a new dining hall with a 550-person seating capacity (a grand improvement from the old hall that only was meant to seat 250), but also a new campfire bowl that seats 700 and overlooks Lake Chamberlain, a trading post, administrative offices, an infirmary, a shower house, staff housing cabins, parking lots, a Fort Clatsop replica, water tank, picnic shelters and a new flagpole gathering area in the Boy Scout logo fleur-de-lis design. The new dining hall complex has been named “Discovery Lodge,” and there will be two separate ceremonies to celebrate its completion. On Wednesday, July 21, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the donors of the project (and for media), and on Saturday, August 7, the Discovery Lodge will be open to the public from 1:00-4:00 p.m.

“This project has been about more than bricks and mortar,” said Scout Executive Ron Garland of the Cascade Pacific Council, Boy Scouts of America. “It’s about keeping kids in Scouting, building self-esteem, teaching life skills and passing on values. It’s about caring for cherished places where lifetime friendships are made, where tomorrow’s leaders are made. It’s about youth who are our future. Meriwether is not only designed to serve Scouting membership it is also an excellent community education resource.”

Camp Meriwether located on 695 acres boasts two miles of beautiful Oregon coastline and is a temporary home to over 2,600 Boy Scouts who will attend a weeklong summer camp experience this year. Over 500 adult volunteer mentors aided by a temporary staff made up of 60 individuals help deliver the Scouting program at camp. In addition, more than 4,300 Scouts use the property on weekends throughout the entire year and more than 700 other non-Scouters also use the property and its facilities throughout the year.

Over $7.8 million was raised to complete the camp improvements. The council met challenge grants totaling $1.2 million from the Ford Family Foundation, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, and the Weyerhaeuser Community Foundation.

The Discovery Lodge and the Fort Clatsop replica have both been built in recognition of the Lewis & Clark Expedition commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson as the “Corps of Discovery.”

“Through numerous individual and group activities, the outdoor educational program known as ‘camp’ is a powerful learning tool and unifying experience that changes young lives and imparts treasured memories,” said Garland. “We are proud to invite one and all to come see where the magic happens.”

About the Cascade Pacific Council, Boy Scouts of America

The Cascade Pacific Council ranks among the nation’s largest Scout councils (out of 319) in terms of membership. The Cascade Pacific Council serves more than 47,889 youth in 18 counties in northwest Oregon and southwest Washington, and is supported by more than 15,902 adult volunteer mentors.

Local Boy Scouts of America Accomplishments

This last year (2003) Scouts of the Cascade Pacific Council reached out to the community and achieved the following outstanding accomplishments:

 Goodwill/Good Turn – Scouts collected 362,895 pounds of usable clothing and household goods for Goodwill Industries in 2004. Over the past ten years, 4.2 million pounds have been collected.

 Camping Program – TheCascade Pacific Council has one of the strongest outdoor camping programs in the country, camping 11,000 boys at seven summer resident camps and ten day camps last year.

 Scouting for Food – Scouts collected 519,766 pounds of food for local hunger relief agencies through the Scouting for Food drive in December 2003.

 Guy Miller Tree Plant – Over 2,500 youth and family members planted nearly 37,500 tree seedlings in our forests and neighborhoods in support of the Guy Miller Tree Plant program. Since 1977, this program has accounted for the planting of more than 2 million trees.

 Violence Free Spring Break – In partnership with the Portland Police Bureau, the Police Activities League, Multnomah County, Boys and Girls Club, and other organizations, the Cascade Pacific Council has planned, coordinated and staffed special events like “Violence Free Spring Break.” Over 375 youth were served for this event alone. These events use Scouting facilities and curriculums to deliver positive, values-based programs.

Outreach – Over $29,930 in scholarships was awarded to over 536 youth members for summer camp.

Harris Interactive Study– Men who were Scouts for five or more years as boys are more likely than men with no Scouting experience to:

• Graduate from high school (98% versus 83%)
• Graduate from college (40% versus 16%)
• Earn annual household incomes of $50,000+ (33% versus 17%).

Visit www.cpcbsa.org or call 503-226-3423 to learn more about the Boy Scouts of America.

Boy Scouts of America - Connecting youth with communities and families.