On January 20, the only weekend this winter that there was snow on the ground in Northwest Ohio the Black Swamp Area Council held the ceremonial groundbreaking for Cooper Lodge with Keith Hubbard Dining Hall. The groundbreaking was held in conjunction with the council’s annual Klondike Derby. In addition to the 350 scouts and volunteers at the groundbreaking, the following individuals participated in the ceremony: Marc Kogan, Scout Executive, Black Swamp Area Council; Dr. Phil Havens, Council Vice President of Properties; Irvin Reinhart, RCM Architects; Mayor Mike McCann; Greg Cooper; Eric Ludwig; Jan Hubbard; Tom Hubbard; Lyndsey Lucas, Mel Lanzer Company; Matt Black, Council President (left to right in the photo).
Now that mother nature has given us a few days of spring the heavy equipment has moved in to start to lay the groundwork for the foundation. So far, the Lakota Mud has “played well” with the process.
Watch for invitations later this year for the Topping Out Ceremony in early June and the Ribbon Cutting in late November. Both of those events are contingent on the construction progress. Please also put Tuesday, June 25, 6:00pm on your calendar as our annual donor appreciation dinner at Camp Lakota.
The council is still raising funds for this great project through the Brick Campaign, Charlie Duerk Memorial and there is a new effort to honor Adrian Kisor, the longtime former cook for Camp Lakota. If you or someone you know is interested in these efforts to help put the funding for Cooper Lodge Over-the-Top or to leave your legacy with a brick paver, please contact Marc Kogan at (567) 208-5012 or marc.kogan@Scouting.org.
Camp Berry is benefiting fully from the addition of Yammine Lodge. The lodge has already been used to host community events, board meetings, Eagle Courts of honors and other great Scouting events. When it opened last summer it was a great addition as a welcoming location for campers.
This summer, the council will be installing the Brick Pavers that were purchased as part of the Over-the-Top Campaign in front of the Lodge.
There is still time to purchase your paver, if you are interested in leaving your legacy, please contact Marc Kogan at (567) 208-5012 or marc.kogan@Scouting.org .