Many others will be reacting as I did when I read about the Boy Scouts of America, Pine Tree Council, selling Camp Bomazeen in Belgrade (“Belgrade Scout camp may be sold to buyer who will allow use by Boy Scouts,” Jan. 30). There are many stories that will be told about experiences at the camp. What will not be told, but will be held inside, are the impacts camp and Scouting had on those thousands of men who are remembering back to those “good old days.”

I was a camper at Bomazeen and shared a tent with five others on Windy Ridge. I remember the Flit gun a friend of mine brought from home to spray the inside of that tent before we all turned in to reduce the bug population just a bit. What would the EPA say about that today.  The Scout skills, the boy-to-boy relationships, the waterfront activities, the volunteer leaders who gave up their summer vacation so that “his” boys could go to camp. All, and more, part of an era now passing.

I served as a district scout executive with the Pine Tree Council in the 1960s and had many opportunities to be at Bomazeen. Later, when my grandson became a Scout, I saw the growth from kid to young man resulting in part from his experiences in Scouting. I know the efforts by people like Scoutmaster Scott Adams and the Friends of Bomazeen to bring the camp back to prime condition. They must be wringing their hands in wonderment at this situation.

Fortunately, it sounds like the new owner of that property may allow the Scouts to use part of it for some meaningful Scouting activities in the future. Every troop should take advantage of that offer.

Be prepared!

George Davis

Skowhegan

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