:: Running from the Thought Police ::

:: Saturday, February 26, 2005 ::

The Long-Awaited Sasafrass Blast

Now that some of the dust has settled, Owasiron has sent out the latest edition of the Scarlet Sasafrass blast, dealing with news of the recent sale. Here's the lead summary.

CAC Board Votes To Sell ALL of Owasippe!
...but it has not yet been fully negotiated or sold and there has not yet been a transfer of ownership!

On Tuesday, February 22nd, Baden Powell's birthday, the CAC "Ad Hoc Properties Committee" recommend to the Executive Board which recommended to the full board that Owasippe be sold. These very critical meetings occurred at the Union League Club, 65 W Jackson Blvd in Chicago. The board meeting ran for over two hours with a great deal of debate and acrimony.

CAC board has voted to sell Owasippe by a count of 14 to 12. Three of those votes were permitted to be made by conference call and all three voted for the sale and all three were from the Ad Hoc Properties Committee headed by Dennis Chookaszian (BSA National Chrmn of Learning For Life). It may also be that this conference call option was not expressly delivered to all board members for the purpose of conducting today's vote. Reportedly, this option is allowed in the bylaws. Several known pro-Owasippe board members did not show up to vote, but we are not sure if they were also allowed the phone-in option for voting...this is being researched.

While CAC has voted to sell, the deal has not yet been sealed nor has it been closed because of pending contingencies.

Jesse White, Illinois Secretary of State and a CAC board member, could not attend today's board vote but did send in a signed letter, which was read, showing his opposition to the sale of the camp. His letter was not permitted as a proxy vote. We are not sure if Jesse White was presented prior to the meeting to conference call in his vote. We do know that he tried to reach out to Scout Exec Jim Stone prior to the board meeting.

The suggested sales price is $19.4 million to an investment group headed up by a West Michigan banker by the name of Benjamin Smith III. Allegedly, their intention is to develop the property into a resort-country club and possibly other commercial/residential purposes. The sale is still contingent on CAC being successful on changing its zoning in Blue Lake Township and Muskegon County as they had publicized last August. That zoning appeal may take awhile, is subject to public hearings, and is not necessarily guaranteed to be in favor of CAC.

Owasippe will open in 2005 and possibly in 2006 which is a bit uncertain at this point because of the pending sale and CAC's outstanding zoning appeal.

:: The Squire 4:31 PM :: email this post :: ::
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