Council Executive Messag
Friends of Rancho Alegre and Los Padres Council, Boy Scouts of America,
The status of Rancho Alegre has changed substantially since the Whittier Fire in July. Here is an update.
A dedicated group of Los Padres Council volunteers, the Phoenix Committee, has been meeting weekly since the fire. As you may recall, the fire destroyed forty seven of fifty structures in the camp. Since the fire we have completed demolition and removal of debris, both at the main camp and at Larsen Meadow. Working with our insurance provider, we have received $5 million earmarked for Rancho Alegre rebuilding. We continue to work with our insurance company in hopes of receiving additional funds.
In the meantime, we worked diligently to find a replacement location for our Outdoor School and are now leasing Camp Whittier next to Rancho Alegre for the rest of this school year. The Outdoor School traditionally provided an opportunity for over 4,000 fifth and sixth graders to spend a week of science camp at Rancho Alegre. This was the major revenue generator for the Council. We had to turn down more than half the students in the current school year since the camp is not available. We are now set to serve 1,700 students from January to June.