On the Brantford side were a few old cabins and a caretaker’s home.
That area is known as the Frank Tait Center.
The rest of the land was a densely wooded area the Scouts used for camp-outs and other training.
“We spoke with some of the homeowners in the area and other constituents,” said Ken Wade, executive director of the Miami Valley Scouts.
“We had some offers from developers, including one who wanted to put in a wildlife refuge.”
Ultimately, after much discussion, the Scouts decided to keep their land, clear some of the forest and build a new lodge and four new cabins, all of which opened in 2007 under the name Harry F. Schiewetz Leadership Training Center at Cricket Holler. It was named after the local postmaster’s family came forward wanting to honor their father, who had always loved the Scouts.
Soon, there will be four new cabins and a Fred Smith Achievement Building, which will house the council’s headquarters. There are open fields for sports, but mostly trails and campfire areas.
“We service 9,600 youths” in the Miami Valley, Wade said.
He also said that some of the groups include girls. The bulk of the membership is either Boy Scouts or Cub Scouts.
“We use this place a lot, especially for leadership training in the evening, but we also rent it out to groups, even weddings and to families just wanting to get away for a weekend, he said.
“We’ve rented this place out through September, although we do have some daytime hours available.”
Mainly, though, the place is for Scouts, and when all the building and renovating is finished, Wade said, “This will become a one-stop operation for us, for the Scouting family.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2157 or mkatz@DaytonDailyNews.com.
About the Author