CAMP NEWS AND REMINDERS
A d v e n t u r e   E v e r y   D a y
Auburn YMCA Acquires Camp Rotary, Expands Camp Y-Owasco

A letter from the Camp Director:

November 17, 2011

Dear Y-Owasco campers, parents, alumni, and staff:

I am thrilled to announce that, through the tireless efforts of many remarkable people and organizations, potential development on property adjoining Camp Y-Owasco has been averted, and our camp is better for these efforts.  Heads up – there will be changes at Camp Y-Owasco in the coming years, and, in this case, change is definitely a good thing!

You may have heard recently of the exciting news that the Auburn YMCA-WEIU has acquired Camp Rotary, the camp next door to Y-Owasco that has been used by the Boy Scouts since 1930.  This news is but the “happily ever after” line in a very long and truly inspiring tale. 

Since 1923, campers have come down Hamburger Hill for resident camp and eventually day camp at Camp Y-Owasco to grow in spirit, mind, and body while making new friends and memories to last a lifetime.  These generations of children enjoyed a relatively rare level of seclusion in the woods on the east shore of Owasco Lake as Y-Owasco was bordered by the Girl Scout Yaiewano Program Center to the south and Boy Scout Camp Rotary to the north.   Then, in 2009, that seclusion was threatened when the national Boy Scouts of America (BSA) merged the local Cayuga County Boy Scout Council with the bordering council in Syracuse to form the Longhouse Boy Scout Council and ordered all assets of the Cayuga County Council, including Camp Rotary, turned over to the Longhouse BSA.  Across the country for several years, the national BSA has been merging smaller councils with larger ones as a part of their new business model, and where camps were involved, the small camps were sold and the profits from the sale were used to fund the larger council.  Suffice to say, we were worried that Camp Rotary, our valued neighbor and friend for almost 80 years, was going to be developed and turned into condominiums or lake houses—and the property line was less than 100 yards from our lodge!  What would this mean for Camp Y-Owasco?  Would it mean limits on noise and night activity?  Would it mean restrictions on where we could sail and canoe on the lake?  Would it mean disruptions in the natural environment such as privacy fences and lights shining through the trees at night?  Would it mean raucous parties and noise with inappropriate language and litter on our doorstep?  We couldn’t be sure, but we were surely concerned. 

Then, the Owasco Camp Association (OCA), came forward to claim ownership of Camp Rotary and countered with a lawsuit of its own as it tried to protect the land that was donated to the OCA in 1930 for the betterment of the youth of Cayuga County.  After two years of lawsuits and negotiations, the OCA, with help from several local community organizations that included the Auburn YMCA, reached a settlement with the Longhouse Council and the national BSA in which the Auburn YMCA bought out any ownership claim the Boy Scout organizations had on the Camp Rotary property.  This may be the first time in the country that a local community came together to protect its camp from being sold by the Boy Scouts and was successful, and while we are proud to be a part of this victory, the real victory belongs to the youth that will continue to be served by the Camp Rotary facilities through the YMCA. 

With the addition of 24.5 acres to our existing 33.5, we have almost doubled in size, and with this expansion, we are looking forward to new and exciting opportunities for our campers, staff, and alumni! There certainly will be changes in where and how we run programs, but for a little while the only major change that campers and staff will see is the availability of additional land and buildings.  Yes, some things will be different, but camp will still be camp, and we will still have our activities and traditions—and now we can have bigger games, more activities, and new traditions to add to our rich heritage.  In the meantime, the Auburn YMCA is putting together a task force to brainstorm ideas of how we can best use this new asset for the good of the children, the community, and Camp Y-Owasco.  While there may be improvements down the line, the property will be left in its natural state and used for the good of the kids forever.   Our long-term goal is to expand our camping programs to use one site (either Y-Owasco or Rotary) for nine weeks of day camp and one site for six to eight weeks of resident camp every summer.  Rest assured that safety remains our primary concern at Camp Y-Owasco, and we already are developing new procedures to maintain security and communications across this new property.  It is important to note that the Boy Scouts will still have access to the Rotary side of the property through the Auburn YMCA, and we are excited to share this valuable program space with them—there is plenty of land to share and plenty of things to learn from one another! 

Below, there are some frequently asked questions and their answers about this historic development, and, just like with any camp issues, anyone is welcome to contact me with any questions or concerns not addressed here.   Though I look forward to every summer at Camp
Y-Owasco, I will be especially excited to welcome our campers, parents, and staff in June of 2012 as we all explore this new world together—58 beautiful acres, a half-mile of shoreline on Owasco Lake, and endless possibilities for adventure every day! 

In the spirit of camping,

Joe Murphy
Camp Director

Phone:  315-253-5304
Email:  joe@auburnymca.net 

Auburn YMCA-WEIU
Transfer of Camp Rotary to Auburn YMCA
Frequently Asked Questions


1.Why did the YMCA buy the Boy Scouts’ Camp Rotary property?
a.  The camp property was transferred to the YMCA as part of a settlement agreement between the National Boy Scouts of America and the Owasco Camp Association to preserve the camp property for the benefit of the youth of Cayuga County. The Owasco Camp Association was deeply concerned that Camp Rotary could be sold for private development and that the youth of Cayuga County would be denied the opportunity to use this tremendous asset for camping experiences.

2.What and where is Camp Rotary?
a.Camp Rotary abuts the YMCA’s Camp Y-Owasco to the north along the eastern shore of Owasco Lake. Camp Rotary consists of approximately 24.5 acres of land and 2,200 feet of lake-frontage, and includes Osborne Lodge, Emerson Lodge, Fitts Lodge, as well as several additional outbuildings.

3.Why was the National Boy Scouts of America selling this property?
a.In recent years, the National Boy Scouts of America has been consolidating regional councils throughout the United States. Earlier this year, the National Boy Scouts filed a lawsuit to take control of Camp Rotary. However, a highly dedicated group of local community leaders worked tirelessly to negotiate with the National Boy Scouts of America to preserve the property for ongoing use by our local youth.

4.What does the YMCA plan to do with the additional property?
a.The YMCA will use the property more extensively for multiple YMCA and other camping experiences by the youth of Cayuga County. The property will also continue to be available to Cayuga County Scouts for limited summer and off-season camping experiences.

5.Will the Boy Scouts still exist in Cayuga County?
a.Yes. The Cayuga County Council and Hiawatha Seaway Council merged in 2010 to form the Longhouse Council.

6.Will the Boy Scouts still be able to use the property?
a.Yes. The property will also continue to be available to Cayuga County Scouts for limited summer and off-season camping experiences.

7.How much did it cost for the YMCA to buy the Boy Scouts’ property?
a.On October 18th, the YMCA board of directors voted unanimously to purchase Camp Rotary as part of an overall settlement agreement between our Cayuga County Council/OCA and the National Boy Scouts. The cost to buy out the national Boy Scouts of any ownership claim to the property was $350,000.

8.Will the YMCA be making any changes to the Boy Scouts’ property?
a.Other than upgrading and improving the existing structures the Y plans no substantive physical changes to the property.  One goal in acquiring Camp Rotary was to keep this property in its natural state as open land.

9.How will existing Camp Y-Owasco programming change?
a. A task force of community volunteers has been formed to determine how to integrate existing Camp Y-Owasco programs into the additional acreage.  The task force will also explore new and additional programs that can be offered on this property.