A Brief History of Camp Cachalot:

The 1990s

Small construction projects dominated the 1990s. These included more modern bathrooms and showers being built in the sites that did not yet have them, the expansion of the rifle range to include a shotgun range, another small addition and new walk-in cooler for the Dining Hall, and a shelter for the archery range. The docks at the waterfront were also replaced twice, with the current set meant to be left in over the winter months and able to withstand ice on Five Mile Pond.

The waterfront changed more dramatically in 1998, with the construction of a new lookout tower to replace the deteriorating Andrew Jackson Memorial Waterfront Tower. The new tower, designed to incorporate not only storage but also be the residence of members of the Aquatics staff, was set much further back from the water's edge. As a result of this change, and the addition of additional fencing, the usable beach area of the waterfront has been significantly increased.

Wilderness Survival?

In the mid- to late- 1990s, it had become increasingly evident that Scouting membership nationwide was once again in decline, and pressure from the National Council to reduce the number of councils in the Northeast was on the rise [1]. The implication was clear: a merger with another Council was extremely likely, and in the very near future. With the painful experience of the Cachalot/Massasoit merger and the resulting sale of Noquochoke in the not-so-distant past, the Council began to take steps to protect its interests, including Camp Cachalot, in the event of a merger. Working under the assumption that a more fiscally-sound Council would have more influence in a merger, efforts began both to increase the size of our Endowment fund and to ensure Cachalot's continued operation.

Together with two of our neighboring councils ( Annawon and Cape Cod and the Islands Councils), the Moby Dick Council in May of 1995 formed a group known as the Southeastern Massachusetts Camping Alliance, or SEMCA. Under this umbrella organization, Cachalot became the Boy Scout-level summer camp for all three councils, helping to ensure attendance at the camp. Cub Scouts and Webelos would attend programs at Camp Norse, Annawon's camp, and Cape Cod and the Island's Camp Greenough was designated as an "adventure outpost" camp for older Scouts.

In 1997, we were approached by the State of Massachusetts to establish a "conservation restriction" on the outer, undeveloped portions of Cachalot. Effectively, we would grant a permanent lease to the state, and agree not to develop specific areas in camp, in exchange for the state handling all forest and wildlife management in that area and providing access to the public for hunting and fishing. It would also be a financial windfall for the Council, with the state paying the council one million dollars for this lease.

This proposal was very controversial among volunteers, as it was seen by some as "selling" the Camp, or at least ceding all of our control over the property. The net effect in the case of a merger would be quite different, as the moratorium on building would make the land far less valuable to developers. This was taken by supporters of the restriction as additional protection against the sale of Camp if a merger were to occur. Despite the controversy, the Council entered into the conservation restriction agreement in June of 1998, establishing a new Wildlife Management Area and more than doubling the size of its Endowment fund.

The concerns about a possible merger were well-founded…

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