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The local Scouting America council’s century-old camp in western Indiana now has new owners.
Camp Krietenstein, a 175-acre facility northwest of Poland, Indiana, was recently purchased by scouting advocates Joe and Randy Keyes in partnership with a newly formed organization, The Friends of Camp Krietenstein.
Terms of the sale were not immediately available.
The Indianapolis-based Crossroads of America Council oversees most of central Indiana’s youth Scouting America programs, formerly known as Boy Scouts. The organization oversees seven scouting districts from 26 central Indiana counties, from Sullivan County on the south end to Randolph County to the north, comprising about 15,120 youth and 4,100 volunteers.
In February, the Crossroads of America Council announced its plans to sell the camp as well as its headquarters, the Golden-Burke Scout Center at 7125 Fall Creek Road North. The group said it intended to sell the properties to secure financial stability after several years of losses tied to declining participation and higher programming fees.
Camp Krietenstein, opened in 1922, was the Crossroads Council’s least-used camp.
In a news release, Scouting America said the camp’s new owners plan to open it to the greater community, welcoming non-Scout groups for camping, retreats, meetings and other events. According to its website, The Friends of Camp Krietenstein also plan to open the facility to weddings, festivals and other outdoor education initiatives.
“We are heartened to see Camp Krietenstein enter this new chapter under the stewardship of individuals who share our deep commitment to youth development and outdoor education,” Deana Haworth, Crossroads of America Council board chair, said in a written statement.
The new owners also plan to invest in restoring and modernizing the camp’s facilities, preserving its environment and creating new programming and community engagement opportunities.
“This transition represents an exciting moment for Camp Krietenstein’s future,” Jim Stolt, board president of The Friends of Camp Krietenstein, said in a written statement. “While staying true to the traditions that have shaped generations of Scouts, we’re also creating fresh avenues for individuals, families, and organizations to benefit from the camp’s incredible resources.”
The organization lost $3 million over the past three years and plans to use the proceeds from both sales to pay off debt and address deferred maintenance at its other camps. In announcing Krietenstein’s sale, the council said it planned to retain Camp Belzer in Marion County, as well as Camp Kikthawenund in Madison County and Ransburg Scouting Reservation near Bloomington.
A spokesperson for the Crossroads Council told IBJ in an email that the Golden Burke center was still for sale.
In April, the organization announced a new CEO: John Cary, a 53-year-old Louisville native who has two decades of experience leading scouting councils in Kentucky, Maine, Maryland and Indiana.
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