While rebuilding the Big Well Museum has been delayed by uncertainty over design and cost overruns, replacement of another Greensburg landmark is to be unveiled to the public this Sunday, when an open house for the new Scout Cabin at 217 W Florida will be held from 2-4 p.m.
Originally built on the same site in 1935, the cabin was one of dozens of public buildings to fall to the May 4, 2007 tornado. Thanks to the stewardship of former Eagle Scout and local banker Tom Corns, as well as the frugal construction of builder Orval Howell and contributions of countless others, a new facility has risen from the debris just 39 months later.
Phillips’ estate makes it all possible…
Money, of course, is always an issue when rebuilding what’s been lost to a disaster. Fortunately for the scouting program a sizeable amount was on hand when the tornado hit, thanks to the charity of the late Charles Phillips, a former businessman/philanthropist of the community. Phillips’ estate left a generous gift to the scouts, as well as several other local groups 40 years ago.
Known as the “Local Cabin Fund,” Corns has been treasurer of the gift since 1975. He recalls the fund having been set up to maintain the cabin for the benefit of Boy and Cub Scouts, as well as the Girl Scouts and Brownies. Apart from being dipped into to help send several Scouts to camp in New Mexico and Colorado last century, Corns said the fund has remain untouched, reinvested year after year.
“This (rebuilding of the cabin) is what he (Phillips) would’ve wanted his money to go for,” Corns said. “We still can use donations to the fund so we can continue providing a good facility for Scouts. But really, the money’s been there all these years for such an emergency as the tornado.”
Rebuilding the program…
Now that the cabin itself is complete, it remains to be seen whether the scouting program itself can be rebuilt. Having enjoyed a strong Boy and Girl Scout program in the latter half of the past century—a total of at least five dozen (some say as many as 85) Eagle Scouts has been produced, for instance, through Troop 211—both have declined recently, particularly since the tornado blew away what was a rustic, but serviceable cabin.
Himself one of those 60 or so Eagle Scouts, Corns said he expects the new cabin to provide a boost in recruiting new Scouts. Whether the local scouting program can recapture its glory years of 1946-’86 when 51 Eagle Scouts emerged during Carl Hayse’s stint as Scoutmaster is another matter.
Ruth Ann Wedel, whose husband Bob has been acting Scoutmaster since the storm, and Boy Scout District Commissioner since 2003, said she expects a similar effect.
“We’ll be having a recruiting night for Cub and Boy Scouts soon after school starts,” Wedel told The Signal. “It looks like Jason West will be the Cubmaster and the Girl Scouts should be having a recruiting effort at the same time,” she said. “I think having a new place like this to meet will really help.” The recruiting night will be held in the new cabin.
Bob Wedel said that though he’s been serving as Scoutmaster since the storm “to keep the program going,” he’s not allowed to carry the title because of also being a commissioner. He also said he’d be glad for an interested individual to take over leading Troop 211. “Just have them call me,” he said.
Donations, plans, builder come together…
Shortly after the storm the Scouts bought several lots south of the alley behind the cabin in order to have an area for camping. “This can serve as a nice spot for Cub Scouts to camp,” Corns said. “Before we had to take them down to Greenleaf Ranch, but now they can camp out and still stay in town.”
Though the concrete pad for a generously sized stone grilling/barbecue area has been donated by Pueblo Concrete, it will still be a few weeks before the actual structure is put together just east of the cabin. Other donations include the concrete walk out front, courtesy of Heft and Sons, and lumber from Home Lumber, as well as a discount on siding from American Building Supply of Kansas City. Spangenberg Phillips donated architectural services—the same firm working on the design of the new Twilight Theatre.
“We were looking for an architect that would do it pro bono and they (Spangenberg Phillips) would, and they’d done work on the theatre so we used them,” Corns said.
With the plans drawn up by September of 2009, it was time to look for a builder. Orval Howell of Lawrence (see accompanying story) had already been in Greensburg since July of 2007 working on various projects following the storm.
“He’d (Howell) done some work for Dale and Monica Hayse (housing projects) and Monica’s on the Scouting Board and recommended him,” Corns said. “I asked him if he thought he could do the job for us and he said he could so he’s been our builder. He’s been good about going out and recruiting donation of materials and has saved us a lot of money.” Howell began working on the cabin last March after first talking with Corns in January.
A versatile facility…
While being known as the “scout cabin” may imply a singular use for the new facility, Corns said its spacious kitchen and cozy interior around a fireplace built from the sandstone used in and salvaged from the original cabin after the tornado make the cabin suitable for a number of activities.
“It would be great for after-school activities, community events, family reunions, rehearsal dinners, and other similar things,” he said. “Also, a couple of times a year it can be used to house Scouts overnight who are on their way to places like Camp Philmont in New Mexico. It’s a very versatile building.”
While the former cabin had a basement for storm protection, lack of subterranean space in the new building doesn’t mean overnighters or visitors will be at risk. Steel reinforced, 16-inch thick concrete ceilings and eight-inch thick concrete walls make either rest room a more-than-adequate storm shelter. A shower in either rest room also makes staying overnight a comfortable proposition.
“In this day and age you need a recruiting tool like this to get scouting reenergized,” Corns said. “You need a unique program and facility to get kids away from the TV and to compete with all the school activities and other groups like 4-H. Those are worthwhile things too, of course, but Scouting is a unique program that deserves a facility like this. We’re very fortunate to have something like this here in Greensburg and in the county.”
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While rebuilding the Big Well Museum has been delayed by uncertainty over design and cost overruns, replacement of another Greensburg landmark is to be unveiled to the public this Sunday, when an open house for the new Scout Cabin at 217 W Florida will be held from 2-4 p.m.
Originally built on the same site in 1935, the cabin was one of dozens of public buildings to fall to the May 4, 2007 tornado. Thanks to the stewardship of former Eagle Scout and local banker Tom Corns, as well as the frugal construction of builder Orval Howell and contributions of countless others, a new facility has risen from the debris just 39 months later.
Phillips’ estate makes it all possible…
Money, of course, is always an issue when rebuilding what’s been lost to a disaster. Fortunately for the scouting program a sizeable amount was on hand when the tornado hit, thanks to the charity of the late Charles Phillips, a former businessman/philanthropist of the community. Phillips’ estate left a generous gift to the scouts, as well as several other local groups 40 years ago.
Known as the “Local Cabin Fund,” Corns has been treasurer of the gift since 1975. He recalls the fund having been set up to maintain the cabin for the benefit of Boy and Cub Scouts, as well as the Girl Scouts and Brownies. Apart from being dipped into to help send several Scouts to camp in New Mexico and Colorado last century, Corns said the fund has remain untouched, reinvested year after year.
“This (rebuilding of the cabin) is what he (Phillips) would’ve wanted his money to go for,” Corns said. “We still can use donations to the fund so we can continue providing a good facility for Scouts. But really, the money’s been there all these years for such an emergency as the tornado.”
Rebuilding the program…
Now that the cabin itself is complete, it remains to be seen whether the scouting program itself can be rebuilt. Having enjoyed a strong Boy and Girl Scout program in the latter half of the past century—a total of at least five dozen (some say as many as 85) Eagle Scouts has been produced, for instance, through Troop 211—both have declined recently, particularly since the tornado blew away what was a rustic, but serviceable cabin.
Himself one of those 60 or so Eagle Scouts, Corns said he expects the new cabin to provide a boost in recruiting new Scouts. Whether the local scouting program can recapture its glory years of 1946-’86 when 51 Eagle Scouts emerged during Carl Hayse’s stint as Scoutmaster is another matter.
Ruth Ann Wedel, whose husband Bob has been acting Scoutmaster since the storm, and Boy Scout District Commissioner since 2003, said she expects a similar effect.
“We’ll be having a recruiting night for Cub and Boy Scouts soon after school starts,” Wedel told The Signal. “It looks like Jason West will be the Cubmaster and the Girl Scouts should be having a recruiting effort at the same time,” she said. “I think having a new place like this to meet will really help.” The recruiting night will be held in the new cabin.
Bob Wedel said that though he’s been serving as Scoutmaster since the storm “to keep the program going,” he’s not allowed to carry the title because of also being a commissioner. He also said he’d be glad for an interested individual to take over leading Troop 211. “Just have them call me,” he said.
Donations, plans, builder come together…
Shortly after the storm the Scouts bought several lots south of the alley behind the cabin in order to have an area for camping. “This can serve as a nice spot for Cub Scouts to camp,” Corns said. “Before we had to take them down to Greenleaf Ranch, but now they can camp out and still stay in town.”
Though the concrete pad for a generously sized stone grilling/barbecue area has been donated by Pueblo Concrete, it will still be a few weeks before the actual structure is put together just east of the cabin. Other donations include the concrete walk out front, courtesy of Heft and Sons, and lumber from Home Lumber, as well as a discount on siding from American Building Supply of Kansas City. Spangenberg Phillips donated architectural services—the same firm working on the design of the new Twilight Theatre.
“We were looking for an architect that would do it pro bono and they (Spangenberg Phillips) would, and they’d done work on the theatre so we used them,” Corns said.
With the plans drawn up by September of 2009, it was time to look for a builder. Orval Howell of Lawrence (see accompanying story) had already been in Greensburg since July of 2007 working on various projects following the storm.
“He’d (Howell) done some work for Dale and Monica Hayse (housing projects) and Monica’s on the Scouting Board and recommended him,” Corns said. “I asked him if he thought he could do the job for us and he said he could so he’s been our builder. He’s been good about going out and recruiting donation of materials and has saved us a lot of money.” Howell began working on the cabin last March after first talking with Corns in January.
A versatile facility…
While being known as the “scout cabin” may imply a singular use for the new facility, Corns said its spacious kitchen and cozy interior around a fireplace built from the sandstone used in and salvaged from the original cabin after the tornado make the cabin suitable for a number of activities.
“It would be great for after-school activities, community events, family reunions, rehearsal dinners, and other similar things,” he said. “Also, a couple of times a year it can be used to house Scouts overnight who are on their way to places like Camp Philmont in New Mexico. It’s a very versatile building.”
While the former cabin had a basement for storm protection, lack of subterranean space in the new building doesn’t mean overnighters or visitors will be at risk. Steel reinforced, 16-inch thick concrete ceilings and eight-inch thick concrete walls make either rest room a more-than-adequate storm shelter. A shower in either rest room also makes staying overnight a comfortable proposition.
“In this day and age you need a recruiting tool like this to get scouting reenergized,” Corns said. “You need a unique program and facility to get kids away from the TV and to compete with all the school activities and other groups like 4-H. Those are worthwhile things too, of course, but Scouting is a unique program that deserves a facility like this. We’re very fortunate to have something like this here in Greensburg and in the county.”
