Even during these uncertain times, progress is still being made at NorCal–this past Friday a small group of GEC board members held an outdoor Board of Directors meeting to celebrate a number of achievements. With masks on and appropriately spaced camping chairs, the board conducted a ribbon cutting of the new Welcome Center, broke ground on the new Training Center site and conducted the first training related event on the site–a Wood Badge beading for three members of the Beaver Patrol from course WE-47-18-1.
Ribbon Cutting
Great progress has been made on the Welcome Center! In fact things are getting so close to being done that the Board felt it was a good time to have an official ribbon cutting. It’s now looking like our Director of Camps and Properties, Laura Lovell, and her family will be able to move from the current small and dilapidated staff housing (see post “this old house“) to the living area of the new Welcome Center later this July. The Board is thankful to Laura and her family for enduring life in the old house for the past few years.
Stay tuned–we will soon post a virtual tour of the Welcome Center so you can see it even before your next visit to the camp!
Training Center Ground Breaking
The “golden spades” were brought out to officially break ground on the site of the future training center. Our VP of Properties, Mark Shafer, our Director of Camps and Properties, Laura Lovell, and our outgoing Scout Executive Chuck Brasfeild did the honors. Now that construction on the Welcome Center is nearing completion the next major project will be the training center. The NorCal Training Center will be the focal point for all GEC training courses including Wood Badge and NYLT.
As we get closer to actual building construction we will have a guest blogger, Phil Haley, who was instrumental in helping to develop the requirements for the training center. Phil’s posts will go into detail on the design of the building–this is going to be a first-class training center with the best views in the camp!
Wood Badge Beading
The course leader for Wood Badge course WE-47-18-1, Bobby Tanaka, took the opportunity to have the first-ever training related event on the site of the future NorCal Training Center. There were three people left from the course that had not yet had the opportunity to have their Wood Badge beading ceremony. These three people were all from the Beaver Patrol whose Troop Guide was our Scout Executive, Chuck Brasfeild. Congratulations to Adriana Ramos, Garrett Ray, and Barry Shurtz (yes, that’s me) for completing their ticket last year and finally getting “beaded!” On a personal note, I was honored to have my beading done at NorCal as a few of my ticket items were directly related to NorCal.
Goodbye to Scout Executive, Chuck Brasfeild
As you all know, Chuck Brasfeild, whose leadership has helped get the NorCal Adventure Area to where it is today, is leaving us for the Denver Area Council. The Board took the opportunity to thank Chuck for his dedication to Scouting and for all that he has done for the Golden Empire Council.
It was very fitting that Chuck’s last Board of Directors meeting was held here at NorCal. He was honored with a framed “prepared for life” photo signed by many of you from the council, as well as an engraved shotgun that will come in handy in his new council which has a big focus on shooting sports.
Thank you Chuck for your service and for the legacy you are leaving behind here at NorCal. Best of luck to you and to your family in Denver–you will be dearly missed!
NorCal Adventure Area BLOG 
Very well done! It’s good to see such progress being made just as the construction year is starting..