“With my predecessor, Eli Brewer, a highly successful, long-tenured executive, he was at the top of the range; no more raises. So [he’d] need to move up. The Mid Iowa Council wanted to keep Eli here because of his experience,” said Hopper. “So what some people may think of as a bonus was a deferred raise... under our system. And yes, that is an unusual [arrangement]. But it was also unusual to have someone stay as long as Eli.”

So in one way, they really continued giving raises, but put those funds in an account that Brewer couldn’t touch. After years of putting his pay increases into that fund, he was able to draw it when he retired.

“It seemed a little underhanded,” said Fortney. “National limits how much they can be paid, but then the board turns around [and sets] up a separate account for him. But they didn’t have the money to keep our camp open?”

“It was money he should have been presented with; that was done to keep Eli here deferred until he retired; he took the compensation and then paid the taxes on it,” Hopper said.

Wright was also concerned about kids working to raise that “compensation” through fundraisers.

“We had $1.1 million worth of popcorn gross receipts,” said Hopper. “It’s split into thirds. A third of that [gross] pays for the product, a third goes toward council operations — some of that money does go to salaries — and a third stays with the kids, and they use it how they see fit. That’s one of the benefits; it drives the scouting program at every level.”

But with a camp the BSA does not own, it may not make sense to keep sending extra money to Camp Wapello rather than to a Boy Scout-owned camp.

“I hate to boil things down to dollars and cents. But sometimes that’s what it comes down to. We were losing enrollment there and at our other camps. The [board members] had to make a tough decision that would [benefit] the entire Mid-Iowa Council [area],” said Hopper.

“But that doesn’t make sense,” said Fortney. “Financially, I don’t think it’s costing them that much when you consider the boys you’re helping down here. You learn a lot at summer camp.”

Hopper said he came from a rural area and understood living in a rural area can make it harder to get the same opportunities as those who live closer to a resource. And that it can be expensive to drive scouts hours to get to an official Boy Scout camp.

“I [understand] the decision about [not supporting summers at] Camp Wapello doesn’t feel good. But in the end, I want to do whatever I can to support that individual scout. I think we can provide quality service to all of our boys,” Hopper said.

Wright said they’ll have some sort of camp at Lake Wapello this summer, but it won’t be quite as well supplied as a camp supported by the BSA.

“There are things they are missing out on,” he said.

But he and Fortney both said Hopper has been willing to listen and to help where he could.

Fortney said so far, she is impressed with the new scout executive (who started in January), and believes people in southeast Iowa would be willing to work with him.