Caddo Area Council suspends Boy Scouts resident camp at Camp Pioneer for one year

Organization plans to raise money to make improvements

December 13, 2017 at 4:16 p.m. | Updated December 13, 2017 at 4:44 p.m.

by Ashley Gardner

A hand-painted sign hangs outside in Camp Pioneer, a Boy Scout campground in the Ouachita Mountains of Western Arkansas.
A hand-painted sign hangs outside in Camp Pioneer, a Boy Scout campground in the Ouachita Mountains of Western Arkansas.

A one-year suspension of Camp Pioneer's 2018 Boy Scouts resident camp was unanimously approved at a Caddo Area Council Board of Directors meeting Tuesday night.

During the hiatus, the council will work on raising funds to make improvements to the camp, according to Anthony Escobar, scout executive. They will also develop and implement a year-round program at Camp Pioneer that will include new events and activities for scouts.

Camp Pioneer, owned by the Caddo Area Council, is located in Hatfield, Ark., which is between near Mena, Ark.

A plan for long-term maintenance and development of facilities for Camp Pioneer and Camp Preston Hunt is also being developed.

"With the council's growth in Cub Scout membership, it is exciting to consider the long-term future of Camp Pioneer, Camp Preston Hunt and the Caddo Area Council. Thank you to our volunteers, board of directors and staff for their dedicated service to our Scouting movement," Escobar said in a prepared statement.

Upcoming Events