Pine Tree Council of Boy Scouts of America Breaks Ground on 21,000-square-foot Scout Center in Portland

Boy Scouts, Banknorth officials, Cianbro and other members of the business community broke ground Monday (July 19) on the new 21,000-square-foot Scout Center, the cornerstone of the Pine Tree Council’s $4 million capital campaign.

The new scouting facility, called the Alton E. “Chuck” Cianchette Scout Service Center, will be located near the airport off Johnson Road in Portland. When completed in 2005 the facility will include: a library, a tribute room, a visitor's center, a training room, a scout shop, an audio visual center, resources areas for each of the 10 districts of the Pine Tree Council as well as a lookout so that scouts can watch planes take off and land.

The council’s capital campaign, launched in March, also will raise funds for a Cub Adventure Camp that will feature family camping facilities, theme areas such as a Native American Village (archery area), a Pirate Ship (boating pier), a Lighthouse (swimming area), and a Western Fort (shooting sports area), cabin camping and tent camping at Camp Hinds. The funds also will help renovate the Rotary Training Center, expand the Dining Hall, improve and add on to camping sites, develop an Ecology Conservation Center and renovate field sports areas.

Officials said Monday they have raised $2.3 million so far in the campaign.

Peoples Heritage Bank, a subsidiary of Banknorth Group, Inc., through the Banknorth Charitable Foundation, set the pace of the campaign with a lead gift of $250,000 in the fall.

“This will be a great facility for a very deserving organization,” said William J. Ryan, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Banknorth Group. “Scouting, simply put, helps young people to make better decisions throughout their lives. This center and the campaign in general will be a huge plus for the community.”

Bill Ryan is serving as the chairman of the $4 million campaign, and former Maine Governor John R. “Jock” McKernan, Jr. is serving as the honorary chairman. The campaign is a collaborative effort involving leadership from Banknorth, the Pine Tree Council Executive Board, and community leaders throughout the state.

Also breaking ground with shovels at the event were Peter Vigue, President/Chief Executive Officer of Cianbro Corporation; Lynn Cianchette of the Cianchette family; Janet Hansen, AIA and principal of SMRT; Bill Thornton, President of Acadia Insurance and President of the Pine Tree Council Board; Tom Dunham, President of the Dunham Group and former President of the Pine Tree Council Board; James W. Weaver, Vice President of Haley & Aldrich, and Vice President of the Pine Tree Council Properties Committee; and J.T. Dabbs, Executive Director of the Pine Tree Council of the Boy Scouts.

The new Scout Service Center is named after the late Alton E. “Chuck” Cianchette, long-time scouting supporter and former president of the board.

“The Center will be great tribute to the memory of a great Mainer, and a great Scout," said Ryan.

In addition to Banknorth, Cianbro Corporation and the architecture firm of SMRT of Portland are involved in the capital campaign. As general contractor for new Scout Service Center, Cianbro is donating all project management services to the project.

The Pine Tree Council serves more than 18,000 youths through its Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venturing, Learning for Life and Exploring programs in Central and Southern Maine. The Pine Tree Council serves 10 counties of Maine, including Androscoggin, Cumberland, Franklin, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Sagadahoc, Somerset and York. The Council is also made up of five geographic regions called districts, which are named Abnaki, Casco Bay, Downeast, Kennebec Valley and York.

For more information about the campaign or the Boy Scouts of America, please call (207) 797-5252 to reach either J. T. Dabbs, III at extension 20 or Jason Agren at extension 21. Also, visit the group online at www.pinetreebsa.org


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