Melita Island is officially open for scouting business

Their dream has come true — the Boy Scouts own Melita Island.

After three years of raising funds, the Boy Scouts of America invited the public to tour the island in celebration of their real estate acquisition.

People waited anxiously in line as boats transported groups back and forth between Walstad Landing and Melita during last Saturday's open house.

After a 10-minute boat ride, folks arrived on the island to haunting tunes being pumped out of a bagpipe by James Pettit who was clad in a kilt in homage to Scotsman Lord Badden Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts.

"What do you think the mission of the Boy Scouts is?" asked BSA council staff member Jack Sherick.

"Our mission is to instill character in our young men" — and there is no better place to do that than a 67-acre island surrounded by two and a half miles of shoreline, he explained.

"That represents a unique piece of real estate for scouting," he said. "We can do anything we want here."

Sherick guided people around the island and pointed to its attributes — the main one being Flathead Lake.

"People who grew up here have this misconception that all of Montana is like this," he said, referring to the lake. "This is what we don't have all over."

Camps are typically held in the last weeks of July and August so scouts can take advantage of warmer lake temperatures for recreational activities like swimming and kayaking. Plus, the scouts can utilize surrounding islands if they need more space, he explained.

"Campsites are set up along the outer parts of the island to give the scouts the experience of camping on a lake," he said.

And by camping, he doesn't mean sleeping in cabins in bunk beds, eating kitchen-cooked meals in a mess hall and taking hot showers in a community bathroom. This camp doesn't offer those kind of comforts. They sleep in tents, cook their own meals on an open fire and shower outside under a spigot. Because there is no plumbing, they use outhouses.

This island is far removed from the luxuries of home. It's undeveloped natural atmosphere is very inviting to big game such as white tail deer, and it is home to a pair of nesting bald eagles.

"Having them here brings mixed emotions," Sherick said. "We don't want to disturb them."

Out of respect for the eagles, they section off whole parts of the island, he explained.

But none of this is to say that BSA doesn't plan on developing the island. They are currently operating a capital campaign to build structures to complement the island's rustic lodge. Constructed in the 1920s, the lodge serves as a place to hold meetings and store food. Inside, words like "cheerful" "respectful" "thrifty" and "helpful" are carved into wood panels.

"These remind them of a scout's character," Sherick said.

Because the BSA puts such a heavy emphasis on character, Fred and Harriet Cox made an offer to the BSA to sell the island well below its worth.

"Fred Cox realized the value of what we do," explained BSA council vice president Larry Shadow. "We owe the Coxes a great debt of gratitude."