FPYC Almost wasn't
At the 2022 Father Son (aka Dads and Dudes) Retreat, which was very well done by Eric Scharrer, there was a brief moment when all the guys were out having fun, and being all fun’d out, I sat in on a round table of story-telling. Chief of the story tellers was one Al Ogren who despite getting up and sitting down more slowly these days was none-the-less quick with facts and dates and names and details I’d never heard before.
Not sure how we got on the topic of ancient Camp history but Al was a primary player in the selection and negotiations which lead to the genesis of Flaming Pine Youth Camp. He set the stage with a fascinating tale of a once-thriving Boy Scout Camp driven on by a few influential men which then fell on hard times when lifestyles and priorities were shifting.
By the late years of the 70s, the Boy Scout leaders were looking to sell the property which is where Al and company entered the picture. At first, it seemed the price of the property with its various log buildings and cabins would go to close rather easily. That’s when a chance discovery all but derailed the entire agreement.
As you might imagine for the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s in rural northern Minnesota, building codes and standards were a bit looser than today. Think wild wild west, then go a notch or two looser. Before the deal was finalized, it was discovered that the Old Dining Hall drained its grease trap through a small pipe routed north, under the Highway 1 tarmac and emptied straightway into the ditch. To put it mildly, this was not cool.
Al challenged the previous owners with this undisclosed information and lowered the offer by a substantial amount contending that if this detail was withheld, what other concerns might cause trouble down the road. Al and team were ready to walk away from the deal entirely and for a good amount of time, it looked like it was dead. However, after a cooling off transpired, the owners relented and accepted the lowered offer price.
That’s how close it all came to not happening, and Flaming Pine as we know it, would not exist today. I have no doubt that God’s hand was moving in this entire episode. And even if Flaming Pine was not it, Al and his team would have continued to follow God’s prompting to form a “Floodwood Christian Camp” or maybe a “Bemidji Bible Camp” or something else, somewhere else. God cannot be stopped when we listen and act. His good and perfect will always prevails. And it turns out, just as it should be.
Not sure how we got on the topic of ancient Camp history but Al was a primary player in the selection and negotiations which lead to the genesis of Flaming Pine Youth Camp. He set the stage with a fascinating tale of a once-thriving Boy Scout Camp driven on by a few influential men which then fell on hard times when lifestyles and priorities were shifting.
By the late years of the 70s, the Boy Scout leaders were looking to sell the property which is where Al and company entered the picture. At first, it seemed the price of the property with its various log buildings and cabins would go to close rather easily. That’s when a chance discovery all but derailed the entire agreement.
As you might imagine for the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s in rural northern Minnesota, building codes and standards were a bit looser than today. Think wild wild west, then go a notch or two looser. Before the deal was finalized, it was discovered that the Old Dining Hall drained its grease trap through a small pipe routed north, under the Highway 1 tarmac and emptied straightway into the ditch. To put it mildly, this was not cool.
Al challenged the previous owners with this undisclosed information and lowered the offer by a substantial amount contending that if this detail was withheld, what other concerns might cause trouble down the road. Al and team were ready to walk away from the deal entirely and for a good amount of time, it looked like it was dead. However, after a cooling off transpired, the owners relented and accepted the lowered offer price.
That’s how close it all came to not happening, and Flaming Pine as we know it, would not exist today. I have no doubt that God’s hand was moving in this entire episode. And even if Flaming Pine was not it, Al and his team would have continued to follow God’s prompting to form a “Floodwood Christian Camp” or maybe a “Bemidji Bible Camp” or something else, somewhere else. God cannot be stopped when we listen and act. His good and perfect will always prevails. And it turns out, just as it should be.