Fall 2022 Newsletter
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50th Anniversary Celebration By Hal Simpson
On May 28, 2022 about 120 people met at Long Scraggy Mountain Ranch to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Long Scraggy as it is informally known. On this bright sunny morning, 120 people gathered in the Chapel for a time of praise, worship and stories from people who love Long Scraggy. This was followed by a lunch of grilled hamburgers, hotdogs, side dishes and cake. After lunch, people played games, visited in the shade, climbed on the rocks, swam in the pool and just simply enjoyed the time of fellowship. One of the persons present was Jim Alsum, who was a key person in the acquisition of Long Scraggy 50 years ago.
The camp was in great shape thanks to the work by many volunteers on Work Days held the prior Fall and the Spring of 2022. Jim and Sheri De Haan, Camp Hosts, have really made a difference since they began their service in April of 2021 in the operation and appearance of the camp.
The history of Long Scraggy under its current ownership, the Rocky Mountain Christian Conference Grounds Association (RMCCGA) began on July 9, 1971 when the purchase of Long Scraggy was finalized. The 50th Anniversary would have been in 2021 but due to Covid, the celebration was postponed to 2022. A report on the history of Long Scraggy from 1971 to 2021 was handed out at the celebration and it is a thorough description of the history over the 50 years. The report was the joint effort of Doug De Nooy and Hal Simpson, Board members of Long Scraggy, who read all the minutes of the Rocky Mountain Christian Conference Grounds from 1966 to 2021 in order to capture the rich history of Long Scraggy. The report is available on Long Scraggy’s website- www.LongScraggy.org/newsletters
The current Board of RMCCGA extends its heartfelt thank you to all of the supporters of Long Scraggy Mountain Ranch over the past 50+ years. The donations of time, funds, materials and miles driven from their homes to Long Scraggy and back, are incalculable. Long Scraggy has been so blessed by all of this support and looks forward to many more years of successful operation.
Calvin Camp Returns! By Linda Holmes
The great Calvin Camp comeback happened in 2022. Calvin Camp was able to hold 2 weeks of camp that brought about 90 campers to Long Scraggy. After a modified one day camp in 2021 and not being able to have any camp in 2020 it was so good to have the Calvin Camp kids back dancing, canteening, swimming, hiking, shooting and growing closer to God in His beautiful creation. Long Scraggy Ranch is so blessed and values its partnership with Calvin Camp and is excited to help grow the camp over the coming years. Be sure to reserve the second and third week of July 2023 to enroll your children in Long Scraggy’s longest running Christian Kids’ Camp!
The Joy of Summer Camps at Long Scraggy 2022 By Sheri DeHaan
Giving thanks to God, Long Scraggy Mountain Ranch bustled with kids and adults during 2022! Long Scraggy hosted several family reunions and church groups throughout the summer and into the fall. Christian church groups from Colorado Springs, Longmont, and Denver booked their kids camps at Long Scraggy giving kids the best camp experience possible. Long Scraggy also hosted a wedding this fall!
A new group to visit the ranch this year was International Youth Fellowship, a Korean based group with a church in Denver. They held their National camp at Long Scraggy for a week in July. Students and leaders from the western portions of the US participated in this camp and traveled from as far as Texas, California, Kansas, Washington, Oregon and even Alaska. Their cooks organized an authentic Korean Market one evening, setting up food booths, allowing students to sample chicken kabobs, Bobo tea, fish soup, Korean bar-b-q, Korean dessert crepes and more.
Each day held testimonies of God at work and spiritual discipline in growing a personal relationship with Jesus. Student groups from California performed praise Korean pop dance routines in the chapel. Each evening, the students gathered in the chapel for praise and worship. Upon their departure, the leaders shared that some of these kids have never heard about Jesus and his love, some coming from Budist or Agnostic homes. They thanked us for the use of Long Scraggy as it gave them the perfect place to share Jesus and his salvation.
Long Scraggy Fundraiser Appeal By The Long Scraggy Board
Long Scraggy Mountain Ranch has been blessed the past year with revenues from camp use fees and donations from supporting churches and people who love the ranch. We were able to pay off our loan from the previous 2 years and have sufficient funds to pay expected expenses until we start getting camper fee revenue next Spring.
We do have a pressing need that has to be addressed soon, which is the replacement of the water tank and pipelines. When the Rocky Mountain Christian Conference Grounds Association purchased Long Scraggy Mountain Ranch in 1971, one of the first actions taken was to purchase and install a 22,000 gallon steel water tank and related water lines 1972. The water system is now 50 years old and is past its useful life. The tank is leaking and Jim De Haan, camp host, has managed to plug the leaks, but for how long can we continue to do Band-Aid fixes? The Board intends to seek a low interest loan and grant from the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission but this requires that we have an engineered design for a new tank and pipelines. This design will also include a cost estimate to remove the old tank and install a new tank, valves and pipelines. With this cost estimate, Long Scraggy can apply for a loan or grant in the next loan cycle which is in June of each year. The costs associated with paying a consulting engineer can be reimbursed as part of the loan or grant. We need to have funds available after the first of the year to hire a registered professional engineer to do the design work and thus are seeking donations this year to be able to have the design work done by June.
In addition to the above, we have had a difficult time finding Hazard Insurance to cover the Ranch structures from fire or other hazards. With the help of a local insurance broker, we were able to find one insurer that would cover the buildings at the Ranch but with an increased premium of $9,000 for a total of $23,000 and with less protection. Our previous insurer no longer insures fire prone areas. We have contacted other camps in the area and they have experienced the same issue.
Our goal is to raise $30,000 for repairs and improvements at the ranch. We ask that you prayerfully consider Long Scraggy Mountain Ranch in your end of year giving. Information at www.LongScraggy.org/give
President’s Report By Dan Zigterman
We are grateful to God and our supporters. Volunteers have helped with many much needed repairs and updates all over the ranch. Donations and camp fees allowed us to pay our bills. Our community celebrated 50 years together and our hosts solidified relationships in the Buffalo Creek community as well as Denver’s church community. Most importantly, Calvin Camp and many other youth programs were able to use Long Scraggy to build God’s kingdom. By all measures, 2022 has been a successful year. We face some challenges going into 2023. Insurance rates and other essential expenses have skyrocketed due to fires and inflation. Our buildings and infrastructure are aging and in constant need of replacement or repair. But God continues to provide for Long Scraggy needs. Thank you for your help, prayers, and continuing support.
