$30,000 Fundraiser Goal Met to Update Water System
By Long Scraggy Board 
After hosting nearly 1300 guests this past year from across the nation and world, the board is pleased to report that financially, Long Scraggy Ranch is in a healthy position. Long Scraggy has been greatly blessed with revenues from guest fees that have covered operational expenses. The ranch ran near capacity for several weeks this summer and every weekend from April-October was booked with church, school or family groups. Healthy revenue has allowed us to update areas of the ranch such as adding a porch railing to the Pines cabins and improved lighting in the Roundhouse. The board also gratefully acknowledges additional donations from supporting churches and individuals. Due to 
your generosity, we are thrilled to report that we have met the fundraising goal of $30,000 to cover the anticipated cost to update the water system. Drawings are currently being reviewed by board members and we plan to begin purchasing new equipment and starting construction next spring. We thank God for your faithful giving to this vital need!
Unexpected Provision God also provided for the Ranch beyond our expectations this past year. Late this summer we were contacted by the estate of a woman who attended the ranch before it was purchased by the Christian Reformed Churches in 1971. She had fond memories of attending the camp in her youth and had listed Long Scraggy Ranch in her will. We had a brief discussion with her son that the Ranch was still a youth retreat providing a place for kids, adults, churches, schools and families to grow in their Christian faith. Several months later we received a sizable check in the mail from the estate. It is such a wonderful experience to be blessed by God and to experience his faithfulness. The board is prayerfully considering how to best use this gift.
Two New Committees The board has implemented two new committees. The Buildings and Grounds Committee assists the Long Scraggy board to pursue a wider range of projects and provide suggestions for maintaining the ranch and its amenities. The Hospitality and Marketing Committee assists in making our guests feel welcome, attending to the softer side of guest details to make their stay a positive one, and working to expand the Long Scraggy guest base.
60 Years of History
By Hal Simpson The amazing history of Long Scraggy Mountain Ranch does not start with the ranch, but really goes back to April of 1963 with the purchase of a 97 acre property near Tiny Town west of Denver for $27,000. Several years after this purchase, At the December 3, 1970 Rocky Mountain Christian Conference Grounds Association (RMCCGA) Board Meeting, the Board discussed an offer of $85,000 from a land developer to purchase the 97 acres near Tiny Town. After much discussion, the Board approved a motion to recommend to the permanent members of the Association to accept the best offer over $85,000. The Board directed Jim Alsum, a licensed real estate agent, to identify properties for sale that could be used for the purposes of RMCCGA. He located a property consisting of 40 acres near Buffalo Creek, Long Scraggy Mountain Ranch for Girls that had been in operation since 1950. The sale price was $125,000. At a public meeting on March 18, 1971, Jim described the property including the existing buildings, corrals and stables, water supply and sewage disposal (septic tank and leach field). The property apparently was for sale due to financial difficulties of the current owner, including owing the previous owner a deed of trust for $44,000 and unpaid property taxes. The Board decided at a Board meeting on March 29, 1971 to offer the seller $85,000. The seller rejected this offer. At a Board meeting on April 15, 1971 the Board voted to accept the offer of $85,000 for the Tiny Town property and directed Jim Alsum to continue to look for suitable property for a conference center. At a Board meeting on April 22, 1971, Jim Alsum reported that the seller of Long Scraggy Mountain Ranch would accept $85,000 for the property, provided RMCCGA would pay the realtor fees of $5,420. The Board authorized Jim Alsum to proceed with a contract for $90,400 with the understanding that Jim Alsum agreed to return his half of the realtor fee so the actual purchase price would be $87,710. The closing date for the purchase of the ranch was July 9, 1971. In a span of about 4 months, the RMCCGA went from having a 97 acre property with three A-frame shelters to owning Long Scraggy Mountain Ranch with the following facilities: A Roundhouse (smaller than the current Roundhouse), that could be used for meals and meetings. A bunkhouse for cooks and counselors which is now the Pines Cabin and two dormitories which are the Ponderosa and Juniper Cabins. The Ranch House for a caretaker. A guest house which is the Homestead House built in 1875 when the property was initially homesteaded and the craft house which was also built in 1875. A bathhouse for camp users. A swimming pool although Jefferson County would later determine it hazardous. A stable and corrals with 16 horses and tack. A small water storage tank and a pump house at the spring in the meadow near the stables.  It is very apparent that God truly blessed the RMCCGA and the supporting Christian Reformed Churches by providentially arranging for the sale of the 97 acre property and the purchase of the beautiful Long Scraggy Mountain Ranch with many usable facilities and amenities. 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. | 
