Camp Stephens Rebuild

On September 27, 2024, Western North Carolina was devastated by Hurricane Helene. People lost their homes, their businesses, their incomes, and their lives in this unprecedented disaster. Beloved Camp Stephens was part of that devastation. The French Broad River rose up the 8-foot-high bank and another 15 feet to the roofline of the main camp building. The picture below shows the green roof right before it collapsed. The swollen river took buildings, equipment, supplies, and decades of history while it destroyed the outdoor amphitheater and hundreds of trees. This devastation broke the hearts of many in our community.

Camp Stephens, a community facility hosting Scouts, was established almost 70 years ago in Arden, North Carolina, just south of Asheville. The property is owned by the Avery's Creek United Methodist Church, a great partner and supporter of Scouting for decades. Scouting America's goal is to prepare young people to make ethical choices over their lifetime by instilling the values of the Scout Oath and Law. Youth are trained in responsible citizenship, character development, and self-reliance through participation in various outdoor activities, educational programs, and, at older age levels, career-oriented programs in partnership with community organizations.

Scouting has been an integral and valued part of the Asheville community for many decades partnering with local organizations to give back to the needs of our community. Cub Scout Packs and Scouts BSA Troops throughout Western North Carolina engage in their communities with Eagle projects and other opportunities to do a good turn daily.

The property and buildings known as Camp Stephens are right on the French Broad River, which creates an opportunity for Scouts to explore the outdoors during meetings and events. Before Hurricane Helene's devastation, Scouts would meet at Camp Stephens to practice skills, learn new things, plan for future activities, or take the canoes out on the river during the summer. Camp Stephens was frequently used by Scouts over the weekend for numerous outdoor activities such as camping, cooking, campfires, nature, ecology, first aid, emergency preparedness and leadership development.. Camp Stephens also stored a significant amount of Scout equipment and supplies to support this wide range of youth activities. Sadly, most of that equipment and supplies are gone. Much of Camp Stephens' history was also lost including patrol flags, decades of photos, and awards earned through the generations of Scouts.

But Western North Carolina and Scouts are resilient, and Camp Stephens will come back stronger than before. As the Scout Law and Oath say, a Scout is "Loyal, Helpful, and Brave" and will "help other people at all times." As we figure out the long and challenging recovery, Scouting groups have already begun to meet again in other temporary locations. We will re-establish a presence at Camp Stephens for Scouting and continue to support our Western North Carolina community.

We are asking for your support to help re-establish Camp Stephens so we can continue to support current and future Scouts in becoming pillars of our community. We need funds and resources to support Camp Stephens' cleanup, develop a plan to rebuild the meeting and storage facilities, and replace the equipment and supplies lost from Hurricane Helene.

Thank you!

Camp Stephens Devastation