Assault on Scouts wrong

Once upon a time, due diligence was expected, if not rewarded.

The process for thoroughly vetting a proposal before making a decision was hailed as necessary and laudable by stakeholders, shareholders or any other kind of holders.

But that's not the case today as the Inland Northwest Council of Boy Scouts faces assaults, both internally and externally, for doing its level best to see if a proposed move from Camp Easton to a site across Lake Coeur d'Alene makes sense.

The Inland Northwest Council faces a lawsuit backed by anti-development neighbors and longtime Scout and Camp Easton supporters alike. Phone calls and published letters rip Scout leadership for a host of perceived sins, from possibly balking on a long-ago agreement to breaking tradition for the sake of a few bucks.

What happened here?

Perhaps Scout leadership initially could have been more clear with key constituents on what was being proposed in the land swap tendered by Discovery Land Co. As it stands today, the trade would give the Scouts a 270-acre site on Sunup Bay, complete with all-new facilities and a $2.5 million endowment for future maintenance and improvements. Discovery would receive the popular 380-acre Camp Easton at Gotham Bay - which shares a common border with Discovery's exclusive Gozzer Ranch - complete with a long list of repairs and improvements that will cost the Scouts several million dollars if they decide to keep the current site.

While Scout leaders could have been more open about those earliest discussions, keep in mind that society recognizes the sensitive, fluid nature of potential real estate transactions. In fact, public bodies are protected by law from having to discuss pending transactions in open meetings or disclose them in records, so keeping their cards close to the vest makes perfect sense for the Scouts.

But somewhere, trust has broken down. There are those who don't want the Scouts to even consider the Discovery offer. Major supporters and donors have threatened to sever ties with the 11,000-member organization, and somehow, otherwise rational people have become blind to the fact that litigation will only deprive the Scouts of money that keeps its many programs afloat.

Scout officials say they are simply doing as much research as they possibly can before even considering whether the proposed swap makes sense. They're on the record as saying there are a number of automatic deal killers, ranging from Discovery not acquiring the Sunup Bay property to shooting ranges being disallowed on the new site. Of critical importance is the Scouts' intent to survey their constituency, those 11,000 members of whom only about a third reside in the Coeur d'Alene-Sandpoint-Silver Valley area.

In our view, the Scouts should not be punished for doing due diligence. Were they to walk away from such a proposal without fully exploring its potential to help the organization, Scout leadership would be derelict in its duty.