THE VALLEY – With two Scouting councils exploring a merger, the top elected leaders in five municipalities signed a letter May 26 asking that a 186-acre campground and its connected assets be legally protected before a consolidation is approved.

In addition, a petition with some 600 names calling for the preservation of Camp Strang for Valley youth is in circulation.

Camp Strang, or the Edmund D. Strang Scout Reservation, is a sprawling wooded property in Goshen that has been owned and maintained by the Housatonic Council in Derby since 1956. It’s where generations of lower Naugatuck Valley Scouts have camped, hiked, boated, and swam. 

It is named after Ed Strang, a World War II veteran whose involvement in the Valley Scouting program dated back to 1922 before his death in 1995.

The Housatonic Council, the group that has governed Scouting in the lower Valley since 1917, is considering merging with the Connecticut Rivers Council based in Hartford. 

An exploratory group started its work in January to determine “whether consolidation would strengthen program delivery, fiscal sustainability, governance, and service to units and volunteers,” according to a statement posted by the Connecticut Rivers Council in January.

Valley Scout leaders – and now the chief elected officials – want assurances from the executive boards of both governing councils that Camp Strang will continue as a place for lower Valley youth into the future.

They also want the endowment created at The Valley Community Foundation to maintain Camp Strang protected, along with other endowments benefiting Valley scouting, be preserved.

Governing councils merging is not unusual. 

There were 543 local governing councils in the U.S. in 1949 compared to 236 in 2025, according to a post from Glad Scout, a blog about Scouting. The goal is to save money and use existing resources more efficiently, especially as membership nationwide has declined significantly compared to the early 1970s.

The May 26 letter signed by Ansonia Mayor Frank Tyszka, Derby Mayor Joseph DiMartino, Oxford First Selectman George Temple, Seymour First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis, and Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti acknowledges “the challenges facing local councils nationwide and understand the need to evaluate long-term organizational options.”

“However, given the significance of Camp Strang and associated Housatonic Council assets, we strongly believe that transparency, legally enforceable protections, and proper fiduciary oversight are essential before any merger is finalized,” the letter states.

The letter also contains five requests from the local elected officials:

  • Transparent communication regarding the status of the merger discussions and the protections being considered for Camp Strang and Housatonic Council assets
  • Legally binding protections, including deed restrictions or conservation easements, to preserve Camp Strang for Scouting and youth
  • Protection of all restricted, endowed, and donor-designated funds associated with Camp Strang and the Scouts of the lower Naugatuck Valley in accordance with donor intent and applicable law
  • Independent legal and fiduciary review of any proposed merger agreement prior to final approval by the Executive Board
  • If Camp Strang is sold or leased, “any resulting proceeds remain permanently restricted for the benefit of Scouts and Scouting programs serving the lower Naugatuck Valley communities of Ansonia, Derby, Shelton, and Oxford

The letter from DiMartino, Drugonis, Lauretti, Temple, and Tyszka is addressed to the Housatonic Council’s executive board. 

Its president, Joseph Pinto, referred The Valley Indy to a two-page memo issued on Housatonic Council letterhead May 15.

“The merger committee has been clear and deliberate in establishing non-negotiable priorities that directly address many of the issues currently being discussed,” the letter states.

The letter then lists five bullet points, including:

  • Promising that Camp Strang will remain “an active, year-round Scouting property offering summer resident programs and expanded future use. Any merger agreement will require protections against sale or transfer and will include pursuing a permanent conservation easement.”
  • “All projects currently underway, fully funded, or partially funded at Camp Strang will be completed, including infrastructure improvements, program facilities, and major capital upgrades already in progress.”
  • “All restricted gifts – including those designated for Camp Strang, camperships, or the Valley communities – will remain restricted and used solely in accordance with donor intent. This commitment is both a core principle of the committee and a legal requirement . . .”
  • “No final agreement without these protections”
  • “Ongoing local presence and representation”

The May 15 letter from the Housatonic Council is signed by Pinto, council commissioner Terry Osenbach, council treasurer Ray Oppel, and scout executive Joseph Andreo.

“We recognize that uncertainty can lead to concern, particularly among our valued donors,” the letter concludes. “Our commitment is to move forward in a thoughtful and transparent manner that protects Camp Strang, honors donor intent, and strengthens Scouting locally for the long term.”

However, Randy Ritter, a member of the Housatonic Council’s executive board who has been involved in Scouting for more than 50 years, said this is not the first time the Housatonic Council has explored merging with another council. 

Ritter said what’s different this time is that the push to merge is being supported by the council president (Pinto) and its executive (Andreo).

Ritter said there is a split on the executive board, and questioned whether the council has done its due diligence. 

Example – he said the exploratory committee, of which he is a member – has only looked at merging with Connecticut Rivers Council, even though there are more local councils in Milford and Greenwich.

He said it feels like the merger is being rushed toward a foregone conclusion. He also said some of the promises made in the May 15 letter are not strong enough. Example – the letter talks about “pursuing easements.” Ritter said promises need to be set in stone – and something like a deed restriction or easement – has to be in place before a merger happens.

Ritter called the potential merger the biggest threat to Camp Strang in its history. A concern is that Camp Strang will no longer be needed because the Connecticut Rivers Council already operates four similar properties – and have sold camps previously, Ritter said.

“It’s been on a very fast pace for some reason,” Ritter said.

The 186-ace Camp Strang is in Litchfield County and could probably be sold for several million dollars. In 2022, the Connecticut Yankee Council sold its 225-acre reservation in Killingworth for $4.75 million, according to The CT Mirror. 

Ritter said he does not want to see Camp Strang go away, and neither do almost 600 people – many past Scouts and Scout leaders – who signed a petition.

“Although it is not contiguous, it’s our paradise. It should be considered part of the Valley,” Ritter said. “There are people that are not protecting the property and our assets.”

Ritter noted that while membership in Scouting is down across the U.S. compared to 40 years, ago, membership has ticked up locally. He said the Housatonic Council ranks ninth in the nation in the percent of youth participating. The Housatonic Council ranks 31st in the nation in terms of female participation – 25 percent of Scouts in the Valley are female. The Housatonic Council ranks 25th in the nation in terms of racial diversity.

The petition being circulated was started by three people with deep roots in the Valley and Scouting: Father Christopher Tiano, John Rak, and Jeffrey Anderson.

The petition calls “upon the Housatonic Council Executive Board to ensure that any proposed merger involving Housatonic Council is structured in a manner that fully protects Camp Strang, preserves Housatonic’s charitable assets, honors donor intent, and safeguards the future of Scouting for the young people and families of the Lower Naugatuck Valley.”

In order for the merge to go through, a positive recommendation is needed from the exploratory committee. That could happen this week. 

A merger would have to be approved by the Housatonic Council’s executive board and by representatives of the council’s chartered organizations.

Ritter said it is not clear when two those votes will happen.

The May 15 letter from the Housatonic Council is below, followed by the letter from local leaders dated May 26.