Last week, Aloha Council CEO and Scout Executive Blake Parsons along with a small team of volunteers including government agencies were able to visit Camp Alan Faye on Kaua'i for the first time since Hurricane Lowell battered the island earlier this month.
Located in the mountains of Kōkeʻe State Park near Waimea Canyon, the camp spans 30 acres and has been the nonprofit’s kuleana in the community for decades, according to Parsons. He described to Aloha State Daily Monday how the group drove up most the way to the campsite, then hiked about half a mile more from the main road due to downed trees and debris, to assess damages to the property.
“This is a big hit for us,” he said. “We hadn’t been able to get access to the property … [and were able to get up there] through emergency management. It’s just inundated with trees, some of the infrastructure is broken, and some of our pavilions and meeting spaces are gone.”
“It looks post-apocalyptic up there,” he continued, adding, “Thankfully, nobody was at Camp Alan Faye during the storm, and we didn’t have anybody injured.”
Parsons adds that so far, three main structures at the campsite — including a cedar cabin, shower house, and newly built training post pavilion — were spared by the storm, though, more of the property still needs to be assessed, like its rifle range. Two Sea Scout units found severe damage to their ships, he added.
Although Hurricane Lowell passed just west of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau on Sept. 7, intense rain and winds caused flooding and power outages statewide. The last hurricane that directly hit the island of Kauaʻi was Hurricane Iniki in 1992.
Until further notice, Camp Alan Faye is closed to all visitors unless permitted by the nonprofit, which this week began notifying community and Scouting groups that had already booked the site, according to Parsons.
“The camp is going to be closed for the foreseeable future; we have no idea on timing, but it’s going to cost several thousand dollars for preliminary cleanup and remediation work, require significant staffing and take several months before that camp is accessible and usable,” he said.
Safety is a top priority, he said, noting that hanging tree limbs and damage to infrastructure on the property are an issue.
“We know many members of our Scouting ʻohana are eager to help, and we are grateful for that. There will be opportunities to assist when conditions allow,” the organization’s website reads. “For now, the most helpful thing everyone can do is stay clear of the property while road clearing, safety work and formal assessments continue.”
To make a monetary donation toward Camp Alan Faye’s recovery and rebuilding efforts click here.
The Scouting America, Aloha Council oversees five camp properties across the state totaling 500 acres, ASD previously reported. Parsons noted that Camp Pupukea on Oʻahu’s North Shore took a hit from the Kona Low storms earlier this year, as did Camp Maluhia on Maui from recent storms. Click here to learn more about the Sportsman's Challenge event happening this Saturday, Sept. 26, at Camp Maluhia.
Looking ahead, his priority is “the stabilization of these properties and to make sure that they are a safe and happy environment for Scouts and the community to be a part of.”
“One of our biggest priorities over the last few years is greater community use of these camps,” he told ASD. “We are blessed to own these types of properties in Hawaiʻi, especially as a small nonprofit. And that’s thanks to the very generous donors and board members we’ve had over decades. We can’t sustain these properties alone.”
For example, Parsons said that an ongoing partnership with humanitarian nonprofit Team Rubicon, which utilizes its camp properties statewide for training and restoration purposes, continues to contribute to community.
“[Team Rubicon] has been activated since Sept. 7 on Kauaʻi, offering assistance to residences across the island,” he explained. “I really want to credit Team Rubicon, too, because they have been working on our properties doing training for the last two years. And I’m convinced that there would not be a structure left standing on [Camp Alan Faye] if it wasn’t for [them]. … It makes me feel proud because this training has led to disaster response efforts.”
For Aloha Council, which covers the cost of Team Rubicon’s training, food and transportation, equipment, materials and more, Parsons says, “It’s a win-win for us.”
When asked what he’s been learning as a leader, Parsons replied with gratitude for the amount of time people who believe in the mission of Scouting have put in “to make this program successful.” According to him, the organization is comprised of 3,000 Scouts and more than 2,000 registered adult volunteers.
“There’s a volunteer on Kauaʻi named Nathan Konishi, who has been part of [Camp Alan Faye] for decades, and he’s there all the time, fixing things and being a part of it. And he’s just one of [thousands of] people participating in Scouting across the state.
An Eagle Scout himself, Parsons took on this role in November 2023 after previously serving on its board, where he volunteered with the properties committee. He leads a team of 20 staff members and manages a multimillion-dollar operating budget, per Pacific Business News.
“Scouting has made me who I am today. It had an impact on me from a very young age,” he told ASD. “There’s certainly more opportunity today for Scouts because there’s more connection. … [Today,] there’s so much opportunity for units to connect to each other in the state and outside the state for events and programs. Some of our units are doing high adventure bike rides and rock climbing in Minnesota and New Mexico, or they’re going hiking up Haleakalā — there’s just wild experiences happening all the time.”
The organization will also hold its annual fundraiser on Thursday, Oct. 29. This year, Aloha Council will honor Matson Inc. and its employees at its annual Distinguished Citizen Dinner at the Sheraton Waikīkī Beach Resort. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available here.
For more updates, follow Aloha Council on Instagram:
Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
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