This New Welcome Center Is Breaking Ground at the Summit

In the future Scouts and Scouters visiting the Summit Bechtel Reserve will get a warm welcome before entering SBR. Not only will they be greeted by the same scenic West Virginian views and friendly SBR staff, but they’ll also be welcomed at the new J.W. & Hazel Ruby West Virginia Welcome Center.

Thanks to a generous gift from the Hazel Ruby McQuain Charitable Trust, the center will serve as the main entrance and parking area for the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve. It will greet thousands of Scouts, Scouters, volunteers and area residents and visitors who are interested in learning more about Scouting, the reserve and the Ruby’s at the Summit.

“The Hazel Ruby McQuain Charitable Trust has a long history of giving back to West Virginia and to the BSA. We are thankful for their continued support, their appreciation of Scouting, and their vision for the future of our organization,” said Michael Surbaugh, Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America. “The welcome center will be the first stop for the thousands of Scouts, volunteers, and guests who visit the Summit Bechtel Reserve each year. Thanks to the generosity of the Hazel Ruby McQuain charitable Trust, the welcome center will make an extraordinary first—and lasting—impression as people from across the world explore this new site and learn more about what the Scouting experience offers.”

Visitors and residents have the opportunity to take in the picturesque views and natural surroundings of West Virginia, while also learning about the values of Scouting and the Ruby’s longstanding commitment to serving the BSA. Inside the building there will be seating areas, retail and exhibit space, a climbing wall and restroom facilities accessible from both inside and outside. Upon completion, the site will provide parking for more than 12,000 vehicles.

“The Summit Bechtel Reserve is a destination for Scouters and adventurers alike to take in the natural beauty of West Virginia’s scenic landscape,” said Steve Farmer, trustee of the Hazel Ruby McQuain Charitable Trust. “By investing in this project, we are expanding on the opportunity for friends of Scouting to experience all that this site has to offer, beginning with the Ruby Welcome Center.”

Thousands of visitors pour into the Summit each year and every four years, the site welcomes more than 80,000 visitors at the national Scout jamboree. In 2019 the reserve will host the World Scout Jamboree, attracting Scouts from around the globe through the new Ruby Welcome Center.

Check out the images and renderings of the completed welcome center below and head to www.scoutingnewsroom.org for the full press release.