Hello everyone,

First off I would just like to say thank you. Not only did you sign this petition, but you spread the word, amassing over 1,500 signatures which I never even would have imagined would happen. I expected to maybe get 100-ish signatures total when I first created this. Little did I know that I would obtain that goal within about the first 45 minutes. Next I would thank all of you that attended the gathering at council. Many of you that attended were former staff that I have been looking up to for years now. I didn't think that I would be interviewed on the news for it either! It should air tonight (June 14)on 13 WHAM (11pm), News 8 (11pm), and Fox Rochester (10pm).

Now here's the part that I never wanted to write. As of writing this the vote to sell Babcock-Hovey just happened an hour ago, passing 26-4. The official closing date is October 31. As of right now we aren't sure if there is a buyer or not. What we can do is hope that whoever buys it, will still grant us the scouts access to the camp for future generations to enjoy.

No matter what happens, the family, the memories, and the community will live on forever. There are plans already in motion to preserve the community and culture that Babcock-Hovey has created. This petition will stay open for people to continue to share memories. Please keep an eye on the Babcock-Hovey Alumni Facebook Page for updates, or if you want to see pictures and stories from our Babcock-Hovey family.

Thank you, for one final time!

Michael Kirsch