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In 1997, the Pine Tree Council was fortunate to receive a gift of a
two-acre parcel of land, adjacent to the Exit 7A Maine Turnpike interchange
at Johnson Road in Portland. Market research was conducted on the site,
and it was determined that this was an ideal site for a new Scout Service
Center. The site would provide more direct access to the center from all
the Districts and easier access for our adult volunteers and for customers
visiting our Scout Shop. Tom Dunham, a dedicated volunteer and board member,
worked extensively to help complete the permitting process for the new
piece of land.
At that juncture, it was apparent that the project needed some strong
leadership to move forward. The right person for the job was Peter Vigue,
President of Cianbro. Peter was excited about the project from the very
beginning. Peter was excited about involving not only Cianbro, but also
other companies around the state of Maine. Peter noted that Chuck had made
such a strong and positive impact throughout the communities of Maine that
other companies would be excited about helping out. The project of building
the Alton E. “Chuck” Cianchette Service Center truly turned out to be a
team effort. The first piece to be completed was a land survey by Deluca
Hoffman, with a substantial reduction in price. SMRT, an architectural
firm from Portland, created the building design, which has come to be recognized
as “that gorgeous log-cabin-looking building by the airport. SMRT also
provided substantial cost reductions to help with the budget.
Cianbro agreed to lead the charge for the project, donating their services
as the Construction Manager. The teamwork and positive response from individuals
and businesses was contagious and truly amazing. The total cost for the
project was reduced by almost half with the support that was received.
Literally hundreds of donors and vendors contributed to help make this
project a reality. The final product is a tribute to Alton E. “Chuck” Cianchette
that expands our capabilities to offer more services for our Scout leaders
and families. The new service center is a fully handicapped-accessible
facility with several resources for the units, youths and volunteers. The
following features will help the Pine Tree Council better serve the youth
of our communities, and the leaders of the future.
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Scout Shop with expanded inventory and resources
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Training room with audio-visual tools
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Volunteer resource room with audio-visuals available for checkout
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Library and museum displaying the history and legacy of Scouting in Maine
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Expanded volunteer resources, materials and computer access
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Expanded training opportunities
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Conference rooms for volunteer use
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Great room for meetings, ceremonies, etc.
The oOffice is ADA-compliant and built to meet the U.S. Green Building
Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program
(LEED). The Alton E. “Chuck” Cianchette Scout Service Center will,
for many years to come, stand as a tribute to what the principles and ideals
of Scouting are all about.
For more information read the "Prepare the Way" brochure prepared for
the dedication.
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