The group celebrated the dedication of Lititz Mutual Insurance Company Flag Plaza for two reasons. The plaza symbolizes scouting's emphasis on duty to country as well as the first project of the council's $2.25 million campaign to improve facilities and endow programs at Camp Mack in Lancaster County and Bashore Scout Reservation in Lebanon County.

Bagpiper Anthony Fucito performed "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and "It's a Grand Old Flag" to open the program. The retired pipe major, a member of the council camping committee, ended the event with "The Marines' Hymn."

The group stood at attention while bugler Doug Knol of Venture Crew 2 blew "Taps" and Cub Scouts of Pack 154, Lititz, executed a flag retreat. The group included the youngest members of the Gibbel family, cousins Alex and Cameron Gibbel and Ryan Bertrando.

Henry R. Gibbel, father of Alex and Cameron and a Webelos leader with Pack 154, described the flag plaza as the "heart of camp, the rallying point."

He spoke to the group about experiences he had as a camper in 1970, the second year of the camp's operation, and the experience of campers this week.

"Highlights kids have are the same ones I looked forward to," he said Wednesday. Gibbel recalled hitting the bull's-eye at the archery range, splashing in the pool, chasing daddy long-legs spiders from his tent and rehearsing skits and songs.

Gibbel said his wife, Jolyn, and sister, Mary Beth Bertrando, share leadership roles in scouting and represent a trend toward more women participating in camp activities.

Camp Mack visitors in the near future will find their needs accommodated by a new bathhouse, swimming pool and kitchen commissary building.

Visitors at Bashore will benefit from a new nature lodge and maintenance yard.

All of the improvements fall under the capital campaign called Timeless Values, which is 73 percent complete, said Fred Joost, council president.

Joost said, "The success of the campaign will carry us about five years into the future."

The eldest member of the Gibbel family to speak at the dedication was Henry H. Gibbel, president and chief executive officer of Lititz Mutual, which donated $25,000 to the campaign. He saluted plaza contributors Bob Hoffman, a partner in Beers, Schillaci & Hoffman Ltd. Architects; Bob Brandt of Benchmark Construction; and Michael A. Young, president and CEO of Lancaster General Hospital and Timeless Values chairman.

Ceremony emcee Jim Costanzo, a member of the council camping committee, said Order of the Arrow Wunita Gukhos Lodge 39 donated $2,100 for the flag poles in the plaza.

Donors to the capital campaign -- which is still $600,000 short of its goal -- will be recognized on memorial blocks around the flag plaza. For more information, call the council office at 394-4063 or visit the Web site, www.padutchbsa.org.