The benefits to Butler County stemming from the Boy Scouts of America's Campaganza 2010 will be many, and the benefits could extend well beyond the weekend of Sept. 24, when the event will be held at Moraine State Park.

Not only will the event showcase the park and other parts of the county as scouts and their leaders, and possibly some relatives and friends, travel to and from the event, but Campaganza stands to provide a significant economic impact beyond what goes on at the park.

Hotel and motel rooms that might not otherwise have been rented will be booked for that weekend. Visitors will buy gasoline and food, possibly shop at local stores, and check out some tourist attractions.

Meanwhile, as the park is prepared for the event, which is expected to attract more than 10,000 scouts, supplies such as wood might have to be bought from local suppliers if there is temporary Campaganza-related construction that might be deemed necessary to accommodate what will be taking place.

Those needs will continue to be addressed in the planning that will be taking place during the months leading up to the event.

For the upcoming event, Moraine has the experience of already having hosted big Scouting events in the past, notably the 1973 and 1977 National Jamborees.

Richard Bausher, a Boy Scout Council commissioner from Johns-town, said preparation work for Campaganza already is under way in the park's South Shore area. He said that work will continue throughout the summer.

While Campaganza preparations by Scouting leaders and park personnel are continuing, the county should be looking for ways to welcome the scouts and other visitors, as well as make other opportunities available to them before they leave the area.

County tourism officials will have a role in achieving that objective. So will Chamber of Commerce officials, who will be able to provide advice to businesses on how they can be more noticed while so many visitors are here.

But Campaganza could be good for Butler County well beyond the weekend of Sept. 24. It's conceivable that some of the people here that weekend might decide to vacation in the county in future years.

Likewise, perhaps some of the scouts who will participate in the weekend's activities will one day want to travel here to show their children the site where they participated in this year's event.

For some Scouting families, the Campaganza's beautiful site might lure them back to the park for annual outdoors vacations.

How the county presents itself that weekend will help dictate the extent of those longer-term benefits.

Campaganza will give scouts who might not have a chance to experience the National Jamboree an opportunity to attend a large-scale event. But, as Bernie Lockard of Johnstown, Campaganza chairman, explained, it "will harness the Jamboree spirit, complete with a merit badge . . . to honor Scouting's contribution to America."

During the event, Bausher said, there will be more than 300 activities available for scouts' participation, a number in line with the size of the Scouting contingent that will be here.

September is a beautiful time of the year at Moraine and throughout the county. Campaganza will capitalize on the opportunities tied to the fact that the event will not be taking place during the busy vacation season.

Campaganza will provide a great opportunity for the scouts who attend and for the county — to benefit one another. Both must strive to take full advantage of that opportunity.