The jewel in the crown of the San Juan Capistrano Rotary

It’s a short walk from historic Mission San

Juan Capistrano to the Rotary Scout Hut.

Like so many Rotary projects, its creation

grew from a community need.

It was 1938 and the boys of Scout Troop 12

needed a home base, a place to meet and

store their equipment.  The scouts’ parents,

mostly Rotarians, formed a committee to find

a suitable building site for a scout hut.  

To that effort Rotarian Carl Hankey offered to donate a lot in Mission Hills SJC.  Although it turned out unsuitable for the scouts, the lot was exchanged for a better parcel at the corner of El Horno and La Matanza.

On that property a year later a Scout Hut had been built and was dedicated.  As most of the donors had been Rotarians, the responsibilities of ownership and maintenance were transferred from the originating committee to the SJC Rotary.

As San Juan Capistrano continued to grow, in the late 50’s the Rotary saw a need to expand the Scout Hut’s use and offered its availability to other Boy and Girl Scout troops and the South Coast Literacy Council for adult ESL students (English as a Second Language).

Over the years renovations were needed and the Rotary began budgeting additional money for the Scout Hut and its maintenance.  In 1997, under the leadership of club president Don Hickman, a landscaping plan was approved and again donations of supplies, labor and money came from Rotary members and the community at large. 

To recognize the generous individual contributions made during this remodel, a Donor Wall was permanently constructed as part of the Scout Hut’s back yard patio. 

Since its dedication in 1939, the Rotary Scout Hut has enabled over 20,000 young people to recognize their potential, then grow to become important contributors to the community.  SJC Rotary is proud of The Scout Hut and its continuing contribution to the youth of San Juan Capistrano.