The Boy Scouts of Chester County recently raised three fingers and promised to do their best to do their duty to God and the Exton countryside by transforming 28 donated acres into a Scouting adventureland.

On Friday, renowned former Philadelphia Eagles Coach Dick Vermeil gave the halftime pep talk to a standing-room-only crowd of civic and business leaders celebrating $2.7 million of progress toward the Chester County Council of Boy Scouts’ $5.2 million goal for a new Program, Activity & Resource Campus.

At the heart of a refuge of wetlands, woodlands, streams and wide open green spaces, the 15,000-square-foot PARC Leadership Development Center and Resource Center will launch Boy Scouts into environmental education, outdoor living skills development, team-building and leadership enhancement activities as well as recreational opportunities such as fishing, hiking, sports and fitness — possibly even bike trails, camping training sites, observation platforms for wetlands and streams, bouldering and Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience (C.O.P.E.) courses, a zip line, a climbing wall and a fitness obstacle course.

“The values, confidence and team-building experience that a young person gains through his or her involvement in Scouting will influence every aspect of their personal and professional life,” Vermeil said during the gathering last week at Milestone Events in West Chester. “That’s why Scouting has played — and will continue to play — such an important role in keeping our communities strong. PARC will be a tremendous asset in supporting the needs and interests of today’s youth as they train their hearts, minds and habits to become the leaders we need for tomorrow.”

Additional highlights of the coming adventureland include a green roof, roof-top solar panels and geothermal energy as both building elements and educational features, plus STEM and career education programming and a Scout Store.

“As the first new program property for our council since the 1920s, it will allow us to provide better support for our current members, enhance our capacity to invite more young people into the Scouting program and offer additional opportunities to be a resource and partner to other local organizations,” Boy Scouts Executive Charles Rogers said. “… PARC will allow for dynamic utilization day and night, making after-school, after-work and weekend use more accessible to a substantial number of current and potential Scouting members as well as to the community at large.”