Remembrances from Camp Tulakes

Posted on December 7th, 2012 in BSA Info,Camps by ramore

Several years ago I blogged about the now California Inland Empire Council Camp Tulakes. A Scouter shared recently some of his memories of that camp and Scouting in CA from the 1940s. Enjoy! I did.

 

Hi Roy

You are bringing back a lot of good memories to this 79 year old ex-scout.

I was a member of troop 12 at first.  There was a log cabin type building constructed at the rear of Washington elementary School (located on San Antonio Ave. in Pomona).  It was strictly for our scout meetings.  We were sponsored by the local VFW.  Our scoutmaster at the time was “Uncle Earl” Lawliss and we would practice camping at the rear of his apple orchard on Garey Street in South Pomona..

The day WW II ended we troop 12 scouts (in our uniforms) rode in the back of a one ton open truck and put up all the American flags (hundreds) all along second street in downtown Pomona.  I remember the flags at that time were each mounted on a (6 ft?) wooden pole which would be stuck in a small hole in the sidewalk spaced about 10 feet apart.   It was a crazy day with people yelling, kissing and going totally bananas.  Every time one of us would hop out of the truck with an American flag the place would erupt with cheers.  It was really something to remember for a 12-13 year old kid.

We were definitely  part of “Old Baldy Council” which, if I remember correctly, had its offices on San Jose St. in Claremont.

The second troop I belonged to was troop 14 located at and sponsored by the Church of Christ Church on Garey Avenue and 7th St. near what was then Fremont Jr. High School.
Also part of the same “Old  Baldy” Council.

In regards to Camp Tulakes here is what I think I remember.  I think I was there for 2 weeks each year I went, but it might have been just a week

We were divided into small “patrol” sized groups of perhaps 10 or so and each group located their own campsite out on the perimeter of the main part of the camp and we set it up with “army cots” grouped together under the trees and the stars.  We were encouraged to make our campsite neat and tidy.  I remember outlining the area with rocks, sweeping the pine needles, etc.  We got judged for the best looking campsite.  I don’t remember what the award was.

There was what I would call a “chow hall” building in the main camp for hot meals and I seem to remember the food was pretty good Their were daily organized  activities.  I do remember swimming and canoeing at the lake.  And I have a hazy memory of some kind of a treausre hunt kind of activiy where we had to use our compass and go out in the woods and find things.

During each 1 or 2 week stay two days were reserved for the big hike.  We hiked up to “Dollar Lake” where we all spent the night and those that felt up to it went on to the top of “Old Greyback” the next morning.

The reason I remember the girl scout camp being something other than “Tulakes”  because every evening at the big campfire at an exact scheduled time we would all together yell something like “hello camp gummygatchy”, then listen quitely to hear “hello camp tulakes” coming back at us from the distance through the forest.

I also remember the ghost stories the camp leaders would tell at the campfire.  Afterward we had to walk with our flashlights through the dark woods to our own camp site.  I remember it being really scary in the dark.   Ghosts behind every tree! 🙂

Another thing I recall was, while it was strictly “against the rules”, some of the boys after dark would sneak over to the girl scout camp and creep up on a tent and make nnoises to scare the girls just to hear them scream..

Hey, boys will be boys!  🙂

My scout experiences were a wonderful time in my life that I value to this day!  I think we all learned a lot toward helping us become independent self relient responsable citizens.

Still have a real soft spot toward the BSA.

It is a shame so many parents today don’t understand the value of having their boys belong.

Phil

Southern New Jersey Council merging into Burlington

Posted on November 24th, 2012 in BSA Info,Hobby News,OA,Shoulder Wear by ramore

From long time collector Ted Packer, also former Council President for Burlington County Council:

Southern New Jersey council has merged into Burlington County Council. The vote by both councils was on the 19th. It will be effective on 1/1/2013. We will be choosing a new name in the near future & the OA Lodges will be combining by the end of 2013.

Walter Head Acorn Award Info circa 1936

Posted on October 24th, 2012 in BSA Info,Insignia by ramore

Boy Scout Walter Head Acorn Award Pin

From time to time we get one of these pins in from the 1930s. This is the called the President Walter Head Acorn Award named after the BSA National President of the time.

 

Membership recruitment programs are not new to Scouts. We have been doing them since the founding. Although the pin pops up from time to time, what does not turn up is the documentation about the program. Until a recent estate. Here’s the cover of the brochure explaining the program. The name of the award is about turning an acorn into a might oak. Or for Scouts developing our youth into leading citizens. Neat piece of nostalgia.

 

Here’s the back page showing the requirements for the pin.

 

Here’s the inside back showing the requirement for the troop plaque. I’ve had a few of these. They’re not really collected but again a nice piece of history.

We’ve come a long away – Region 7 circa 1939

Posted on September 28th, 2012 in BSA Info,Regions by ramore
Recently got an estate from a former pro’s son. Amongst his items was the Region 7 1940 Annual Meeting report covering 1939. Thought you might enjoy it. The image links to a PDF of the full-report.
Some things that caught my eye:
– It was the year Scenic Trails was organized.
– Region 7 was the largest region with 166,397 Scouts and Cubs.
– 19 councils in the region had boy membership > 2,000 including: Detroit, Battle Creek (next in size in MI), Tall Pine, Grand Valley, Berrien-Cass, Chief Okemos. (Think how things have changed in 70 years. Think how much they will change in the next 70).
– Detroit had 5 Sea Scout ships. Clinton Valley – 6, Berrien-Cass – 10.
– Michigan had a council called “Copper Country”
– Arthur Schuck was Regional Director. He went on to be Chief Scout Executive.
There’s also nice information about the other regions and information on the other three states that make up Region 7.

Scouting Service at 1964 NY World’s Fair

Posted on June 18th, 2012 in BSA Info,Camps,General Commentary on Life,Legacy Interviews by ramore

We recently received some patches from a Scouter out of New York. While asking about his involvements, an Eagle Scout and 1960 National Jamboree participant, he mentioned he served on the Boy Scout Service Corps for the 1964 New York World’s Fair.

 

Less and less we come across participants let alone staff members from the World’s Fair so I asked him about his remembrances. Here’s what he had to say (nice piece of personal history about his guiding Vice President Nixon btw):

Working the fair was a great experience. I think I worked a week or two mainly weekends and holidays (it was during the school year) before they rotated in other than local scouts to man the pavilion over the summer. Our principle jobs were to demonstrate scouting skills (I remember demonstrating a lot of first aid), give directions, help with lostchildren, and escort dignitaries. I do remember taking the then King of Burundi around and the then former Vice-President Richard Nixon, whose foot I stepped on. I was kidded for years about that.

I went to the 1960 National Jamboree,  went to Philmont in 1962, worked the Scouting pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair, and I was an Order of the Arrow member (Horicon 246). I grew up in  southern New York State, Washington Irving Council, and was a  counselor at their Camp Read. I was later active in the explorer  program.  I always felt that scouting was tougher than the   peacetime Army.

Scouting Makes A Difference Research Study Shows

Posted on June 4th, 2012 in BSA Info by ramore

Just back from the 2012 BSA National Meeting held in Orlando, Florida. One of the presentations was about a new research report out from Baylor University professors. It is an independent report both in funding, the Templeton Foundation, and independent of the BSA. That is, the BSA had no influence in study design, study questions or study parameters.

The results shouldn’t surprise those connected to Scouting but it might to others. Click on the image to get the full report but here’s the summary of their findings:

Summary

For more than 100 years the Boy Scouts of America has sought to encourage and instill the values necessary to help young people make and continue making ethical and moral choices over the entire course of their life. The objective of Scouting, therefore, is to promote the positive and prosocial development of youth that carries over into adulthood and influences all of society. This lasting influence—enhancing youth’s values, ethics, decision making, relationships, and personal development—is even more significant for youth who attain the rank of Eagle Scout. The Boy Scouts of America has always maintained that achieving Scouting’s highest rank would result in additional benefits for Eagle Scouts when compared to Scouts that do not achieve this rank, as well as to youth who have never participated in Scouting. In order to assess the influence, if any, of participation in Boy Scouts on men in later life, adult men representative of the U.S. Population were surveyed, with the key difference being that some had participated in Scouting and some had not.

Analysis of the nationally representative survey reveals significant differences between Eagle Scouts and other Scouts as well as non-Scouts. Eagle Scouts consistently indicate their experience in Scouting contributed to positive and prosocial development as measured by responses to a wide range of issues and subjects, including the following:

 

  • Eagle Scouts exhibit an increased tendency to participate in a variety of health and recreational activities.
  • Eagle Scouts show a greater connectedness to siblings, neighbors, religious community, friends, co-workers, formal and informal groups, and a spiritual presence in nature.
  • Duty to God, service to others, service to community, and leadership are traits that are especially strong in Eagle Scouts.
  • Eagle Scouts are more likely to engage in behaviors that are designed to enhance and protect the environment.
  • Eagle Scouts are more likely to be comitted to setting and achieving personal, professional, spiritual, and financial goals.
  • Eagle Scouts show higher levels of planning and preparedness than do other Scouts and non-Scouts.
  • Eagle Scouts are more likely than other Scouts and non-Scouts to indicate they have built character traits related to work ethics, morality, tolerance, and respect for diversity.

 

In sum, when compared to Scouts and non- Scouts, Eagle Scouts exhibit significantly higher levels of health and recreation, connection, service and leadership, environmental stewardship, goal orientation, planning and preparedness, and character.

 

Michigan Crossroads Council Named

Posted on April 17th, 2012 in BSA Info by ramore

From our Area newsletter yesterday:

We have a new name! Michigan Crossroads Council!
Approved by our Transitional Board last week, the new name of our statewide legal entity will be known as the “Michigan Crossroads Council,” and with this final name our naming process is complete. Special thanks to Dick Stilwell and his committee that have worked for months through this process. The Michigan Crossroad Council is made up of four Field Service Councils which include:
President Gerald R. Ford Field Service Council will serve the Gerald R. Ford and Scenic Trails legacy councils.
Water & Woods FSC will serve the Tall Pine, Lake Huron Area, Blue Water and Chief Okemos legacy councils.
Southern Shores Field Service Council will serve the Southwest Michigan and Great Sauk Trail legacy councils.
Great Lakes Field Service Council will serve the Great Lakes legacy council.

The Proof Edition Scoutmaster Handbooks

Posted on December 21st, 2011 in BSA Info,Hobby Trends,Insignia by ramore

In the category of ‘things forgotten but now remembered’, we recently handled a proof edition of the Scoutmaster handbook. A question from a collector got us digging into our reference shelves as there are actually four variations of the “PROOF” edition. The editions range from 203 pages, this one circa 1912, two versions with 161 pages and the final proof edition with 344 pages from March, 1913. The quantity made of the first three are unknown.

The reference book of choice is Chuck Fisk and Doug Bearce’s Collecting Scouting Literature/2nd edition published in 1990. And thus the ‘things forgotten’ observation – this book is 2o years old and yet its still the best, and most accessible out there but most current collectors do not know of this book. Not sure the solution to this problem – how do we keep these books up to date and let folks know about them.

New FSC Boundaries Established for Michigan

Posted on November 9th, 2011 in BSA Info,CSP,Hobby Trends,RWS,Shoulder Wear by ramore

The Board for the new council here in Michigan approved at its first meeting new Field Service Council (FSC) boundaries. FSCs are a new concept in the Scouting structure that we’re developing. Although there is one legal entity there are at this time four (4) local delivery entities who’s primary purpose is unit support. The Coordinating Council, also sometimes referred to as the “Administrative Council”, integrates back office functions and achieves economies of scale that we could not achieve as individual councils. Basically we have been silos working within our boundaries. One of the goals of the Crossroads Recommendation is to not compete with each other but compete  to bring more youth to Scouting.

Here’s the new boundaries approved at the meeting. When will these be effective? Soon but still being worked out.

Note – the boundaries between FSCs is dotted. These will flex over time depending upon who can best serve the needs of a given unit. Within Field Service Councils we may well have additional Community Service Councils that are even more focused on unit service – MMM – membership, manpower and of course money. We’ve had discussions where our shoulder wear will change to the community level. Not as specific as red and white community strips that collectors know but more specific than council shoulder strips we’re used to seeing.

 

The criteria used are on this slide. The Unit Serving Executives to Total Available Youth ratio is about a third better than the current ‘gold standard’ for the national dashboard metrics in Journey to Excellence.

 

OA Pressuring GNYC Lodges to Merge?

Posted on November 9th, 2011 in BSA Info,Hobby News,OA by ramore

Right now this is in the rumor mill but the OA National Committee is following through on its policy one charter – one lodge. The biggest outlier in this is Greater New York Councils which is technically one council but each of the burroughs operate with a lot of autonomy and they each have their own lodge several being some of the oldest in the country (e.g., Ranachaqua 4 and Shu-shu-gah 24). Anyone have any more knowledge about this situation either to confirm or refute?

 


[sales] [forum] [reference] [about us] [contact] [home]

Copyright © 1999 - 2009