The National Guard

Boy scout summer camp is now over at Boxwell. In fact, even as Stahlman just closed, Craig closed a week ago. However, this week, Craig is host to some new guests: The National Guard.

This is not the first summer the Guard has moved into Craig. And when they move in, they move in. THe Guard treats the dining hall as barracks and take control of the Crab as their own Central Command. It is a full on experience.

Over the years, this has turned into a good symbiotic relationship. The Guard gets this time at Boxwell and Boxwell often gets some camp improvements. In 2014, the Guard repaved the road from the turn at Camp Light down into Camp Craig. Seen here is Guard machinery parked behind the High Adventure Center in Camp Light in 2014.

Several National Guard trucks parked behind the Parrish High Adventure Center in Camp Light.

Camp Scenes

We’re debating whether or not to start a new series here. The working title is “Camp Scenes” and the idea is simply to show photos of Boxwell that have no people in them and, preferably, aren’t of buildings.  The goal? Something relaxing.  So, consider this a test.

This is a photo by Cameron Grady from 2006.  This is the original Craig Waterfront at dusk.

The original Craig Waterfront at dusk, 2006.

Taking Down Camp

Camp Craig has now closed; Stahlman continues with an LDS week. At the end of this week, Stahlman will close and Boy Scout camping will be completely over for the 2017 season. It goes by quickly when you aren’t there.

There are lot of traditions surronding the final camp meeting, but most aren’t documented with photos. If you would, share something your staff did as a take-down tradition.

As for take-down itself, it too has changed over the years. But for the purposes of having a good photo, here is Camp Parnell in 1993. Specifically, here is the Waterfront staff site on Saturday afternoon. The cots and mattresses are at the dining hall; the canvas has been taken down. One more trip for the furniture and it is all over. Who knows? Some of that furniture may still be in use today…

Camp Parnell Waterfront Staff site after take-down, July 1993

The Crab Roof

The Cripple Crab, specifically the roof, has long been a magnet for practical jokes. Indeed, the powers that be even added barbed wire to the telephone poles just below the start of the roof to discourage people from depositing things on the roof.

What exactly has happened to the Crab over the years? All kinds of items have “magically appeared” on the Crab roof, though they most popular have probably been the bikes of the Cripple Crab staff. As the stories go, the bikes “wanna fly.” Speed limit signs have ended up there as well. And, at least once, the entire building was rolled with toilet paper.

Thus, this week’s photo fits nicely into this tradition of pranks. The photo is incredibly recent, from Friday, July 7, 2017. The object in question is one of the Craig waterfront inflatables, Saturn in this case.

An inflatable on the Crab’s roof–the latest in a long line of pranks on the Crab roof.