Naming the Unknowns, March 30, 2016

We’re going to wrap up our Area Staff photos with one of the more interesting photos in the collection.  Seen here is the Stahlman Kitchen Staff in 1970.  The two women are Ms. Schleicher and Ms. Bea–virtual institutions in and of themselves.  The tall gentlemen in the back is none other than Jerry Barnett, who served as Kitchen Director his first year back at camp after his time in Vietnam.  On the front row, far left, is a very young Russell Parham, enjoying his very first year on staff–a run that would continue in various capacities unbroken until 1996.

What we don’t know is who everyone else is!  Who are these other Stahlman Kitchen Staff members?

Stahlman Kitchen, 1970

The Stahlman Kitchen staff in in 1970. We know Ms. Schleicher, Ms. Bea, Jerry Barnett, and Russell Parham. Who are the rest?

From the Archives, March 27, 2016

Lunchtime Program, 1995

Of all our videos, the quality on this one is unquestionably the poorest.  For that, we do apologize.  Nevertheless, this is still a screen capture from the 1995 Promotional video, poor though the quality may be!

Seen here in the photo is young, first-year-on-staff Roman Reese.  Given the young scout next to him, this is clearly lunchtime program.  Our best guess is this is Stahlman’s Gizmo song and Roman is leading the charge.

Gizmo is a Boxwell staple.  It started all the way back in 1971 at Stahlman under the short-lived Commissioner System.  Dutch Mann brought the Gizmo to life.  As he stated in a 1996 interview: “All right, well, the Gizmo, that’s a term used in the Army. When somebody wanted something, you’d say, well, hand me that Gizmo. We’d send out a young recruit, who didn’t know one end from another, we send him out to find a gizmo, which was a joke. SO, I started the Gizmo. I thought it would be a good idea if we made a piece of leather and stamped it “Gizmo” on it and the camp name and the year. And then we passed it out to a young Scout and at lunch time, we’d sing a little song about the Gizmo and then who ever had it, we’d call ‘em up front. We had a lot of fun with this thing. It’s still going on. It’s a traditional thing here for Boxwell. We started that in ’71.”

And the Gizmo is still part of Boxwell program to this day, more than 40 years later.

Roman, 1995

Roman Reese leads the Gizmo song at a Stahlman lunch, 1995

Naming the Unknowns, March 23, 2016

We’re really going to reach back this week.  Let’s go all the way back to 1966 and Stahlman’s Waterfront staff.  The fact that this photo even exists is by itself something pretty incredible!

We know the person on the far left (the tall guy!) is Charlie Ray Smith, the Waterfront director.  We don’t know who anyone else in the photo is or who took the photo.  What can you give us?

1966 Stahlman Waterfront

Charlie Ray Smith (far left) and his Waterfront staff in 1966. Who are they and who took the photo?

The Passing Of Bob Younts

The VirtualBoxwell Team is sad to announce the passing of Robert “Bob” Younts. Bob died today, March 21, 2016.

Bob had not only been an active member in Scouting in general, but served on the Camp Staff at Camp Craig from 2007-2013, primarily in the Green Bar Program. He was also the father of former Boxwell Staff member Cory Younts.

The family asks that contributions be made to Boxwell Reservation in lieu of flowers.

From the Archives, March 20, 2016

he Old Rappelling Tower, 1987

Our review of old promotional films continues this week with a look at the 1987 promotional video.  Titled “Boxwell Adventure ’87,” the film was created with help from Nashville Tech (now Nashville State Community College) and HCA, and produced by Leprechaun Productions in 1986.

The capture this week is of the old COPE tower.  As has been discussed before, the current COPE tower (still the tallest structure in Wilson County!) is relatively “new,” built in 1994.  However, COPE had existed at Boxwell for 10 years prior to the “new” tower.  For much of that time, the tower picture here–substantially smaller than the current tower–was used for rappelling.

This tower was built of four telephone poles with a plank facing on one side.  The tower was cut down shortly after the new tower was completed, but could be found in the grassy area just above the Woodbadge/Pool parking lot.  It was directly across from the grove of trees that now supports the Frisbee Golf Course.  If you look, you can probably still find the telephone pole stumps!

Old Tower, 1987

The reservation’s original rappelling tower, located down Craig Road, between the Woodbadge parking lot and the road to the (now non-existent) dump at the compound.