Parnell Bay, 1978

We love aerial photos over here. With the advent of drones, we hope that a whole variety of interesting new Boxwell photos float our way. Until then, we’ll stick with the old school images we have.

In July of 1978, Reservation Business Manager Michael Seay rode in a plane with Ranger Norman Patterson. Patterson’s interest in planes would eventually prove his undoing with Reservation Director Tom Willhite, but in July ’78, Seay took advantage of an opportunity to photograph the camp. He took great shots of Murrey and Woodbadge Pond as well as Craig and Stahlman.

This week we showcase Parnell Bay. The photo has the bay and “Camp Light Waterfront” as the central focus, but there are other interesting details here including the Crab in the upper right and Wood Badge pond in the upper center. Note that Camp Light (upper left) is completely devoid of development.

Superb Owl Day

It’s the second Sunday in February. Americans across the country are gathering together today with food, beverage, and fellowship to celebrate an event that only happens once a year. Following exactly one week after Scout Sunday is…

Superb Owl Sunday!

We thought we’d contribute to the merriment today. Here’s a superb owl we found hanging out around the Stahlman Activity Yard. Have a great day and drive safely!

(And in case you were wondering, yes, this is going to become a new annual tradition here…)

Staff ID Card

A key uniform difference between modern Boxwell staffs and earlier staff is the ID card. Starting in the late 1990s, the staff began wearing ID cards on lanyards at all time. The front of the laminated card usually had a photo of the staff member and the back usually had emergency phone numbers to key staff personnel.

This was all part of an increased push for youth protection and emergency preparedness. Other measures included signing in and out for visitors. Visitors also had to wear visitors tags. Leaders and Scouts began wearing wrist bands. This allowed for quick identification of who was supposed to be on premises and who wasn’t. If there was a problem, grab a staff member and make the call. Remember, cell phones are ubiquitious part of the modern era.

Seen here is the front of CubWorld Staff member Jonathan Azzara’s ID card from 2010. The front always had the personal photo, but may have included the year and the camp. The back contained the emergency contact info for all the top leadership on the Reservation as well as the phone number at Crab. The modern Boxwell is much more concerned with safety than her predecessors.