From the Archives, July 31, 2022

From the Archives, July 31, 2022
“Here I Go!” Episode 3: Chasing Cattle

Imagine you and a bunch of your friends sitting around a table talking about camp… and someone happens to record it. That is basically what happened in February 2000 when Charlie Ray Smith, Jerry Barnett, Russ Parham, and Kerry Parker sat down at Charlie Ray’s house. The story here for Episode 3 is primarily Charlie Ray recalling an attempt to ride cattle found out in the Percy Dempsey Area near Akers lake in the 1960s. Photos are mostly of Charlie Ray as memorial for his passing this last week.

The Passing of Charlie Ray Smith

VirtualBoxwell is sad to announce the passing of Charlie Ray Smith. Smith was a Parnell and Stahlman staff member, serving most notably on both Waterfronts in the 1960s. He was waterfront director at Stahlman in 1966, 1967, and 1970. He joined the ranks of the professional Scouting staff shortly thereafter and returned to Parnell as Camp Director in 1973. After camp, he worked for Williamson County Juvenile Services until his retirement after 41 years in 2016. He remained active in Scouting both officially and unofficially. Indeed, Smith was part of a “renegade” group that dubbed themselves the “XDEs” (ex-District Executives) who were responsible for the Q-ball plaque in Stahlman, the history tables at Craig, and the first two staff reunions in 1983 and 1989. Smith was an Eagle Scout and was awarded the District Award for Merit, the Long Rifle Award, and the Silver Beaver. He was married and had two sons, one of who was also a Boxwell Staff member.

Charlie Ray Smith passed away on July 28, 2022 at the age of 76 after a long battle with cancer.

Service and memorial information may be found below.

https://www.williamsonherald.com/obituaries/obituary-charlie-ray-smith/article_70d07686-0ee2-11ed-b0dc-176e3c448167.html

Fun Fact

Here’s a quick fun fact for you today: Foster and Creighton were responsible for building the Parthenon in Nashville.

The original Parthenon was part of the 1897 Centennial Exposition in Nashville. It was mostly plaster on a wooden skeleton and never intended to last. The building though was so popular that Nashville decided to build a more permanent structure. The new building was begun in 1920 and the exterior was completed in 1925 (the interior took a few more years). The construction company that built the exterior was Foster & Creighton.

And yes, that’s the same Foster & Creighton associated with the Nashville Council. Edgar M. Foster was the first Council President from 1920-1926. Wilbur F. Creighton would follow some years later as Council President from 1951-1953. He was also one of the Council’s first Scoutmasters and his son would attend Boxwell at Linton. Indeed, Creighton would name his son for his business partner: Wilbur Foster Creighton, Jr.

Here is a photo of the Parthenon under construction with the Foster & Creighton sign out front. This photo is part of exhibit at the Parthenon in Nashville.

The Parthenon under construction, 1920s, by Foster and Creighton. Photo from the Parthenon in Nashville. https://www.nashvilleparthenon.com

From the Archives, July 24, 2022

Parnell Cabin Dedication

On July 11, 1974, dedication ceremonies were held for a variety of buildings as a result of the 1972 Capital Campaign. Obviously, Camp Craig was the main attraction that day, but there were a number of buildings constructed as a result of that campaign, including the camp offices.

Both Stahlman and Parnell had previously used tents as the camp office. The Program and Camp Directors generally stayed at Murrey, so there was no need for more permanent arrangements. By 1972, the idea of having those same leaders stay on site had become the new thinking and a cabin was required. Further, the same design could be utilized for the family cabins at Murrey, of which six were built.

Seen here is a casual photo of the dedication ceremony at Parnell’s new cabin. We don’t know all the individuals, but there are two worth pointing. The gentlemen in the center with the dark pants and crossed arms is none other than R. L. Parnell himself. The women to his left is Mrs. Sarah Elizabeth Hawkins (nee’ Forrester). Richard Murry Hawkins, president of Northern Bank of Tennessee in Clarksville, died of a heart attack on January 5, 1972. His family asked that contributions be made in his name to the Capital Campaign, resulting in the cabin bearing his name.

Cabin Dedicatoin, 1974
R. L. Parnell and Mrs. Sarah Elizabeth Hawkins

Remembering the Staff

Boxwell Reservation, 2012

We conclude our “Remembering the staff” series this week with a look at the 2012 Boxwell Reservation Staff. Hugh Travis had returned as Council Executive by 2012 and the Reservation Director was the long-serving professional Carl Adkins. Camp Stahlman was led by Program Director Lee Craft, but the Camp Director was now a volunteer position held by Steve Eubank, another returnee. Camp Craig was led by Program Director Ian Weir and Camp Director Tony Turner, long of a Wood Badge fame. CubWorld was led by Jake Jones as Program Director and Camp Director Bradford Shoemaker. (And as an amazing coincidence, 2012 is the same year that Larry Green begins his run as Camp Commissioner at CubWorld. That’s every week he’s shown up since 1982!). The Boat Harbor was run by Michael Allen, COPE by Kyle Duckworth, the pool by John Kasper, and the NRA rifle program by William Bridges.

Camp Craig Staff, 2012
Camp Stahlman Staff, 2012
CubWorld Staff, 2012
Boxwell Administrative Staff, 2012