Freeze the Competition

The Trading Post is always trying new promotions at camp. Some go over really well–a good t-shirt design, a new item. Others are awkward, but remembered, like the hook pens in the 1990s that were a great idea, but did not last long. Other ideas just don’t land right.

Seen here is an ICEE cup. If a Scout paid a little extra at the Trading Post, s/he got this cup that could be refilled at a discount later. The caption read “Freeze the Competition! Icee like an Olympian,” supporting the 2024 theme of Boxwell Olympics. The face is (supposed to be) none other than Reservation Director Jason Flannery.

Flannery does not care for the likeness. Apparently this Scout didn’t either, as the cup was abandoned in the grass near Stahlman’s bus pick up.

2024 ICEE Cup with Jason Flannery’s face on it. Collection of Grady Eades

Flooding at the Boat Harbor

In 1997, over the weekend between Staff Week and the first week of Scouts, a heavy rain fell. A VERY heavy rain fell. As a result, the lake rose dramatically over the weekend, leading to a flooded Boxwell when camp opened on Sunday for Scouts.

The waterfronts at Parnell and Stahlman saw water come up over the beach. Neither could conduct swim checks. Trails were washed out. Campfire areas were flooded.

Shown here is the Boat Harbor staff site. At the time, there were no group staff sites, so each staff stayed by their program area. The staff site was a bit closer to the lake than the modern teaching shed is, but as you can tell from the photo, the lake was well above its normal level. The trash barrel and the four man tent to the far right demonstrate how high the lake had risen over the weekend.

Just the normal kind of complication you have to put up with sometimes on camp staff!

Flooding at the Boat Harbor, 1997. Collection of Scott Danton.

Signing Handbooks

Scouting legend William “Green Bar Bill” Hillcourt came to Boxwell in 1986. In addition to bringing a camp song (“Bananas, Coconuts, and Grapes”) and helping build a reservation-wide orienteering course (with the help of Lance Ussery!), Green Bar Bill did spend some time with Scouts. Mainly, he signed Scout Handbooks.

The 9th edition of the Boy Scout Handbook arrived in 1979. It replaced the 8th edition, which guided Scouting in the 1970s. The 1970s program is widely considered a disaster as the program shifted its emphasis from outdoor skills and is often blamed for Scouting’s membership drop in this period (though the baby boom’s end is a more reasonable explanation). Hillcourt came out of retirement and spent a year writing the 9th edition, which was his third Boy Scout Handbook. Not surprisingly, the 9th edition pulled heavily from his previous versions, the 6th and 7th editions.

When Hillcourt came to Boxwell, he set up shop at tables after lunch to sign copies of his handbook. An aide made two “green bars” with a green magic marker and Hillcourt signed over top with a black Sharpie. Here is Hillcourt signing a copy of his 9th edition at Boxwell.

William “Green Bar Bill” Hillcourt signs copies of his Scout Handbook, 1986. Collection of Russ Parham.

Smith and Human

Seen here are Ranger Bobby Smith (l) and Reservation Director Ed Human (r). The two men are talking outside of Stahlman Dining Hall sometime in the early 1970s, back with the steel uprights were still painted a blue turquoise color.

We have zero context for the photos and only know this is sometime between 1970 and 1973. Still, it’s a nice snapshot of the two men at work. They are wearing virtually identical work uniforms. (In fact, these shirts were what the 2021 Staff Reunion shirts were modeled after).

So why publish photos with so little relevant information? We just really liked the pic of the two leaning against the truck. It just says “Camp Life.” Sometimes there isn’t a deeper reason than that.

Ranger Bobby Smith and Reservation Director Ed Human, ca. 1973. Collection of Michael Seay.