Murrey Dining Hall

Before there was CubWorld, there was Camp Murrey. Murrey was the family camp that opened in 1960 as one of the original camps on the reservation. Married staff and staff with children stayed here as well as families of leaders.

The dining hall was the center of activity. Not only were meals held here, but so too were a variety of activities, such as handicraft and leatherwork.

This photo of the dining hall was part of camp promotion slideshow from the late 1970s. The dining hall would be renovated in 1994-95 as part of the CubWorld transformation, but you can see the original building’s size here. AND you see that the building was surrounded by trees! Council Executive Ward Akers was almost fanatical that as little of the existing fauna be damaged as possible whenever construction happened on the reservation.

Camp Murrey Dining Hall, c. 1977. Note the trees! Collection of Howard Olson.

OA Membership

The Nashville Council’s OA Lodge, Wa-Hi-Nasa, was founded at the Narrows of the Harpeth Boxwell in 1938. Eight members formed the nucleus of the chapter, five youth (Roy Shaub, Hilary Osborn, O. E. Brandon, Jr., Lynn Farrar, Forest Glascow) and three adults (James Gribble, W. J. Anderson, and Tillman Newsum).

The induction ceremonies were held on May 21, 1938. Summer camp started about a month later on June 20 and ran for eight weeks. The Lodge would be significant players over the next several years, bringing Native Americans activities and “ordeals” to summer. Some ceremonies were held near remains of the Montgomery Bell mansion, while others were held on the bluffs the Harpeth surrounded.

Shown here is the original 1938 Order of the Arrow membership card of founding Member, O. E. Brandon. Brandon would return to Boxwell in 1939 as an Eagle Scout and a Junior Leader, part of the youth staff.

The OA Membership card of O. E. Brandon, 1938. Collection of O. E. Brandon.