The 2009 “Reunion”

In August of 2009, Boxwell celebrated its 50th anniversary.  It was an odd celebration.  First, people did not understand why the celebration was 2009 as the reservation opened in 1960. The reasoning had been that each summer was a complete season unlike a normal anniversary.  Thus, 1960 was one year instead of 1961 being the first anniversary.

Next, the only real event held to celebrate the event was held in August 2009.   This was advertised to former staff, but wasn’t really pitched as a Staff Reunion.  On one hand, it was a 50th Anniversary of the Reservation, but no one was invited to it except former staff.  On the other hand, it was a staff reunion that was not billed as a staff reunion or held during camp as all the predecessors had been.  All the same, this had the trappings of a staff reunion.  There was a memorabilia table.  There was a reception. There were photos taken by decade.

And there was a video.  Created by Grady Eades and Russ Parham, the 2009 50th Anniversary video was shown at the reception and then was played on monitors at the Council office in Nashville.  The video pulled together not only an assortment of photos, but also was narrated by an array of audio snippets from interviews conducted by Eades, Parham, and Kerry Parker over the preceding decade. Posted publicly for the first time is that 2009 50th Anniversary video.

Summer Four Bunk Unit

It is always fascinating to explore the “could have been” here. This week is one of those examples. Seen here is a “Summer Four Bunk Unit” developed by Burkhalter-Hickerson & Associates for the Boxwell Reservation Development Fund. In other words, these were designs from the 1959 Capital Campaign to build Boxwell Reservation.

Given the other campaign materials, this “Four Bunk Cabin” was intended for Scoutmasters at Camp Murrey. The plan–at one point at least–was to build 15 of these cabins at $1,500 a piece. For whatever reason, these cabins were never built. It would be the 1972 Capital Campaign before cabins were built at Murrey. Then, the goal was 12 cabins, but only six were built.

Seen here is a composite image. The blueprint in the background is the Burkhalter-Hickerson designs for the building. The color image is from the 1959 “High Adventure from Middle Tennessee Boys” Development Fund booklet. It is an artist’s rendering of the building in question.

1959 Designs for a four bunk Scoutmaster’s hut at Camp Murrey. Collections of Kerry Parker and Archie Crain.