The Few, The Proud, The Camp Staffers?

[Eamonn 61]

In our Council people who have served on staff at our summer camp seem to belong to some sort of highly esteemed group. Having served myself and being a member of group I don't have any problem with it!!

The walls of the new building at camp, which serves as the camp central control and cost big bucks, is named after a dearly loved professional. His painting hangs over the fireplace in the big meeting room. At times when the light coming through the sky lights is right the room takes on the air of a church or temple!! The big painting over the fireplace and photos of camp staffs going back to the 1950's hang on the wall, almost like Stations of the Cross.

Every year when camp is over we have a Camp Staffer picnic. We all bring covered dishes and hang out telling war stories from camp. These seem to mainly be about over-sized fires, Scouts who got lost and were found by Camp Staffers, plumbing, damage done to the camp truck, and who holds the record for getting the tractor stuck in the most remote location.

The age of this groups goes from 85 down to about 16.

While as far as I know, no one from the camp staff went on to land on the moon or become President. The group does have a lot of teachers,a few that did a stint at working for the BSA, a few that went on to work for the Wildlife and Game Commission. The guy who was Program Director when I served in 1977 in now the Director of Parks for the county. There are a few guys who work in Law Enforcement and an Undertaker. Last year we started collecting a few dollars from those who wanted to give, to be used for Camperships.

This group is by no stretch of the imagination a secret group and most of the guys who are still in the area are involved with Scouting at some level.

The photographs that hang in the Camp building are the group photographs that are taken each summer. There is no names, just the staff. It's fun to try and work out if that really is who you think it is.

When I look at the 1977 Staff I see my father-in-law. That year he was laid off, the Camp Director and the Camp nurse were a husband and wife team, who lived next door to him. I had no idea when that picture was taken how much these three people would do to change my life.

Scoutmasters come away from camp each year saying that this year the Camp Staff was good, bad, super or terrible!! But the Camp Staffers when we meet all believe that the staff or staffs that they served on was the best.

I was wondering if we are alone in this Camp Staff hero worshiping or if the same thing is true for every camp staff?

Eamonn.

[Eagle69 46]

I suspect that it is universal. It was 37 years ago that I served on staff and just a couple of weeks ago I was at a gathering with a couple of other former staffers and we had no problem filling the time telling war stories from our days on staff. The camp we served is no longer in existence as a BSA property, but it is still around privately owned. A few years ago a group started having reunions of those that camped and/or were on staff and they are well attended. It is an experience that puts you in a large, but select group.

[Kahuna 172]

Camp staff and Philmont staff experiences were some of the greatest of my life. We're talking 40 plus years ago. Those young guys have no idea what kind of memories they will have. I haven't been to camp in almost 15 years, but I always tried to be friendly with the youth staff (didn't always succeed with the adult, particularly professional, staff).(This message has been edited by Kahuna)