The Board Meetings are held on the 4^th Wednesday of the month unless otherwise noted.  These meetings are open to the general membership and guests who are encouraged to participate in all discussions.  Because dinner precedes all Board meetings, we would appreciate it if friends RSVP at least a day before, (520) 795-9484.

Displays

Our Acquisitions and Exhibits Committee members are busy every Wednesday morning cataloguing our collections and  preparing displays. One section is dedicated to the Girl Scouts.

Thanks are extended to Luis Romero, Mike Maynard and Jim Nelson.

If anybody would like to visit the Museum, please call (520) 795-9484 to arrange a tour.

A few months ago, Gene Denk, a charter member of our Museum now living in San Luis Obispo, CA, came across a letter sent by Otis to him and his wife Lorraine dated March 30, 1985. This letter is reproduced here in its entirety because of its historical importance. By way of background, Otis had attended a weekend Woodbadge course (WE-5-11-84) in the fall of 1984.  Gene Denk was the Scoutmaster of that course as well as Otis’ counselor.  At the conclusion of the course, Otis selected the formal establishment of a Scout Museum as his project in order to complete his ticket.  As is evident from the letter, Otis first intended to have the Museum located at the Council headquarters and had already secured permission from the Council Executive Board to do so. As it turned out, it was not feasible to have our Scout Museum located at the Council.

Therefore, Otis and his volunteer helpers decided to incorporate  the Museum and establish it at his home, where it remains today. 

SAVE THE DATES

Annual Thanksgiving Dinner will be held on Wednesday, December 3, 2014, at

6:30 p.m. at the Museum followed by a short Board meeting.

Annual Holiday Party (Open House) of the Otis H. Chidester Scout Museum of Southern Arizona will be held on Saturday,        

January  10, 2015, 12:30 P.M. to 3:30 P.M.

The Annual Membership Meeting of the Otis H. Chidester Scout Museum of Southern Arizona will be held on Tuesday,  January 27, 2015, at  6:30 P.M. at the Pima County Medical Society Auditorium, 5199 E. Farness Dr., Tucson AZ  85712.

Committee Chairpersons are asked to submit their annual reports by January 15, 2015.

M REMEMBERS

(Summer of 1961 -  Contd.)

Sunday August 13.

Rain and mild.  9^th and the last week. Charlie Parker picked me up at my house at 1140.  Went by and got Marvin, then got Bo, and finally got to camp at 1400.  Pete was there and took the rest of his stuff down.  Phil Young is not here any more, nor is Dave, so Jack decided to move in with Eric and me.  It rained hard at 1945.  John German and I went to my tent and chased a skunk out  from under the tent platform.  Then Jack, John and I went to Summerhaven .  We bowled for a while and then came back to camp.  We had to drive slowly because of fog.  Got to bed at 2330.  Project of this week: get things together to go home for the year.

Monday, August 14.

Rain and mild.  I got handed the Senior Patrol Leader Badge this morning at flag raising.  I put an old toilet seat in the Pima Latrine, very comfortable.  Bo Windfry moved into my tent, and now there are four.  At 1720, Jack, Eric, and I played hockey in the Craft Lodge with a hard rubber ball.  It started to rain after supper and it kept up until half way through the evening program.  Went to bed at 2130.

Tuesday, August 15.

Rain and fog.  Rained from 0300 to 0600. Then the clouds lowered until you couldn’t see the store or the big tree behind the Archery Shack.  It lifted at 1130.  After lunch, Eric, Jack and I played hockey in the Craft Lodge.  At 2120, the whole staff went the Summerhaven.  Marvin Stafford drove
Charlie’s car and Efern drove the Council truck.  Charlie’s car ran out of gas just past Soldiers Lake, so we all got in the Council truck and got the Summerhaven.  Marvin and a few others got some gas and put it in the car.  Efern  and the two McAllistars came back to camp in the truck early.  The rest of us continued to bowl and I played a song on the Wurlitzer called “Yogi”.  Got back to camp and went to bed at 2300.

Wednesday August 16.

Rain and cold.  At 1015 it rained very hard.  The Checkdarn (scouts aren’t supposed to swear)  between the Craft Lodge and the Nature Lodge sprung a leak.  It rained about 1 5/8”.  I took 21 boys and the scoutmaster and Jerry Murray on an overnite hike to Rose Canyon Lake at 1700.  We went by some bees and a boy got stung several times. The scoutmaster said that he had never seen him move so fast.  He was rather unhappy about the trip.  Got to Rose Canyon Lake at 1930.  Some of us went down to the lake while the cooks got supper ready.  There was a beautiful sunset.  Echo 1 (an orbiting satellite) passed over 2 times tonite.  Got to bed at 2220.  Drank some fizzies before retiring.

Thursday, August 17.

Rain and mild.  Got up at 0600.  Ate breakfast.  Very slow going.  Might make it to camp by noon.  Left at 0930.  About ¾ of the way back, I took the strongest natives and got back to camp at 1100.  Murray came in at 1130 with the stronger natives and the scoutmaster brought in the weakest natives at 1200.  At 1340 it started to rain, and at 1350 it hailed stones 3/8  of an inch in size.  Finally stopped raining at 1550.  The lightning struck the same tree that it did on August 2.   It rained again about 1715.  A tree down by the Rifle Range got struck by lightning.  It tore off a piece 29’ 9”  long and went down the center of the tree.  Another project for the week: make a box 30’ long and a foot square and air tight to put the split off log in and open it once a year to smell it.  During campfire program, which was a fun nite, the pillow broke and cotton went all over the pace.  Afterwards, Bo and I ate cookies and milk, then went to the Nature lodge and fed Qurisoty, the white rat.  Jack and Eric came back at 2150.  At 2200, a rain storm came up suddenly, and it rained very hard for a while.  Went to bed by jing!

Bill White c. 1996Bill White & Clarence Harrington c. 1938

100th Anniversary of Scouting in Tucson — Celebration event organized by the O.H.C. Scout Museum of SO. AZ., on April 30, 2011. L – R Rear Row: Dick Hughes, Ralph Coltrin, Clint Liechty, John Pacheco, Jim Klein, Louis Potter, Luis Romero. L – R Bottom Row, kneeling: Douglas G. Wright, Dilworth C. Brinton, Jr. (Grand Canyon Council historian).
The  14th Annual Founder’s Day Dinner was held on Saturday May 7, 2011, at the Viscount Suite Hotel in Tucson.

The recipients of the 2011 Otis H. Chidester Memorial Awards were Mike George, David Gibeault, M.D., and  A. C. “Chuck” Moyer, II.

There were 72 people in attendance.

Our thanks to Sarah Daniell Jazz Quartet who entertained the guests free of charge.

Everybody present had a great time!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Board Meeting:
     August 24, 2011 at 6:30 P.M.

Annual Cookout and Board Meeting:
     October 26, 2011 at 6:30 P.M.

Thanksgiving Dinner:
     Date to be announced later.

Holiday Open-House:  
     Date to be announced later.


MIKE GEORGE receiving the Otis H. Chidester Memorial Award

DAVID GIBEAULT, M.D receiving the Award

Elaine Gokey, daughter Andora Paustian, and grandson Gary Paustain receiving the Award for A. C. “CHUCK” MOYER, II (who was hospitalized)

SARAH DANIELL JAZZ QUARTET
SARAH DANIELL JAZZ QUARTET

1912 Lucile and Harold Steele at 829 N. 7th Ave. in Tucson.Harold Steele organized and became the scoutmaster of the first troop in Tucson on April 20, 1911.
Board Meetings are held on the 4th Wednesday of the month unless otherwise noted.  These meetings are open to the general membership and guests who are encouraged to participate in all discussions.  Because dinner precedes all Board meetings, we would appreciate it if RSVPs are received at least a day before, (520) 795-9484.

 
UPC0MING EVENTS:

Founder’s Day Dinner:
Saturday, May 7, 2011  at 6:30 P.M
at the Viscount Suite Hotel,
4855 E. Broadway Blvd., in Tucson.

The recipients of the 2011 Otis H. Chidester Memorial Awards, to be presented on May 7, are Mike George, David Gibeault, M.D., and  Chuck (Charles) Moyer, II.

Invitations will be sent out in early April, 2011.

Displays
Our Acquisitions and Exhibits Committee members are busy every Wednesday morning preparing new items for display.  
If anybody would like to visit the Museum please call (520) 795-9484 to arrange a tour.


FIFTY-YEAR REUNION for Tucson Scouts    -   By Marvin G. Stafford

Plans are afoot for a reunion for Tucson Scouts who were active  in Catalina Council in 1959, 1960 and / or 1961, plus-or-minus.  The one-day gathering will be at Camp Lawton on the same day as the Order of the Arrow’s Spring Ordeal, Saturday April 30, 2011.  The time will be from mid-morning to after the evening OA Ceremony.  Family members are welcome.
The old-timers who attend will be able to tell stories about their days on the Camp Lawton Staff, their time working within the Order of the Arrow, and their adventures on the Ho-Ho-Kam Trail.  There will be  a contest for  who is best at re-telling Lyle Bull’s  ‘Fish Story’.

Spread the word to others who may not be reading this, and let your intentions be known to:
    MARVIN G. STAFFORD
(520) 575-1497, (520) 955-3693, CELL
mgstafford@comcast.net

(For those wishing to attend the Museum Open-house and the above Fifty-Year Reunion, it is possible to be at the Museum in the morning and to go to Camp Lawton in the afternoon).


MM REMEMBERS

Museum member Mike Maynard continues with his journal entries from the summer of 1961, when he was on the Camp Lawton staff as a 20 year old.

Thursday, August 3:  Rain and mild.  Before lunch, Dave and I went to S.H. and got the mail.  During my afternoon code class, Cliff Waetje came by and said “Mike, I like what you did with that splinter. We’ll leave it there”.  At 1725  it started to rain and it kept up until it had rained about an eighth of an inch.  Marvin came to  ask about a job, and he got one.  About 2230, Dave, Pete  and I went to S.H. and on the way back saw a deer.  Got to bed at about 2300.

Friday, August 4:  T.G.I. Friday.  Clear and mild.  Jerry McAllister unlocked Rosso’s store without permission so Rosso locked him in.  He broke the door getting out.  He also had to fix it.  I took Marvin  Stafford and five of the boys down to Mud Spring.  Nice cold water in the spring.  Started down to Mud Spring at 1445 and got back to camp at 1600.  Dave, Marvin and I left camp at 1815 and reached home at 1930.  

Saturday, August 5.  Clear and hot.  Worked around the house.


Archery at  Camp Lawton
By   Dave German

When I attended Camp Lawton as a Boy Scout, one of my favorite activities was archery.  Dick Bartholomew was the archery instructor and my hero.  He was called  “Robin Hood” and even had a green felt hat with feather.  An enterprising man named Tom Fisk had an archery shop in Tucson and came to camp to put on demonstrations.  He and his wife could hit moving targets that rolled across the ground or were thrown into the air.  All of this captivated my interest.  As I grew older I desperately wanted to be on camp staff and teach archery.

My first real job was as a counselor at the Lighthouse Y.M.C.A. on Saturdays, and I soon became their archery instructor.  In 1956 I was hired to be on staff at Camp Lawton and I hoped to teach archery.  However, I got assigned to teach compass and mapping.  They had hired the state junior archery champion to teach archery.

The next year I was back on staff and got to run the archery range.  I sold my stamp  collection and used the money to  buy a good quality bow and a Robin Hood hat.  I was finally in my dream position and got to show what I could really do when  given the responsibility.  I had two successful years running the archery program.  In 1959 at age 18, I was asked to be the Program Director under Camp Director Cliff Waetje.
Scouting offers a wide variety of things to catch your interest.  It has given many young people like myself a place to experience success and learn leadership skills that last a lifetime.


Bill White’s Trip to Washington D.C.

Bill White with the Washington Monument in backgroundLast November, Museum Curator Bill White, Jr. went on a trip to Washington D.C. as a guest of Honor Flight, a program that honors World War II veterans by arranging for them to fly to Washington, D.C., in order to visit the major memorials in our national capital, starting with the World War II Memorial.  More than 57,000 veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War have participated in this program in the past 5 years.

Bill White with George Washington University student guides
Bill encourages any one who was a World War II, Korean War, or Vietnam War veteran to look into this program.