TROOP 220 REUNION

First a little family history. My great grandfather migrated from Alabama to a rural community in Ouachita County located in south central Arkansas. My grandfather, father and I were born there. My dad moved to Little Rock when he was 12 and went through school there. When he finished high school he moved to Camden, county seat of Ouachita County, just a short distance from where he was born. His older sister’s husband who worked at the paper mill (International) got him a job there in the power plant the day before his 18th birthday. He worked for International the rest of his life and died in a paper mill accident at the age of 58. Dad worked his way up in the mill at Camden and when I was 10 years old he was offered the Power Plant Superintendent position at the mill in Moss Point, MS.

My interests the first 10 years of my life in Arkansas revolved around baseball, football and roaming the woods nearby. When I was told we were moving to Moss Point and it was described to me I pictured a jungle-like place like I had seen in the Tarzan movies. I was ecstatic. As it turned out, Moss Point was a little like that. We had a big yard (365 feet deep) and half of the back yard was not cleared. It truly was a jungle with a real swamp and lake adjoining my back yard. For several years I even had a vine hanging from a tall tree that I could swing on – just like Tarzan. I roamed the woods and swamps and became a pretty good tree climber.


I had just finished Cub Scouts in Arkansas and was ready for the Boy Scouts, looking forward to all the outdoor activities that go along with it. Boy, was I in luck! Troop 220 had a new Scoutmaster who believed in camping, camping and more camping. He was not a touchy feely type guy but he knew what boys liked and while giving us the opportunity to have a great time he demanded discipline and advancement work.


For the next several years Scouting had a profound influence on my life. In addition to all of our regular camping trips we made several multi-day canoe trips, traveled to California on an exchange basis with a troop there through connections with the Scoutmaster’s brother and attended several summer camps.


Twice a year we participated in area Camporees which are contests among troops’ individual patrols. Typically each troop would have two to four patrols of six to eight scouts. I was elected Patrol Leader of the Hawk patrol and we took these contests very seriously. Before each Camporee we would meet at my house and practice the skills. We would be judged on things such as general camp craft, knot tying, fire building and Morse code signaling with flags. Our area was comprised of several troops so there could be 20 or more patrols in the competition. Our patrol won 1st place in 5 consecutive Camporees. Other patrols could sometimes match us in many of the skills but we were a level above on the signaling which often made the difference.


So much for background. Over a year ago, Richard Shields, one of my patrol members and a close friend all through school contacted me regarding the possibility of a reunion of all the Sam Wilkes (our Scoutmaster) era scouts. I told him to name the time and place and count me in. Well, after considerable work by old scouts, Richard, Mack McInnis and Jimmy Grafe things fell into place. The time was July 23rd and the place was Mack’s cabin located in the woods in George County near Lucedale, MS. (About 40 miles from Moss Point).


To say the event was a smashing success is an understatement. About 20 old scouts showed up along with the guest of honor, our old Scoutmaster Sam Wilkes. Maybe I shouldn’t use the word “old” anywhere near his name because he is still sharp as a tack and doesn’t look any older than most of us. He brought along his wife and college-age sons as well. We ate watermelon, catfish, hush puppies and had a great time visiting. Sam was presented with a beautiful painting of our old scout hut that we each signed. There was also a $1,000 gift in his name presented to the present Troop 220 Scoutmaster. To have that kind of participation after more than 50 years had elapsed should give you some idea of how much Scoutmaster Sam Wilkes touched our lives and how strong were the bonds that we developed as boys. The only thing that could have made the event better would have been the attendance of some who were unable to make it – some had died so they are excused. M/W