Stuart Conover

Charles Stuart "Stu" Conover was a mainstay at Camp Lowden for many years, both during summer camp as well as the off-season.

Scouting Background

Born and raised in Rockford, Stu was a Scout in Troop 16. Russ Reed, who would later serve on camp staff, was the Scoutmaster. In 1944 Stu received the Eagle Scout award at the age of 16, ultimately earning 49 merit badges. Later on Stu was the leader of Explorer Post 616, believed to be the first Explorer post in Rockford. He also helped form a Rover crew. (Rover crews were another type of Scouting, similar to the present Venturing program.)

Camp Involvement

From 1945 to 1947 and again from 1949 to 1950 he was the waterfront director. This meant not only supervising boating but also swimming as well. Once the pool was built (to some degree, under his direction), he was the pool director and in charge of all water activities. He later was an assistant camp director under Bill Mulford.

In the off-season Stu worked part-time at Camp Lowden, doing carpentry and plumbing on pool, showerhouse, ranger’s garage, and the "H" building. After the "H" building fire he helped clean up the site. Later on, Stu and his wife Sue designed and printed neckerchiefs for camp and council activities.

Order of the Arrow

A Vigil Honor member, he served the Order of the Arrow as lodge chief, and was very active in Indian ceremonies at Camp Lowden. As part of one of the ceremonies, he used to jump from the cliff to the council ring wearing an Indian costume. Stu and fellow staff member Herb Carlson are depicted in their Indian regalia on the cover of the 1954 camp brochure. (Stu chuckles whenever he sees this photo today, stating that his belt broke shortly before it was taken and he had to stick out his stomach to keep his pants from falling down!)

Jeep Trip

During parts of 1947 and 1948, Stu and former camp staff member Dale Nicholson took a jeep that Stu had purchased on a tour of all 48 states in the U.S. proper, plus short visits to Mexico and Canada. They prepared their own meals and camped alongside the road. No restaurants or motels! Along the way they did odd jobs such as packing oranges and loading box cars to replenish their travel fund. The two came home for the holidays and worked in Rockford for several months in order to earn more money. They headed out again in May, and returned home to Rockford on August 12, 1948, just in time for the Order of the Arrow Fall Convention at Camp Lowden. The entire trip covered 19,500 miles. (Dale Nicholson later owned Nicholson Hardware in Rockford for many years, and it is still in the family.)

Canoe Trip

Over a 48-day period in the fall of 1949, Stu and former camp staff member Laurel "Lefty" Reber took a 1,500-mile canoe trip from Camp Lowden to New Orleans. They paddled down the Mississippi River through giant locks along with some of the largest barges and water craft. Their Scouting skills were put to the test on many occasions, including combating hunger, fatigue, the cold, the wind, waves, etc. Camping in the wilds along the river and cooked their canned food over an open fire was one of the easiest parts of the trip.

Another interesting story that Stu relates is that during some of these years the canoes were stored at Riverview campsite in the off-season. He reports that during the winter they used to get in the canoes at Riverview campsite and slide on the snow all the way down to the river!

Later Activities

In 1954 Stu graduated from the University of Illinois and entered professional Scouting as a district executive in the Creve Coeur Council (Peoria area). He was later an assistant Scout executive in Thatcher Woods Council (Oak Park, Illinois area) including camp director and special events. He was on the staff for the 1960 national jamboree in Denver, Colorado, which was the 50th Anniversary of the BSA.

In 1969 Stu left the Scouting profession and went to work for the Zenith Electronics Company as Manager of Operations Engineering. He retired from Zenith in 1989, after which he and his wife Sue successfully developed an environmentally enriched subdivision on Kentucky Lake near Murray, Kentucky. While in Kentucky, Stu served in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary and as board chairman of the Calloway County Fire and Rescue Department. After living in Kentucky for 16 years, Stu and Sue moved to Naperville, Illinois to be closer to their family.

Recent Years

Dave and Stu both attended the 2005 and 2007 staff reunions along with Stu's son Scott. They have both provided many stories, memories, and photographs which were instrumental in reconstructing the early history of Camp Lowden.

Dave and Stu Conover, 2005