Lawrence "Snuffy" Whitaker

Lawrence "Snuffy" Whitaker was born on January 25, 1912. He lived near Hastings, Michigan and went to Troop 2 for meetings. He went via horseback, horse and buggy, or horse and sleigh. His complete uniform (including shoes) was $8.40. Over the years he held many Scouting positions including Cubmaster, Assistant Scoutmaster, Committee Chairman, Jamboree Chairman and was also a merit badge counselor.

He had a great interest in Camp Lowden and was certainly one who did his share through the years. He has made and done numerous things to make Camp Lowden the special place that it is. He holds the coveted Silver Beaver Award and was an active member of the Order of the Arrow where he was a Vigil Honor member.

His more than 57 years in Scouting included many years of service with Troop 23 in Rockford, including more than 40 years as committee chairman. He recalls:

One year I took the troop to Lowden. I was provisional Scoutmaster. I had 69 boys in all. I was also provisional Scoutmaster when I was with Troop 8 and had 72 boys in all.

During these years I have worked with the Order of the Arrow. I have gone to most all of the fall conventions, worked on the old and new Council Rings and stone retaining wall that goes from the parking lot up to the Trading Post [later known as the Handicraft Lodge]. I have repaired the pool fence and bathhouse and helped build the Order of the Arrow Lodge and flagpole. For many years I made the fall convention slides on my own and gave them out to all members.

I made an all steel electric red arrow for the Order of the Arrow at Camp Lowden. It was six feet long and was made out of 10-gauge steel, which is one-eighth inch thick. The arrow has 50 red light bulbs in it. Larry Thomas, our son Charles, and I put the electric arrow on a cable up by Highlander campsite, facing the Council Ring. This was in 1951. A few years later they changed the Council Ring around and took the arrow down. A year or two later, we found it and Tim Hooper, Tony Lombardo, and I put it on two posts by the parking lot on the path that leads to the Council Ring [the arrow was removed in the mid-1990s].

In 1964 I took it upon myself to repair the Statue of Liberty that was damaged by out-of-council Black Hawk Trail hikers. I bought copper spray paint and had Tony Lombardo paint it and we fixed the broken crowns with wood sticks. This was Tony’s Ordeal at the fall convention.

Snuffy made the gateway for the 1957 National Jamboree which consisted of raised-letter wooden signs with "Blackhawk Area Council," each district in the council (at that time), the words "Onward for God and My Country," and boards for each of the ranks on the trail to Eagle. The rank boards each contained two different Scouting knots.

After the jamboree, the signs were shipped back to Illinois and the following year were reassembled at Camp Lowden in 1958. Today, parts of the gateway can be found mounted in the main lodge and the dining hall.

Snuffy received a 25-year and a 30-year plaque for consecutive years at Camp Lowden. In 1976 he received a Camp Lowden Staff Emeritus plaque, which means an honorary member of the camp staff at Lowden. In 1979 he received a special plaque for appreciation of outstanding service rendered to the Order of the Arrow.

Over his years in Scouting, Snuffy made hundreds of neckerchief slides. Some were carved, some were from molds, and some had lots of detail. Bud Schroeder recalls,

Among the many awards that I received as a Scouter, the one I cherish the most is the hand-carved log cabin neckerchief slide that Snuffy Whitaker awarded me. Thanks Snuffy.

His autobiography states that "someday I am going to mount them on panels for display." Many display panels were indeed made and are presently hanging in the Wienke Lodge at Camp Lowden.

In 1984 Snuffy crafted a magnificent wood plaque depicting "A Scout is Reverent." The plaque is in the form of the fleur-de-lis and also includes praying hands. The plaque was initially displayed at the Scout office in Rockford before being relocated to the Chapel at Camp Lowden.

Snuffy Whitaker passed away on March 15, 1997. Prior to his death a plaque was dedicated in his honor. It is located by a ginkgo tree on the Sinnissippi Bike Path just north of the Sea Scout Building.