2005 Camp Lowden Staff Reunion

The largest reunion in Camp Lowden history took place on Saturday, September 3, 2005, in conjunction with the camp’s 65th Anniversary. It was a huge success.

Steve Sarver recalls,

For many years, I wanted to have a “mega reunion” that was similar to a college homecoming or class reunion. Many former staffers had not been to camp in years, and in the case of some wives and children, had never been to camp before. In talking with Tim Gaston, who coordinated the 50th Anniversary reunion, we agreed that the ideal reunion would be held on a Saturday afternoon, where folks could walk around camp, relive memories, bring their families, etc. A Saturday reunion (as opposed to a Wednesday night) would remove time constraints from the current camp staff, and would also allow those with a longer drive to attend without having to worry about getting up to go to work the next morning.

A lot of interest was generated through e-mails, the camp Web site, telephone calls, and newspaper articles. More than 100 people attended including several who served on the camp staff back in the 1940s.

A special reunion patch was given out which was based on the “Amaquonsippi-style” staff patches of the 1950s and 1960s (the black patches with red lettering and a campfire scene).

In addition to becoming reacquainted with the camp, people became reacquainted with each other. Many former staffers had not seen each other in 20 years, 30 years, and in a few cases in 50 years or more. It was truly a uniting of all camp staffs, past and present.

There was plenty of fun to be had in addition to the fellowship. The camp was open for everyone to explore, the rifle range was open, and there were even games for the younger kids who did not want to tag along with dad or mom. Participants could also hike down to the waterfront on the new trail, or on the new nature trail.

In addition, information provided to us at this reunion indicated that the long-rumored time capsule was indeed buried at the flagpole in 1951. Time did not allow us the opportunity to investigate further prior to the reunion. The flagpole was dedicated to a 1951 staff member, Bob Davison, who was killed in Korea at the age of 17.
[Note: the time capsule was recovered in 2011 when the flagpole was replaced. The arrowhead-shaped base was resorted and the new flagpole was rededicated to Bob Davison.]

Shortly before dinner group photos were taken, then photos of each "era" of staff members, former camp directors, etc. After an impressive flag-lowering ceremony by the 2005 camp staff, we all marched down to the dining hall for a scrumptious Italian beef supper. Many thanks go to our camp cook Betty Miller and her staff for providing this scrumptious meal! Following dinner was the longtime camp tradition of singing songs, which were very memorable indeed!

Following dinner was a longtime camp tradition of singing songs. The fun began with a take on the popular 1970's cartoon Underdog, followed by the song The Cat Came Back.

This was followed by Tim Gaston leading his famous (or infamous?) rendition of The Unicorn Song, complete with actions. To help him out, he asked fellow 1986 staff members Brian Habing, Brian Aichele, Bruce Small, and Steve Sarver to "assist" him with the actions (in the ever-80’s staff way that we did!) It was a sight to behold!

After dinner the trading post was open, and there were many memorabilia tables, patch displays, old photographs, etc. A computer was on hand for those who brought photos or other memorabilia to be scanned in for the revised camp history. There was also a display of old photos for which the negatives were recently discovered.

The highlight of the reunion was the evening campfire in the council ring. The fire was lit from the top of the cliffs using the longtime tradition of a flaming arrow on a string. Stories were told by many, and more songs were sung including memorable renditions by Dan Bestul and Paul Park. Many people were recognized for their efforts on behalf of Camp Lowden, including Bruce Small, Kevin Lamm, Paul Park, and Carl Christensen (camp directors); Bruce Richardson (cataloging of patches and defining naming conventions); Betty Miller (camp cook extraordinaire); Dan Bestul (campfire coordination); Tim Gaston and Dan Reilly (numerous program contributions over 10 or more years); and Steve Sarver (reunion coordinator and history organizer).

Steve then spoke briefly about his desire to have some sort of a Camp Lowden Alumni Association. Many other camps around the country have such an organization, which not only serves to keep everyone connected but also to provide support for the camp such as camp projects, financial support, gifts-in-kind, etc.

As a surprise highlight, Mike Berlin, former staffer from the 1970s, had recently returned from the service in the Middle East. He presented an American flag which flew over the last Taliban stronghold in Iraq in 2004 on the third anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. He presented this flag to Bruce Small, the present camp director, who announced that this flag will fly over Camp Lowden beginning next summer and each summer thereafter. A standing ovation was given for Mike, and then all former servicemen and reserves were then asked to stand and be recognized as well.

Bruce Small concluded the campfire by having everyone present circle the fire while he spoke of the camp motto, “Pride, Tradition, and Excellence.” He read a poem that he wrote, followed by Baden-Powell’s Farewell Address. As the campfire ended, all present sang “Scout Vespers.”

The final event of the day was a cracker barrel in the dining hall, where many tearful goodbyes were said. Everyone present had a great time, and felt a renewal of the Spirit of Camp Lowden.