1962 – National Camping School, Camp Yocona, MS

Because Willard “Vic” Vickery, Scout Executive, was hoping I would decide to become a professional scouter, he offered this adult training at National Camping School at the beginning of summer, before camp started, as an incentive along with it really training me to do a better job of SPL Training at Quapaw. He also offered the Woodbadge Training at the end of the summer as an even bigger incentive and more advanced training than this, but only as an incentive to choose a scouting profession as it was after the summer camp.

I don’t remember now if National Camping School was a week long or just a weekend training that helps facilitate more volunteers. The feature photo is the official class photo they gave each of us as we left along with the two patches below. Me? I’m the 5th person from the left on the back row helping hold the Roadrunner Patrol flag we made. 🙂

I wore the left badge on my uniform all summer which indicated qualification and carried respect. The camp patch was just a souvenir of Mississippi I never put on a uniform. 🙂

Though it is possibly different today, here is the current description of the BSA National Camping School online at the official Boy Scout website.

There was at least one other camp staffer from Camp Quapaw at this training and maybe more, I just don’t remember now. I do remember driving through Memphis and down into northern Mississippi pine forests to get to Camp Yocona that was located off Highway 278 between Oxford (U. of Miss) and Tupelo (Elvis birthplace). It reminded me of South Arkansas and Camp Logoly I attended near El Dorado.

I also remember it being a very good and professionally done scout skills training event with scout troop organization and leadership training for boys – exactly what I would be teaching the Senior Patrol Leaders at Camp Quapaw every week that summer, thus perfect preparation for that major part of my camp job. And it was perfect for the scoutmasters attending to help them better lead their troops.

And unbeknownst to me at the time, it was a good model for the Royal Ambassador Campcraft and Leadership classes I would be leading across the country in the 1970’s when I would be the National RA Consultant and Campcraft person at the SBC Brotherhood Commission in Memphis. Just one more serendipity or way God was preparing me for my future. 🙂

¡Pura Vida!