Stories From the Brooklyn Scout Camps

Talequah

Bill Dixon

     Talequah had the Brooklyn HQ building and the Infirmary which we have mentioned. It also had the Catholic church which I was never in and had an open air Protestant Church. When I was a camper Dan Riviera and Jim Minor made us go to Church,  I agree with that.   It had a Post Office. The Post Master was a school teacher and his name was Ben ???? short with maybe a  Z in it. If I could find my Order membership cards I would see his signature. You paid dues to him.  Was there anyone who was not happy to pay their annual dues to the Order? Plus he would sell the little order pin that I wore on my one suit and the little ribbon you wore on your uniform. He also had sashes etc.  At one time the design of the sash changed. It went from a solid arrow to an arrow that that had more detail.  Which one would you wear?  The older showed that you were a veteran...but the new one looked nice also.  I can not find my sash so I do not know what arrow was on my Brotherhood sash. Lenny Marcus and I for Brotherhood built a picnic area in Div. 1. Lenny built the tables and I built the fireplaces. I never saw anyone picnic but it looked nice. 

     Talequah also had the Fire Bell.  The Bell we could all ring on Wednesday August 15, 1946...the end of WW 2.  We were down there for many hours. And Talequah had the flagpole where we did a retreat every two weeks.  The last Saturday of the period...all of Camp Brooklyn was there.  And the retreat was so very nice..before the campfire which was a camp highlight. In my last year or so when I was in charge of  Division I,  I was really moved by being the person who stood in  front of  the Division and reported our presence.  Sitting here I believe I went to thirty of those ceremonies.  As a youngster I was so impressed. And then...there is a host Division each period...it worked out well with four divisions... and when I could participate as the host...it was very moving to me.  And of course there were the campfires themselves which should be told as separate stories.

     But the really great thing about Talequah was not man made. There was a little brook that ran through the lawn and down to Rock Lake. That brook was the best place in the whole world to find frogs and salamanders. But the best part was when the sun went down.  Looking up from the Talequah lawn and out across Rock Lake...there were more stars then any other spot on the face of  the earth. The Big Dipper was bigger there and the North Star was brightest.  And also with my friends we could lay there and wonder about the extent of the universe. The real intellectuals of the world are 12 and 13 year old boys who seek knowledge only for the sake of knowledge. That was Talequah!!

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Last Updated: January 18, 2003
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