Camp staff alumni reminisce as Manatoc reunion is organized

1970-1976 Troop 361-Tallmadge-Troop Leader Dave Marlow was the most patient man I ever met,gave up many of his summer vacations to take our troop to Manatoc & Butler for the week..many fond memories of that time along with two of my brothers....and yes, the food was good & plentiful in the old hall.....I guess if I had one regret is that my son's never got to experience the joy's of Scouting as I did...we had a great troop and still see some of the guys...Thanks Mr. Marlow for the experience!

Mark Price always knows how to resurrect memories and scouting is no different. After reading "Scouts Honor" I went to my old picture album and found pics of a Camp Manatoc camp site and the kids I was there with from a troop at Main St. Methodist church (myself and some of my friends were fish eaters). The leader assigned to us, I just remember was known as Tiny although he was just the opposite. The pics were dated Aug. 19th 1953 and I think it was my third year at Manatoc. I remember that mess hall where you always passed food to the right. The hobby, shop carving neckerchief slides and also weaving flat plastic string into whistle lanterns. At the lake you were a white, red or green tag swimmer. I think red was for non swimmers white you could swim out to the dock and back and green you could jump off the tower and swin out and back under water a certain distance. I was green. Going to camp was great fun, we really looked forward to it. I also remember that the night of our scout meetings was when the new TV show Superman (Ga. Reeves?) came out and I would occasionally miss a meeting. The commercial for Superman was Kellogs sugar frosted flakes and Tony the Tiger.

Some of the best summers and winters of my life were spent at Butler and Manatoc. That article brought it all flooding back. I just wish I had a chance to be on the staff there so I could go to the reunion.

GREAT TIMES! KEEP SCOUTING GOING!!!

I have the privilege of being one of Mr. Morgan's Troop 177 Eagle Scouts. I enjoyed Summer Camp at Manatoc in 1971 and 1972, but it has been even better the past four years as a Troop 177 assistant Scoutmaster, sharing the Manatoc experience with my son. Thanks to outgoing Camp Director Woody Brooks and his outstanding staff for building on Manatoc's Scouting tradition. As the gateway sign reads as you leave Manatoc: "To these things you must return."

I have many fond memories of summer camp at Camp Manatoc in the mid 70's. This article refreshes them...and the food and dinning hall were GREAT!! Troop 453 from Lafayette Twp., Medina. Mr. Delmar Hall, Scoutmaster

Bergermeister wrote:

Some of the best summers and winters of my life were spent at Butler and Manatoc. That article brought it all flooding back. I just wish I had a chance to be on the staff there so I could go to the reunion.
GREAT TIMES! KEEP SCOUTING GOING!!!

Don't forget Camp Mueller, too.

Former BSA Member, Troop 73.

Anyone remember that airplane propeller in the dining hall? And some silly legend about "Mad Man Manatoc", the pilot?

I just liked camping with the girl scouts at Ledgewood and some of us sneaking out to look for the boy scout camp..sjt

I remember camping at Ledgewood and some of the girls going out to meet the guys at Manatoc. We had lots of fun at the Girl Scout camp too. Don't remember hot meals served to us unless we cooked it on a campfire and loved the marshmallow roasts lol. Great story Mark.

San Jose Transplant wrote:

I just liked camping with the girl scouts at Ledgewood and some of us sneaking out to look for the boy scout camp..sjt

No wonder we always found your camp deserted! LOL.

Howard Beale Jr wrote:

<quoted text>
No wonder we always found your camp deserted! LOL.

Thinking the same thing Howard while reading the above girls story...I had almost forgot those late nite searches for the girls camps...and now we know the rest of the story !

Appraisit wrote:

<quoted text>
Thinking the same thing Howard while reading the above girls story...I had almost forgot those late nite searches for the girls camps...and now we know the rest of the story !

We used to sneak over to Mueller as well. You would think that with the girls looking for us and the boys looking for them we would have encountered each other in the woods between. LOL!

GREAT DAYS!!!

Bergermeister wrote:

<quoted text>
We used to sneak over to Mueller as well. You would think that with the girls looking for us and the boys looking for them we would have encountered each other in the woods between. LOL!
GREAT DAYS!!!

Kids today, heck their parents set up the overnight sleepovers or just don't care who they're with as long as they aren't bothering them....at least back then we had to work at it......or in some cases hope for it, pray for it.......

e-mail address for Mr Shimko is jshimko@bsamail.org and the registration form is at http://manatoc.org/forms/camp_staff_alumni_re...

Bergermeister wrote:

<quoted text>
We used to sneak over to Mueller as well. You would think that with the girls looking for us and the boys looking for them we would have encountered each other in the woods between. LOL!
GREAT DAYS!!!

I would love to see this string kept open!

Manitoc/Butler/Mueller memories make me feel young again. LOL!

"Keep 'em comin'"
- Ponce de Leon!

Howard Beale Jr wrote:

<quoted text>
No wonder we always found your camp deserted! LOL.

LMAO,
Remember finding a few of you by the railroad tracks..lol..sjt

Bergermeister wrote:

<quoted text>
We used to sneak over to Mueller as well. You would think that with the girls looking for us and the boys looking for them we would have encountered each other in the woods between. LOL!
GREAT DAYS!!!

By the train tracks, Berg...lol...sjt

My husband was a scout master in Akron in the 80's. Had a great time on trips with that troop--World's Fair.
Heck, he, our 2 boys and I went to Philmont one summer...sjt.

Troop 273, St. Stephens Lutheran in Stow. Worked at Butler, Manitoc and Ritchie (before they closed it).

Was blessed in my later Scouting years to work with some fantastic people in the Council (like Walt Kominic(sp?), who recently passed away) doing all sorts of leadership development work.

David Decker was the perfect Scoutmaster. He dragged us all over the country - Philmont, Northern Wisconsin National Canoe Base, the Tetons.

To this day, some of the best experiences of my life. And **tried** to give some back working as an Assistant Scout Master when my boys were growing up. Even got one to do Philmont.

Still try to tie all those knots once in awhile..........

I was in scout troop 74 and we went to both Butler and Manitoc. Always used my Harvey Firestone award to go back to one of the camps a second time durning the summer with a different troop. Rembering the mile swim that was the best.

Bergermeister wrote:

<quoted text>
I would love to see this string kept open!
Manitoc/Butler/Mueller memories make me feel young again. LOL!
"Keep 'em comin'"
- Ponce de Leon!

How bout the "ORDER OF THE ARROW"....no talking, the storytelling around the fire the night before, work detail and eating a meal cooked in the fire...I still have my sash with the Arrow !