History Pee Dee Area Council

1 history

1.1 camp pee dee

1.1.1 camp pee dee becomes camp coker
1.1.2 1960s
1.1.3 later construction
1.1.4 dining

history
camp pee dee

czarnitzki returned camp coker council anniversary camporee in november 1978. , wilbert h. bernshouse (10 september 1913 – 26 july 2007) sumter people 1929 @ camporee in 1978.

according 1941 camp coker bulletin, question of how site camp coker chosen answered story pot of fish stew. bulletin recounts group of men darlington out looking site used boy scouts camping. men traveled grist mill dam on spot mill creek near society hill. had come fish stew later decided land looked ideal camp site had been searching for. grist mill building still there in 1943 torn down sometime after that.

soon after trip buildings constructed site developed. original camp built on 80 acres (320,000 m) , called camp pee dee after name of council. pee dee name of indian tribe area regional name part of state. great pee dee river flows miles camp. little pee dee river flows through council s geographic area.

the camp located on site of old plantation. spot mill creek runs through heart of site. in 19th century dam built, slaves, form pond grist mill. turpentine extracted of tall pine trees on land.

in original camp there several buildings. boys stayed in 1 of 6 screened-in cabins, each housing 8 campers 4 sets of bunk beds. cabins given names after famous native american tribes such apache, sioux, iroquois, cherokee, navajo , seminole. in addition, there 1 cabin cooks. camp director, w. e. czarnitzki, had cabin near entrance camp served office. cabins screened in canvas dropped down in case of rain. had front porch extended out couple of feet.

the other original buildings @ camp pee dee dining hall , handicraft lodge. dining hall built men darlington in 1929. erected on hill overlooking cabins. wooden building on stilts on uneven ground. water came dining hall electric pump located near road. dining hall used through 1951 camping season. torn down make way new dining hall. new dining hall opened 1952 camping season , constructed on concrete slab after top of hill had been graded surface.

the handicraft lodge located below cabins on hill. many projects completed in handicraft lodge. among boys worked on leather vests, along sets of bows , arrows. handicraft lodge , ecology hut 1929 buildings still there in 2006.

camp pee dee opened officially on july 1, 1929. boys darlington, sumter, , bennettsville first use camp total of 40 boys in camp. flag pole located on hill above dining hall , cabins. boys assembled outside cabins flag ceremonies. swimming area located right off of dam. pier constructed use , platform built in water diving.

the camp newspaper, called pine needles, reports lot of activities going on in camp. morning inspections conducted sgt. murrel rose of fort jackson cherokee cabin , boys sumter being five-time winners. paper reports there no cases of homesickness, although staff members marion yates , dana crosland cited love sickness. best fisherman of season c. c. griffen of troop 14 in bennettsville. responsible landing 3 big jackfish in 1 day , causing big stir in camp during second week. whole host of weekly individual awards given out including biggest grouch, biggest eater, sloppiest scout, funniest scout, , biggest sheik name few.

camp pee dee becomes camp coker

the name of council camp changed camp pee dee camp coker before summer of 1932 in memory of charles westfield coker, of hartsville, south carolina. president of southern novelty company (now sonoco products company) 1918 until death in fall of 1931. lake in center of camp named lake westwood in honor of charles westfield coker , joseph norwood. joseph norwood developer took 2,000-acre (8.1 km) cox plantation , subdivided lots in year 1915. 1 of lots of 80 acres (320,000 m) original land camp.

improvements camp followed @ steady rate. map made in 1940 shows among new additions first aid lodge, long house, campfire ring, , bridge island in lake. camp latrines given affectionate names. wilbert bernshouse recalls in 1943 called egypt, because that’s pyramids . in 1944 recalls them being called linen closets because took sheets there.

camp coker has gone through number of different stages of growth original buildings in summer of 1929 camp looks today. many activities boys @ camp pee dee enjoyed swimming, archery, , handicrafts still foundation modern camp coker program. although activities similar, buildings have changed. using old photographs , maps possible construct sort of historical tour of camp coker.

there have been several waves of construction @ camp coker. there 3 corresponding types of architecture can seen @ camp. these waves original construction, development in 1950s , development between 1962 , 1963. there buildings @ camp today not fall these waves. among these buildings old winter cabin (built in 1941 , later called camp office), shooting sports buildings, , shaw training center.

bill stallworth (1919–2005) became pdac scout executive on january 1, 1952. had served council field scout executive (now called district executive). initiated construction of several buildings @ camp. style of architecture used concrete block. current dining hall (1952) 1 of these buildings. constructed of concrete block , had porch on end. storage building called warehouse built behind dining hall. directly beside shower building 1 in camp. structure serves paint shed.

a string of buildings built along road adjacent winter cabin. among these additions trading post (1954), health lodge (1952) , director’s cabin. new dock built @ waterfront along bridge leading swimming area central part of camp. many troop camp sites improved. caretaker’s house built prior camp in 1951. (hartsville messenger, june 1951) caretaker s house later moved hill , across road , present ranger s house built c. 1962-63. william lucas shoemake (1916–1992) became first full-time ranger in november 1962 , served through summer of 1981. mr. shoemake fine christian man admired camp coker staff. person ever granted lifetime membership in santee lodge 116.

the camp changed in 1950s when sand causeway built across lake. small bridge linked causeway shore on main side of camp. bridge replaced bigger, nicer bridge in 1962-63 renovations high enough rowboats , canoes pass underneath. bridge , causeway made other side of lake more accessible , no longer necessary walk way around lake other side. wooden 1962-63 bridge replaced bridge steel supports , rails in 1993.

the swimming area @ camp during 1950s featured t dock , had canoes docked @ swimming area. diving platform located little further out dock. current dock has been in shape of f since 1970s. there floating dock further out in deeper water. swimming @ camp coker done in lake westwood. there has never been swimming pool @ camp coker. camp coker used have marathon in troops competed in foot race, archery, rifle, obstacle course, rowing, canoeing, , swimming. marathon began @ spillway , ended in nearby swimming area spectator in vicinity see beginning , end of marathon. program feature adult leaders in camp greased watermelon adults tried put greased watermelon canoe in nonswimmers area. sight of adults trying hold on slippery greased watermelon provided many laughs. program feature boys war canoes in boys went in lake in 2 canoes fire buckets no paddles. object swamp other canoe bailing water it.

1960s

the 1962-63 construction @ camp stallworth helped organize big capital funds campaign camp in 1960s. called on pee dee companies , private donors pledge money , adopt campsite or building improve camp. possible because attendance @ camp of baby boomers reaching scout age. overall membership in scouting , stallworth able harness growth , use create modern camp coker.

construction @ camp took place during winter of 1962–1963. parking lot island got changed during period. front lawn created flag poles , stone sign built make entrance camp impressive. parking lot moved above lawn. welcome shelter men’s , women’s toilet facilities built on lawn. named stallworth lodge in honor of mr. stallworth driving force behind campaign.

the style of architecture used new buildings board , batten. new changing house built near swimming area. swimming area had lookout tower similar ones used in other camps. new boat house concrete boat docks both sail boats , row boats constructed between camp office , director s cabin. dining hall got new side porch. buttress dining hall built in 1977-78 , extension buttress added in 1987-88. central shower facilities built on each side of lake in 1960s.

the other major phase of construction development of modern campsites. belk foundation, of belk department store fame, financed new camp site on island , name of island changed belk island. island had been known campers boney finger island came ghost story fictional character named herman van glotch.

many of new campsites on west side of lake. new burlington campsite (dedicated in 1981) named after burlington industries had big plant (now called swift galey) in society hill. cayce campsite supported cayce family of florence in honor of frank cayce died in parachute accident while @ citadel, military college of south carolina. prior site called lake side. cayce campsite had unusual pine tree called witch s tree ghost story. branches of tree went out , , unusual. cut down prior summer of 1978. john holliday of galivants ferry long time council supporter , holliday campsite named after him. campsite inspections conducted 2 camp staff commissioners. there 2 commissioners, 1 on each side of lake. each commissioner inspected campsites on side of lake. troops more diligent others in keeping clean campsite.

this last major renovation of camp coker. of things built stallworth , supporters of campaign in 1960s remain. buildings have been added in thirty plus years following camp redevelopment plan. of them donated families in honor of someone.

later construction

the shooting sports program area of camp has been developed since 1970s. hackett rifle range built in 1974 in honor of harley b. hackett of florence former santee lodge member. shot down while flying mission in southeastern asia in 1968. doug sprague archery building built in 1986 after killed in robbery @ columbia mall in columbia, sc. doug had been camp coker staff member 5 years in youth. father bill sprague (1918–2004), chairman of council camping committee in 1986. mr. sprague had served pdac scoutmaster, oa lodge adviser, , council president.

the shaw training center built in honor of charlie shaw in 1988. modern building has several bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, kitchen , large meeting room. used site of district committee meetings , other functions. camp staff members have nicknamed building camp coker hilton .

the copenhaver family of hartsville donated money new campsite , renovation of camp chapel in 1983. copenhaver campsite , chapel named in memory of dr. james e. copenhaver (1896–1982). director of chemical research @ sonoco products company in hartsville. had been chemistry professor @ university of south carolina. dr. copenhaver longtime supporter of pee dee area council. former council president , second pdac scouter receive silver antelope award. copenhaver chapel , campsite located near causeway down rifle range. included new screen shelter.

in 1990 henry b. moree of society hill donated money campsite in name built above holliday campsite. in 1987 moree purchased of property across paved road camp , constructed hunting preserve , motocross racetrack on land.

camp coker has seen additional improvements in recent years. santee lodge responsible new toilet house located between dining hall , council ring. facility badly needed because @ time there no restroom facilities near dining hall. toilet in dining hall reserved cooks , got aggravated when flushed many times. lodge received matching grant national order of arrow assist in construction. new sewage system installed entire camp when new restrooms built. new shower building added on each side of lake replacing central showers 1960s. new campsite staff toilets, sinks, showers, , washing machines added between warehouse , council ring. campsite has many small sleeping cabins called birdhouses .

santee lodge 116 paid first component of newly developed c.o.p.e. course @ camp funding zip line tower. @ time council in rush course underway meet deadline new , stricter regulations. lodge executive committee agreed pay several thousand dollars have main poles used in tower treated. later zipline , other components of c.o.p.e. (challenging outdoor physical experience) course added.

dining

camp coker had reputation having excellent food. mrs. flora bull (1922–2007) of darlington, sc, first hired camp director walter s. anky carter (1925–1994) in 1954. cooked schools in darlington , @ camp coker 1954 1980 , 1982-88. flora s fried chicken 1 of favorite meals. made dinner rolls scratch campers , staff members called moon rocks . moon rocks served plate of butter. ice water , iced tea usual drinks meals along kool-aid called bug juice . orange juice, milk, , coffee adults served breakfast.

food @ camp coker served family style , boys took turns being waiter , assistant waiter. food served in bowls , eaten on real plates metal forks, knives, , spoons. dishes washed after each meal , disposable utensils not used. boys served waiters , assistant waiters responsible setting tables , cleaning afterwards. taught them value of teamwork , responsibility. end porch on dining hall has bell used signal waiters come dining hall set tables.

flora did not waste , skills 1 of reasons why excellent food served within reasonable budget. included making soup out of leftovers. made sweet rolls scratch served on saturday mornings before camp ended. made delicious cookies u.s. department of agriculture peanut butter. chili , rice, grilled cheese sandwiches, , macaroni , cheese made scratch. leftover butter melted , put refrigerated molds used again. scrambled eggs made real eggs cracked out of shell. staff members sit troops when seats available , facilitated interaction between staff , campers. scout songs sung after meals led member of staff. interior light fixtures in dining hall resemble wagon wheels. flags previous pee dee area council national jamboree troops hung rafters in dining hall. 2 awards presented in dining hall loving cup , pigs trough cleanest , messiest tables.