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The Pee Dee Area Council was a
Boy Scouts Boy Scouts or Boy Scout may refer to: * Members, sections or organisations in the Scouting Movement ** Scout (Scouting), a boy or a girl participating in the worldwide Scouting movement ** Scouting America, formerly known as Boy Scouts of America ...
organization located in northeastern South Carolina. The Indian Waters Council headquartered in
Columbia, SC Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-mo ...
absorbed the council on August 1, 2022. The combined council, Indian Waters Council #553 continues to operate Camp Coker, and maintain an office in
Florence, SC Florence is a city in and the county seat of Florence County, South Carolina, United States. It lies at the intersection of Interstates 20 and 95 and is the eastern terminus of the former. It is the primary city within the Florence metropoli ...
.


Organization

*Atakwa District *Chicora District *Great Northern District *Henry Shelor District The Pee Dee Area Council Boy Scouts of America was founded in July 1928 with William E. Czarnitzki as the first Scout Executive. The council office was in the city hall in
Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. It lies on the River Skerne, west of Middlesbrough and south of Durham. Darlington had a population of 107,800 at the 2021 Census, making it a "large town" ...
until it moved to
Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...
in the 1930s. Czarnitzki left the Pee Dee Area Council to take the job of Scout Executive of the Central South Carolina Council in his home town of Columbia c. March 1930.


Camp Coker

Camp Coker is a
Boy Scout A Scout, Boy Scout, Girl Scout or, in some countries, a Pathfinder is a participant in the Scout Movement, usually aged 10–18 years, who engage in learning scoutcraft and outdoor and other special interest activities. Some Scout organizatio ...
Camp located just outside
Society Hill Society Hill is a historic neighborhood in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 6,215 . Settled in the early 1680s, Society Hill is one of the oldest residential neighborhoods in Philadelphia.The Center ...
,
South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
. Camp Coker is operated by the Pee Dee Area Council. The fully accredited Camp Coker offers programs and activities including
COPE A cope ( ("rain coat") or ("cape")) is a liturgical long mantle or cloak, open at the front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical colour. A cope may be worn by any rank of the Catholic or Anglican clerg ...
,
aquatics Aquatics may refer to: *Aquatic sports in the Olympics and other international competitions, including the disciplines of swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, water polo, and open water swimming *Water-related sports more broadly (including boa ...
,
canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. In some parts of Europe, canoeing refers to both canoeing and kayaking, with a canoe being called an 'open canoe' or Canadian. A few of the recreational ...
,
rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...
,
sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, Windsurfing, windsurfer, or Kitesurfing, kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (Land sa ...
,
kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...
,
handicrafts A handicraft is a traditional main sector of craft making and applies to a wide range of creative and design activities that are related to making things with one's hands and skill, including work with textiles, moldable and rigid material ...
,
rifle shooting Shooting sports is a group of competitive and recreational sporting activities involving proficiency tests of accuracy, precision and speed in shooting — the art of using ranged weapons, mainly small arms (firearms and airguns, in forms such ...
,
shotgun A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, peppergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which discharges numerous small ...
shooting,
archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a Bow and arrow, bow to shooting, shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting ...
,
ecology Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their Natural environment, environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community (ecology), community, ecosystem, and biosphere lev ...
and environmental science, fishing, natural sciences, Scoutcraft, and Trailblazers (emphasis on Tenderfoot-to-First Class skills). Camp Coker is a year-round facility. In addition to the Boy Scout summer camp program held June to August each year, Camp Coker host a variety of events, from unit camping opportunities to training courses,
Wood Badge Wood Badge is a Scout leader training program, first implemented by The Scout Association, The Boy Scouts Association in the United Kingdom in 1919 and subsequently adopted, with variations, by some other Scout organizations. Wood Badge Course ...
, Council events, District events, and
Order of the Arrow The Order of the Arrow (OA) is the honor society of Scouting America, composed of Scouts and Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Promise, Scout Oath and Scout Law, Law in their daily lives as elected by their peers. It was founded as a camp fr ...
functions.


History


Camp Pee Dee

Czarnitzki returned to Camp Coker for the council anniversary
camporee A camporee is a local or regional gathering of Scouting units for a period of camping and common activities. Similar to a camporee, a jamboree occurs less often and draws units from the entire nation or world. It should not be confused with the ...
in November 1978. He and Wilbert H. Bernshouse (10 September 1913 – 26 July 2007) from
Sumter Sumter may refer to: People Given name * Sumter S. Arnim (1904–1990), American dentist * Sumter de Leon Lowry Jr. (1893–1985), United States Army general Surname * Rowendy Sumter (born 1988), Curaçaoan footballer * Shavonda E. Sumt ...
were the only people from 1929 at the camporee in 1978. According to the 1941 Camp Coker bulletin, the question of how the site for Camp Coker was chosen is answered by a story about a good pot of
fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...
stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been Cooking, cooked in Soup, liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients can include any combination of vegetables and may include meat, especially tougher meats suitable for ...
. The bulletin recounts that a group of men from Darlington were out looking for a site to be used by the Boy Scouts for camping. The men traveled to a
grist mill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that h ...
dam on Spot Mill Creek near Society Hill. They had come for a fish stew but later decided that the land looked ideal for the camp site they had been searching for. The grist mill building was still there in 1943 but was torn down sometime after that. Soon after the trip buildings were constructed as the site was developed. The original camp was built on and called Camp Pee Dee after the name of the council. "Pee Dee" is the name of an Indian tribe from the area as well as a regional name for this part of the state. The
Great Pee Dee River The Pee Dee River, also known as the Great Pee Dee River, is a river in the Carolinas of the United States. It originates in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, where its upper course, above the mouth of the Uwharrie River, is known a ...
flows just miles from the camp. The Little Pee Dee River also flows through the council's geographic area. The camp was located on the site of an old plantation. Spot Mill Creek runs through the heart of this site. In the 19th century a dam was built to form a pond for a grist mill.
Turpentine Turpentine (which is also called spirit of turpentine, oil of turpentine, terebenthine, terebenthene, terebinthine and, colloquially, turps) is a fluid obtainable by the distillation of resin harvested from living trees, mainly pines. Principall ...
was also extracted from some of the tall
pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...
trees on the land. In the original camp there were several buildings. The boys stayed in one of six screened-in cabins, each housing eight campers with four sets of bunk beds. The cabins were given names after famous Native American tribes such as the
Apache The Apache ( ) are several Southern Athabaskan language-speaking peoples of the Southwestern United States, Southwest, the Southern Plains and Northern Mexico. They are linguistically related to the Navajo. They migrated from the Athabascan ho ...
,
Sioux The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin ( ; Dakota/ Lakota: ) are groups of Native American tribes and First Nations people from the Great Plains of North America. The Sioux have two major linguistic divisions: the Dakota and Lakota peoples (translati ...
,
Iroquois The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenosaunee ( ; ) are an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Ind ...
,
Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...
,
Navajo The Navajo or Diné are an Indigenous people of the Southwestern United States. Their traditional language is Diné bizaad, a Southern Athabascan language. The states with the largest Diné populations are Arizona (140,263) and New Mexico (1 ...
and
Seminole The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, ...
. In addition, there was one cabin for the cooks. The camp director, W. E. Czarnitzki, also had a cabin near the entrance to camp that served as an office. The cabins were screened in with canvas that could be dropped down in case of rain. They also had a front porch that extended out a couple of feet. The other original buildings at Camp Pee Dee were the dining hall and the handicraft lodge. The dining hall was built by men from Darlington in 1929. It was erected on a hill overlooking the cabins. It was a wooden building on stilts over uneven ground. Water came up to the dining hall from an electric pump located near the road. This dining hall was used through the 1951 camping season. It was torn down to make way for the new dining hall. The new dining hall opened for the 1952 camping season and was constructed on a concrete slab after the top of the hill had been graded to an even surface. The Handicraft Lodge was located just below the cabins on a hill. Many projects were completed in the Handicraft Lodge. Among those that the boys worked on were leather vests, along with sets of bows and arrows. The Handicraft Lodge and the Ecology hut are the only 1929 buildings that are still there in 2006. Camp Pee Dee opened officially on July 1, 1929. Boys from
Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. It lies on the River Skerne, west of Middlesbrough and south of Durham. Darlington had a population of 107,800 at the 2021 Census, making it a "large town" ...
,
Sumter Sumter may refer to: People Given name * Sumter S. Arnim (1904–1990), American dentist * Sumter de Leon Lowry Jr. (1893–1985), United States Army general Surname * Rowendy Sumter (born 1988), Curaçaoan footballer * Shavonda E. Sumt ...
, and
Bennettsville Bennettsville is a city located in the U.S. state of South Carolina on the Great Pee Dee River. As the county seat of Marlboro County, Bennettsville is noted for its historic homes and buildings from the 19th and early 20th centuries—includ ...
were the first to use the camp with a total of about 40 boys in camp. The flag pole was located on a hill above the dining hall and the cabins. The boys assembled outside their cabins for flag ceremonies. The swimming area was located right off of the dam. A pier was constructed for use and a platform was built in the water for diving. The camp newspaper, called the ''Pine Needles'', reports a lot of the activities that were going on in camp. Morning inspections were conducted by Sgt. Murrel Rose of Fort Jackson with the Cherokee Cabin and the boys from Sumter being five-time winners. The paper reports there were no cases of homesickness, although staff members Marion Yates and Dana Crosland were cited for love sickness. The best fisherman of the season was C. C. Griffen of Troop 14 in Bennettsville. He was responsible for landing three big jackfish in one day and causing a big stir in camp during the second week. A whole host of weekly individual awards were given out including biggest grouch, biggest eater, sloppiest Scout, funniest Scout, and the biggest "sheik" to name a few.


=Camp Pee Dee becomes Camp Coker

= The name of the council camp was changed from Camp Pee Dee to Camp Coker before the summer of 1932 in memory of Charles Westfield Coker, of
Hartsville, South Carolina Hartsville is the largest city in Darlington County, South Carolina, United States. It was chartered on December 11, 1891. The population was 7,764 at the 2010 census. Hartsville was chosen as an All-America City in 1996 and again in 2016. Harts ...
. He was President of the Southern Novelty Company (now
Sonoco Products Company Sonoco Products Company is an American provider of diversified consumer packaging, industrial products, protective packaging, and packaging supply chain services and the world's largest producer of composite cans, tubes, and cores. The company w ...
) from 1918 until his death in the fall of 1931. The lake in the center of camp is named Lake Westwood in honor of Charles Westfield Coker and Joseph Norwood. Joseph Norwood was a developer who took the Cox Plantation and subdivided it into lots in the year 1915. One of those lots of was the original land for the camp. Improvements to the camp followed at a steady rate. A map made in 1940 shows that among the new additions were a first aid lodge, the long house, a campfire ring, and a bridge to the island in the lake. The camp latrines were given affectionate names. Wilbert Bernshouse recalls that in 1943 they were called Egypt, because "that's where the pyramids are". In 1944 he recalls them being called linen closets because everyone took their sheets there. Camp Coker has gone through a number of different stages of growth from the original buildings in the summer of 1929 to what the camp looks like today. Many activities that boys at Camp Pee Dee enjoyed like swimming, archery, and handicrafts are still the foundation for the modern Camp Coker program. Although the activities are similar, the buildings have changed. By using old photographs and maps it is possible to construct a sort of historical tour of Camp Coker. There have been several waves of construction at Camp Coker. There are also three corresponding types of architecture that can be seen at camp. These waves were the original construction, development in the early 1950s and development between 1962 and 1963. There are some buildings at camp today which do not fall into these waves. Among these buildings are the old winter cabin (built in 1941 and later called the camp office), the shooting sports buildings, and the Shaw Training Center. Bill Stallworth (1919–2005) became the PDAC Scout executive on January 1, 1952. He had previously served the council as a Field Scout Executive (now called District Executive). He initiated the construction of several buildings at camp. The style of architecture used was basically concrete block. The current dining hall (1952) was one of these buildings. It was constructed of concrete block and had a porch on the end. A storage building now called the warehouse was built behind the dining hall. Directly beside it was a shower building which was the only one in camp. This structure now serves as a paint shed. A string of buildings was built along the road adjacent to the winter cabin. Among these additions was a trading post (1954), health lodge (1952) and the director's cabin. A new dock was built at the waterfront along with a bridge leading to the swimming area from the central part of camp. Many troop camp sites were improved. A caretaker's house was built prior to camp in 1951. (Hartsville Messenger, June 1951) This caretaker's house was later moved up the hill and across the road and the present ranger's house was built – 63. William Lucas Shoemake (1916–1992) became the first full-time ranger in November 1962 and served through the summer of 1981. Mr. Shoemake was a fine Christian man who was greatly admired by the Camp Coker Staff. He was the only person to ever be granted a lifetime membership in Santee Lodge 116. The camp was changed significantly in the 1950s when a sand causeway was built across the lake. A small bridge linked the causeway to the shore on the main side of camp. This bridge was replaced by a bigger, nicer bridge in the 1962-63 renovations that was high enough for rowboats and canoes to pass underneath. The bridge and causeway made the other side of the lake more accessible and it was no longer necessary to walk all the way around the lake to get to the other side. The wooden 1962-63 bridge was replaced by a bridge with steel supports and rails in 1993. The swimming area at camp during the 1950s featured a "T Dock" and had the canoes docked at the swimming area. A diving platform was also located a little further out from the dock. The current dock has been in the shape of an "F" since the 1970s. There is also a floating dock further out in deeper water. Swimming at Camp Coker is done in Lake Westwood. There has never been a swimming pool at Camp Coker. Camp Coker used to have a marathon in which troops competed in a foot race, archery, rifle, obstacle course, rowing, canoeing, and swimming. The marathon began at the spillway and ended in the nearby swimming area so a spectator in that vicinity could see the beginning and the end of the marathon. Another program feature for adult leaders in camp was the greased watermelon where adults tried to put a greased watermelon into a canoe in the nonswimmers area. The sight of adults trying to hold on to a slippery greased watermelon provided many laughs. Another program feature for boys was the war canoes in which boys went in the lake in two canoes with fire buckets but no paddles. The object was to swamp the other canoe by bailing water into it.


=1960s

= The 1962-63 Construction at Camp Stallworth helped organize another big capital funds campaign for the camp in the early 1960s. He called on Pee Dee companies and private donors to pledge money and adopt a campsite or building to improve camp. All this was possible because attendance at camp was up with all of the baby boomers reaching Scout age. Overall membership in Scouting was up and Stallworth was able to harness this growth and use it to really create the modern Camp Coker. Construction at camp took place during the winter of 1962–1963. Everything from the parking lot to the island got changed during this period. A front lawn was created with flag poles and a stone sign built to make the entrance into camp impressive. The parking lot was moved to above the lawn. A welcome shelter with men's and women's toilet facilities was built on the lawn. It was named Stallworth Lodge in honor of Mr. Stallworth who was the driving force behind the campaign. The style of architecture used for the new buildings was board and batten. A new changing house was built near the swimming area. The swimming area had a lookout tower that was similar to ones used in other camps. A new boat house with concrete boat docks for both sail boats and row boats was constructed between the camp office and the director's cabin. The dining hall also got a new side porch. A buttress for the dining hall was built in 1977-78 and an extension to the buttress was added in 1987–88. Central shower facilities were built on each side of the lake in the 1960s. The other major phase of the construction was the development of the modern campsites. The Belk Foundation, of
Belk Belk, Inc. is an American department store chain founded in 1888 by William Henry Belk in Monroe, North Carolina, with nearly 300 locations in 16 states. Belk stores and Belk.com offer apparel, shoes, accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings, a ...
department store fame, financed a new camp site on the island and the name of the island was changed to Belk Island. The island had previously been known to some campers as "Boney Finger Island" which came from a ghost story about a fictional character named Herman Van Glotch. Many of the new campsites were on the west side of the lake. The new Burlington campsite (dedicated in 1981) was named after Burlington industries which had a big plant (now called Swift Galey) in Society Hill. Cayce campsite was supported by the Cayce family of Florence in honor of Frank Cayce who died in a parachute accident while at
The Citadel The Citadel Military College of South Carolina (simply known as The Citadel) is a public senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Established in 1842, it is the third oldest of the six senior military colleges ...
, the military college of South Carolina. Prior to this the site was just called lake side. Cayce campsite had an unusual pine tree called the "witch's tree" from another ghost story. The branches of the tree went out and up and it was very unusual. It was cut down prior to the summer of 1978. John Holliday of Galivants Ferry was a long time council supporter and Holliday campsite was named after him. Campsite inspections were conducted by the two camp staff commissioners. There were two commissioners, one on each side of the lake. Each commissioner inspected the campsites on his side of the lake. Some troops were more diligent than others in keeping a clean campsite. This was the last major renovation of Camp Coker. Almost all of the things built by Stallworth and the supporters of the campaign in the early 1960s remain. Some buildings have been added in the thirty plus years following the camp redevelopment plan. Most of them were donated by families in honor of someone.


=Later construction

= The shooting sports program area of camp has been developed since the early 1970s. The Hackett Rifle Range was built in 1974 in honor of Harley B. Hackett of Florence who was a former Santee Lodge member. He was shot down while flying a mission in Southeastern Asia in 1968. The Doug Sprague archery building was built in 1986 after he was killed in a robbery at Columbia Mall in Columbia, SC. Doug had been a Camp Coker staff member for five years in his youth. His father Bill Sprague (1918–2004), was Chairman of the Council Camping Committee in 1986. Mr. Sprague had also served the PDAC as a Scoutmaster, OA lodge adviser, and council president. The Shaw Training Center was built in honor of Charlie Shaw in 1988. This modern building has several bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a kitchen and a large meeting room. Often this is used as the site of district committee meetings and other functions. Camp staff members have nicknamed the building the "Camp Coker Hilton". The Copenhaver family of Hartsville donated money for a new campsite and renovation of the camp chapel in 1983. Copenhaver campsite and chapel were named in memory of Dr. James E. Copenhaver (1896–1982). He was the director of chemical research at
Sonoco Products Company Sonoco Products Company is an American provider of diversified consumer packaging, industrial products, protective packaging, and packaging supply chain services and the world's largest producer of composite cans, tubes, and cores. The company w ...
in Hartsville. He had previously been a chemistry professor at the
University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...
. Dr. Copenhaver was a longtime supporter of the Pee Dee Area Council. He was a former council president and was the second PDAC Scouter to receive the
Silver Antelope The Silver Antelope Award is a distinguished service award presented by Scouting America for outstanding service to young people within one of the organization’s divisions. Since 2022 award has been presented for service to a Council Service T ...
award. Copenhaver chapel and campsite is located near the
causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet T ...
just down from the rifle range. It also included a new screen shelter. In 1990 Henry B. Moree of Society Hill donated money for a campsite in his name which was built above Holliday campsite. In 1987 Moree purchased most of the property across the paved road from camp and constructed a hunting preserve and
motocross Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom. History Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competi ...
racetrack on the land. Camp Coker has seen additional improvements in recent years. Santee Lodge was responsible for a new toilet house located between the Dining Hall and Council Ring. This facility was badly needed because at the time there were no good restroom facilities near the dining hall. The only toilet in the dining hall was reserved for the cooks and it got aggravated when flushed too many times. The lodge received a matching grant from the National Order of the Arrow to assist in its construction. A new sewage system was installed for the entire camp when the new restrooms were built. A new shower building was also added on each side of the lake replacing the central showers from the 1960s. A new campsite for the staff with toilets, sinks, showers, and washing machines was added between the warehouse and the council ring. This campsite has many small sleeping cabins that are called "birdhouses". Santee Lodge 116 also paid for the first component of the newly developed C.O.P.E. course at camp by funding the zip line tower. At the time the council was in a rush to get the course underway to meet a deadline for new and stricter regulations. The lodge executive committee agreed to pay several thousand dollars to have the main poles used in the tower treated. Later the zipline and other components of the C.O.P.E. (Challenging Outdoor Physical Experience) course were added.Picture of Climbing Tower
/ref>


=Dining

= Camp Coker had a reputation for having excellent food. Mrs. Flora Bull (1922–2007) of Darlington, SC, was first hired by Camp Director Walter S. "Anky" Carter (1925–1994) in 1954. She cooked for the schools in Darlington and at Camp Coker from 1954 to 1980 and 1982–88. Flora's fried chicken was one of the favorite meals. She made dinner rolls from scratch that campers and staff members called "
moon rocks Moon rock or lunar rock is rock originating from Earth's Moon. This includes lunar material collected during the course of human exploration of the Moon, and rock that has been ejected naturally from the Moon's surface and landed on Earth a ...
". The "moon rocks" were served with a plate of butter. Ice water and iced tea were the usual drinks for meals along with
Kool-Aid Kool-Aid is an American brand of flavored drink mix owned by Kraft Heinz based in Chicago, Illinois. The powder form was created by Edwin Perkins in 1927 based upon a liquid concentrate named Fruit Smack. History Kool-Aid was invented by E ...
that was called "bug juice". Orange juice, milk, and coffee for adults were served for breakfast. Food at Camp Coker was served family style and boys took turns being the waiter and assistant waiter. Food was served in bowls and eaten on real plates with metal forks, knives, and spoons. Dishes were washed after each meal and disposable utensils were not used. Boys who served as waiters and assistant waiters were responsible for setting the tables and cleaning up afterwards. This taught them the value of teamwork and responsibility. The end porch on the dining hall has a bell that was used to signal the waiters to come to the dining hall to set the tables. Flora did not waste anything and her skills were one of the reasons why excellent food was served within a reasonable budget. This included making good soup out of leftovers. She made sweet rolls from scratch that were usually served on Saturday mornings before camp ended. She made delicious cookies from U.S. Department of Agriculture peanut butter. Her chili and rice, grilled cheese sandwiches, and macaroni and cheese were made from scratch. Leftover butter was melted and put into refrigerated molds to be used again. Her scrambled eggs were made from real eggs that were cracked out of the shell. Staff members would sit with troops when seats were available and this facilitated interaction between the staff and the campers. Scout songs were usually sung after meals led by a member of the staff. The interior light fixtures in the dining hall resemble wagon wheels. Flags from previous Pee Dee Area Council National Jamboree troops were hung from the rafters in the dining hall. Two "awards" that were sometimes presented in the dining hall were the loving cup and the pigs trough for the cleanest and messiest tables.


Santee Lodge

Among the requests received for
Order of the Arrow The Order of the Arrow (OA) is the honor society of Scouting America, composed of Scouts and Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Promise, Scout Oath and Scout Law, Law in their daily lives as elected by their peers. It was founded as a camp fr ...
Charters by the National
Boy Scouts of America Scouting America is the largest scouting organization and one of the largest List of youth organizations, youth organizations in the United States, with over 1 million youth, including nearly 200,000 female participants. Founded as the Boy Sco ...
in 1938 one was postmarked
Florence, South Carolina Florence is a city in and the county seat of Florence County, South Carolina, United States. It lies at the intersection of Interstates 20 and 95 and is the eastern terminus of the former. It is the primary city within the Florence metropol ...
. Apparently, Mr. Rucker Newbery had inspired local Scouts to become part of the rapidly growing organization of honor campers. The lodge chartered to the Pee Dee Council was the 116th Order of the Arrow Lodge. After a selection period, the name "Santee" was settled upon and duly registered with BSA. The lodge grew slowly, suffering numerous difficulties, which eventually led to a return visit by Mr. Newbery to reorganize the group. After his return, the lodge began to expand and become more involved in the Order and service to the Pee Dee Area Council. The
Carolina parakeet The Carolina parakeet (''Conuropsis carolinensis''), or Carolina conure, is an extinct species of small green neotropical parrot with a bright yellow head, reddish orange face, and pale beak that was native to the Eastern, Midwest, and Plains ...
became the official lodge totem at some point before the first patch was issued in 1955; just before Santee Lodge hosted the Dixie Fellowship for the first time. The actual bird used on the patch was adapted from the
Audubon The National Audubon Society (Audubon; ) is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such org ...
painting of Carolina parakeets. At this time, the patch sold for fifty cents. At approximately the same time, the first newsletter was published. Its name, ''The Santee Arrowman'', has survived the years and still remains as the title of the current newsletter. On February 28, 1958, the lodge held its first Winter Banquet. Banquets have been held at a variety of locations including Marion, several meeting rooms in Florence, Darlington, Hartsville, Cheraw, Conway and Sumter. Featured speakers have included the world's strongest man – Paul Anderson, National Order of the Arrow Chiefs Brad Starr and Jeff Herrmann, American Indian specialists, and many military, political and community leaders, including Lt. Governor
Nick Theodore Nick Andrew Theodore (born September 16, 1928) is a former American politician from South Carolina. He was the first Greek-American elected to the South Carolina State Legislature. He served as a state representative from 1963 to 1966 and 1970 to ...
in 1992. A special feature of the banquet is the presentation of the Santee Lodge Red Arrow Awards for outstanding contributions by non-Arrowmen and Founder's Awards to one or two brothers who have given outstanding service and example to the lodge. The lodge's primary functions are its fellowships, held in the fall, spring, and the end of summer camp. These events have varied in dates and occasionally in location. The Spring Fellowship in March 1963 was held at the
Myrtle Beach Air Force Base Myrtle Beach Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Early history On 16 October 1939, Myrtle Beach Town Council agreed that the community "is in dire need of a modern municipal airport". The ...
. Over the years, the main purposes of these weekends were the induction of new Ordeal members, conducting the Brotherhood and
Vigil Honor There are several awards, honors, and membership levels in the Order of the Arrow, the national honor society of Boy Scouts of America, Scouting America. Any of the awards of the Order of the Arrow (OA) may be presented to an individual regardless ...
Ceremonies, and service projects. Like most lodges, Santee Lodge is closely tied to its summer camp, and it spends a great deal of time helping to make improvements to Camp Coker. These projects have included preparatory and repair work to campsites, the re-roofing and repair of many buildings, the construction, maintenance and improvements to the Council Ring and COPE Course, construction of the Dining Hall buttress, restrooms, basketball court and archery and rifle ranges, and numerous bridges, check dams and trails. Santee was the first lodge to conduct an OA member's only week of summer camp. The tradition began about 1958 when Arrowmen were encouraged to attend the last week of camp to present a special parent's night program. In the 1960s, original scripts were written as the parent's night program evolved into a full-scale production. Since 1969, only OA members have attended the last week of summer camp with the lodge offering a special program of merit badge sessions and activities. It is at this time that most Ordeal candidates are inducted into the Order. The annual Pageant is presented on Friday night, which also kicks off the Summer Fellowship during which more members are inducted, and officers of the lodge are chosen for the coming year. Over the past seventy years, Santee Lodge 116 has become an active, viable part of the Pee Dee Area Council. Many former youth members of the lodge are still involved in Scouting as Volunteer Leaders. Several members have become professional Scouters and one cannot enter a city, town or community without finding someone that has been touched by the Lodge. Many members have gone on to become Section Officers and serve with distinction. Jody Clark became the first Santee Lodge member to become a national figure as he was elected Southeast Region Chief. Both he and Mac McLean have been honored with the Distinguished Service Award, the National Order of the Arrow's highest honor. Former Lodge Adviser David Surrett also holds the DSA from prior service as Section SE-5 Chief, NOAC and NLS Staff member and Region OA Committee member. Members account for about 85% of all Eagle Scouts from the Pee Dee Area Council. Many of the adult members have been awarded the Wood Badge, District Award of Merit and the Silver Beaver. At the BSA's National Meeting in 1995, Santee Lodge was honored as recipient of the E. Urner Goodman Camping Award, one of only eight presented nationally. For the past several years, Santee Lodge has been honored as a National Quality Lodge. In 2005, Santee Lodge was one of only two lodges in the Southern Region chosen to receive the National Service Award, an award given on the basis of significant service to the home council. Endowed with this tradition, Santee Lodge is not afraid of initiating new ideas. With its rich memories of the past and vision of the future, Santee Lodge 116 stands ready to play a continuing important role in Scouting in the Pee Dee Area Council.


See also

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Scouting in South Carolina Scouting in South Carolina has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live. Early history (1910–1950) of Boy Scouts of America In 1914, the BSA gave loca ...


References

{{Scouting Local councils of the Boy Scouts of America Southern Region (Boy Scouts of America) Youth organizations based in South Carolina 1928 establishments in South Carolina