1931 - 1941

Two new programs, Pioneer Camp and Sea Scouting, were added in 1931.  The Pioneer Camp was located a short walk from the main part of camp and provided the opportunity for rustic tent camping and cooking on an open fire. C. H. Westin led these trips, two huts at a time, where the scouts slept in tepee style tents, planned and cooked their own meals, and participated in special activities, such as hikes down along the nearby Chattahoochee river. The scouts were still able to attend skill and merit badge classes while at the Pioneer camp. The other new program, Sea Scouting, was led by Skipper Warren Barlar, and included teaching scouts the fundementals of life aboard a ship, such as specialized knots, equipment used like sails, and it even included a few small sailboats on the camp lake.

The regular activities offered by the camp were also quite varied.  In addition to swimming, scoutcraft, nature, and handicrafts, there were also classes in radio, rope spinning, (made popular you Will Rogers), Indian costume making and beadwork (taught by a real Indian!), and model airplane building.  With more than twenty different activities being offered, it was hard for any scout to be bored.

Added to these daytime activities were the evening events.  There were "rope hikes" (where all hikers were linked by a long rope and led cross country), stargazing atop Vining's Mountain, ghost stories, night games, and the occasional "scam" put on by the staff.  There were also numerous campfires.  The closing campfire program often featured a minstrel show put on by the staff.  Mr. George Dorsey, with his burnt-cork makeup and silly antics, was a perennial favorite.

Although Ed Dodd was a popular figure among the scouts, he and Dobbie Dobson often disagreed about various operations and methods at the camp.  When the opportunity to become Scout Executive in Spartanburg, South Carolina was presented, Mr. Dodd took the position.  Once again, for the 1932 summer camp season, Dobbie Dobson took on the role of Camp Director.

1932 - Decentralized Camp (originally called "Pioneer Camp")

The experimental "Pioneer camp" program, implemented by C. H. Westin during the 1931 summer camp season, became known as decentralized camp in 1932. The program continued to provide one or two nights of rustic camping during the regular camp periods. As summer camp concepts continued to evolve, participation of Scoutmasters at camp and troops camping together became more common.

The prevailing idea for boy scout summer camping up to this time in the early 1930's was for scouts to attend as individuals, where they lived with other boys from all over the area.  But this idea was beginning to change.  Boy scout executives throughout the United States were discussing summer camp methods, and they realized that Scoutmaster participation at summer camp would be beneficial to their scouts and troops overall troop experience, and having the troop camp together as a unit, with their own adult leadership, would also reduce so many demands on the camp staff. Additionally, most troops only went on day hikes or one-night campouts during most of the year, so having a long-term camping experience as a troop would be a great opportunity for the patrol method to work. And yet another benefit was for the Scoutmasters themselves, who were eligible to earn Boy Scout rank all the way up to Eagle Scout. There were several Scoutmasters in the Atlanta Council that achieved the rank of Eagle Scout during the 1920's and 1930's. The first was Carl Zillag, Scoutmaster of Troop 3, who became an Eagle Scout in June 1922. By 1934, there were select weeks at Camp Bert Adams that were set aside for troop camping.  The troops conducted their own programs, using the resources of the camp and the staff.

1934 -

1935 -

Post cards from 1935 -

1936 - Dobbie Dobson becomes Region Six Executive; Weaver Marr is new Atlanta Scout Executive

In 1936, Mr. Dobson took a promotion to Regional Scout Executive.  In his place, Mr. C.H. Weston took over at the Camp Director, a role he performed very well until he left Atlanta after the 1937 season.

Mr. Westin introduced a new honor recognition to the camp in 1936 called the Order of the Arrow.  He had heard of this honor camper society at a training conference and brought the idea back with him.  He knew nothing about the procedure for establishing a lodge, or of ceremonies.  The staff simply selected the boys whom they thought most worthy and Mr. Westin told those chosen, "Congratulations, you are now in the Order of the Arrow."  It was not until 1938 that a recognized induction was performed by the Bobwhite Lodge from Augusta, GA and a charter issued to the local lodge.

1937 - Camp Bert Adams Grows by 59 acres

The year 1937 saw the expansion of Camp Bert Adams by 59 acres.  This tract of land was the gift of Mr. William C Wardlaw as an additional memorial to his youngest son, Platt, who had died in 1923 at the age of fourteen.  Mr. Wardlaw had previously paid for the camp hospital in memory of his son in 1930. A three-ton granite monument was dedicated during the regular camping season the following year on the new property.

1938 - Treasure Oak Lodge and the Order of the Arrow

Treasure Oak Lodge became the stage for "Honey Almand's Sweetheart Hour," a weekly sing-along held as entertainment after the campfire program.  The name, given by Camp Director Pat Patterson, derived from the name of the staff member in charge of leading it, Arnold "Honey" Almand (after the candy bar), and the traditional opening number the group sang, "Let Me Call You Sweetheart." As a side note, the Pat Patterson referred to here was different from the A. P. "Pat" Patterson that had been Field Scout Executive in Atlanta around 1929.

1940 - Camp Brochure (Mailer)
Interesting read.  Note the charge for a week at camp is $7.50 for in -council and $8.50 for out-of-council. (Thanks to John Hoffman for this artifact)