Early Years of Camp Bert Adams (1927 to 1931)

Camp Bert Adams was officially dedicated with appropriate ceremonies on Friday, June 11, 1927, and two days later, 106 Scouts streamed into the camp for its first week of operations. A newspaper announcement invited the general public to attend and inspect the camp.  Among the special guests present were Mr. Lewis H. Beck, Governor Clifford Walker, Atlanta Mayor I.N. Ragsdale, and Chief Scout Executive James E. West.  In his address, Dr. West indicated that Atlanta was one of only a few councils at that time to own any camping facilities.

Below is a clear, fresh picture of the 1927 Camp Staff and all their names! Do you recognize anyone? Do you have any stories to share about any of the Staff?

July 31, 1928 - The New Swimming Pool Officially Opens!

Atlanta Constitution - With yells of joy, Atlanta Boy Scouts dove into the new concrete swimming pool at Bert Adams Scout Camp following ceremonies marking its formal opening. The swimming pool was presented to W. A. Dobson, Scout Executive and Camp Director, by T. W. Moore, president of Atlanta Council. A water carnival was staged under direction of Joe Woodyard, director of the waterfront, and a series of aquatic competitions were engaged in by the Scouts. The new pool is 105 feet long and 35 feet wide, ranging in depth from 2 and 1/2 feet to 9 and 1/2 feet. It is completely equipped, and is the pride of the Scout Camp. The pool is bordered by walls and drainage gutters, and the plant includes four cement floored showers. The site is at the bottom of a wooded ravine flanked on one side by a 40-foot bluff.

1929 -

Honor Camper

At the end of each camp period, the staff chose who they felt was the best all-around camper and awarded him the title of Honor Camper.  At the end of the summer season, all the weekly Honor Campers for that season were hosted by the camp staff for a special trip.  In 1930, the trip, called a "Gypsy Hike," went to Saint Augustine, Florida. 

Scouts arrived at camp individually and were assigned to a hut.  Each held 16 Scouts, and a staff member was assigned to look after the boys in their hut.  The huts were named after animals, beginning with the letter "a," and continuing through the letter "J."  In order the hut names were: Antelope, Bear, Coyote, Dolphin, Eagle, Fox, Gopher, Hawk, Ibis, and Jackel. Each boy decided which badges he would work on and went from class to class.  Any boy not constructively engaged in an activity might be assigned a badge to take or given some other task to keep him out of trouble.

The huts also competed against one another in terms of cleanliness, promptness at meals and flag ceremonies, participation at campfires, number of coups earned among the members, etc.  The hut with the most number of points at the end of the week got to paint it's totem on the side of the dining hall.  This tradition continued for many years.

Here are a few examples of the Hut Totems painted on the Dining Hall exterior wall; also two Scouts holding their hut's totem.

Each morning started with the sound of the bugle.  The bugler had a large megaphone hanging between two trees, and he would put the bugle up to the megaphone and blow "Reveille."  He would blow first toward the huts, and then he would rotate the megaphone and blow in different directions so it could be heard all over camp.  The bugle calls were a very important part of camp life.  They called the Scouts to every activity, to meals, Flag ceremonies, and sent them to bed at night.

The camp store was a popular place for the campers to go after the mid-day meal, especially since this was the only time of the day that it was open.  The store was open for one hour, and Scouts were limited to 15 cents for their purchases.  When classes resumed for the afternoon, the store closed so that the staff member could attend to his other duties.

The camp paper, known as the Totem Pole, was very popular among the Scouts.  Each issue was reproduced on hectograph in the evening and distributed at breakfast.  After reading each issue, Scouts often sent them home for their parents to read.

To encourage Scouts to participate on the various activities, the camp used a "Coup Belt Honor" system.  In this system, Scouts could earn "coup" for  performing certain tasks.  The Scout's belt was stamped with the appropriate symbol and colored in.

                                                                     Camp Bert Adams

                                                                Coup Belt Honor System

                                                Used in the late 1920's and early 1930's

A TENT to each member of the patrol winning cabin inspection.  Color - Brown

A SUN to the patrol leader of the patrol winning cabin inspection.  Color - Yellow

A CAMPFIRE to each member of the patrol having best campfire program.  Color red flame, black Sticks.

A CRESCENT MOON to each Scout taking part in campfire program.  Color - Yellow

A KETTLE to each member of patrol having highest percentage in K.P. inspection.  Color - Black.

A RED WATER DOG to all beginners swimming 50 feet.

A WHITE WATER DOG to all scouts swimming 100 yards.

A BLUE WATER DOG to all scouts fulfilling swimming requirements of merit badges in Swimming or Life Saving.

A LIFE PRESERVER to each scout selected as life guard.  Must hold merit badge in Life Saving.  Color - White buoy, Red bands.

AN ARROW HEAD for each merit badge earned while in camp.  Color - White

ONE WIGWAM to each scout completing Second Class requirements.  Color - Yellow with Red figures.

TWO WIGWAMS to each Scout completing First Class requirements. Color - Yellow with Red figures.

A PINE TREE to members of patrol passing most tests while in camp. Color - Green

A BUFFALO HORN to each Scout bringing musical instrument to camp and furnishing music at programs.  Color - Yellow, Black bell, Red mouth.

A FOOT PRINT - to each Scout going on supervised overnight hike from camp.  Color - White, Black nails.

AN AXE to each Scout taking part in approved building project.  Color - Black head, Red Handle.

A SWASTIKA to each Scout selected as special instructor.  Color - Yellow.

A GOAT to each Scout doing mess hall duty as directed by steward.  Color - Red face, White horns, White eyes.

A SHARK to each Scout completing three articles of handicraft.  Color - White.

THREE RED STRIPES to each Scout serving as orderly.

Other coups for special work as designated by the Camp Director.

The ultimate emblem of achievement was the camp patch.  The requirements for this felt badge were lengthy.  In addition to earning a minimum of 15 coups, a scout had to also do the following:

Advance a rank or earn three merit badges

Make a bird house and put it up

Identify 10 trees, 6 constellations, 12 knots, and poison ivy

Attend Sunday religious services

Demonstrate loyalty an obedience

Write home twice a week

Do a good turn daily

Keep quarters clean, and

Take part in the campfire program

With such a lengthy requirement, it is no wonder that only 23 Scouts, out of the 953 who attended the first year, earned the emblem.  After a couple of years, the requirements were reduced to earning the 15 coups.

The activities offered by the camp were quite varied.  In addition to swimming, Scoutcraft, nature, and handicrafts, there were 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 over 20 different activities being offered, it was hard to be bored.

Added to these day-time activities were the evening events.  There were "rope hikes" (where all hikers were linked by a long rope and lead cross country), stargazing atop Vinings 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.

When Mr. Jameson resigned as the Scout Executive after the first season, Mr. Dobson Took over the position.  To fill the position of Field Executive, and to serve as the Camp Director, the council hired a young man by the name of Mr. Ed Dodd.

Mr. Dodd was an experienced camp leader, having served for six summers with National Scout Commissioner Dan Beard at the Silver Bay camp in New York.  Like Mr. Beard, Mr. Dodd was an artist and skilled outdoorsman.  He remained with the Atlanta Council from 1928 to 1931.

During his time as Camp Director at Bert Adams, he invited his good friend and mentor, Mr. Dan Beard, to visit the camp.  Mr. Dodd also continued to draw his nationally-syndicated cartoon, "Back Home Again."  He sometimes used Scouts at the camp as models for his drawings.

The camp experienced a few upgrades in facilities at this time.  By 1929, silt and pollution in the stream from Smyrna had contaminated the lake to such an extent that it was declared unsuitable for swimming, so an Olympic-size swimming pool was built.  Swimming was done without suits (a common practice in that time) to make the pool easier to keep clean.  The pool was located in a ravine near the headwaters of the lake so that it was out of view from the main part of the camp, and visiting mothers were not allowed near the pool area.  Any time a female visitor appeared, a staff member would run down to the cabins and waterfront calling "L. I. C." (Ladies In Camp), warning all those who were not decent to get so immediately.

Camp facilities were improved further in 1930 with the addition of a health lodge.  This building was made possible through the contribution of Mr. William C. Wardlaw.

During his time at the camp, Ed Dodd experimented with broadening the program to appeal to more boys.  To give 11-year olds a taste of Scouting before they could become Scouts (12 years old was the minimum age to join Boy Scouts at that time),  "Camp Kit Carson" was initiated.  In this program, one week was set aside at the end of the regular season for non-Scouts.  They followed the regular program, except they could not earn merit badges or pass ranks.

For 1931, the camp introduced two special programs for older Scouts.  The Pioneer Camp (later called the decentralized camp) was removed from the main part of the camp.  Here the boys slept in tepees, planned their own menus, did their own cooking, and had some special activities.  They also attended activities in the main part of the camp.  A special program for Sea Scouts was also initiated under the direction of Skipper Warren Barlar.

For the regular campers, the opportunity for an overnight trip away from the main part of the camp was given.  Mr. C.H. Westin led these expeditions, two huts at a time, to remote parts of the camp, where they got a sample of what the Pioneer program was like.

Although Ed Dodd was a popular figure among the campers, he and Mr. Dobson often clashed.  When the opportunity to become Scout Executive in Spartanburg, South Carolina was presented, Mr. Dodd took the position.  After he left, Mr. Dobson resumed the role of Camp Director during the summers.