1916 to 1926

Early History of Boy Scouting in the Atlanta area and Camp Bert Adams

The first troop in the Atlanta area was Troop 1 Decatur which started in 1910. Several other troops were formed between then and 1916 at which time the Atlanta Council was formed and hired a full time Scout Executive, A. A. "Pop" Jameson. That's when Boy Scouting in Atlanta really took off!

From the beginning, council leaders recognized the need for a council-sponsored summer camp.  As early as June, 1916 the idea of a summer camp was discussed, but the entrance of the United States into World War I put these plans on hold for the duration.  After the war, Mr. Roland Shine directed an Atlanta Council summer camp, Camp Friendly, and it operated for two summers (1920 and 1921).  Camp Friendly did not have a permanent location, and its two summers of operation were at two different locations, both of which were temporarily loaned to the council for the summer.

Though successful as a summer event, Camp Friendly still did not meet the need for a permanent camp to serve as a center of Scouting activity.

When Camp Friendly had to be canceled in 1922 for lack of third-party assistance, the weakness of a temporary camp became evident.  Mr. Jameson called on the Executive Board to create a camping committee that would make plans for a permanent summer camp location. Under the direction of Mr. "Dick" Darby, a number of possible locations were inspected.

The property which Mr. Darby selected was in Cobb County near the town of Vinings, 11 miles from Atlanta.  Once the domain of the Cherokees, the area was settled in the late 1830's by Hardy Pace, who established a ferry, gristmill, and cotton plantation.  Vinings Mountain, which lay between the town and the proposed camp site, was where General Sherman got his first view of the fortifications around Atlanta in 1864.

By the turn of the century, Vinings, with its mineral springs, hilly terrain, and sylvan settings, was a popular retreat for Atlantans who wished to escape from the bustle of the city.  A camp near Vinings seemed to be the perfect choice, and Mr. L.L. McDonald, of the National Camping Division, concurred.  The National Office approved the site.

An 84-Acre property was pieced together through the efforts of Mr. Albert Adams and the Adams-Cates Realty Company.  Various members of the Board underwrote the $3,000 purchase price.

Progress on the camp proceeded slowly at first.  By the summer of 1925 only the dam had been built, at a cost of $11,000.  Mr. Darby reported a couple of months later that the dam was not holding water satisfactorily.  This problem was eventually solved, allowing a 1.3-acre lake to form.  The lake was named for Mr. Darby in recognition of this efforts.

The camp was built on the pay-as-you-go plan, and construction was sporadic.  To get at least some use out of the property, it was opened up to the troops for weekend camping in the fall of 1925.  The original opening date of June, 1926, came and went with the camp still unready.

Mr. Law, chairman of the Council Executive Board, proposed a plan to raise the $75,000 needed to complete the construction and equip the camp through public subscription.  With Mr. Mell Wilkinson heading the effort, the campaign went forward in February 1927.

The news of  Albert S. "Bert" Adams' death in December of 1926 greatly saddened his many friends.  Throughout his time as president, the council had worked towards completing the camp.  It had been his great desire to see it finished before he "passed out of the picture."  As a tribute to his efforts over the years, Mr. Law proposed that the new camp be named the "Bert Adams Boy Scout Camp" as a memorial to the man who had done so much for the council.  The motion was carried unanimously.  The Rotary Club of Atlanta, of which Mr. Adams and Mr. Law were past-presidents, gave its enthusiastic support and contributed generously in the February Campaign.