The runway of green is flanked by a smattering of buildings-Smithsonian museums, the National Gallery of Art, the Museum of Natural History, and the newest offering, the National Museum of African American History and Culture. is a serene, landscaped strip of land capped by the Capitol on one end and the obelisk of the Washington Monument on the other. Nicole Tuttle is a freelance reporter for MediaNews Group.Today, the National Mall in D.C. The Ray Township Community Center is located at 64255 Wolcott Road, north of 29 Mile Road.
#He died in obscurity registration#
Registration is requested by April 15 by calling 58 or visiting /calendar/events. to meet with Novak prior to his presentation.
“Over 40 topics were covered, archery, first aid, orienteering, wilderness survival, canoeing, basket weaving, etc.”įormer Boy Scout Troop 118 members can add to Novak’s lecture material by sending their stories, photos and memories of Camp Anderson to Former troop members are asked to arrive for the event at 6 p.m. “Scouts needed to earn these badges and awards to rank up,” Novak said. Overnight camps were designed for fun, but the 10-day camp was designed to help scouts earn merit badges and skill awards. “The summer camp was called the ’10-day camp.’ It was in late August through Labor Day weekend.
“Weekend camps, which we referred to as ‘overnights’ took place three times a year,” Novak said. He estimates when he was a part of Boy Scout Troop 118, he was one of about 30 scouts.
Among his discoveries are tent stakes, an axe head, a cooking kit, a flashlight, a Boy Scout neckerchief slide, a pocket knife and a bicycle.Īmong his many memories of camping, Novak recalls being rescued by a fellow Scout after falling through the ice by a retention pond. I started investigating the property in 2017,” Novak said.Īlthough structures such as a cabin do not remain on the site, Novak has used a metal detector since 2018 to locate Boy Scout-related artifacts. “The cabin, two out houses and equipment shed were demolished in the mid-1970s. He also said trails he used in scouting have become part of the park’s hiking trails. Novak said Boy Scout property was absorbed as part of the Wolcott Mill Metropark development, and the camp property basically went back to nature. “The scoutmaster’s snoring and the sounds of squirrels and racoons in the attic would keep you up all night.” “If you did not fall asleep right away you were in for trouble,” Novak said. He also believes there was an annex that added a barracks to sleep 40 or more bunks. Although he is unsure when the original cabin was constructed, he said there was a kitchen and a room that would sleep 12 to 15 bunks. He said there was a cabin near the river which included a mess to accommodate 50 people. He described the geography of the camp as having an entrance 10 feet east of the Ray Township Park entrance, with a road leading to the Clinton River. Novak said through research he learned Camp Anderson was named for the family who donated the property to the troop. “Our society decided to host the event, as even long-time residents didn’t know that Camp Anderson even existed,” Goike said. She said it was prompted by Novak reaching out to the society last year. The camp property was next to the Ray Township Hall.”įriends of Ray Township Library and Historical Society President Terry Goike said this is a new event for the group. “My parents died when I was 12 and I moved away to live with a relative. “I started as a tenderfoot and worked up to the rank of Life Scout, which is the rank just before Eagle,” Novak said. Elliott Cemetery in Detroit until a former Scout erected one several years ago.”ĭuring his hour-long presentation, Novak will also show artifacts he has collected at the campsite. I recently found out he died in obscurity sometime in the 1980s. It is my understanding that he may have been the troop leader until the end of camp operations. He may have very well have been the founding scoutmaster of Camp Anderson. “I would like to dedicate my lecture to former troop leader A.J. Novak will discuss his Camp Anderson memories from the 1970s and recent research he has conducted relating to the former private Ray Township campsite of the troop. The event presenter will be Novak, a former member of Boy Scout Troop 118 of Detroit’s Stellwagen Elementary School. April 20 in the Ray Township Community Center.
The Friends of the Ray Township Library and Historical Society will host the event, Camp Anderson: Lost Boy Scout Camp Discovered, at 7 p.m. Ron Novak is unearthing memories of his Boy Scouting days along with items such as a pocket knife in his exploration of Camp Anderson, memories he seeks to share this spring.
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