Hankins Tales: Remembering Tony Smith

(Originally posted to social media on December 10, 2023)

Billy Parrish sent me a message to let me know that Tony Smith died last week. I had not heard or seen anything about that passing. However I cannot let that death pass without comment. Tony Smith was one of the most impressive scouters that I have ever encountered. He led troop 400 which was a powerhouse in its day. Troops ebb and flow but 400 was a mighty force in the old Robert E. Lee Council.

They were perfectly uniformed. Nobody was wearing jeans or golf shirts. When they entered the activity field for retreat they were like a brigade from the civil war. Everyone in step with flags flying, eyes front and in perfect formation. Back in those days Tony would come to camp with anywhere from 50 to 100 kids. They showed up in buses when most of the other kids arrived strapped to the roof of a Subaru.

Tony was a certified character and he would sometimes show up in a kilt on Fridays just to throw the other scoutmasters off their game. He was a true mentor to hundreds of kids. Many of those young men went on to earn the Eagle rank and to become some of the most influential adults in the Richmond area and the larger world beyond. The troop had a loyal entourage of adults who supported Tony in his efforts. If you visited his campsite at night you would find them seated in a wide circle. It was a boy run troop but these adults saw to it that nobody went without the full experience.

I recall that Tony and Bill Givler had a love hate relationship where they were either the best of friends or they were trying to kill each other. Bill used to call me up late at night and say, “come down here to the office. There is a scoutmaster that I need you to kill” Ten minutes later everything would be calm and I never did kill anyone. Tony only wanted what was best for his boys.

A few years back Tony was honored as the Eagle Class representative for that year. All of the kids who had earned Eagle in that year were invited to a special presentation to meet Tony and to pose for a group Photo. Tony wore his Kilt. I was given the same honor a few years ago and it makes you look back over all those years and all of that wood smoke in your eyes. All of the young men who have passed this way. Most of you are not going to remember Tony but those of you that do are never going to forget him.

With permission of the author, these stories by noted scouter and storyteller John Hankins are featured here at Natahwop.Org. He shares these as part of the history and lore of Camp Powhatan, Camp Ottari, and the High Knoll Trail, where he spent many years of his youth. John has an incomperable first-hand knowledge of this scout reservation, as he blazed most of the original trails for High Knoll, and has hiked the rest of them several times over.

John Hankins grew up in Troop 50 (Woodlawn United Methodist Church) in Roanoke, VA. He attended Camp Powhatan as a young scout, then worked at Philmont Ranch as a ranger. He returned to the reservation to serve on camp staff from 1968 to 1978. He was a legendary naturalist who could interpret the outdoors unlike any other. As a teacher, John often relied on the element of excitement to get his point across. His weekly lectures at the nature lodge, for example, introduced scouts to either a live rattlesnake or copperhead – usually dangling on a stick within a few feet of the front row.

John and several others first envisioned the now-legendary High Knoll trail system. They took it to council leadership for prospective funding, where the idea gained several key advocates (but no funding). John recalls how – in those days – they couldn’t pay the staff with money, so they gave them patches. The High Knoll Trail would go on to become one of the best outdoor programs in the country.

John applied in 1979 for the open job of Camp Ranger, but the council said he needed more experience in that post. With his rejection letter in hand, he was immediately hired by Camp Chickohominy, and then by Camp Brady Saunders where he served for 33 years as Camp Ranger. John moved with his wife, Cheri, to West Virginia where they enjoyed the spoils of retirement: grandchildren, travel, and the great outdoors. As of 2024, they are living on the outskirts of Richmond where they can be closer to family.

(“Hankins Tales” are shared here by permission of the author. Each story is copyrighted by John Hankins, and may not be reproduced in any form without his express written permission.)

The Natahwop

Hankins Tales: Remembering Tony Smith

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