Hankins Tales: Remembering Phil Scarborough

(Originally posted to social media on July 5, 2023)

It is not my job to eulogize the world, but when someone dies that was once a close friend I am going to note that passing. The death of Phil Scarborough comes out of left field today to send me back a lot of years. Phil was one of my top volunteers at Brady Saunder’s. He was also a great friend and I have spent many smoky hours sitting around a fire talking about life, and scouting and Givler.

He was one of those rare scouters who had real and impressive building skills and I could put Phil in charge of a major job which set me free to cover other major jobs. Phil loved the Boy Scouts of America with all of his considerable heart. He was in it for the kids because he truly believed in the mission. He was an old Sysonby scouter who was respected by the likes of Rooster Wells and LLoyd Minter. Phil was one of those people who would give you the shirt off of his back and he was a huge supporter of the Ranger’s Challenge program. If there was something that I needed he would make sure I had it.

He dealt with a number of health issues. He suffered the removal of facial tissue that left him scarred. But he just kept on going. There are hundreds of kids out there today who are better people from Phils years as a scoutmaster and a mentor. He was soft spoken and kind and when he spoke, people listened. He earned all of the various awards that the scouts offer but in the end all that really matters is that he made the world a better place.

I always figured that if I got back for some special event I would run into Phil. We would shake hands and laugh and talk about how the world was so different from what we recall as kids. We would stand in a comfortable silence and feel the weight of all of those years. All of the blood sweat and tears along the way. But I waited too long and that chance is gone. There is a lesson in there somewhere, my heart goes out to his wife and any extended family of this incredible human being. Thanks for being there when I needed help. JHH

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 Phil Scarborough

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