The Natahwop

The Online Journal of Blue Ridge Scouting History, Inc.

The Blue Ridge Scouting History Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit in Roanoke, VA.
Our mission is to collect, preserve, and present the history of Boy Scouting and Scouting America in Central and Southwestern Virginia.

Hankins Tales: Looking Ahead to the OA Conclave

(Originally posted to social media on January 10 & 31, 2023)

January 10 – I am planning to be at the OA Conclave at Camp Powhatan to tell a story at the campfire. I have been asked by a number of different people to be sure to set that date aside. I have not had any official confirmation but I am making room in my schedule. The last time I told Stories at a Conclave at Powhatan we got hit by a terrible lightning storm. I remember balls of fire coming out of the microphone every time that lightning struck. We had to cut the whole program short before somebody got killed. The strange thing is that people were still sitting out there in that campfire ring even as the heavens opened up. I am hoping that we will get lucky this time around. It is one of my favorite places to tell a story although Rock Enon is a close second. The thing about Powhatan is that every word echos and soars and then it is finally absorbed by the mountains. I hope to see a lot of old friends and to make a few new ones..…

January 31 – After some give and take and back and forth I, have now confirmed with the Section leadership that I will be telling a story at the OA Conclave at the end of April. After telling stories at countless Conclaves in many parts of the country it is strange to see how things have changed. Different aspects of the event are divided up and an advisor is placed in charge. Then a youth is chosen to actually drive that train. So you end up with a variety of people who may or may not know each other running aspects of the event like training or Shows Etc. It used to be that you went to a Conclave and somebody found out you were there and an invitation to be part of the Campfire would quickly follow.

I will be seeking a few people to help film my portion of the show. I do not want to record the entire event but I am hoping to get some clear shots near the front. I would like to get my head in those shots. I had a kid a few years ago who captured great audio but he shot me from the waist down. I always seem to have a number of people who do very well in catching these performances. My one concern is that the microphone will be destroyed early on in the program. Sometimes they like to throw water on each other or raw eggs on a section chief. You get the idea. If the video is clear and concise I will post it to U-tube and to Facebook. I will make it worth your time. This is a private event. If you are one of those people who cannot control your laughter it might be best to set up a tripod. Otherwise, it becomes a story in an earthquake. I will close out the show which is how I like it. I am hoping to hear from a few of my go to people in this situation. I will be doing a hit and run where I arrive late in the afternoon, do a story and head back into the mountains of WV. I have had this Conclave on my radar for more than 3 years.

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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.)

Hankins Tales: Looking Ahead to the OA Conclave

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