Hankins Tales: Coffee’s Always Better Out of a Camp Mug

(Originally posted to social media on September 10, 2020)

An old friend of mine from England (Peter Hodson) sent me a message recently. He had found a bunch of old boy scout camp mugs when he was cleaning and he wanted to know what he should do with them. Nobody in his circle of friends or family would appreciate them.

I told him very sincerely that I would love to have them and that I would give them a good home and a place of high honor. Ironically, two of the mugs were my designs from back in the 70s.

Peter started saving bubble wrap and over the course of a couple of weeks he got them all boxed up. I sent him my info and he told me they should arrive in 7 days. 12 days later I got a note from the mail lady to come pick up some big box at the post office. There had been 11 mugs in the box and 7 of them survived the trip. Three of them were pulverized beyond recognition. It looked like Godzilla had been tap dancing on top of the box. I could not even tell what they were.

Sending glass through the mail is always a tricky proposition. It is a miracle that 7 arrived without any damage. I have them down in the new river building and I look forward to using them and placing them out for all to see.

The gift is much appreciated and I will add to it over time. I used to have a ton of mugs but over the years I have lost them or given them away. They bring back great memories. Coffee always taste better out of a camp mug. Thanks Peter, I hope to see you if you head back to the states in the future.

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: Coffee’s Always Better Out of a Camp Mug

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