Hankins Tales: These Are Extraordinary Times

(Originally posted to social media on August 27, 2020)

A lot of people were looking forward to the Order of the Arrow Conclave that was set to be at Camp Shenandoah in October. However, with the pandemic numbers remaining at dangerous levels and the projection that it will get worse this fall it was a smart decision. It has been a long time since a Conclave has been postponed and finally canceled but these are extraordinary times

At this point, the lodge will lose its chance to host the event and it will roll back over to Wahunsenakah who is set to host in April of 2021. But if there is one thing we have learned with this virus there is no guarantee that it will be safe by April. We simply have to wait and see. It is a very tough call to cancel an event like this but when you look at some of the colleges that have opened and been forced to shut down almost right away it is the only call that makes sense. The National Jamboree that was set for 2021 has already been canceled because of the uncertain nature of this problem.

There are a number of experts in the field who are now telling us that this virus is never likely to go away. It will become something that we have to adapt to and evolve with over time. It will become just one more issue we have to deal with like the Flu and HIV and the common cold. Given enough time treatments may be developed to make this virus less deadly but if there is one thing we have seen there will be a large body of people who will not trust that treatment and the virus will continue to affect us for a long time to come.

I do feel bad for all of the Arrowmen up in Camp Shenandoah that worked so hard on this event. Some of my favorite Conclaves were from that venue and I will miss seeing it. Your chance to host will roll back around in a few years and we will be waiting.

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: These Are Extraordinary Times

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