From the mid 1940's to 1964 a number of Boy Scout Camps in the Southern United States were segregated. One of these was Camp Drake of the Tennessee Valley Council. It was located on the Tennessee River near Rogersville, Alabama. It was named for its benefactor Dr. Joseph F. Drake, the 4th President of Alabama A & M University from 1927-62. Summer camp was held here for African-American Scouts each year for one week. All of the other TVC Scouts attended Camp Westmoreland. Drake however was used by all White Troops and the camp was no stranger to the Order of the Arrow. Many Scouts from the Camp were tapped out into Kaskanampo Lodge 310. The Camp was unique in that it was segregated but fell in a mostly cosmopolitan type Council. Many members of the TVC Scouting program were from out of state - working mostly in the fledgling Aerospace Industry of the Rocket City - Huntsville, AL. Therefore, there was hardly any friction with Scouts who attended Drake or other TVC events.
The patches pictured above are the 1948-52 "Campfire" patch and the later "Brave" patch that was used up until 1964. These patches are very rare as camp ran only for one week and few of these were issued. With the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1965, Camp Westmoreland was intergrated and Camp Drake began a slow decline of non use until which time it became part of Joe Wheeler State Park.
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