Camp Ki-Ro-Li - Standard Pennant

In the early 1900's Standard Pennant of Big Run, PA became famous for their Felt & Leather work.  They were known to make many early Boy Scout items from Pennants (thus the name) to Patches to Leather Rounds.  They also did Chenilles for all types of organizations.  They were the gold standard by which all companies measured themselves.  Unami Lodge and the Philadelphia Area Council used them.  Many Treasure Island Camp items came from Standard.  Their work was superior in quality and held up quite well - even felt patches.

The above patch is an example of their work.  This is the Camp Ki-Ro-Li Arrowhead Felt from the 1930's.  There were likely multiple Camp Ki-Ro-Li's, but this one is believed to be from the Ouachita Valley Council in Louisiana.  The Camp got it's name from the three major benefactors of the Camp - Kiwanis Club; Rotary Club & Lions Club (much like an earlier Standard Patch on this blog - Camp Rotex).  It is a very rare patch and as you can see, Standard felt good about their products - "If it is made of felt or leather 'WE MAKE IT".  If you have one of these then you will understand the quality and detail of this age gone by.

Camp Rotary - Birthplace of Cowikee 224

Pictured above is the last Summer Camp issued patch from the old Southeast Alabama Council.  Camp Rotary is located just north of  Eufuala, AL on Cowikee Creek that feeds into the Chattahoochee River.  The Camp began operations in the 1920's and served as the Summer Camp home for Southeast Alabama up until 1957.  In 1958, the Council moved Summer Camp to their new location "The Boy Scout Reservation" later to be called Camp Alaflo (Council would change name to Alabama-Florida Council when part of the FL Panhandle came on board) near Enterprise, AL.

Camp Rotary items are relatively hard to find due to limited camp weeks during the summer.  Also many of their early patches were made of felt and they simply did not hold up well to washing, moths and aging.  But Camp Rotary holds greater significance in that it was here that the Cowikee Lodge got its namesake and developed into one of the stronger OA Lodges in the Southeast.  Camp Rotary still exists to this day as a primitive camp, so check it out if you can.  You are a lucky Scout if you have one of these patches.

Camp Pushmataha

The Mobile Area Council of south Alabama once used Camp Pushmataha, near Citronelle, AL as the Council's Summer Camp and OA Lodge Home.  It served in this capacity up until around 1966-67 when the new Camp Maubila was opened for use.  Pushmataha was named after the Choctaw Chief Pushmataha and was home to many OA events over the years.  The 1955 Va Conference was held here having then National Chairman H. Lloyd Nelson in attendance.  Mr. Nelson would pass away in late 1955 making this his last true OA function to attend.  The world renowned & Pulitzer Prize winning Biologist & Eagle Scout Dr. E.O. Wilson who serves on staff at Harvard University, once attended camp here and served on the Nature Staff - thus developing his love of biology and his later fascination and study of Ants.

The patch pictured above is from the late 1940's to early 1950's.  It cam with a presewn rocker where additional years of attendance could be added.  Though this design was used with other camps (most notably Camp Old Indian in South Carolina) it is still highly sought after since Camp usually ran only three weeks and very few of these were issued.  Another prize Camp patch if you are lucky enough to find it.  The Camp ceased functions in 2010 after being sold.  The Mobile Area Council purchased new property near Bay Minette, AL to replace it - called Camp Pinetreat.