Staff Reflections - Lowell Tillman
Staff Year: 1954
Quartermaster
 (Photo courtesy of Scouting Magazine, October 2003 Lowell is in the front row, second from left) |
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I was originally in Troop 95 of Coleta, IL in Sauk Chapter of the Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak Lodge #140
(predecessor to today's Wulapeju Lodge 140). I was secretary of the Sauk Chapter. I had attended Camp Lowden in 1953 as a camper. I liked the place so much that I wanted to serve on staff. I served on the Camp Lowden staff as quartermaster in 1954 along with Peter Neilsen. That was a wonderful year; Camp Lowden and Bill Mulford [the camp director] really helped me get involved and enthusiastic about Scouting. I came up as a First Class Scout and Mr. Mulford helped me get my Star rank. Later I went on to get my Life. While I did not get my Eagle, I was able later as Scoutmaster to help 17 Scouts get theirs (including my two sons, who also received their God and Country Awards). One weekend when we had off (from Saturday noon to Sunday noon), two of us took the Black Hawk Trail Hike. Usually that is done in one day; but since we were on staff and had limited time, we hiked to the statue and stayed overnight, coming back the next morning (if I recall we went into Oregon and saw a movie that evening). I really enjoyed the hike, and as we walked by the Lowden estate I remembered that my father had laid the brick on that house. Every day when the day was done, we all went swimming in the pool. The only staff member who got poison ivy was the one staff member who did not go swimming every day. Back then we had "running water" in the campsites. Two Scouts walked to the kitchen and filled their buckets with water and ran back to the campsite. ["running water"] I was looking through my old high school annuals and found a song that we used to sing when I was on staff at Lowden. We considered it our alma mater of the Camp Lowden staff. I remember singing it and still do sometimes today. 1. We live for you, We die for you, National Embalming School. 2. Po Smordum-Po Smordum-Po Smordum Autopsy we must have. P Smordum-Po Smordum-Po Smordum Autopsy we must have. 3. Hack; Saw; Break the Bones, We gotta find the reason. Gee whiz, the body stinks, It must be out of season. 4. We bid you sleep, Down six feet deep; National Embalming School. I also remember another verse: We do our best to give you rest, National Embalming School. I wonder how many remember this song. Before singing it, we had to assume a "P.E." That is a "Pained Expression". Another song we used to sing in the dining hall was: Where O Where O Where is Suzy! Where O Where O Where is Suzy! Where O Where O Where is Suzy! Way down yonder in the paw-paw patch! We had a symbol/item (called Suzy) that we passed around to different staff members. When we finished with the song, the last person to have that item at the last meal told us who he gave it to. Then we sang the song again. That person then had to tell us where the item was or who he gave it to. Then we would sing the song again. If the last person still had it (and many times, he did not know he had it), then he had to lead us all in a song. I remember we always had prunes to eat for an early meal in the week, although they didn't get eaten much. One time the cooks had a brilliant idea. They made a prune whip. It looked beautiful, but light purple. Of the 200 that were passed out, 195 came back with one bite out of it. Once they found out it was made from prunes, they stopped eating it. We had a great time and I loved the campfire programs and learned a lot of skits and songs that I used later as SM and as Roundtable Commissioner and Activity Chairman for my District (Limberlost District in Anthony Wayne Area Council). I took off for one week and attended my church camp, but came back to Camp Lowden for my final week. Back then there was an election every week for the Order of the Arrow. Each week two more staff members were inducted into the OA. Unbeknownst to me, I was elected into the OA the week I was gone. The following year (1955) I received my Brotherhood. I received my Vigil Honor in 1979 shortly after receiving the Silver Beaver award. I later was awarded the James E. West Fellowship Award. I have attended Philmont Scout Ranch twice, four National Jamborees, and received my Wood Badge beads. For the last six years [as of 2003] I have served on the “Over the Hill Gang” at Camp Chief Little Turtle in the Anthony Wayne Area Council, working every Monday all year long doing maintenance at camp along with a dozen or more Scouters. All of them are retired, but were professionals in their own field. They have been very helpful in our camp. I also work with Jon Geraghty, who was ranger for ten years at Camp Lowden and is now ranger at Camp Chief Little Turtle. We were in the October 2003 issue of Scouting Magazine. All this I give thanks to Camp Lowden. I look back on those days and really appreciated my time there with great memories. More than fifty years later, I am still active. Lowell Tillman Ossian, Indiana 2003 |