05/22/2026
Sixty years ago today, May 22, 1966, at the Southern District Camporee, 822 got four patrols in the "standard" (a tough grading year?) red ribbon category: Jack Wayson's Road Runners, Ken Melvin's Soaring Eagles, Doug Workman's Flaming Arrows, and Charlie Ehart's Beavers. On May 22,1965, Dan Disney, with Ken as an assistant patrol leader, had earned a "proficient" blue ribbon award for the Soaring Eagles, and the Flaming Arrows, Beavers, and Mustangs had done the same.
Troop 822 had cleaned house at their best Camporee ever, 1964, and in 1963 (posts below.) By May 21, 1967 all but the Road Runners, Mustangs, and Tenderfoot Patrol were back into the top Camporee category: the Iroquois, Beavers, Pioneers, and Henry Cowan's Soaring Eagles, with Dave Robley as assistant all got blue ribbons. The 1968 summer camp 822 Honor Patrol was also led by Henry, with Arthur "Otts" Wagner as assistant, with Michael Ingold, Dwayne Whitmore, Gale "Hap" Wagner, R. Garry Stewart, Dave Murph, and Daniel Ingold as the other patrol members. Some of these ribbons hung on the troop flagpole for over a decade.
That 1968 summer camp was also the first for Tenderfoot George Creel (1968-73 822 member). While that might have seemed relatively unremarkable, it wasn't. He would be followed in 822 by brothers Matt (1971-78), David (1972-78), Marty (1977-96), Victor (1980-91), & Andy (1983-91), the troop's only hexad of brothers.......It is with great sadness that we note the passing earlier this month, age 92, of their dad, a dedicated, hard working, humble, long-time 822 supporter, commissioner, 822 Family Night stalwart (Bill Glover's 1985 Eagle ceremony coordinator), and more. Decades of pictures at beallfuneral.com/obituaries/george-creel commemorate in most splendid fashion a well-lived life.
