Adirondack Peeks Winter 2024

done. I came home a den leader. Mary and I were both den leaders and then later I became Assistant Cubmaster, then Cubmaster, then Scoutmaster all the way up. We were fortunate be cause our son’s friends joined, and we had a strong bunch of parents who could help when we needed them. As I mentioned earlier, my Boy Scout troop never did things out side, never camped, so when I was a Scoutmaster, we got the kids out and we camped, and we did a lot of out door activities. With my camp back ground, Poko allowed us to use all their facilities. They had a tube hill for sliding in winter, they had a log cabin we camped out in, they had boats and canoes. How many troops can go on a canoe trip and borrow a 15-passenger van with a trailer and eight canoes? Camp Poko was wonderful. My loyalty was rewarded, and the boys benefit ed greatly. SR: You were awarded the Boy Scout’s Silver Beaver Award. Re cipients of this award are registered Scouters who have made an impact on the lives of youth through service given at the council level. How did you earn this award? PC: The Adirondack Council pre sented it. It was an honor to be given the award. Our program basically ran for ten months; however, we raised

W for Mark on Cliff

46ers in 1987—Jay and Mark at the ages of nine and eleven. Mark be came a Winter 46er in 1999. SR: Following in your footsteps, both of your children went to Camp Pok-O Moonshine. Did they love the experi ence as much as you did? PC: Yes, Mark and Jay were both campers and then counselors. Both my sons made lifelong friendships that continue to endure. My son, Mark, met his wife there when she was a camper. The camp changed its name in 1974 to Pok-O-MacCready after the nearby Camp MacCready for Girls was added along with a year-round outdoor education center. SR: You continued your involvement with Pok-O-MacCready Camps for over fifty years as camper, counselor, headmaster, assistant director, trip ping director, and boating director. What spurred your desire to stay con nected and give back to the camp? PC: Lifelong friendships. The trust I built with friends at camp having lived

in a tent with them all summer, shar ing meals together, hiking high peaks together, and all the other activities we did instilled a sense of family and a sense of community. Mark Gibson’s son was my son's counselor and then my son was his grandson’s counselor. More than 457 of the camp’s counsel ors and campers have become 46ers. I’m actually headed over to fix the oar locks on some of the boats this week. SR: Like Ed Hudowalski you were as sociated with the Boy Scouts of Amer ica. You reached the Eagle Scout level as did your sons and were awarded the Silver Beaver recognition as an adult. Tell us about your leadership in volvement with the Boy Scouts. PC: I went to the Cub Scout organiza tional meeting with the full intent of registering my son in a den and being

Mary on Horse Hill toward Haystack

Jay and Mark on Saddleback, 1987

Jay and Phil on Allen

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