The Silver Marmot Grill, as it is known today, was the first building in camp with construction that began in May of 1919 and was pretty much completed by late June/early July of 1919. The building is pretty much the way you see it today except the actual kitchen was removed in the 1940's. The kitchen was where the current deck is now, behind the SMG (for you old timers, the old loading dock to the old Trading Post). You can see this easily on pictures in the museum. These two pictures posted here show you the old dining hall in use during the 20's and if you look just a little right of the American flag in the picture with the scouts eating, you will see a doorway and a window to the doorway's right (or left as you look at it). On the second picture you can see the same window and doorway that we uncovered during the re-model a couple of years ago. You can also see the Kipling quote in the old picture, the same one that is in the current dining hall. It is hard to know why our founders thought it important to have a dining hall, but I surmise that it was a practicality as resources were somewhat limited during that era as was a scout's time, particularly if the scouts of those days wanted to do all the activities at camp. However I personally believe the practicality was more than just that; it allowed one to schedule the program so that it ran smoothly. Remember, there were no troops that came to camp during those early years, only individuals. Once a scout came to camp he was placed into a section based on a combination of age, ability, rank and interest of activity. Given the diversity of programs that surrounded camp as well as making sure the boys got 3 squares a day probably made the decision for a dining hall that much easier.
As camp grew, so did the need for a bigger dining hall. Camp Meany was founded in 1938, built as a memorial to Professor Edmund Meany, the first Scout Commissioner for the new Seattle Area Council and father of an Eagle Scout and CP staff member. Fundraising was held throughout Seattle after his death with the specific intention of building a Cub Scout camp. We have seen the initial plans for that camp and you would be surprised to learn that there was a pier that was planned to be constructed off of Mystery Beach. Resident camping for Cub Scouting went away in 1942 and CP expanded into the old Camp Meany site and took over its much larger dining hall.........the same dining hall we use today (albeit with some renovations and modifications). So here we are.......in a building that is 73 years old, built on pilings and still leaning towards the canal. That building alone is much older than any other camp OR property in the Chief Seattle Council, or most camps through out the United States.
So I find it amusing when I hear through second and third hand reports that there are some folks within our council that question whether or not we should be looking at spending the $5 million approved for the construction of a new, state of the art dining hall when that money could be going to numerous programs throughout the council. Seriously? What other Boy Scout program allows a troop with its brand new tenderfoot through its crusty old Eagle Scouts come and camp together for a full week and operate as a troop without "outside" interference? By "outside" I mean the general public as opposed to camp where everything is directed to the aims and methods of the scouting program without any other distraction. What "program" generates a revenue that not only covers the operational cost of the program but brings revenue in to the council to support other non-revenue producing "programs." I put quotations on the word program because many of these activities have absolutely nothing to do with what scouting is supposed to be (if we are to follow the mission, aims and methods of scouting). Thanks to a generous donor, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent on another Chief Seattle facility which has made it one of the most modern camps in the Western Region and has countless activities which scouts can avail themselves of. There is money being spent on another facility which has been built on property that we don't even own. Someone wants to question an investment into a camp that has consistently proved its success?
Our architect mistakenly titled one of the floor plans "The Camp Parsons Dinning Hall" misspelling dining. That may have been a Freudian slip as the definition of Dinning is "a jumble of loud, usually discordant sounds." Hmmmm......sound familiar?
The dining hall at CP is an important part of our program. Although I agree that there is a lot to be said about patrol cooking as an important aspect of the patrol method, it is a method that can be practiced anytime during the other 51 weeks of ones scouting year. The dining hall allows us to demonstrate and practice parts of the scout law; trustworthy, friendly, courteous, obedient, thrifty, clean and reverent. Sharing a meal with others in some cultures is a very intimate affair. At camp we dine "family style". We all sit down together and share the food on the table. The scouts must clean their hands before meals, there is a non-denominational prayer giving thanks to the food before us, the scouts must be courteous and share the food amongst themselves and be trustworthy and obedient to take the portions allotted to them and thrifty not to waste food by taking more than they need. There is much to be learned here even while performing the simple task of eating. Beyond that, there is something ethereal about 500 plus individuals sitting down to eat and then singing at the end of the meal. These are where memories are made in an eleven year olds mind.
We need a year round facility so as to put camp to work year round. The dining hall can be used to support scout training programs, events and work parties. It can be used for other not-for-profits and generate an income that will support its operation as well as be a revenue source to fund other "programs" in the council. It is a facility whose time has come to be built.
The Scout Executive and the Executive Board are behind this project one hundred percent as are almost all the Scoutmasters and adults I talked with this past year who set foot in Camp Parsons. I hope those second and third hand reports that I heard were nothing more than just that.... "talk"........or should I say "dinning"?
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