Camp Cachalot Alumni Association Forums

[Sahasrahla]

Hi folks. My name is Mike McCue.

I joined Pack 164 in Assonet in 1992 or 1993, when it was still around and meeting at the United Church of Assonet. I was in Den 3, and the only year I missed was Tigers. In 1997, my den plus a few became the first members of the "new" Troop 164 in Assonet, and we met at the United Church until 2006 when the troop changed chartered orgs. We now meet at St. Bernard's. I became an Eagle Scout in 2004, and have been involved as an adult leader since I turned 18 (also in 2004).

My first summer at Cachalot was 1998, and I've been back every year since. I've always thought it was a beautiful, serene place, and my friends who never wanted to join Scouts still envy my "vacation in the woods" every summer. Somehow, we always end up hiking in the Freetown State Forest the next week...

I work part time for the Town of Freetown, serve as a Cemetery Commissioner in town, am president of Apponequet High's SOAP (best described as the "drama boosters"), and am involved in a few other organizations in the area.
_________________
Mike

[dickieL]

Howdy,

Richard Leary of New Bedford here. Though Catholic, I belonged to Troop 10, St. Paul's Methodist Church, corner of Kempton St. and Rockdale Ave., from around 1957-1961. Scouting was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Great adult leaders and volunteers, great scouts. Before I left scouting, I was Senior Patrol Leader of the troop, and represented the troop at the 1960 Jamboree in Colorado Springs. New Bedford area didn't have enough scouts for a contingent of its own, so the about 4-5 of us, if that, from Cachalot Council hooked up with the Cape Cod group, which was sending about 15 scouts. The leaders of our Jamboree troop were Les Shatzer (?) and Ollie Suhonen (?). If my memory serves me well, they were Scout Masters from the Harwich area. Believe it or not, the exhibit we put on in Colorado was a genuine New England clambake. Everything needed to put it on was flown out from Otis, where the commandant was the father of one of the scouts, or some other close connection to the Cape Cod group. This was a while ago.

I used to go to Cachalot for one week every summer for about 2-3 years. Our tents were over at the Sleepy Hollow site on the NE side of the pond. The other main tent site was Knob Hill on the opposite SW side, which is where the mess hall was. Outside the mess hall a number of challenges were set up. I remember there was a wooden post with match stuck in middle. The aim was to ignite it by striking it dead center with a hatchet. Another challenge was to throw a rope over an elevated horizontal beam, tie the thrown end around a piece of log sitting on the ground beneath the beam, run back, hoist the log into the air, and tie this other end of the rope around a hitching post.

I also remember the hikes on the dirt roads in Myles Standish on hot summer days. For a kid, these were real and good challenges.

Someone in this or another thread mentioned Camp Faber in Dartmouth. We often hiked out there, sometimes sleeping overnight. I believe that was a council resource. We also had a site we’d go to that was off of Lucy Little Road. No facilities, not even a pump. We must have dug our own latrines. The name – probably of the owner of the land – associated with that site eludes me. It’s a shame that Faber and this other site are no more. About 20 or so years ago I took a ride out to Lucy Little Road, which was still undeveloped in the general where the campsite was, and I actually found it. It was different, as it hadn’t been used for many years, but I could recognize it.

Suffice it to say, my scouting days were great days.

[joycejo]

Hello all:
I just discovered this web site
My name is John Joyce
I was fortunate in life to have William “Bill” Joyce as my father. He was scoutmaster of troop 35 in Onset. Some of my earliest and fondest memories were of Camp Cachalot.
I did not “Officially” start scouts until I was old enough for cub scouts. Although I do recall a few times going to camp to bring my older brothers to summer camp.

Our troop was sponsored by the Onset United Methodist church although we always met at the Youth Center, is that still there?

We spent many a cold night at the 21 club. I think I may be guilty of falling asleep during my “Fire Watch”.

One of the scariest memories was evacuating the camp back in the 1964 because of the forest fire.

I think the best times were the canoe trips down the Agawam River to downtown Wareham. Two days in a canoe, sleeping on an island, eating freeze dried rations and powered milk for our cheerios.

These days I live in Denver, Colorado with my wife of 25 years Katie and our 3 dogs.

John Joyce
1675 Larimer St
Denver Co
jjoyce@myigetit.com

[KT]

KEvin THompson here. I stated scouts back in 86 as part of Troop 32 in Marion. Became a CIT at cachalot in 1990, and spend the next four/five years in the kitchen as a cook, last year as the Stewart. I also played/worked crafts, trading post and waterfront at cub camp starting at about 1986, and my mom was Mrs. Crafts.

Spent a great many summers at cachalot, lots of crazy times playing D&D, manhunt all over camp, and lots of good fun at cub camp in the 21 club.

I am now marooned in Oklahoma. Went to University of Tulsa to run the decathlon, but those dreams dried up when my legs gave out three months in. Graduated with a BSBA in marketing and engaged to a beautiful woman, who I married a year and a half later. I finished my MBA four years later.

I now have two great kids who are growing like weeds. On my spare time I created the Brotherhood of the Kilt ( www.kiltsrock.com ) an organization dedicated to promoting the Kilt and all the history behind it.

I hope to move home within the next two years, so my son can go to camp, and maybe I'll even come to help out!

[daveyoung]

I'm (suspiciously) Dave Young. I joined scouting through the one and only Troop 46 out of the Boy's Club on Jenney Street in New Bedford with my two brothers Brian and Darin. I made Eagle in 1992, and was on camp staff at Cachalot for a few years, I think 90,91,92. I worked as Handicrafts Director, and in kitchen staff as Dining Hall Steward. Many folks may remember the effort I put into trying to put together the most un-rhyming rhymes those hallowed halls have ever seen.

I have many many golden memories of the Scouts and camp, and am trying to instill that yearning in my son but it's difficult. Seeing the pics really brought back those pristine memories. Dennis, Pete, Tom, Iggie, the 46'ers were prominent on staff for many years and they really are the cream of the crop, IMHO. I'll never forget when they strode into camp mid-Appalachian hike for a visit. Their strides were many yards long it seemed, and with bearded faces and belts drawn tight around skinny waists they were quite a memorable sight.

Actually I was just at Cachalot last week, I was camping at Barrett's Pond in Myles Standish alone (waiting for my 13 yr old son to join me) and decided to go over for a visit. No one was there but the ranger was nice enough to believe me awkward story about being a scout there, and let me visit. It was eerie being in an empty Cachalot!

The place is still beautiful. Many areas have seen improvements that really needed it. Thanks for getting a community site up and going

I'm married with a 13-yr old boy, a 2-yr old girl, and a son due in 3 more weeks. I am a game developer after many years of business application coding, and loving every minute of it Still live in New Bedford, but on Ashley Blvs across from Brooklawn Park in the city's north end.

[DDonnelly]

Hi, I'm David Donnelly. Some of you may know me as Michael Joseph's cousin and one of Jack Byrne's grandkids. Big thanks to everyone involved in the Alumni group and this site!

Like Mike I have lots of pre-scouting memories of Cachalot. We both learned to swim there (thanks Mrs. Higgins) and stayed out there with our grandparents often during the summer for years.

I started out in Scouts as a Cub in Fairhaven, but I can't remember the Pack number...although I wanna say 54...out of St. Joseph's Church. I joined Troop 46 and spent a couple really fun years there before I has to make a tough decision and switched to Troop 52 so my younger brother could stay with a lot of his friends...which turned out to be not so bad for me as I made a life-long friend in Mike Leger after I did. I never worked on Camp Staff which is the only regret I have in Scouts. I was lucky enough to attend not only a National Jamboree, but was invited to go to Philmont with another troop and made a couple more life-long friends there. Keep up the good work! Hopefully see some of you soon.