OAKLAND’S FIRST SUMMER CAMP:

The very first summer training camp run by the Oakland council was attended by seventy-five Scouts and leaders. The camp was held in June of 1917 for two weeks and was located about three miles West of the town of Lagunitas in Marin County along the Lagunitas creek and near the North Coast Pacific railway lines.  The area that was used was known as Camp Taylor and is now known as the Samuel P Taylor State park.

The Scouts met at the council headquarters at 404 Eleventh Street in Oakland with their dunnage bags and blankets.  The group was transported by two motor trucks to Richmond point where they crossed over to San Rafael via the automobile ferry to San Quentin Point and then over to Lagunitas.  The Scouts were dropped two miles from camp at the mouth of the Lagunitas canyon where one truck would haul the boys to camp while the other truck went for straw to be used in the boys’ sleeping area.

The Scouts constructed a model camp using an old logging camp and cabin as their headquarters and nine tents for their houses.  After inspection of the tents, a scheduled program of events and directed activities in work and play kept the boys constantly on the go.  After the camp fire of entertainment and singing, the boys were ready to turn in for a night’s sleep.

In charge of the camp was JH Pfund-scout commissioner, H Richard Wilson-Scout Executive along with a number of scoutmasters.  Special instructors from the University of California and local scoutmasters came up during the weekends to teach the boys woodcraft, scouting and various stunts.  Arthur H. Myer (who was the first Eagle Scout in California from the Fresno Council) provided instruction in astronomy and first aid to the Scouts.  Howard Becker of the University of California was in charge of the nature program as the nature director.