Scout Reunion Brunch-10:30 AM-June27th2009

All former Scouts & Leaders from Boy Scout Troop 25 & Explorer Scout Post 25 are invited to a Dutch Treat Brunch at “The Gumbo Factory” in downtown Aransas Pass at 10:30 on Saturday Morning, June 27^th just before the APHS Reunion.  This is an opportunity for the "old" Boy Scouts to gather as we did in 2005 .  Come join in with old friends on the history and remembrances of the former Leaders.  Please pass this information on to any of the Scouts you know.  Just show up! If you need more information, please contact Roy Buckingham:  “rabelb3@mchsi.com” (Cell:270.871.3350)  or Arvid Johanson:  “arvid@johanson.us”  (Cell: 281.615.2813)

Check Out the APHS website at www.aphsalumni.org

The "Venus", what a misnomer, was a small 16 foot long, cat rigged, open cockpit boat with a small fixed steel keel.  A large heavy tiller made it easier to sail.  It did hold 4-6 scouts with their gear but only as a day boat.  It was owned by the Post and never had a lock.

The "Fair Dinkum" was Port's boat he had named after his WWII Australian Friends greeting of as we might say "Good Guy".  It was about 26 feet long with a real wheel, cockpit, and cabin.  The cockpit cabinet doors served as paddles since no motor was allowed. Believe us they did work as paddles,  but after one usage you usually paid better attention to the weather.

Up and down the bays and the Intercoastal Canal as it was called then (now the ICW) was the usual trip to reach a land campsite like Shamrock Cove, Goose Island, and Ingleside Point.  Returning round Ingleside Point from old Ingleside was the one shipwreck on the Venus.  We taught sailing at the Kamp Karankawa (The camp on Lake Corpus Christi near Mathis).

Several were recognized in Boy Scout Honor Society called Order of the Arrow after an Ordeal at Scout Camp.  Here is a picture of some supplied by Bobby Phillips.

Jackson Porter Little was the Explorer Post Leader.  He was known as Port and most of us did not know his full name until we helped at his funeral. He is probably one of the only scout leader buried with 5 Order of the Arrow Sashes from his Scout Pall Bearers.  He was a an Instrument Mechanic(Technician) at one of the CC Refineries.  Now for the better parts. Port was the one who taught most of us the pleasure of sailing, the responsibilities of leadership, and the pleasure of volunteering by his example.  He always took time for us boys to go on sailing trips and a 3 day Christmas School Holiday canoe trip up the Nueces River-we didn't know then the effort it took to rearrange his work shift work to take us camping from the Graveyard shift.  He also taught us some good physical thing such as  to attack the hardest looking place first and timely,   Paint even where it does not show, Attempt the unusual, Pay attention to the trip weather, and to have fun but be quiet when it was quiet time

Hampton Carver Barber, ("HC" to his friends), was the Scoutmaster for the Boy Scout Troop 25 that was the training ground and the feeder to the Explorer Post.  Here was where we learning about basic scouting skills. Also we learned organization skills that helped many of us later as Military Officers. HC was Power Company(CP&L then) field service manager who later got his Electrical Engineering License the hard way through correspondence course and the professional test.

Ritchey Clendining was the liaison between the sponsoring organization and the scouts.  He was very active in his support providing not only organization help but also his person and his car. 

At Scout Headquarters for the Council in Corpus Christi was one J. Vern Herring-always wondered what the "J" stood for.  J.Vern  provided all the input and output to the Regional (Council) & National Organization (BSA).  He organized the Camporees and provided the training opportunities. He also smoked a pipe with half and half - - half rubber bands and half string.