Whitsett's History
WILLIAM PAUL WHITSETT came to California from Pennsylvania in 1905 for health reasons. He was instrumental is establishing the city of Van Nuys, California, and helped open the San Fernando Valley through real estate development. He bought a half-interest in a one square mile townsite in January 1911, and sub-divided it into residential parcels. With the help of a friend, Harry Chandler, the subdivision was named "Van Nuys" with Whitsett's slogan "Van Nuys --- The Town That Was Started Right". It formally opened on Washington's Birthday (Feb. 22) in 1911. Whitsett helped subdivide many other portions of San Fernando Valley land, creating cities and his personal fortune. Because he was a community-minded citizen, he served on the Metropolitan Water District, becoming its chairman in 1928.
According to stories, Whitsett used to travel to the Kern Plateau region of the Sequoia National Forest north of Camp Whitsett, in the 20s and 30s on hunting and camping expeditions. He spent many idyllic days in the Sierras and came to love them as much as his own home.
W.P. worked hard and became a wealthy man, and wanted to give some of it back to the Boy Scouts of the San Fernando Valley. He endowed them with a building and income to continue its worthwhile program. Whitsett wanted to do more. He was approached by members of the Boy Scout Council and asked about a summer camp for the Scouts. He told the Scouters about a beautiful place in the Sequoia that would be an ideal site for a Boy Scout Camp, the area near his beloved Kern Plateau. In 1947, through negotiations with the U.S. Forest Service, close to 80 acres of land was leased to the San Fernando Valley Council, BSA, starting the first years of Camp Whitsett.
During the summer of 1946, a select group of Scouts and Leaders came to Whitsett with the express purpose of getting the camp ready to open. They task was to chop down trees and build campsites for the 1947 season. The first campsites were along Nobe Young and Bone Creeks, the present sites of Castano and Chumash campsites, and the area taken up by the new Nature Lodge (during construction of the Nature Lodge several trash piles were encountered whose contents showed what canned foods were eaten by the Scouts and Scouters).
Camp Whitsett opened in 1947 as a summer camp. There was no staff except for the maintenance operation. Units who came to camp that summer brought their own food and program items, and used the camp strictly as a base of operations.
As the years passed, more staff and program were added to the camp. In 1949, with the help of Mr. H.A. Van Norman (Los Angeles Water Dept. engineer) and Mr. Guy F. Atkinson, a wooden weir or dam was built to create a small lake, which was named for W.P. Whitsett's wife, Ida. The docks were located upstream from the large rock outcropping in front of Hopi campsite. In 1959, the current concrete dam was built (again with Mr. Van Norman's and Mr. Atkinson's help) which raised the lake at least five feet. The waterfront area and docks were moved to their present location. Some dredging and clearing was done and Lake Ida grew to its present size. The old kitchen and dining hall, old commissary/trading post building, and the staff family cabins were also built during the 50s to feed and house staff.
Camp grew with more and more Scouts and Leaders attending, along with an expanded program. The concrete block commissary/kitchen building was completed around 1960 and used to store the food to feed the campers. All campers ate jamboree style in those early days. Scouts got their supplies from the commissary and prepared their food in their campsites. Two food deliveries a season literally stacked food to the rafters. Weekly deliveries of milk, bread, fruits and vegetables ensured fresh perishables freshest.
During the winter of 1969-70, Camp Whitsett saw unprecedented snow fall. In low lying places, there was as much as twelve feet of snow. The snow load collapsed the dining hall and the old commissary building. A "Temporary" Staff Recreation Hall (really just a shaky platform floor covered by old military style tents) was set up on what was the upper part of Staff Hill (Top-Of-The-Hill and Camelot). It housed several chairs, couches and, best of all, a refrigerator for snacks.
A fire which had started in the public campground (Area 3), swept through the northern edge of Camp Whitsett in 1971. It burned around the Tillamook campground and the staff area, and scorched many acres of land and a number of trees. Thankfully no permanent camp buildings were damaged (the staff rec hall on staff hill was dropped and parts burned in the fire) nor were there any injuries to staff or campers. A very scary time for all concerned---unfortunately our fire plan failed and Scouts were scattered throughout the camp. New fire plans were put into place and are practiced weekly. No major problems have arisen since to have to use the new fire drill.
San Fernando Valley Council and Crescent Bay Council of the BSA merged on July 1, 1972 bringing together more than 30,000 Boy Scouts into the Great Western (now the Western Los Angeles County) Council. The new council added a small central dining option to the camp. The camp grew as new program and more skilled staff were added during the ensuing years, bring camp to its present great program.
A disastrous fire started during the winter of 1987, when all water pipes were frozen, which burned the Rangers house to the ground. Thankfully no one was hurt, but the Rangers, Alex and Diane Sanchez, lost almost everything in the fire. Local Kern Valley citizens came to their rescue with supplies and even a mobile home (which was placed in the same spot as the old quarters). In 1989 a beautiful new Ranger's house was built closer to the entrance of camp, and has been gratefully used by the Camp Ranger's since.
Until 1990, campers provided their own tentage when they came to camp. A number of small, Free Spirit tents, were provided in some limited campsites. The desire for tents increased, so platforms and wall tents were added in 1995. White water rafting began as a special program feature in 1990, making Whitsett one of the only camps in the nation to offer the program on a regular basis. We use a Kernville rafting company as our major subcontractor in this most popular activity. The number of campers desiring Central Dining grew until it has become the main feeding program at Camp Whitsett. But, Camp Whitsett is one of the only camps that still offer Jamboree Feeding as a lower cost option.
1995 saw several other major changes to the camp: The kitchen was moved to the Commissary building in an area that had housed the Trading Post; The Trading Post moved to the old Maintenance Shed (the miracle of the entire operation---a real Silk Purse from a Sow's Ear); The maintenance operation moved to the new Ranger's living quarters; The High Adventure program moved into the old kitchen building; and, the old dining slab became a Staff area and High Adventure base.
1996 was a banner year at Whitsett. It was the 50th year of operation, and as such saw many new additions to the camp. A large (50 ft. x 120 ft.) concrete slab was poured in the area in front of the new kitchen and became the dining "hall". (The slab is covered by a roof; a 40x80 foot, blue and yellow Circus Tent!) A new adult flush toilet bathroom building, was built just north of the slab, which includes a women's shower. This instantly became the most praised and used new facility in the entire camp! A hard working staff manhandled twenty tons of gravel around the dining area, creating a wonderfully dust-free environment in which to eat. The addition of a piped in coffee pot, which allowed coffee and hot water to be available at any time for the leaders, as well as a "flavors bar" (with coffee flavoring syrups) was another feather in the dining hall "cap", along with
The 1996 season began with a grand reunion of Camp and Council staff members, which included members of the W. P. Whitsett family. Whitsett's granddaughter visited the camp for the first time EVER. She along with several cousins, were impressed and amazed with the facility that sported their ancestor's name. More than 300 former Camp Whitsett staff members and their families were in attendance for the kickoff weekend, a memorable event that brought together staff members from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. Everyone left with a feeling of complete satisfaction and delight to see how camp has progressed over the years (and how young everyone looked).
The 1996 season was also the largest ever, with over 2500 campers using the new facilities and program. Horses were added to the Whitsett program, using the adjoining Carver property. The year started with ten horses; it was soon seen that many more would be needed in the future.
In 1997 a new dock was built at Lake Ida, and what a dock it is. Longer and wider than the old, the new "marina" included a boat pier! Drinking water was piped to the end of the dock so staff and Scouts would not have to walk out of the Waterfront to get a drink A new changing rack and instruction area was built, complete with a foot wash. Electricity was brought to the lake bringing the Aquatics area up to modern times. (Gosh, running water, electricity, a new marina - what next?).
1998 was another banner year. With the major projects built, sprucing up was the key word. Part of Lake Ida was cleaned out, helping to deepen some swimming areas. Our Scoutcraft program, already one of the best in the nation, grew even bigger. The staff manned everything from horses to bikes --- ran Scouts through lake oriented Merit Badges as well as Shooting Sports. The Indian Lore area was spruced up even better, and Ecology/Conservation spread its word throughout camp. Handicraft staff increased in numbers. This was also the year that the Whitsett Sierra program started.
1999 dawned auspiciously. Many weeks at Whitsett were full by Christmas. Was this going to be a record breaking year? The answer was a resounding YES! The program was better than ever. The food was fantastic (over 90% of the Camp Evaluations were positive to glowing about the food). Other areas of Lake Ida were scooped out making the lake larger and deeper. Staff put out a tremendous amount of energy to make this the best program year ever. And the numbers? How about 2,787 Scouts and 645 leaders for a grand total of 3,434 campers. Not only was the record broken for the total number of campers for the season, but the biggest week record was broken three times: 477 for week five, 490 during week 7, and a whopping 511 during week 8. PLUS, one unit from Massachusetts attended the Whitsett Sierra program. 1999 was also the year that Camp Whitsett entered the electronic world --- the Camp opened its own web site at www.whitsett.org.
Whitsett 2000 is starting off as big and may be even bigger than last year. The new Camp Director, Hoss McNutt, was instrumental in getting the ball rolling on the building of the much awaited staff cabins. The passing of John Reeve, a young friend and Nature Director of Camp, has gotten another ball rolling, the also much awaited Nature Lodge .
Before the 2001 year a total of eight staff cabins were available to Camp Staff. A new 20 foot section was added to the Big Top bringing the length to 100 feet.
It was getting a bit embarrassing - ANOTHER record year! 2002 was to be the biggest year of ALL TIME; over 3,600 campers were scheduled for the summer. This summer was also to be the International year - Whitsett was to host a troop from Japan. Staff trained and readied themselves for the "hordes". Jim Uny, the Camp Ranger, expanded and enhanced the Horse Corral. The whole area was able to handle any number of Scouts, and included an arena-sized riding area. A PHOTOGRAPHY program was begun under the capable hands of Becky Smith (an 18-year staff veteran). Everything was working perfectly. Then, Session 4 dawned.
Sunday July 21st started ordinarily enough. Staff Sleep-In Day, special Staff Brunch, Staff Meeting, and waiting for the Scouts and Leaders AND the special unit from Japan. "The best laid plans of mice and men, oft times go awry" --- actually, the Best Laid Plans came into full force that afternoon. About 2:00 in the afternoon, a fire started just below Road's End Resort and rapidly spread up and down the river. The upward thrust of flames endangered Camp Whitsett. For the first time in Whitsett's history, the entire camp was evacuated (and the Best Laid Plans WORKED!!). 350 campers and 85 staff members shifted operation to Hot Springs School in California Hot Springs. Go HERE to read all about the remarkable three weeks and see some pictures of this Never to Be Repeated, Once-in-a-Lifetime Adventure.
Camp was able to open for the last two sessions. So, even though over 1500 campers were unable to enjoy the Whitsett Adventure, we did end on a positive note. The damage to camp was minimal (25 tents and platforms and some tables in the Outpost area), but the 160,000+ acres destroyed in this senseless conflagration will take more than our lifetime to come back.
2003 was another banner year (yes, again). 4,000 Scouts and Leaders attended Whitsett for a remarkable summer. And, the remarkableness was more than numbers. During a two week period in the middle of the season, Whitsett experienced heavier rain storms, closer lightening and thunder, and more rain fall then it had experienced in the last 30 years COMBINED. Storm cells blew through bringing over two inches of rain in one hour on two different occasions. There were several other lesser storms. Stream beds, normally dry, were running water at an almost torrential rate. A large stream ran from the ranges down through Zuni Campsite, actually flooding two tents --- one had a stream running through it!.
Camp was booked by October 14th for the 2004 season. Because of the late date for Labor Day, a 9th session has been added for the 2004 season, bringing the possible total campers to over 4,500. Unfortunately a large number of units books more Scouts than they ended up bringing to camp. By the end of the summer, though, over 4,000 Scouts and leaders made Whitsett their summer experience.
The summer actually started with a unique opportunity. The High School based group knows as the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps, or Jr. ROTC, booked Whitsett for a very interesting and exciting five days. 350 High School aged young men and women, known as Cadets,, and about 40 military advisors, used the camp for their summer training program. The training included Rapelling, Archery, Cross Country Orienteering, Aquatics, Hiking and lots and lots of PT (physical training, although many participants said it stood for Pain and Torture). The Whitsett staff ran the activities, plus the feeding operation, with lots of help from the ROTC staff. It was a unique opportunity for the Scouts to see how the Military ran, and for the military to see the Scouts in action (at least the Staff).
Another special feature of the 2004 year was the addition of a 9th session. Once every 6 or 7 years the Labor Day holiday comes later in September, with the subsequent start of school coming a week later than normal. Because of this, one week was available for campers, so the WLACC added Week Nine for 2004. The attendance and program was, well in a word, underwhelming. A total of nine units attended (77 Scouts and 26 leasers). We were very low on Staff (this summer many schools began EARLY to finish the semester before the Christmas Break). That early school start and small attendance created an interesting situation (we had almost as many campers as staff). The camp no doubt lost money on this week, but we had a GREAT time (very close relationships with the campers) and many, many thanks for staying open. Some units would not have had a Summer Camp experience if we had not run Week Nine.
Summer 2005 turned out to be an excellent year. Camper numbers averaged just over 500 campers a week. Program was better than ever, with exciting new Directors leading staff into excellent service for all Scout and leaders. The season began with a 2nd visit by the Jr. R.O.T.C., and continued through eight camp weeks. A new, online, Merit Badge system was put into place this year. Camp Emerald Bay (our sister camp on Catalina) used the procedure in 2004, and Camp Whitsett joined in during the 2005 season. Leader signed up Scouts for Merit Badges before camp started. During the first few days, Scouts were able to change their "schedule" and take those classes they wanted. Troops received a Group report that showed a synopsis of The Merit Badges their Scouts earned as wella as the partial requirements passed. In addition units received an Individual report for each Scout listing the same information. These reports are used to complete the Troop Advancement Report, and the Scouts and units have permanent, consolidated reports of Merit Badges. Since everything is on the Internet accessible computer, record of partials is always available.
The Friends of Whitsett in conjunction with the Western Los Angeles County Council, took on the task of creating a Long-Term Plan that will help the council and camp plan for 10 years into the future, plus. Two committees were formed: The Facilities Committee and the Program Committee. The Facilities committee met several times before and during the summer and have a created a great start to the Long Term Plan.
Camp Whitsett Rangers
1956 - James B. (Smoky) and Marge Davis
1962 - Kellie Blackburn
1965 - Earnie Mitchell
1968 - Jim and Bobbie Nelson
1974 - Dave Dobbs
1981 - Scott Cox
1982 - Alex and DianeSanchez
1996 - Malen and Ingrid Guire
1998 - Ernie and Denise Cowen & Family
2001 - Jim and Gloria Uny
2006 - Marc Beadle