SCOUTING HISTORY 1960 ~ 1969

1960:
The 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Boy Scouts of America is celebrated on February 8 by Scouts and Scouters of the Old Hickory Council at their Annual Recognition Banquet in the Magnolia Room at Wake Forest College.1960: Based on an IBM system of membership accounting and the assignment of district numbers by the National Council, the Old Hickory Council encourages all units to adopt a three-number identity. Troop 29 in Dobson (Surry District) becomes Troop 529; all troop numbers in Surry begin with number five, and so on for each district.1960: The Old Hickory Council hosts its first Regional Wood Badge training course at Camp Raven Knob.1961: A new lakefront council ring is used at Camp Raven Knob for Wednesday Night Campfires. This new campfire area is enlarged to become the Order of the Arrow Arena in time for the 1967 Area 6-A Fellowship at Raven Knob. The old Chigger Hollow campfire ring is used for other events until it is abandoned circa 1980.1964: After Wahissa Lodge #118, Order of the Arrow requests permission to allow the officers of its African-American chapter to attend regular Executive Committee meetings of the Lodge, the Old Hickory Council appoints a committee to review the entire picture of racial integration in the Council.

August 11, 1965
"Although Kyle Norman has no children, he claims the estimated 5,000 boys who visit Raven Knob Boy Scout Camp near Lowgap each year. He is camp ranger for the 1,053-acre facility that serves the Old Hickory Boy Scout Council. 'I try to look after these scouts from eight counties as if they were my own children,' says the 62-year old resident at the camp grounds..."

Winston-Salem Journal, p.22

1967:
The Boy Scouts of America revamps the Cub Scout program by adding Webelos Scouting for ten-year-old Scouts. Webelos camp out with their parents and work through a program based on various activity badges.1967: Nearly 2,000 acres are added to Camp Raven Knob through purchases made via action by the Old Hickory Council's Executive Board between 1967 and 1970.

June 26, 1968: "For those who have not had the privilege of visiting Camp Raven Knob, a real treat has been missed...Parents and friends of Boy Scouts are invited to visit Raven Knob on Wednesday nights and to attend the Order of the Arrow Tapping Out...As soon as it was reasonably dark, the OA ceremony began with a brief history of the OA and of the dances in the ceremony...A very authentically dressed chief and warrior approached the theater, stationing themselves before an unlit bonfire. The chief raised his head and hands to the heavens and asked for fire. Believe it or not the wood began to burn, as if by miracle...The next part of the program consisted of the torch dance, the snake dance, (they use real snakes!), the deer dance, the fire hoop dance and the Peace Pipe dance. For the 'Tapping Out' the torch bearers form two parallel lines, and at one end stands the chief of the lodge. As the names of the inductees are called they approach the chief to be 'tapped (knocked?) out' with the peace pipe..."

The Yadkin Enterprise, p.8

1969:
President Irving J. Feist of the Boy Scouts of America speaks at the Old Hickory Council's Annual Banquet on November 18.