This is a Boy Scout beret from 1964 for a staff member named "Mike" at Camp McCauley.I know that military guys (and their wives) often volunteer to serve as Scout leaders, especially in overseas locations, and I was just wondering if anyone here did so during his tour in Taiwan.
A year ago I wrote a short piece asking if anyone recalled exactly where McCauley Beach was located. Someone left the following comment several weeks later:
McCauley Beach and Camp McCauley are at the following coordinates just east of Jinshan.
25°12'27.34"N
121°39'32.65"E
The area is pretty much unrecognisable today as the power station built in the '80s very much industrialised the area.
I remember being taken on one of the final excursions to Camp McCauley in late '78. The place was pretty much deserted. We kids were picked up in the 63 Club car park (exactly the same today as it was then!) in the morning and dropped off later in the evening covered in oil as there had been a recent spill.
We visited again several times in the '80s but as the power station grew it became less and less of a nice place to swim and it became little used.
If you'd like to see that location, the guys at the Linkou website have provided a map, as well as several photos of the Dawgs engaging in recreational activities at the beach.
Camp McCauley was great! We would often have several couples rent cabins there for the weekend and spend the weekend eating, drinking and just enjoying life.
ReplyDeleteWe would have someone who spoke Chinese go to the nearest village, buy a pig, hire a crew to come to McCauley to dig a pit in the sand and cook the pig. Um Good!!!!!
One of the best parts of our time on Taiwan.
Jim Sartor
I was a cub scout in Taiwan. Pack 91, Tien Mou
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't just scouting. Lots of other community activities, Baseball, Soccer etc. were organized on a semi-official basis. Even uniforms for little leaguers were made.
Camp McCauley was a real day out. Absolutely no one in Taiwan remembers this place now.
I remember Camp McCauley. I was a student at TAS and spent lots of time on the beach. I was a Girl Scount camp counselor one summer. I remember having a choice. I could wear my raincoat to keep me dry,or I could use it to cover my cot and keep it dry. I got wet, my cot got the raingear.
ReplyDeleteI was a boy scout in troup 96 from 65-68... we had a jungle survival course in 1968, had to stay overnight in a forested area near Camp McCauley and had to squeeze fern roots for drinking water. A great place for scouting, with mountains, rivers, and US army facilities to do repelling, shooting, etc.
ReplyDeleteJim Brown
I have fond memories of Camp McCauley....spent 2 -2 weeks Boy Scout summer camps there 58-59.
ReplyDeleteAs well as other scouting trips and adventures. Silver Trail ect.
Tad Belknap
Taiwan
51-61 off and on
Dad was NACC
I was a member of BSA Troop 96, Taipei, and went to summer camp at Camp McCauley in 1959 and '60. I got my swimming and lifesaving merit badges in the surf, dodging jellyfish. Troop 96 was great fun ... camping almost every summer weekend, or so it seemed, as well as the memorable 4-day hike on the Silver Trail in the summer of 1960 (if my memory serves me well).
ReplyDeleteKen Merrill (ken52vincent@gmail.com)
Wow what a great place Camp McCauley was. I was in troop 95, our troop leader Mr Bell (Navy)was great. We just wanted to have a great time out and didn't work much on our boy scout stuff / merit badges etc. We would take Mr Bells beer and go down to the beach and mix it with the (Cheese-way) Chinese sprite to make it go further. I went to TAS from 3rd to 7th grade in the late 60's and early 70's. What a great time to be a kid in Taiwan.
ReplyDeleteJohn Foskey
Winter Haven Fl. USA
Troop 91 is the only Troop left in Taiwan (53 years old). Pack 91 still exists too (55 years old). We've also started a new Pack 23 at the Morrison Academy Bethany campus and a Venture Crew last year.
ReplyDeleteLast month I presented a perpetual plaque to the troop with over 40 Eagle Scout names going back to the 60's. Huge gaps remain I'm sure. Any additional Eagle names (and years) would be appreciated!
Ray Heberer III
heberer@hotmail.com
Taiwan District Committee Chair
Taiwan "clan" OA Advisor
I would be interested inknowing if there is anyone out there who remembers Troop 95 during the years 1963 to 1965. I was an Army dependent who lived on Taiwan during thsoe years and was a member of the Boy Scouts.
ReplyDeleteMark
Tad Belknap posted that his dad was with NACC. My father was, too, at about the same time. Hope he gets in touch with me.
ReplyDeleteI didn't go to the Camp McCauley. I do have a Taiwan Boy Scout knife, tho!! Check my facebook site of Taiwan:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=441560040181&v=photos#!/group.php?gid=441560040181&v=wall
I lived in Tien Mu 1970-1971 and attended TAS as well. We spent MANY a fine weekend at Camp McCauley.
ReplyDeleteAnyone remember the 'Sea Turtles' that had their own 'rock cage'? Their water rose and dropped according to the tide?
And the bomb craters on the back side of the rec area? We used cardboard boxes to slide down them. They were HUGE.
I BELIEVE that the whole rec area, (cooking, camping, eating, drinking), was the result of a mess of bomb craters. For there was ONLY the two access points on opposite sides going out and coming in. The rest was a steep bank surrounding it like it was sheltered all the way around except the two accesses.
And the waves were GREAT at times.
Mike Campbell
Wg....my dad is 89 and still kicking...what was you fathers name
ReplyDeleteTad Belknap
We lived in Tien Mou from 1963- 1969. I was in Boy Scouts I remember we'll camp McCauley and our hike to camp mcauley and pack 50 miles and back embroidered on my scarf I still have. We also did a JFK memorial 50 mile hike to Linkou drank cheese way ( not sure how to spell )and sarsaparilla . We also went hiking to Ali Shan and saw. The aborigine people . They were shocked to see 'adoga' our troop masters were green beret . I remember being air evacuated because we were stranded during typhoon on a river. My father ran the NACC anex . We we were The Valley,s Monic, Marci, Chrissy, and me Frankie. Ww went to TAS my sisters were cheer leaders and in sorority Delta Alpha Gamma. We all settled in Texas Austin San Antonio area . My sisters still go to TAS Reunions just had one in Austin. I miss. Those days
ReplyDeleteBoy Scout 63-65 from Tainan. Enjoyed Camp McCauley summers of 64 & 65. One of those years our troop was a little wild....had a great time. Did the Order of the Arrow there and learned a little about survival training. Also did a 50 mile hike to Silver trail and than had to turn around due to landslide. Nest year took 6(?)Tainan Girl Scouts across the Silver Trail by myself. Took us 5 days. Hopped a train to Taipei when we came out and then the daily cargo flight home to Tainan. Great times for a very young kid.
ReplyDeleteDavid Williams