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application narrativeThe Josey Boy Scout Lodge Huntsville, Texas On December 19, 1933, Robert A. Josey of Houston, in a letter to Tom Ball, Huntsville District Chairman for the Boy Scouts of America, expressed his desire to place “the Boy Scouts Movement in Huntsville on a permanent basis through the means of a Scout Home.” Josey enclosed a check for $3,000 and authorized the Executive Committee of the Huntsville District of the Boy Scouts (Executive Committee) to spend an additional $2,000 as needed. This act of generosity and foresight initiated, the construction of a unique and versatile structure that has served Huntsville, Walker County, and the surrounding area for seventy-five years. Tom Ball and the Executive Committee wasted no time in moving forward with Josey’s proposal. Houston architect Mike Mebane, drew the plans for the “Scout Cabin.” On December 29, 1933, the Executive Committee approved the site-selection committee’s recommendation to locate the “Boy Scout Cabin” about one mile south of downtown Huntsville on Highway 75 (Sam Houston Avenue) just outside the city limits. On January 20, 1934, the Executive Committee members voted to award a building contract to L. E. Meekins of Austin, to be completed in seventy-five working days. They also agreed to pay the expenses of Meekins and Stanley Graham, professor of agriculture at Sam Houston State Teachers College, to travel to Austin for the purpose of “getting approved the required” funds from the Civil Works Administration (CWA) for “labor and such amount that they can obtain on the material that is to be used.” The Executive Committee established a building committee and voted to incorporate the “Josey Boy Scout Lodge” and name a Board of Trustees. On January 25 Meekins and Graham reported that the CWA had approved $8,418.50 for labor and $2,112 for materials. On January 23 the Executive Committee unanimously agreed to purchase five and one-half acres, the recommended site, from S. R. Warner for $2,000 in cash. They also considered several adjacent tracts to expand the site. Dr. J. P. Gibbs, a member of the Executive Committee, reported that Gibbs Brothers & Company would donate the logs and rock for the Lodge at no cost. Meekins estimated that the project would require about 400 logs. Meekins made weekly reports to the Executive Committee on the progress of the Lodge. At the Executive Committee meeting on February 21 he reported that about fifty CWA workmen were on the project. Meekins also requested that in addition to the Lodge, plans be drawn for a “Keeper’s House.” At the March 21 meeting the Executive Committee adopted resolutions to purchase, with donated funds from Josey, three additional tracts of land for the Lodge site and established a landscaping committee to plan for improvements to the grounds. Tom Ball reported that Mr. Josey had visited the site on March 17 and was “well pleased” with the progress. The following week the Executive Committee decided to postpone construction of the Keeper’s House. Work on the Lodge proceeded on schedule, and the Executive Committee met on June 4 to plan the dedication ceremony. They appointed the following: Invitation Committee, Program Committee, Entertainment Committee, Publicity Committee and a Grounds and Parking Committee. They requested that the Ladies Garden Club be responsible for decorating the Lodge. They set the date for the dedication on Sunday, June 17, at 5 p.m. A large crowd of citizens and Scouts estimated at over a thousand, from Huntsville, Walker County, and Houston attended the dedication ceremonies on June 17. The program included musical selections by the Sam Houston State Teachers College Band and expressions of gratitude and best wishes from Huntsville Mayor R. W. Miller; Governor W. P. Hobby; Bill Blanton, Vice President and General Manager of the Houston Chamber of Commerce; and Hubert M. Harrison, Vice President and General Manager of the East Texas Chamber of Commerce. The highlight of the day was the dedicatory remarks of Robert A. Josey. Mr. Josey addressed the gathering on achieving happiness and success in life. For him, “One must start with a definite objective at the earliest moment --- and this objective should be… Service.” This formed the basic principle of the Boy Scout movement. Josey closed with the following request: So I ask you to join with me in dedicating this lodge to Service. Be careful of what you do, be just in what you say, be earnest in what you undertake, be strong to finish what you start, and above all, be sure that these things will help others. Then your fellow Scouts will salute you, and when you grow to man’s estate, your town and state and nation will honor you as a true and ideal citizen of these United States. Robert A. Josey, a native of Huntsville, attended Sam Houston Normal Institute and Texas A & M University. He became a pioneer in the Texas oil business, playing a major role in developing the Spindletop Field near Beaumont and the East Texas Oil Field. Josey, known for his many charitable contributions, described his gift to the people of Huntsville and Walker County, explaining that “tremendous profits are sometimes made on a small investment. But, I can think of no investment that I have ever made which has given me more satisfaction or paid me greater dividends in happiness than the Boy Scout Lodge at Huntsville.” The completed Lodge is considered “lodge pole” construction of treated native long pine logs of the same diameter. The logs are joined with the common saddle notch and the daubing is concrete. The building contains approximately 4,270 square feet divided into five rooms. The Lodge faces east toward Sam Houston Avenue. The large central room measures 66.5 feet x 40 feet. There are two meeting rooms on the northeast and southeast side off of the central room, each measuring 20 feet x 24 feet. The entrance is located between these two extensions. Located on the west side, the rear of the building, are two smaller rooms measuring 13.5 feet x 19.5 feet with one serving as restrooms and a storage area and the other, a kitchen. Each meeting room and the large center room contain a rock fireplace with a hearth and mantle of petrified wood. The interior floors are of pine, and the large log rafters, beams, and braces are exposed. The foundation is pier-and-beam construction, and under the south end is a basement storage area accessed by an exterior door. The Charter for The Robert A. Josey Lodge dated May 11, 1935, filed with the Texas Secretary of State on May 14, 1935, stated: “The purpose for which this corporation shall be formed is to support educational undertakings and particularly to support, encourage, promote, and perpetuate the ideas and ideals of the Boy Scouts of America, scouting and scouting activities, in the City of Huntsville, and in Walker County.” In December the Executive Committee approved building the Keeper’s House north of the Lodge, which was completed in 1935. By the end of that year the total cost of the Lodge, property, Keeper’s House, and furnishings totaled less than $25,000. In 1975 the Board of Trustees amended the Charter to expand its role in the community. The charitable and educational mission of the corporation now included the George Strake District Committee of the Boy Scouts of America in Huntsville, the San Jacinto Girl Scouts, Inc., Huntsville Independent School District, Sam Houston State University, and the City of Huntsville. Since its incorporation The Josey Boy Scout Lodge, Inc., has been responsible for the maintenance and management of the Lodge. Robert A. Josey died on January 31, 1954. In his will Josey left an endowment fund for the support of the Josey Lodge and Scouting. Based upon the financial records and minutes of the meetings, the Josey Boy Scout Lodge remains virtually unaltered from its original construction. The only major construction projects have been the addition of a standing-seam metal roof and replacement of logs and windows in certain areas. Structurally and in design no additions or changes have been made. The “Josey Boy Scout Lodge” continues to serve Scouting and the people of Huntsville, Walker County, and the surrounding area. Over the years, thousands of Boy Scouts, Scout leaders, parents, families, and members of countless civic organizations have attended meetings, programs, and banquets in the lodge, worked on skills on the grounds, camped, and learned the value of service. Part of the grounds are leased and maintained by the City of Huntsville as Josey Park for recreational purposes. A Scout Annex/Girl Scout House is also now located on the property. The Board of Directors of the Robert A. Josey A. Lodge, Inc. meets annually to review the financial records and any other matters that may need to be addressed. Kay King Mitchell, granddaughter of Robert A. Josey serves as the Chairman of the Board. The Josey Boy Scout Lodge is unique in its design and construction and important in its lasting value to the community and Boy Scouting. Robert A. Josey’s vision as to what his gift could accomplish and his belief that -- often, what may seem a small investment can realize significant returns -- have far exceeded all expectations. Bibliography Unpublished Manuscripts Robert A. Josey Lodge, Inc., Papers, in possession of Kay King Mitchell, Huntsville, Texas. Newspapers “Josey Rites Are Held at Huntsville.” The Houston Post, February, 1954. McCormick, Harry. “Robert A. Josey’s Beautiful Gift to Boy Scouts.” The Houston Press, 18 June 1934. Richardson, Marilyn. “Scout Lodge to Celebrate 50 Years.” The Huntsville Item, 11 March 1984. Government Records Walker County, Texas, Deed Records. Vol. 80, 349-353.