Staff Alumni Committee
Who's Behind the Scenes?

This committee started as an idea several years ago by reservation program director Greg Harmon, who shared the concept with volunteers Bill Irvin and Rick Wimmer. After several preliminary meetings, they added volunteer members Stephen Warren and Russ McDaniel. Each person brings a unique camp staff experience to the group, which we'll attempt to describe here.

Greg Harmon, Council Staff:
Greg is our council liason, and is also known around the reservation as a program developer, chief conservationist, project instigator and more. He began working on council staff sometime during the 1990s. He really enjoys his work at camp, and has come to know as much about the reservation as just about anyone. He was a staffer at Philmont Scout Ranch, and has brought many great ideas to the commitee which were borrowed from their Staff Alumni Association. We think it was probably Greg's idea to get this committee off the ground. So, if it goes well, we'll claim the credit as a committee; and if it falls short, well....

Bill Irvin, Roanoke:
Bill was a regular staffer in the late 1960's and early 1970's at Camp Powhatan. Bill is best remembered for running the Trading Post, where he insisted on selling Dr. Pepper as the camp soft-drink-of-choice. Over the years, Bill made a point of keeping up with as many fellow staffers as possible. To this day, he can pretty much recall something recent about many of those who have ever worked there. His son worked for seven years on staff, and this summer his daughter began working in the trading post. He continues to be active in scouting in Roanoke, serving as an assistant scoutmaster of Troop 221, as well as on the council camping committee.  He also serves as the Trading Post Advisor for Tutuelo Lodge 161

Rick Wimmer, Vinton:
Rick was a staff member at Camp Ottari from 1982 – 1984.  Somehwere along the way, he inherited Troop 18 in Vinton, and is still very active with the reservation as a member of the Campmaster Corps. Through this work, he helps stand in for the rangers when they need to take time off or leave the reservation for a few days. Rick is very active at the district and council levels, and brings his troop to camp every summer. In fact, his scouts make many of the trail signs for High Knoll and the base camps. When he's not attending a scout committee meeting somewhere, you'll also find him attending Tutelo Lodge functions throughout the year.

Stephen Warren, Roanoke:
Stephen was a camp C.I.T. in 1976 at Ottari, worked for a few weeks in the Powhatan kitchen at the end of camp in 1977, and was a commissioner at Powhatan in 1979 and 1981. It was during those later years that he got to know many of the old-time scouters, and would listen to their stories way into the evenings as the scouts drifted off to sleep. That probably led to him becoming so interested in the council's history, which he is helping to preserve today. He is active in Troop 50 in Roanoke, as well as a member of the kitchen crew of Tutelo Lodge. He was active for a period in cub scouts, and was involved in district activities as a camporee planner. Today he is working on a council history website, and serves on the Conservation Committee, and hopes to document many of the old-timers' stories for posterity.

Russ McDaniel, Roanoke:
Russ heard about this committee and decided to start showing up! And that's good for us, because he has a lot of time on staff at Camp Ottari and High Knoll, and his experience is very helpful. These day's, Russ is busy raising some young scouts of his own, and serves as Cubmaster of Pack 221 in Roanoke County. He has been active at the district level and is a staffer at the annual Cub Scout resident camp at Powhatan. His wife, Nancy, is also active in scouting at the pack and district level.