Century Weekend

Boy Scout Headquarters at the Culver Woodcraft CampThis weekend there were a couple of Century Celebrations in our community.  Saturday afternoon was the dedication of the Boy Scout Headquarters at the Culver Academies Woodcraft Camp.  Easterday Construction Co., Inc. was pleased to have the opportunity to build this new structure.

The Headquarters is a slightly smaller version of the camp’s existing cabins.  It is cedar post and beam construction with a shingle roof.  The building foundation consists of concrete piers.  The original cabin design was such that the units could be moved to new locations as necessary.  The project was completed on a tight budget and with an aggressive schedule.  Initial discussions about building the cabin began in mid May followed by design, permitting and construction which were completed on Wednesday of last week, July 21, 2010.  There are previous entries showing some of the construction and background information here and here.

 

The ceremony at Culver Academies coincided with a Jamboree being held in Washington, D.C. celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America.  I learned this weekend that Scouting was started by Lord Baden-Powell, a Lieutenant in the British Army, upon his return from the Boer War in 1908.  The Boy Scouts of America was formed by W. D. Boyce in 1910 and that is the anniversary that was celebrated this past weekend.  Culver Academies’ legend is that the actual birthplace of the Boy Scouts of America was at the then Culver Military Academy in 1910.

Nearly 100 people attended the ceremony.  Julius W. Hegeler II was presented a plaque thanking him for his donation through his charitable arm, the Julius W. Hegeler II Foundation, which made the facility possible.  Several representatives of Culver Academies as well as local and regional representatives of the Boy Scouts of America spoke.

Also celebrating 1oo years this weekend was the First National Bank of Monterey(FNBM).  It took $25,000 in 1910 to establish a National Bank.  From those small beginnings in 1910, FNBM has grown to a 280 million dollarbank serving Monterey and the surrounding area through branches in Winamac, Culver and North Judson.  Several hundred people helped celebrate at an Open House held at the Monterey School on Sunday afternoon.

Joe DeHaven, President and CEO of the Indiana Bankers Association, was guest speaker and awarded the Board of Directors of FNBM a plaque commemorating the occasion.  Bank President Claiborn (Clip) Wamsley spoke relating some of his personal experiences from his 60 years with the bank.

Kelly Field spoke relating some of the bank’s history.  Notable highlights included FNBM’s move to insure deposits long before the FDIC was created, FNBM’s issuance of their own currency and FNBM’s collaboration with 5 other small banks to change State Law in 1981 to allow a bank branch to be established in a town where another bank already exists.

 

Easterday Construction Co., Inc. has had a long history of affiliation with the First National Bank of Monterey.  We have expanded the Monterey facility several times including most recently in 2009.  We remodeled and expanded the Winamac facility, built the Culver facility and have completed several projects at the North Judson facility.  Larry Berger, past president of Easterday Construction, has served on the Bank’s board of directors for more than a decade.

 

$10 bill issued by The First National Bank of Monterey signed by Charles B. Kietzer, Cashier and V.E. Follmar, President issued 1929

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