Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Hill Country Podcast. The Texas Hill Country is one of the most beautiful places on earth. In this podcast, I visit the people and organizations that make these the unique areas of Texas as a recent Hill Country resident. Join me as I explore the people, places, and activities of the Texas Hill Country.
In this first episode, I visit Kathy Ragsdale, the matriarch of Camp Stewart and the See more +
Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Hill Country Podcast. The Texas Hill Country is one of the most beautiful places on earth. In this podcast, I visit the people and organizations that make these the unique areas of Texas as a recent Hill Country resident. Join me as I explore the people, places, and activities of the Texas Hill Country.
In this first episode, I visit Kathy Ragsdale, the matriarch of Camp Stewart and the longest-running, continually operated boys camp in the Texas Hill Country. We talk about how she and her late husband Si came to purchase Camp Stewart, the history and prior owners of Camp Stewart, what the early days of their ownership were like, boys’ camping in the 21stcentury, the upcoming centennial Camp Stewart in 2023. Most importantly why the Camp Stewart motto of “Don’t wait until you are a man to be great, be a great boy” is as important today as it was when I was a camper at Stewart.
Some of the highlights include:
1. What are the origins of Camp Stewart?
2. What can you tell us about Uncle Bill?
3. What do you remember about Si’s camping experience?
4. What led you and Si to purchase Camp Stewart?
5. What was it like to move from Denton to Hunt, Texas, in 1967?
6. How did you select the Counselors?
7. What were some of your biggest challenges in the first five years?
8. Why is the campfire such a part of the Camp Stewart experience?
9. How did camping and Camp Stewart change in the 80s, 90s, and 00s?
10. The Ragsdale Family has now run Camp Stewart for over 50 years. What are the challenges you face in running Camp Stewart in the 2020s?
11. 2024 Will be the 100th anniversary of Camp Stewart. What plans do you have to celebrate? See less -
