22 — THE CHRONICLE
community
THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020
FROM THE FRONT
PAT continued from 1
in films from age 7 to 12. While he didn’t get his name in
lights, he did get some rich experiences and appeared in the
blockbuster, “Gone with the Wind.” He also was in a Shirley
Temple movie (“The Littlest Rebel”) and several “Our Gang”
episodes.
“Our Rascal,” as he was known around City Hall, shared
some of his acting experiences and mementos at a Cottage
Grove Historical Society presentation a few years ago. Quite
remarkable was his autograph book that had entries from the
aforementioned Temple and many other famous film folks of
the day, from Fatty Arbuckle on.
Going to college on a football scholarship with dreams of
going to the Navy’s flight school led to the Naval Reserve and
his eventual stationing at the Key West base in Florida, but
sadly no piloting experience.
Having served his country, he ended up in Tillamook,
Ore., working for the Department of Forestry and later for
the Bonneville Power Administration. His brush with elec-
tricity became his livelihood for the next 34 years, working as
a journeyman lineman for Pacific Power and Light.
While working in Portland, Pat met the love of his life,
Colleen Elizabeth Mohr. After their marriage and start-
ing their family, a series of job postings eventually lead the
Pattersons to Cottage Grove.
Hardly had he hit the ground in the Grove when his service
to the community began. On Dec. 8, 2008, a proclamation
from the City of Cottage Grove recognized Pat Patterson’s
31 years of service in official city capacities, including the
Planning Commission from 1972 to 1981 and multiple terms
as a city councilor, starting in 1985. In addition, he repre-
sented Cottage Grove with the League of Oregon Cities and as
a longtime representative on the Lane Regional Air Protection
Agency.
City Manager Richard Meyers, in remembering Patterson’s
contributions, put it this way: “Pat was remarkable. In my profes-
sion many other managers give advice that we are not supposed to
make friends with our mayor and council. I tend to not follow that
too well and in Pat’s case it was particularly true. He was a friend.”
Similarly, Mayor Jeff Gowing reports that he first really got to
know Pat as a member of the United States Junior Chamber, a civic
club more commonly known as the Jaycees, 30 years ago, and that
“When I became a city councilor he decided I needed a mentor
and felt that was his role. He has given me a lot of advice and guid-
ance over the years and a great friendship was the result of that.”
The idea of mentorship was a focus of Pat’s in life. He had the
ability to see the potential for leadership and growth in a person
and would, in his words, “Get his hooks in them.” That meant
loving support, guidance and advice, with plenty of room for
growth as well. Sometimes it was not what he said but what he
didn’t say that made the person realize that it was time to stand
and deliver their own personal integrity.
Youth service was one of Patterson’s passions. In his city proc-
lamation he was cited for his enthusiastic and outspoken support
for the creation and continued support of the Cottage Grove Youth
Peer Court and the Youth Advisory Council.
He and Colleen also regularly volunteered at Harrison
Elementary School, where he was known as the “Grandpa” of
the school.
Of all his avenues of service, perhaps the one dearest to his
heart was his devotion the youth program, Boy Scouts of America.
For me, that is the first thing that comes to mind. I was aware of
him before we ever met. When I became active locally with the
Boy Scouts and attended some council events, folks, when they
learned I was from Cottage Grove, immediately asked if I knew
Pat Patterson.
When we did meet at a Veterans’ Day celebration, I was in
uniform with our scouts to do the flag ceremony. He immediately
locked eyes with me and made his way over. I felt his laser-like
gaze rake me over and he extended a hand in firm handshake and
I was taken into his sway.
He has served in many capacities over the years in the scouting
program. Locally, he has been a scoutmaster and commissioner.
He has served the local Oregon Trail Council (OTC) in various
offices and committees. For his service to the OTC he was awarded
the highest recognition a council can bestow, the Silver Beaver.
Nationally, he worked on staff at many of the Jamborees, where
tens of thousands of scouts gather for a 10-day event every four
years. Patterson’s experience as a lineman lead him to plug into
the stage construction and management for the huge arena shows
John ‘Pat’ Patterson
PHOTO PROVIDED/STEVE NELSON
that are often the highlight for Jamboree participants. He and his
“Damned Fine Crew” would pull off the miraculous creation and
dismantling of this temporary event venue in a matter of weeks.
The term “Damned Fine Crew” was applied often and liber-
ally to the other scouting groups under his leadership. It typified
his leadership style of selecting the best, pushing them hard, but
lavishing praise for their accomplishments in lieu of claiming it
for himself.
In the scouting program there is a national honor society known
as the Order of the Arrow. It is centered on unselfish service to
others. Instead of members deciding who gets in, it is the nonmem-
bers of the honoree’s unit that recognize the person’s outstanding
service to the unit or council and elect a member into the Order.
The local lodge Tsisqan #253, founded in 1944, is known as
the “Grandfather Lodge.” Members of Tsisqan have helped
initiate and organize most of the OA lodges in the Pacific
Northwest. Pat Patterson was a very enthusiastic member
of the lodge and served as its lay advisor for many years. He
also served as the section advisor over all of the lodges in the
area. For his dedicated leadership, he was recognized with
the coveted Vigil Honor, a distinction few are given, as well
as the prestigious Founder’s Award.
One of the aims of the Order of the Arrow is the promo-
tion and encouragement of unit camping and spending time
in the outdoors. Arrowmen are encouraged to continue to be
active in their units and to help get “the outing into scouting.”
In this area, Pat Patterson found the most deeply held of his
many passions.
Before 1945, the OTC owned a camp along the McKenzie
River called Camp Lucky Boy. It was fairly primitive and its
attraction was to enjoy the wild beauty of the river. Progress
reared its ugly head and a dam project put Lucky Boy under-
water. In compensation, the Forest Service offered up a former
Civilian Conservation Corps camp near the foot of the Three
Sisters, and Camp Melakwa was born.
In its picture-perfect surroundings, Melakwa is known as
a primitive camp. There is no dining hall. Units that come to
summer camp there know they will be cooking their own food
for the week. There are showers, but other facilities include a
kybo (outhouse) and a hose bib.
Why would a troop forsake the comforts of a state-of-the-
art camp? One look from the council bluff at the Three Sisters
reflected on the mountain lake would be a start. Another is
the many opportunities for high adventure there, including
rock climbing, outbound hikes to the Sisters, and rappelling
into a lava cave.
For many years, Pat served as camp director for Camp
Melakwa. Known as the Grandfather of the Mountain, his
booming voice was heard everywhere – like, from the top of
the rock-climbing area, urging a scared scout about to step
into space with “Trust me!”
Often leading hikes up the mountain, he earned his Vigil
Name of “Delate Klatawa”: “True Hiker” this way. Enshrined
in the trading post at Melakwa are a pair of his well-worn
hiking boots, a tribute to his many miles and smiles of service
to the camp. Each year he was camp director, he attracted and
molded another “Damned fine crew” that made Melakwa
a highlight for generations of scouts from this council and
beyond.
He earned another honor: the lovingly bestowed title of
“Grouch.” Never hesitant to express his opinion or grumble
on occasion, it fell in with Pat’s mode of expression to offer
a rumbling critique of whatever happened to be going on at
the time.
In fact, many have tried to describe his way of communi-
cating. Seemingly, with his cryptic speech patterns he often
appeared to be talking in riddles. You had to be around him
and really listen to really understand him and get what he
was saying.
One often-shared story was the constant coffee pot at the
cook shack for Camp Melakwa. Not an early riser, Pat was
frequently getting the dregs of the cowboy coffee from the
giant enameled coffee pot that was brewed each morning, and
naturally expressing his opinion about that. One day, every-
one was hanging out and waiting for his response. When he
noticed a piece of twine tied to the coffee pot handle he did
some investigating and discovered the coffee grounds were
encased in a sock – one of his own!
Steve Early, who got to know Pat in 1973 at the Jamboree
and was lodge chief under Patterson for Tsisqan, told how he
was handed the camp director’s job as a young professional
scouter in southern California. Somehow, through the grape-
vine, Patterson learned of this and out of the blue gave Steve
a call: “I hear you are caught in the bight of the line,” he said,
using another of his beloved expressions.
He told Early he would show up and serve as his camp
commissioner. Early kind of forgot about that promise and
his jaw nearly hit the ground when Pat came rolling into camp
in his blue and white VW van. But his assistance and mentor-
ship helped Early make it through his first challenging year
as a camp director.
When his mobility made it time for a different setting, Pat
moved into Magnolia Gardens. Instead of coasting on his
laurels and taking a well-earned rest, Patterson began sizing
up his new neighborhood as well as his neighbors. Soon his
drive to serve his fellow man had him organizing the resi-
dents into a weekly “Story Club” and looking for ways to
share with younger generations the rich resources that are
lagered at Magnolia.
I had several occasions to see Pat in action there, most
recently on Dec. 18. He was his usual vibrant self and soon
commandeered the floor as I was speaking – and rightly so. It
was an honor to have this interaction so close to his passing. It
still doesn’t seem possible that he has left us for the scouting
grounds in the sky.
There was one of the largest crowds yet on Sunday, Jan. 12
at the Cottage Grove Armory for his memorial, despite the
rainy weather. It was a fitting place for his gathering, for it is
a venue that he had many connections with. There were tears
and laughs as Mayor Gowing and family members took turns
telling stories and sharing memories. So many strands that
emanated from him came back to honor his life and work, that
if the microphone were passed around it would be likely that
the memorial would extend into next week.
To his wife, children, grandchildren and great-grandchil-
dren I offer my deepest condolences and sympathy. Our
community will not be the same without hearing his voice
calling into the Beeper Show at KNND, or seeing him at
events. Truly, Pat Patterson left shoes too big to fill. Pat, as
you hike into the Elysian Fields, Godspeed, good and faith-
ful servant!
Information for this article was provided by Michael
Patterson, author of Pat’s obituary.
Dana Merryday can be reached at
dana_merryday@yahoo.com.
CADET continued from 1
Cadets will serve at least 16 hours per
month alongside deputies and undergo a vari-
ety of training, including law-enforcement
tactics, legal issues, use of force, corrections
and patrol operations, said LCSO Sheriff
Cliff Harrold.
Harrold said they want the program to start
off small, and strong. About six cadets from
the county will be selected at first go, Denham
said, possibly by the end of January.
From there, cadets will be exposed to the
differences between a sheriff’s office and its
municipal, state and federal police counter-
parts, attend and assist at community events,
participate in ride-alongs and be mentored
on the culture of public service. Cadets will
work special teams and assignments includ-
ing Dunes Patrol, Marine Patrol, Special
Response Team and Forest Patrol.
With a worldwide shortage of police offi-
cers, Harrold said a cadet program is a “tool
for recruitment,” a solution to “do more with
less” and a way for LCSO to establish future
longtime employment.
The program will give cadets a three-year
leg-up to “build up their skills prior to being
on the force so that when they turn 21, we
have quality deputies that are ready to jump
in,” Denham said. “This program fills that
gap and grows maturity levels from late high
school and early adulthood.”
It’s about grabbing attention early and in
doing so, developing a passion, loyalty and
commitment to service at a young age, offi-
cials said. That’s what both Harrold and
Chief Deputy Carl Wilkerson gathered from
their experience, who were part of a simi-
lar program in Creswell when they were
teens. For them, their experience in the Law
Enforcement Explorer Post codified both their
career paths.
Denham will be in charge of selecting
cadets through the application process, and
said they are “looking for excited and moti-
vated young people who are ready to put in
time, energy and effort to do the program.”
Harrold said the program seeks participants
with good character and a desire to invest in
something bigger – a desire to serve.
Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, 18-21
years old and must be enrolled in a high
school or DEF program,
or have a high school diploma or GED. Visit
lanecounty.org to fill out an application.