Local scout troop honors one of its own members in unique tribute

Dexter woodworker Bruce Plummer uses a "crooked knife" he assembled himself, to finish work on the 32 foot totem pole that will commemorate the life of the late Andrew Trammell.

When a promising young Dexter native lost his life in a tragic accident in May of 2003, at the young age of twenty five, a community asked, "Why?" But a caring group of local residents who knew Andrew Trammell well, especially in his youth, made a decision to pay special tribute to the character of Trammell by immortalizing his memory in a unique manner.

Members of Scout Troop 200, chiefly Bruce Plummer of Dexter, who serves as an assistant leader in the troop, have been hard at work on a project that will commemorate the life of Andrew Trammell for generations to come.

The local troop has elected to remember Trammell by commemorating his life in a thirty- two foot tall, hand-carved totem pole that consists of various images depicting the aspects that highlighted Trammell's brief life.

Two poles combine to make a thirty two foot totem pole as the efforts of several area residents come together to honor one of their own

The totem pole, now nearing completion, was the brainchild of Dexter native, Tony Stevens, who has been an active scout leader for many years in the community and who knew Andrew well. Other local scout leaders, as well as scouts and friends of the late Trammell, joined in the initial effort to acquire the pole and ready it for the intricate carving.

"It came together as a joint effort of many people who knew Andrew well during his formative years here in Dexter and knew him as a fine young man who took an active role in our troop and in his community," Plummer recounts.

Once the idea became a plan of action, Plummer, a woodworker by trade, went to work researching and designing the tribute. The Plummer family traveled Washington, D.C. on vacation last winter and viewed totem poles on display at the renowned Smithsonian Institute, in order to obtain a better idea of how to pattern their project. Returning home with pictures of the various poles on display at the Smithsonian, a design was decided upon, with the help of Nathan Sherfield, a friend and fellow scout of Trammell's, and Plummer literally had his work cut out for him.

A saw mill in Tennessee, after hearing about the plans of Troop 200, generously donated two sixteen foot logs of cypress, known to be a wood that will withstand the conditions of Southeast Missouri, once the finished project was exposed to the elements.

"The pole," Plummer explained, "is in two sixteen foot sections, but will be put together and mounted when the project is completed and will appear as one continuous thirty two foot span."

To appreciate the beauty of this project and the efforts of Bruce Plummer and friends, it is important to note that Trammell was an outdoorsman in his youth, enjoying the sports of duck hunting and fishing. With that in mind, the totem pole will include, in addition to the traditional figures, a carved fish and a duck in flight, in remembrance of the sports that Trammell enjoyed while an active member of Boy Scout Troop 200.

Pam Trammell, familiar to many as the Director of Stoddard County's Senior Citizens' Center, is the mother of the late Andrew Trammell and is pleased that local efforts are directed toward immortalizing her son.

"Word cannot express how grateful I am to the members of Troop 200 for all their work toward honoring Andrew," she recently expressed, adding, "Scouting was a vital part of Andrew's youth, and I can't think of a more fitting tribute than this amazing piece of craftsmanship to honor his memory." "To see the things he loved so much depicted in this work of art is just overwhelming," she said.

Likewise, Andrew's father, Gary Trammell, also of Dexter, is touched by the work of so many hands and hearts coming together to honor his son's memory.

"To see the efforts of so many, especially the craftsmanship of Bruce Plummer, come together to honor Andrew," said the senior Trammell, "is both a humbling and an overwhelming experience."

Describing the initial steps of the project, Plummer explained, "We used chain saws first to cut away the excess wood on the back of the log, plus the heartwood, and then we prepared the surface by rough carving the figures we wanted to portray Andrew's life."

Once the desired figures were roughly hewn, the craftsmanship at which Plummer excels was put to work. Using axes, chisels, and three specially crafted detailing knives he assembled himself, Plummer began the task of meticulously finishing the intricate figures that make up this personalized work of art. The knives, called "bent or crooked knives" in the trade of woodcarving, are modeled after tools used by Indian tribes of the Northwest to make their bowls, canoes and totem poles. Some of the figures on the pole include those traditionally depicted by the Northwest Indians, including a raccoon and a whale, whose tail flukes are near the center of the pole, just below the figure of an Indian chief. A bear head at the top is another traditional feature of the Northwest Indian tribe's poles, but perhaps most noteworthy is the soaring eagle depicted on the pole, which is often found on poles of the Northwest, but which bears special significance, since Trammell had achieved the level of Eagle Scout in his youth. He was also an active member of Order of the Arrow, an honorary Boy Scouts of America camping society. That achievement is depicted in the presence of a carved turtle, the symbol of the Order of the Arrow, riding high on the back of the carved whale.

Plummer prepared a scale model of the totem pole before work on the actual pole began last May. Using the model, he and other local craftsmen have spent endless evening and weekend hours making this dream become a reality.

"It's been a labor of love," said Plummer, and added, "We wanted to memorialize Andrew in a way that was significant and represented what he enjoyed most in his life."

"So many people, young and old, had a hand in making this project come together," he added, "and we think Andrew would have been proud of the efforts of his friends, young and old, who had a hand in this tribute."

Plummer concluded, "Andrew was a fine young man with great potential who unfortunately left us way too soon."

Plans call for a memorial plaque to be placed at the base of the totem pole when it is dedicated early next spring at the Vernon Gales Memorial Scout Hut, located on the outer road north of Highway 60 on the outskirts of Dexter.