A labor of love

Noreen Hyslop photos Nearly five years of work came to fruition Saturday morning when a 32-foot-tall totem pole, hand-carved by craftsman Bruce Plummer of Dexter, was moved into place at the local Boy Scout Hut off Highway 60. The totem pole was constructed in memory of the late Andrew Trammell who was a member of Troop 200 in his youth.

For years, Bruce Plummer, a local woodworker and master craftsman, has volunteered his services as assistant leader of Troop 200. He knew well the enthusiasm of the young Boy Scout as Trammell took part in various Scouting adventures during his formative years.

Plummer readily credits local Scout leader Tony Stevens with coming up with the idea of constructing a totem pole to honor the memory of Andrew Trammell. The two agreed on the concept and decided that a totem pole, to be erected at the local Boy Scout Hut, should appropriately depict the various aspects of Trammell's brief life that were especially important to Trammell as a boy growing up in the realm of Scouting.

A saw mill in Tennessee, upon hearing of the plan, generously donated two 16-foot spans of cypress, keeping in mind that cypress would withstand the elements of Southeast Missouri. Plummer and his family, on a subsequent trip to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., viewed totem poles on display there to assist in formulating a pattern. Upon his return to Dexter, Plummer went to work.

It was important to the local craftsman to personalize the totem pole that would honor Trammell, who earned the rank of Eagle Scout as a teenager and student at Dexter High School. So, although an eagle is an element of a totem pole that is traditionally displayed, its presence holds special significance on the commemorative pole at the Scout Hut.

"Andrew loved to duck hunt and loved fishing," recalls Plummer, "and so there is a carved mallard duck and a fish also depicted on the pole."

Other elements include a bear, an Indian, a turtle, and a raccoon - all are typical factors of totem poles; but each also holds significance within the Scouting arena.

The tedious task of carving out the figures on the totem poles was primarily the work of Plummer, assisted at times by other local craftsmen.

"It was a cooperative effort," says Plummer. "A lot of folks had a hand in making this possible and we utilized so many local people in this project. It would have been impossible without their help over the past few years."

Bruce Plummer helps to secure the lower portion of the totem pole onto the existing pine pole .

Plummer worked on the two poles in his off hours since 2004, during the evening after work and on weekends, often soliciting help from his wife, Kay, and at times from the Scouts of Troop 200 and their parents as well.

To call the pole's construction tedious at times seems an understatement. Plummer, using small hand-held tools he fashioned himself, worked countless hours detailing the facial features and meticulously shaping the "feathers and fur" of the animals on display. Through four winter seasons of cold in the metal building where the work took place and four summers of stifling heat, the work continued.

The painting of the figures on poles, and then the application of a polyurethane finish, concluded the totem pole's construction.

Four years after its inception, the project is complete, culminating with putting the 32-foot hand-carved and hand-painted totem pole on display Saturday morning atop a hill on the north side of Highway 60 at the site of the Boy Scout building.

Many hands and hearts came together Saturday to complete the long-awaited erection of the totem pole. Steve Brown of Brown Construction was on hand with a crane to lift the two sections and cautiously put them in place. Ralph Jackson was on hand with a "cherry picker" to help properly secure the sections onto the existing power pole already in place.

The two 16-foot totem poles were hollowed out early in their construction, allowing for them to literally wrap around the standing pine pole already in the ground. Brackets with which to secure the poles on the backside of the structure were put in place.

At about 9 a.m. Saturday, the bottom section of the pole was lifted, making its journey high in the air, seemingly dangling precariously at the end of the Brown Construction boom. With Brown at the helm, the pole was carefully lowered and secured, fitting like a glove on the waiting pine pole. Volunteers worked from the ground to the rooftop of the nearby Scout building to secure the totem pole, which was set atop a rock and concrete base on the ground.

The second and top section of the pole, with eagle's wings in flight, was next to be sent skyward and then was lowered into place atop the first section. There was hardly a seam showing when the two sections blended as one, towering into the sky aside the Scout building.

A round of applause came from the spectators, consisting of parents of troop members and volunteer scout leaders who had a hand in the five-year-long project, and each breathed a proud sigh of relief once the two spans were secured in place.

Stretching into the late summer skies, the totem pole, in bright colors of blues and yellows and greens, can easily be seen by travelers on Highway 60 and closer from navigating the outer road north of the highway. It stands tall and proud as a tribute to a young man from Dexter whose life was cut short by tragedy, but whose character will be recalled for generations through a labor of love by those who knew him well.

At a time yet to be announced, a commemorative plaque bearing Andrew Trammell's name, will be put in place at the base of the structure and a dedication service will take place also at that time.