 This
unique aquatic base is located just outside of
Colorado City, TX and is
owned by the Buffalo
Trail
Council, BSA.
The site
of the base used to be a property owned by Cosden Oil
and Chemical Company
and used for a recreation site for its employees
called Col-Tex Club
on Lake Colorado City. Cosden had become
American Petrofina, or FINA
and had decided to deposed of the property. It
was located on 1.76
waterfront acres on the east shore of Lake Colorado
City in Mitchell County,
Texas.
Sam Honeycutt, a Scouter and official with FINA, had been given the assignment to handle the disposition of Col-Tex. He had heard of the council's need for an aquatic camp and contacted upper management of the company about their need. The decision was made by FINA to donate the property and facilities to the Buffalo Trail Council. The Council received title in October of 1980. While the camp was being developed it was call the ColTex Aquatic Base or for short, Camp Col-Tex. The camp was later named in honor of G. Newell Hughes by the Council Executive Board and is known today as the Hughes Aquatic Base. Mr. Hughes was responsible for helping to plan the camp, supervising the workmen and hiring and supervising any contractors that were needed to complete the development of the camp. There was much work to be done to recondition the facilities and bring the property up to the standards required for a first class Boy Scout camp. Development funds were raised for badly needed renovation of the existing building, the building of a dock on the pilings sticking out of the water and the acquiring of additional acreage.
According to the Big Spring (Texas) Herald, dated February 8, 1985, the new facility was scheduled to open officially on July 14, 1985, for a week long experience for the Scouts in the Buffalo Trail Council. The camp director was Glenn Cochran, a member of the Buffalo Trail Council staff. The program consisted of all kinds of aquatic activities and instruction.
The tent camping area was named the "Marie Hall Camping Area" in honor of Marie Hall of Big Spring for her excellent support of the renovation of the base. The main building was name the "Dr. Clyde E. Thomas Activity Center" in honor of Dr. Thomas, a long-time leader of Boy Scouts in Big Spring, as well as the first recipient of the distinguished Eagle Scout award in the Buffalo Trail Council. The waterfront area was named the "Bassham Waterfront" in honor of Mrs. B. D. Bassham of Colorado City for her support of the development.
Extensive landscaping and paving of parking, service roads and a recreational vehicle parking area in 1986 was part of the development. Buffalo grass was planted and a chain link fence was put around the waterfront area of the camp, with the planting of conifers along the fence. The Base is under the care of a resident Camp Ranger (also called a "Harbor Master" by some, as befitting an aquatic camp), who is trained by the Boy Scouts of America to be skilled in camp care and program management. He maintains the facilities and assists the campers who use the Base. The base is used for many different activities today. They have Wood Badge training, College of Commissioner Science, Junior Leader Training and of course an Aquatic Camp. It is used for Cub Scout Day Camps, adult leader training, family camping and activities, individual Troop, Pack, Venturer and Explorer Post camping. There is swimming, sailing, canoeing, boating and other aquatic activities available to Scouts and Explorers at this unique base built from a former recreation area. Since the original gift, the Buffalo Trail Council has spent over a half a million dollars, all contributed, in the development of this Base.
More than 200 person were present Saturday at Lake Colorado City for the dedication of the Hughes Aquatic Base and Training Center of the Boy Scouts of America Charles A. Spence, president of the Buffalo Trails Council, was master of ceremonies for the even which included a barbecue luncheon prior to the dedication ceremonies. Spence is president and publisher of the Midland Reporter Telegram. The center, formerly the Col-Tex Club before it was donated to the Boy Scouts by American Petrofina, has been constructed as part of the developmental program of the Buffalo Trail Council. Five areas of the facility were dedicated Saturday including:
Other Scout executives taking part in the ceremonies were John Dee Johnson, Scout Executive; G. Newell Hughes, development supervisor for the Scout camp was named; and Stephen D. Odom, retired Scout executive. Dedication remarks were made by Melvin R. (Pete) Cook, area director, South Central Region of the Boy Scouts of America. Gerald
Petty, assistant Scout
executive, gave the dedication prayer. Troop Winter Camp At Hughes
Aquatic Base 
 
  Base is Closed in 2010 Upon careful review of usage over the past several years, a review of historical challenges, a careful analysis of income versus expenses, and a review of the mission application for HAB, the facilities review task force has made the recommendation for Hughes Aquatics Base (HAB) to be permanently closed and disposed of as quickly as possible. Hughes Acquatics Base was permanently closed on January 19, 2010 by a unanimous vote of the Executive Board of the Buffalo Trail Council. The board is comprised of members of the community from throughout the Permian Basin including representatives of the Lone Star District where HAB is located. Majority of board membership was present during this meeting.
For the complete oral history interview of G. Newell Hughes on Hughes Aquatic Base and Training Center go to: HUGHES' STORY| Camp Lake Swweetwater |Last
Updated: February 7, 2018
|
Numerous
patrons made possible the acquisition of an
additional 400 feet of waterfront
to add to the original gift of 400 feet, and a 8.25
acre tract of non-waterfront
property that is now the tent camping area. In
addition to acreage,
other facilities built or acquired included another
dock, a mobil home,
two coed restroom/showers facilities and the Von
Roeder Memorial Chapel.
The Camp Ranger's cottage was a gift by Lyle
Deffeback of Snyder, and was
moved from Lake Thomas where it had been his
lakefront cottage. This
was adequate for a one hundred camper base.
They also developed six
pads and hook-ups for RV camping.
The
camp itself was officially dedicated on March 19,
1988 as the G. Newell
Hughes Aquatic Base and Training Center in honor of
G. Newell Hughes.
A skilled retired engineer and a volunteer Scouter
of great dedication,
Newell Hughes spent untold hours of non-paid time in
the original development
of the area. Almost daily for weeks on end, he
drove from Midland
to Lake Colorado City ot supervise workmen in the
construction. He
was skilled in getting two dollars in value for
every one dollar spend,
and wa active not only in developing the plans and
supervising the work,
but also in the successful negotiations for the
purchases of the additional
land.
Other
major patrons of the base, which includes FINA, have
been recognized with
plaques displayed on the front outside wall of the
Thomas Activity Center.
The Thomas Activity Center serves both as an
activity and dining hall building,
and was part of the original gift, had a major
facelift, which included
developing and equipping a modern kitchen able to
handle the preparation
of food for large groups of people.
