Tom Slade at Black Lake

"Tom Slade at Black Lake" by Percy Keese Fitzhugh is an early 20th-century story about Tom Slade, a World War I veteran and former Boy Scout, as he comes home and deals with the aftermath of war. Grappling with both physical and emotional scars, Tom seeks to find his place again with his old scout troop while facing new challenges of adulthood, friendship, and staying true to the values of scouting. Tom's journey begins as nostalgia hits him when gazing at a map of Temple Camp, where he remembers fun scouting adventures. It's a story about his difficult return to civilian life, focusing on his inner battles with shell shock and feeling distant from his friends. The drama heightens when Tom mistakenly assigns cabins that his troop has used for years to another troop that creates conflict and tests his loyalty to his friends. This is the beginning of Tom’s journey to make up for his mistakes, and to prove that even with hard times, his loyalty to scouting and his friends will never fade.