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VOLUME TEN  NUMBER SEVEN                                      August 19, 1937

LEST WE FORGET.  Once more may we say that the boys will leave Hyde Bay on Thursday, August 26th.  They will take the 9:13 out of historic Fort Plain to arrive without change in New York at 1:45.  They will take the 2:55 on the B and O for Baltimore due to reach that historic spot at 7:19P.M. at the historic Mt. Royal station.  They will be in charge of two councillors with Mr. George M. Chandlee, Jr., in complete command. Any stop arrangements must be specific in writing from the parents.  Otherwise the boys will be expected to go through to Baltimore.

VOCAL REPORTS.  This is the last set of reports from councillor to parent.  Next week you will be hearing fluent, full, accurate, and colorful reports on the councillors by the boys.  The boys will not have to be reported on.You will be repairing their informal! table manners, looking suspiciously behind their earsonly to find that Bill looked there first, exclaiming in dismay over the interior of the trunk that the councilor thought he supervised in packing so carefully, testing with warm water and soap to see if it is tan.  In short your boy will be home again and asking to go to the movies with -------.

POST CAMP PARCEL POST.  Then we will send on to you by parcel post the articles which have escaped the dragnet the council spreads so conscientiously on Wednesday.

ANOTHER HOMELETTER.  You will get another of these rambling accounts to sweeten the bill for incidental purchases which will be in the same envelope.  There will not be a charge for a single extra.  Just the articles and laundry your son has been allowed by us both to charge on his camp bill.

A VERY SATISFACTORY SUMMARY.  I think a camp director may tell this tale with pardonable pride, if any pride is pardonable.  Our swimming record this year has been excellent under the direction of Bill Formwalt assisted by George Chandlee and Lawry Pickett, with help now and then from other councilors.
Four men have passed the Senior Red Cross Examination.  They have to be seventeen or over; hence the “men”.
Nine boys have passed the Junior tests.  The regulations of the Red Cross require eight hours of instruction.  Bill has given his class twenty hours.  We feel that we have made a significant contribution to this national campaign for safety.  Incidentally, every boy who has gone through this severe training is a much stronger swimmer than he was before.  The Director saw a life saved once by a Junior R.C. Life Saver and has never under-rated this course since.
Thirteen boys have passed the Red Cross Beginners Test.  This is a twenty-five foot swim and return.  The boys who did this learned to do it at camp. 
Twenty-one boys passed the Red Cross Swimmers Test.  They had to learn to tread water, float, dive, surface dive in eight feet of water, swim a hundred yards with two kinds of strokes, know artificial respiration, swim fifty feet using only legs.  Say, Pop can you do it right now?

SATURDAY NIGHT AT AN INN.  Mrs. Dresser came forth last Saturday with the first carefully rehearsed play we have ever attempted.  The vehicle was an adaptation of Lord Dunnany’s Night at an Inn.  As “the Toff”, Frank Beury behaved as became his years of dramatic experience.  His tough comrades were done most convincingly by Albert Wampole, Lawry Pickett, and Bob Zeugner.  The fanatic Priests were really George Chandlee, Gordon Kinder, and Bob Long, but no one would have suspected it.  Then last of all stalked in the horrid Idol.  With a mask made by Forrest and a costume improvised cleverly, he was a fearful spectacle.  Off stage he is Bill Formwalt.  It was a real play.

TRIPS BY SAIL.  We have set the hands of the clock back several times this week by sailing to Cooperstown in the School Ship.  Jack Young has taken several crews while Bill Formwalt introduced a sort of innovation by going down by sail and back by motor, a sort of hybrid trip.  He ran out of air; so he said.  they take their lunch and eat on ship and then spend a little time in the village and beat their way back or plow on before the wind as the case may be.

BY HORSE.Several hikes have been made to the slightly round top where our horse hikes come to rest.  Some rain fell, but all reported a swell time. We are trying to take every boy who wants to go, but two or three trips have been called off due to rain.  We have had quite a bit of late.

BY FOOT.  Lawry and Gordon took a gang up Otsego Mountain last week.  There was little incident, despite a heavy shower at dusk.  This is not the first time that the pup tents have done yeoman service.  A majority of our trips saw some rain this year.

BY CLUE.  Tents A and B romped through a treasure hunt prepared for their amusement in 48 minutes, a new International record.  Dodson, Thomas, T., and Morrill were victors.

GLASS BLOWERS.  The famous Howell family of glass blowers, who were a decided attraction two years ago, were with us again this Monday night.  Taking advantage of our improved stage, they gave a good performance, and then sold their wares to boys and men. It is always a well worth while entertainment.

BIRDS ARE GOING SOUTH.  Just as in the outer world, Fall heralds its colorful approach by flights of birds to the south, so at Hyde Bay the appearance of the Captaindbonfirepresages the growth of camp. As we write it is complete in all its stately grandeur.  Mr. Hartzell says it is a shade smaller than usual, but it does not give that impression.

VALIANT.  We are busy on the preparation of the Valiant done by an older cast.  More of that next week.And more of the tournaments now in full swing, the eight-inch regatta to come Wednesday and all that.  Now we stop for this week.

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