OUR SECOND SUNDAY: We will take up at midday, as the Homeletter was written out of order last week The afternoon was featured by a sailing race in which Graham Slaughter defeated skippers Rozendaal and Williams. Meanwhile, the Hacker pulled the aquaplane. Then John Hurst gave us a demonstration on water skis. There are few in camp who can emulate him. After supper Tent 9, who bad distinguished themselves for neatness above all others, went to town in the Hacker. Incidentally, they carried the campers’ letters. Councilors Russell and deSibour took their tents down to Gravelley to spend a night on the shores of the Glimmerglass, much as Natty Bumppo and his companions must have done so many “years” ago. At the theater, after dark, we viewed a film called, First Aid. During the day we had many welcome visitors.

MONDAY, JULY 9: The first trip down the Susquehanna set off, led by Dick Geist, assisted by Puffy and George Callard. The campers were mostly the “Calvert gang,” with some exotic elements. The day was fair and windy.

THE NEXT DAY: Tuesday followed hard upon the heels of Monday. It was warm and clear with little wind. The law abiding and peace loving among the campers organized a posse to capture, high on Strawberry Mountain, some dangerous bandits, Among the latter were such familiar faces as those normally displayed by Russell and deSibour. In the evening we saw a Life-Saving movie, furnished us by the American Red Cross.

WEDNESDAY: It was overcast and misty which did not deter a fleet of canoes from visiting the famous Sunken Islands (see Cooper’s Deer-slayer). As Commodore Walter Lord was with us, the traditional Eight Inch Regatta took place with all its attendant festivities. The very highest brass appeared in costume and makeup. Music played. The air was filled with excitement. The good ship, Miserable Me, owned and operated by Randy Barker, won the race. Their names were duly inscribed on the Commodore’s cup before that dignitary departed on Thursday. Swimming progress should be noted with Johnny Griffiths and Gil Cochran passing the “E” test, while Dyer Michell and Harrison Bilodeau were surmounting the “D” barrier. We regret to report that it began to rain in the afternoon.

MORE RAIN: Thursday saw no letup in the downpour. We took advantage of the moisture to witness a Red Cross movie on learning to swim. Two trips of two cars each took numerous boys through the nationally known Farmer’s Museum. At night we saw a short movie called The Quarterback.

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The rain let up a little after supper, providing us with a magnificent rainbow. Somewhere near its foot we toasted marshmallows.

FAIR FRIDAY: Another Susquehanna trip went out under trip councilor Geist with associates deSibour and Bullock. The intrepid Bobs, Pickett and Russell, accompanied by that eminent explorer, George M. Chandlee, Jr., spent the day investigating the possibilities of the head waters of the Delaware as a canoe trip. Their report was very favorable. We plan to run such a trip for boys who have been more or less surfeited on the traditional trips. Puffy pushed off to Gravelly, while Les conducted a tour of Cooperstown’s movies, accompanied by sundry fans among the older campers. This day Johnny Griffiths passed his “D” test.

SATURDAY: The principal feature of this fair day was the first game of the baseball league, where the Plumbers fell before the Beezers in an extra inning game. The score was 14-12, Captain Dave Andrew winning over Pete Powell.

THE DRAMA: The first of a series of tent plays took place Saturday night. They were fully up to the very high Hyde Bay standard set up over the years by erstwhile councilor Al Kerr. I regret to say that the Director was lampooned in each of the plays. The first play, under the title, All At Sea, portrayed a remarkable story of the Director, sundry campers, and a mermaid, surprisingly like Hilles Graham. Then we were allowed a glimpse of the Hyde Bay “underworld,” wherein Senator Popover (Russell), assisted by J. Edgar Hoover, as played by camper Heckel, exposed the last of the crime centers, no less a place than Hyde Bay Camp. The hilarious evening came to an end with the allegedly historical saga, portraying the last of the Hyde Bays. This production was given the prize of a box of Hersheys. The actors were recruited from Dave Mohr’s tent. The Indian scene around the Mohican campfire was particularly effective. The parents of each of the actors will find enclosed a program of the plays.

ANOTHER SUNDAY: While the Catholic boys went to Springfield again, McKim Williams took another lead to church in Cooperstown. The local pulpit was filled by Puffy. As an emergency measure, councilors worked most of the day raising the deck eight inches, which was made necessary by the untimely rise of the waters of the lake. Coach Bullock and Captain Williams of the “Meatballs” drove the “Crocks” under Robb and Jencks, from Doublemarsh Field to the tune of 12—7. Once more Graham Slaughter won the sailing, with Woody Hawks second. There was aquaplaning. McKim Williams with Tent 12, this time, won the privilege of the Hacker trip to town with the mail. The movie of the evening told the story of aluminum under the heading, The Curiosity Shop. An added feature was a Rod Cross film on boating.

HEALTH NOTE: Gil Cochran made our first camp visit to the hospital and later spent the night in the infirmary. He popped out in excellent shape in the morning. It was an earache. Joel Beak, for one night, has been the only other occupant of the infirmary so far.