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Home Letter Volume 30, July 31, 1956 No. 5

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VOLUME 30             July 31, 1956                   No. 5

TWENTY-ONE DAYS hath August. That is Hyde Bay language. Remember you will be invited to the Barbecue on the night of Monday, August 20th. Next week you will get cards for your acceptances and travel plans for your sons. Again, let me urge you to make your reservations for Monday night. It becomes more difficult with every day’s delay.

BILLS: Some of you will find enclosed the bill for this half. It a much smaller task this time because so many paid for the full time when the first half bi11s arrived. Our records are not above reproach. Please advise me of any errors. One of us may well be wrong. Bills for incidentals will follow the close of camp, even for those who left at the end of the first half.

THE REPLACEMENTS: As far as we can tell at this time, a splendid group of campers has been replaced by an equally fine new lot. It was very pleasant to see so many of you on Busy Tuesday.

MONDAY, JULY 23rd: Warm, Ominously overcast with the threat of rain unfulfilled. Tents #17 and #18 slept on Gravelly this night. Councilors Murphy and Washburn reclined there also. The Hyde Bay Giants beat the local Tigers 11—10 in a 12 inning baseball game.

HOT BUT WINDY: This label belongs to Tuesday, when we enjoyed excellent sailing and a ‘round-the-lake trip piloted by Heb with assistants Garrett and Brown. The rest of this day was given over to arrivals and departures.

WEDNESDAY: Happy is the day which has no history. We sailed and enjoyed other routine camp activities, concluded by an excellent movie called Stagecoach.

THE 26th OF JULY: Clear, warm and cooler as another two-day Susquehanna set off under the inevitable Heb, assisted by frontiersmen Barker and Classen. Lakeside residents stared in well—founded amazement as a flotilla of canoes bearing watermen Chandlee and Jencks glided past. Jack Garver fell to adorning the outside of the store with cartoons, you must inspect when you visit us. A splendid edition of that bottomless pool of artistic humor. This was our day of woe as Chip Campbell required five hospital—administered—stitches in the sole of his foot. He apparently encountered something sharper than he while swimming. In that same aqueous medium, Bill Fink ruptured his ear drum. (Hospital authorities were high in their praise of our Health Blanks and Betty’s accurate diagnosis of Bill’s injury.) Bill Fink, who had made a very auspicious start at camp had to return home for what we hope is a brief period of treatment

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by his local doctor. Greg Carter and Guy Garnsey passed their “D” tests, while Rufus Bayard surmounted the marine hurdle known as the “E” test.

FRIDAY: This was a windy, warm at times, clear and calm, anon partly cloudy sort of day. Believe us, we are not inventing this weather but merely reporting it. Who could have been the Jonah in the first half?? Pete Thomas and his tent nighted on Gravelly. Explorers Danner and Garver discovered the Sunken Islands. There was an exciting inter—varsity squad baseball game. Shortly after the usual movie trip glided off to town in the bus under the personal direction of the Chandlees, our mystery guest arrived. A prize had been offered by the Director for his identity. Correct guess was made by Bill Brooks when he added to the list of all the Hyde Bay celebrities he had heard mentioned in his four weeks at camp, the name of Puffy Evans, erstwhile Hyde Bay great and brother of Heb.

SATURDAY ENSUES: A clear and windy sailing day. Tired but triumphant, the Susquehanna trip returned. Shooting stars and parental visits are common at this season. We had lots of visitors.

THE DRAMA: A most amusing set of tent plays was enjoyed by our residents and visitors. The Director and Directress felt hugely rewarded for dashing out early from a dinner engagement. Tent #15 was judged the winner of a brilliantly contested struggle. How these productions originated, rehearsed and staged in five days keep up their remarkable standard is a Hyde Bay mystery some way associated with the genius of Al Kerr; now forlorn in his cabin as Mrs. Kerr and son Stuart sailed early Thursday morning for her native Britain.

SUNNY SUNDAY: was clear and windy although clouds could be detected in the afternoon. Heb preached. Among the many gratifying facets of this splendid council is the ability and willingness of so many councilors to conduct this morning service. The talks I have heard have been splendid indeed. Pete Macky, a refugee from the waterfront scaled Strawberry Mountain followed like so many Pied Pipers by an entourage of campers and councilors. At the top they were rumored to have found the summit. New softball and basketball leagues made their debut this day. The softball Big Brass League which saw the Admirals defeat the Colonels 3—2. Winners: Captain Clapp and Coach Hall over their apposite numbers Scharf and Thomas. On the court Captain Davens, under a galaxy of coaches consisting of Brooks and Webb attached a 27—1l defeat upon John Wright and his men coached by Brown and Hills. The gonfallon for conspicuous neatness went to Tents #10 and #14 who sailed to Cooperstown by bus instead of Hacker due to the wild waves observed on the lake. That remarkable film, The DuPont Story and a blazing campfire on the beach brought a happy Sunday to its close. As usual we dined out—of—doors at supper time. The alternation of hot-clogs and hamburgers has proven very popular. This was dog day.

DEFENSE: This space absolves the Director from all previous charges of prolixity. Again let us refer to that ancient saw “Happy is that country which has no history”. Some editors would have put in jokes.

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