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Volume 34                        August 1, 1960                      Number 6

CARD: It is most vitally important for you to return the enclosed, addressed postcard. The headings on it are self explanatory. We cordially invite the parents of campers, the brothers and sisters, and grandparents to the final bonfire and barbeque on the night of Thursday, August 18th. Last year, with the smallest enrollment in many years we had over 350 guests on this occasion. With well over 100 in residence this year, with an unusually large number of first half campers eligible to attend the banquet, we reluctantly must limit our guests to parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters of campers. IT IS MOST IMPORTANT THAT YOU TELL US THE AGES OF THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS. You can appreciate that planning to feed this number of people requires a great deal of work. Your early cooperation will make our pleasant task easier.

TRAVEL PLANS: On the same card are spaces you to indicate how your son will go home. If by car, it is essential for us to know the time of his departure. (Some leave Friday night) The method of sending baggage is equally important. The options are by Railway Express, or if the boy returns by train, by check. Train times will be confirmed next week. We presently plan to leave Fort Plain at 8:46 a.m. to arrive in New York at 1:35 p.m. on Friday, August 19th. There is a possibility that we may utilize the Cooperstown—New York bus.

WEATHER: Nature has smiled upon us at last. We have had perfect camp days this week. For example, last night was moonlit and completely cloudless. This morning found the skies in that same delightful condition, while at 6:30 a.m. the thermometer registered 48°, it began to climb rapidly as soon as the sun had cleared Strawberry Mountain, back of camp.

MONDAY JULY 25th: The second Trenton Falls trip set off under the leadership of Mouldy with Hunt Hilliard, his first assistant. (The third and final trip is leaving camp as this is being composed.) Dick Steinzig and assistant councilors took out a Natty Bumppo trip. This means that half of the group walked the five miles to famous Natty Bumppo’s cave, while the other segment went by canoe. They ate their lunch en route. Pedestrians go nautical. The sailors work off their sea—legs walking home. Chenango again rubbed our noses in the dust in baseball by a large score. To lofty Lookout went councilors Pine and Winston with their clients. Guests there at breakfast were three campers and councilor Day via horseback. Our Mohawk guide, Main, conducted councilors Mercer and Armistead and their tents to a night on Gravelly. A Hacker trip for the small fry of our village rescued a roving “Ring” (the Director’s ancient canine).

TUESDAY: A lot of sailing. Intrepid Steinzig augmented by Doug Coupe crossed the lake by Hacker and climbed by compass to the summit of Mt. Otsego, known locally as Rum Hill. Fancy their surprise when they

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found that a group of Girl Scouts had preceeded their conquest of this local Everest. In tennis we avenged our baseball defeats by beating Chenango without losing a set. Participating athletes — Winston, Allen, Archie Coupe, Burwell and Mulvenny. The stones of Gravelly had scarcely cooled when Art Brooks and Tom Gilmore and their tents were slumbering peacefully on this promontory. After supper we had a “Capture the Flag” contest.

JULY 27th: Happy is the country which has no history. It rained this day, but we had a softball game in the afternoon, a lot of swimming as it cleared, and thrilled to a movie to end this day.

THURSDAY: Another Susquehanna went out under the inevitable Steinzig. A distinguished trio, Kenny Jasper, Rob MacNelly 1ud Jonathan Daily swam their “D” tests, while Blake Goldsmith headed toward that distinction by passing his “E” test. There was water skiing. Both Junior and Senior Life Saving started their second semester. To Nebo went numerous campers under the management of Dick Carlton. Tim Allen and his tent augmented by councilor Wilbur graced Gravelly.

FRIDAY THE 29th: This really hot day promoted much swimming. We also aqua-planned and water-skied. The persistent Goldsmith passed his “D” test, leaving not a soul in camp who has not done at least the “E”. Before Gravelly could recover from the Allen invasion, Pine and tent plus John Young beached their craft therabouts. Off to Nebo went native son McEwan with an excited group of charges. The elder statesmen rumbled off to town to put the “C” in cinema.

RAINY SATURDAY: Little Bohemia, cur handicraft lodge, was a beehive of activity. Our bus shuttled campers to and from both the Baseball and the Farmer’s Museums. In the late afternoon the weatherman relented.

UNPRECEDENTED: Our electric lights, departed at 6:45 p.m. Our plays were scheduled to go en at 8:30 p.m. Alas, as curtain time arrived, the lights, were still out. That talented trio, Mrs. Garver, Jim Main, and Mac Mellor were not daunted. They costumed, made up, and staged four fine plays, using only flashlights. A highly trained corps of U.L.s on the front seats functioned well nigh perfectly. Tent #5 with a parody on a Warner Brothers Picture won the candy. The best actor was Bob Davis, while Ricky Coupe carried Off the “feminine” honors. On Sunday noon this decision was rendered by a solitary judge (we usually have three) the author of this Masterpiece. A poll of the body politic “almost” corroborated the expert ???

JULY ENDS ON THE SABBATH: Mr. Hilliard conducted an impressive church service. Inspection raged for its usual time. A new softball league had its first game with David Revell’s Bye Byes winning 1—0 over, Clayt Williams and his Hi Hi’s. We ate our barbecue sandwiches and subsequent peaches out—of—doors as usual. Off to town went our neatest tents, #9 and #11. (Parents may expect this phenomenon to spill over into the domestic circle.) We saw a movie pouring forth the glories of the Cardinals of yesteryear, a contrast to the team currently clinging to the first division.

PARENTAL LETTERS will have an important enclosure which will explain itself. Suffice to say here that it is a tradition of many years at Hyde Bay which has stimulated much parental commendation, and, over the years, only three complaints.

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