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HYDE BAY HOME LETTER                Volume XX 1946                        No. 9

REITERATION: To repeat the announcement of last week, let us say that the boys will leave Port Plain at 9:50 to arrive in New York at 3:15, if the divinities which mould the terminal facilities of railroads are kind. This should enable boys going to Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington to take the four o’clock train on the Pennsylvania.

MECHANIZATION: Following the example of the United States Army, which has mechanized its Cavalry divisions, horse councilor Marshall Diggs, on the morning of Tuesday, August 27 will take over our mechanized division. In other words, he will be in charge of the group going to Washington and will personally deliver to each of you your son, if he is on Marshall’s list.

REPLIES: Up to date, which is Monday morning, a grand total of ten parents have sent in the addressed cards which were enclosed with the Home Letters a week ago. It is just a bit difficult to buy railroad tickets and arrange transportation without this necessary data.

WEATHER: During the past week the weather has been capricious, to say the least. We have had some splendid days and some really hot weather, but we have also had some rain.

HEALTH: We continue our measle operations. Pat Mundy is back in circulation, but Jack Scaff is in the infirmary with what seems to be measles. At least he has a temperature, and is eligible.

HYDE BAY GOES UNDER GROUND: On Monday we revived a very pleasant prewar custom. Almost the entire camp, young and old, went in two buses to the famous Howe Caverns. Here we divided into two parties, dropped down the 160-foot elevator and spent something over an hour in the tour of the caverns. This included the novelty of a boat ride on a long, narrow lake as well as the conventional exploration of this interesting limestone formation. When we emerged from the 52 degrees of the cavern to the outer world, we had lunch of sandwiches, etc. which we had brought with us. Boys supplemented this with personal purchases of pop and ice cream. We returned to camp without incident at about 2:30.

TRIPS: Heb, Micky, and Hank Hosley took two carloads of boys to Mount Nebo on Wednesday, where they spent the night. The following evening Lin Gray, Ed Maxson, and Ollie Thomson took their tents and a two supplementary passengers on the same trip. Nebo, as you may know, is a 50—acre mountain tract six miles from camp where we have a lean-to fire place and a magnificent view of the wooded hills which surround this peak on all sides. The camp has owned it for many years, during which time it has been thoroughly enjoyed by a host of campers. On Tuesday, Marshall Diggs and his tent, supplemented by Jay Cooper and Bill Price, spent the night on Little Gravelly. On Thursday Jim Waters took boys who had not been to Gravelly for night on that fascinating peninsula.

DEFEAT: Although Jay Cooper pitched deftly to catcher Alan Hoblitzell, the Hyde Bay baseball team went down to defeat on famous Doubleday field Wednesday afternoon. The entire aggregation made the trip in and out by motor boat.

EXTRA CHURCH: Boys of the Catholic faith on Thursday were taken to town in the motor boat, by Admiral Kunkowski. The latter individual has performed curative miracles on the Hacker. It now dashes blithely over the surface of the Glimmerglass. Frank’s Navy training is a blessing to Hyde Bay.

OFF THE CELLULOID TRACK: On Tuesday evening we decided to have the normal Wednesday movie. This time it was “Charlie McCarthy, Detective” which seemed to be enjoyed tremendously by the younger members of the organization.

FOOD: This satisfactory department reached somewhat of a climax on Sunday with turkey, corn from our own garden, and our own home-made ice cream. Certain greedy individuals who will not be named ate as many as ten ears of the succulent corn. We like to gather this on the morning when it is used. Our gardens are shelling out all the corn we can possibly use until the close of camp.

TREASURE HUNT: Saturday and part of Sunday was given over to the annual treasure hunt. Ten clues had been laid down by veteran treasure hunter, Bobby Pickett, who in his younger days at camp had finally to be excluded from the contest as too often a winner. After scouring the country, wrinkling brows over codes, and playing all sorts of punches, team headed by Tony Bogatko, abetted by Billy Harkness and Jimmy Miller, came in just a bit ahead of some of the others to win the treasure.

DRAMA: Next to the last drama presentation took the form of a dramatization of O’Henry’s “Ransom of Red Chief.” The incorrigible youngster was ably portrayed by Jo—Jo Walsh, while Micky Stephenson and Whit Firor divided honors as kidnappers. Ed Maxson made his dramatic appearance at the end as the child’s father clad in the cutaway coat which is the invariable index among our costumes of wealth and respectability. Following the play some very fine sound pictures on the subject of swimming were shown.

SUNDAY: Heb Evans preached at the camp service. A round of the wrestling tournament was run off in the evening, while in the afternoon Al Kerr took a carload of boys who preferred to participate in the community sing to tramping the hills in search of treasure.

REPORTS: Next week you will receive at first hand and decidedly vocally the camp reports on the whole season. The councilors will therefore make this set of reports their valedictory. As I have read them over, it seems to me that they have done a remarkably good job in keeping you in touch with the activities of the children. In fact, I have all during the season viewed with a lot of satisfaction the activities of this fine council.

WARNING: While there will be no further reports, there will be a last Home Letter and a bill itemizing the incidental expenditures of your sons during their stay at Hyde Bay.

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