FINAL RETURNS ON THE RETURN: The New York Central Railroad has informed me that space will be reserved for the Hyde Bay group on Train #138 which leaves Fort Plain at 6:18 AM. Standard Time and is scheduled to arrive in the Grand Central Terminal in New York City at 11:30 Standard Time. We hope to take Train #175 on the Pennsylvania which leaves New York at 1:30 Daylight Time, arriving at 30th Street in Philadelphia at 3:04, Baltimore 4:35, Washington 5:15 Daylight Time. If the group misses this train they will take the one which starts one hour later. Only if it should be necessary to take a still later train will you be advised from New York by wire. Experienced Councilor, Robert B. Russell, will be in charge of the returning group as far as Washington, D.C.

FINAL BANQUET: I am told by reproachful members of our staff that I affixed no date in former communications to the final banquet. I hope it is not too late to say that, as the name indicates, this feast takes place on the final night of camp which, this year, falls on the 25th day of August. (The boys depart in the early morning of the 26th day of August.)

THOSE SELF-ADDRESSED CARDS: A considerable number of these very essential cards have come back to us. There are still some whose plans are not as yet revealed. If you are in the latter group, please advise us promptly. We are obviously going to have a large crowd at the final banquet. We also need to know numbers to plan transportation. Acknowledgment will be made on the enclosed reports where your plans have been disclosed.

REPORTS: Those reports are the last you will receive from the tent councilors. In most cases I note that the councilor has added his valedictory. I expect to write still another home letter which I hope to accompany in many cases by a personal letter. Your bill for incidentals will also be enclosed in that letter.

FIRST DAY OF A PLEASANT WEEK: We started the finals of our sailing races this day. We also indulged in water skiing and aquaplaning. Our tennis players defeated Camp Chenango on their home court by a score of 2 to 1. Pete Powell won the singles match while Scotty Turner and Jan Rozendaal triumphed in the doubles. The unusual feature of the day was the Mills Brothers Circus. A huge bus—load attended the afternoon performance. Our more mature citizens enjoyed the show in the evening. All reports which came to those ears were favorable. It may be said that the local Rotary Club realized something over $1,000 by the sale of tickets of which Camp Hyde Bay purchased 90. The Rotary takings will of course be spent for various worthy causes.

RAINY TUESDAY: There were times on this moist day when it did not rain but it diverted us into our rainy day schedule. Our own bus took groups to the Farmers Museum. Jack Garver initiated basket weaving with many clients and huge success. Dave Andrew led his miniature mastodons to the mat in the Russellorum to start the finals of the wrestling tournament. Due to the inclement weather we advanced our movie night allowing us to see a very amusing production of “It Happened in Flatbush.”

JUST WEDNESDAY: A clear day which was clouded by our defeat on famous Doubleday Field in hard ball by the Cooperstown Playground Team. The score was 10 to 2. The balm for our wounded pride was the satisfaction of having played on the field where baseball was invented. Powell’s basketball team defeated the aggregation owned and operated by Trigg by a score of 24 to 20. So far no scandals have been discovered in this sport at Hyde Bay. The sailing races previously mentioned were continued. The senior life savers were given their final tests. As the shades of night began to fall, Centaur Parr took riders Omborg, Griffiths and Gill Cochran to Mt. Nebo for the night. The tents presided over by Ricky Johnson and George Atkeson departed for a night on Gravelly.

THURSDAY: The last round—the—lake trip set off under Councilors Russell, Rouse and Crisler.(It might be mentiond here parenthetically that the last named has had to leave camp on account of the death of his grandmother. He may possibly return before the end of camp.) The basketball battle continued with the victory of Bowdoin over Omberg by a score of 20 to 11. There was a movie trip to town. Bobby Maslin passed his “E” test to make it possible for me to say that there is not a boy in camp who has not passed at least his “E” test, a very remarkable record. Our first over-night trip by car to Mt. Nebo was conducted with great success by Blaise and Steve. Tom Offutt assisted, by U.L.s Powell and Bowdoin spent the night on Gravelly.

ON FRIDAY: A group of councilors, Offutt and Atkeson, spent the night on Nebo where they found Tom Parr with Messrs. Rozendaal, Walter McManus and Bill McQuilkin who had arrived by horseback. There was another basketball game, many sailing races and tennis tournament matches. Some water skiing took place. The regular Friday night movie trip.

A RAINY SATURDAY: We are sure that we will have no more than one more rainy Saturday in this season. This day was marked by two very unusual events which shall be accorded the honor of a special paragraph subsequently.

TREASURE HUNT: This annual event started at 11:00 o’clock. It continued throughout the day and was finished on Sunday shortly after the mid-day meal. Certain irregularities appeared in the record of the leading contestants. This necessitated a formal jury investigation om Sunday afternoon in the theater. The jury after serious deliberation decided that the treasure should go to Gibby Carey and his team. They accordingly came up at supper time to receive each two samples of that vanishing item, the large, round, silver dollar. It was an exciting hunt well contested with a photo finish.