EXPLANATION: Hyde Bay was founded in 1927. Since 1931 this weekly communication has been written to all parents by the Director. The Home Letter is designed to give parents the information which a small boy is far too busy to impart each week. If there are relatives or friends to whom you would like to have this chronicle sent, please advise us.

REPORTS: You will find enclosed the first set of reports from the tent councilors. Comments are added occasionally by Betty Pickett, the camp nurse, on matters of health and by the head councilor and director. The first summer school tutoring reports will come next week.

BILLS: You will find enclosed a statement of the camp tuition. As some boys are here for four weeks only, to simplify bookkeeping, all parents are charged for the first four weeks at the weekly rate, or $240. Second half will be $160.

NUMBERS: The camp is once more at capacity. We could easily have had 25 more. Other than sending form letters to the parents of boys who were at Hyde Bay in 1954, no attempt was made to enroll campers. All old campers who applied to return were taken. As long as the places lasted, we took the boys recommended by parents of former campers. We are grateful for this splendid support.

COUNCIL: We have 24 councilors as against 23 last year. Three are married and live in cabins. Veteran Heb Evans has been relieved of specific tent responsibilities which the other 20 enjoy. He is in general charge of the group of tents which houses the older boys. Returning veteran councilors are Harry Bowdoin, Heb Evans, Jack Garver, Sandy Jencks, Al Kerr, Pete Powell, Tom Sargent and, of course, head councilor George Chandlee. To our delight, Tom Offutt returned to us at the last moment after his proposed African Safari had been cancelled by the maratime strike. Former Hyde Bay campers returning as councilors are Skip Clark, Eddie and George Ruestow and Peter Webster. From Harvard, where Bob Pickett coaches wrestling, come Bob Banker, Charlie Eaton, Peter Macky and Griff Winthrop. Promoted from U L to Councilors-in—training are George Barker, Eddie Brown, Terry Donahoe, Warren Hills and Benjie Jones. Old camper, Dick Kerr and Jeff Williams are also in this group. Jeff hails from Governor Dummer.

SUMMER SCHOOL: Teachers Barriskill, Dresser and Mercer are with us again but Russells have taken a sabbatical for a year abroad. Mr. Barriskill occupies his accustomed room in the tutoring school. The Dressers, with their five children, live in their new house, high on the mountain overlooking the lake, while the Mercers and Carolyn occupy their usual cottage. The Mercer boys are regular campers.
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LADIES IN RESIDENCE: Mesdames Chandlee and Mercer are in charge of their usual cabins. Mrs. Kerr’s domain has been changed from the cabin on the hill to the one previously used by the Russells. The Infirmary is surrounded by Betty Pickett’s cabin on one side and the sleeping porch of Mrs. Pickett and her husband, the Director on the other side. Mrs. Garver and daughter Kristin will join us for the second half.

KITCHEN: Henry and Grover are back and are supplemented by Moses Brooks and Moses Ghee. You will note that we have added a fourth man to this very efficient staff.

ARRIVALS: Ricky Donahoe came Saturday, Chris Kinder on Monday. Mr. McManus brought Charlie and David in on Monday night and spent that evening in the tent with David. Bob and Frank Pine were the first to appear at 0950 hours on Monday. Then came the deluge of Tuesday which proved to be a delightfully clear and warm day. The Coulsons and the Coupes arrived on Wednesday. The only absentee is grandson Lawry Pickett, who must tarry until Thursday due to exposure to mumps. Wednesday also brought Mrs. Shaw and Charlie, who had missed the train in Baltimore on Tuesday.

WEDNESDAY: Another clear and warm day, ideal for the numerous swimming tests. Councilors Garver and Brown found time to rediscover the Sunken Islands with an intrepid group of explorers.

CLEAR AND WARM THURSDAY: A good sailing wind was promptly utilized by Admiral Jencks and his men. Heb and Tom Offutt scaled Strawberry Mountain at the head of an assaulting column of campers. Eddie Ruestow showed a group of campers that he had not forgotten the location of the Sunken Islands. Shadow Brook enjoyed almost a traffic jam. Swimming continued apace under the all Harvard supervision of Griff, Charlie end Peter. Some rain fell in the late afternoon.

COMMODORE ARRIVAL DAY: This is our brief label for Friday. This distinguished person came late at night. After a day of good sailing, many swimming tests and a movie trip to town, all enjoyed by campers and not the Commodore. Heb accompanied by Eddie Brown and Jeff Williams took their tents to Gravelly for the night.

STORM: Quite a violent storm interrupted a hot, sunny morning but it cleared toward evening. The annual running of the “Hot Rock” was successful. Joe Dickey was the big winner. Numbered stones of varying value were hidden all over camp to be discovered by the contestants. “Fixed Bayonets”, the first feature film, was shown.

THE SABBATH: On this clear, hot day, as the bus rumbled out bearing tie Catholic boys to church, the Director opened the first of our camp services in the Theater. This was followed by an especially thorough inspection and a soap dip in the lake. This latter ceremony was necessitated by the break down of our hot shower system. We hope its repair will be reported in the next issue. In sailing, Charlie McManus defeated his cousin Walter and Rickey Donahoe. There was aqua planing. We all had our supper out of doors, Councilors Offutt and Barker taking their tents off in canoes for their ritual. Excellent movies portraying the glories of Maryland and New York states and a marvelous exhibition of shooting by Herb Parsons brought this day to a happy close.