Back to The Lodge
Back to Home Letters
HYDE BAY HOME LETTER
VOLUME 41 July 3, 1967 No. 1
THE HOMELETTER: is our method of informing you of your son’s week’s events. The boys write home each week but many items of interest are omitted. This edition begins the forty first season of this pleasant tradition. We will be glad to send the Homeletter to any grandparent or other interested members of the camper’s family when requested. We will also continue to send this publication to former campers and councilors who have indicated their desire to receive it.
REPORTS: Included with this letter are the weekly camper reports. Reports for tutoring boys will also be included with this letter as well as with all subsequent letters. We will be glad to send a copy of the tutoring report to the respective school if the parents so desire
TENT LISTS: A tent list for July is enclosed with the intention that it will assist you in introducing you to the boys in your son’s tent as well as to his councilor. It will also aid in identifying the tents that will be performing on the stage in the tent plays on successive Saturday evenings throughout the summer. The curtain rises at 8:30p.m., and we welcome all guests. The tents producing plays this Saturday will be Tents # 1, 2, 3, and 4.
SWIMMING TESTS: Frequently throughout the summer, we will be referring to various swimming tests. To interpret our terminology, we are describing the tests as follows -- the progression in distance being from "E" to "A":
"E" -- around the float and back---about 50 yards
"D" -- around the tower and back---about 150 yards or a little more.
"C" -- swimming along the shoreline towards Cooperstown about 400 yards. This test also includes mastering a few fundamental strokes as well as diving fundamentals.
"B" -- a yet longer swim with more emphasis placed on the mastery of some advanced strokes and advanced diving.
"A" -- from Clark's Point to camp---a distance of about 3/4 of a mile.
All our swimming tests are done with a councilor rowing a boat along with the boy in the water.
OPENING DAY: Warm and humid, the councilors had prepared camp the week before for the arrival of most of the campers. In the late morning, a rather unusual storm hit us with such force that some of the louvres on the tents blew off and the rain poured in. This is the first rain we have had on opening day for eight years. All parents and campers were most cooperative during this brief emergency. Fortunately, we had no real damage done to the camp. By mid-afternoon a strong wind came up and dried out most of the camp. Many “D” tests were passed, and all were settled in by the time the bus group arrived at supper time.
MONDAY: Dawn was sunny and cool. With the warm sun, more “D” tests were passed. All activities were started at full tilt. Five sailboats were on the seas. David Dube caught a 22—inch pickerel. Two large stickball games were in order after supper. The tutoring school commenced with several boys.
TUESDAY: Clear and warm by 10:00 a.m. Shortly after all boys had made their beds, eighteen boys left by car to the foot of the Lake where they embarked in canoes to make the first Up-the—Lake trip of the season. This trip was led by John Diamond, John Mercer, and Todd Mulvenny. It included campers Chris Weber, Mark Whittlesey, Billy Ewing, Dieter Snell, John Wilson,
___________________ Back of Page _______________
and Larry Sager. Archery and horseback riding were very busy all day and the baseball department had their organizational meetings. By the end of the day about eighty-five boys had passed their “D” test. At 5:00 p.m. the first Lookout overnight camping trip departed under the guidance of Jeff Levi, Tom Ratcliff, Pete Mehl, and UL Fran Huidekoper. Some of the boys making the trip were Todd Atkinson, Jonathan Clapp, Paul Pickett, Bert Lintel, Quinn Trubee, and Larry Kohn. After supper some went fishing; others played “Four-square” on the basketball court.
WEDNESDAY: Sunny, warm, fair breeze. After breakfast and inspection a group left for Pathfinder Gorge led by George Radcliffe, Chris West, and Dick Raymond. The campers joining this trip included Scott Weldon, Whit Fish, Emlyn Hughes, Brian Wilson, Eric Reid, Charlie Stone, and Todd Galvin. In the afternoon many “C” tests were accomplished. A small group went to Craig Lynn for a frog hunt. Some of the hunters were Marty Sutton, Blake Whitcombe, and John Uhlein along with councilors John Diamond, Dick Raymond, and Peter Mehl. Another group journeyed to Sunken Islands for an afternoon of swimming. Following a few after-dinner games, we all assembled in the theater for a full length movie, “Man from Laramie” tarring Jimmy Stewart.
THURSDAY: Cloudy, cool, light rain starting early in the afternoon. The three youngest tents left by car after milk and cookies to explore Natty Bumpo’s Cave. This trip was led by Mouldy, Chris West, Jeff Levi, and Larry Hubert. Campers Paul Mangano, Jeremy Nathans, Bill Couch, Gordon Boone, Blaise de Sibour, Alan Lintel were some of the hikers. The rest of the campers enjoyed a full day of camp activities.
FRIDAY: We awoke to more cloudy skies, but no rain. The first Susquehanna trip of the year set forth under the able guidance of John Mercer, Jeff Levi, and Chooch Turner. They took with them Matt Brock, Like Wilkins, Joe Gioia, Harry Turner, Ken Earll, Pete Spragins, and Jamie Hills among others. The weather cleared about midday and gave the rest of the camp an opportunity to swim, sail, and participate in all the camp programs. The second Lookout trip left before supper, made up of the three smallest tents. Councilors Chris West, Rusty Pickett, and Bruce Rice along with ULs Dick Raymond, Stan Poreba, and Ray Athey led this group. Jim Buley, Tommy Grace, Eric Reid were among the stalwarts. In the evening, the ULs had their trip into town and then to the movie “Casino Royale.”
SATURDAY: Sunny, clear, and warm. McKee Lundberg, Jack Poreba, and Larry Hubert took four canoes down the Lake, stopping at all the places we stop at on the Up-the-lake trip. The canoers included Cullen Dwyer, Gareth Hughes, Flip Johnson, George Fulton, Andy Wheeler, Dave Colson, and David Tillapaugh. water skiing was in order both in the morning and the afternoon, Sailfish, archery, sailing, and thirteen-and—under baseball practice occupied the rest of the camp. In the evening we all enjoyed the classic film “The Bridge on the River Kwai” starring Alec Guiness and William Holden.
SUNDAY: Clear, warm, with a good breeze. After breakfast all campers went to to their tents and prepared for our Sunday Inspection which includes the trunks. At 10:00 a.m. all but the boys going to church in town went to the theater for our own church service. The Director presided over the first service and spoke about “Bleacheritis” or about not sitting idly by and watching someone else doing some activity. As each tent was inspected after church, the members went to the swimming area where all took a “soap dip.” Since the day was very warm, this procedure replaced the usual weekly hot showers. In the afternoon, after store and rest period and letter-writing-time we had our first watermelon battle in the swimming area. The campers were divided up into age groups and met each other accordingly. For supper on Sunday we have a buffet type meal served from the milk and cookies room: hot dogs one week and barbequed hamburgs the next week. After supper Tents #67, 11, and 63B left for town with the mail and a chance to buy some goodies as a reward for being the highest scoring tents during the previous week of Inspection. Store was at 7:15 and at 8:00 we all watched the Sunday night cartoons and serial.
NEW TELEPHONE NUMBER: The telephone company has assured us that the change will be effective by July 10. Code 607 547-9492
Back to Home Letters
Back to The Lodge |
