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Hyde Bay
CAMP FOR BOYS

HERBERT E. PICKETT, DIRECTOR

COOPERSTOWN, NY

Reports.
We plan to send out reports and the Home Letter on Wednesday this year.  Reports and letter will cover the whole of the week ending on Saturday with perhaps a bit of the week to come.

Numbers.
It is very difficult to attain and not exceed a limit on numbers of boys in camp.  It is quite like trying to keep driv­ing at forty miles per hour.  This year we have not been too suc­cessful.  Our aim is forty boys.  For July at least we shall have to run over that figure by several boys.  No attempt has been made to do this.We much prefer our even number but the nature of the applicants has precluded turning any of them down.Parents may be assured that we will not allow a few additional boys over our normal numbers to hurt the atmosphere and informality of Hyde Bay. If any of you through your sons detect such a change you will confer a great favor if you will let us know.As a matter of fact, sev­eral of the boys are in the summer school which leaves the camp proper at about its right figure.

New Boys.
Boys not before with us include:  Bill and JoeBrown, Freddie Brune, Jim Bryant, Jack Buck, Bill Callery, Jimmy Campbell, Hyde Clarke, Dick Clarke, Dick Comer, Bruce Gordon, (Bruce was here for a few days two years ago.) Billy and Paul Hudson, Jimmy John­stone, Jack Markell, Wilmer Mohler, Buddy Semans, Eddie and Frank Supplee, Jim Truitt, Gerry Willse and Tommy Winstead.

Absentees.
We miss Frank Beury, Bobby Carton, Tommy Cassilly, Walter Comfort, Jack Fahey, Louis Hamman, Larry Harper (is due to come in August)  Charley Hilgartner, Ernest Jenkins, Johnny King, Johnny Koppelman, Fred Levering, Jack Nelson, The Prentis boys, and Billy Robertson.  Gary Black is rumored to be coming and not to be coming.  Europe has engulfed Carton and Nelson.  The Prentises are also abroad.  Johnny King is in Labrador.Walter Comfort is on Long Island with his family.  Twenty-three old boys are back with us.

Council.
Billy Payne had to stay home and study in the Tulane Summer School.  Sunshine Pickett is handling the riding for the time. Johnny Boyce is not back with us.  Otherwise the council is intact. New men include John Gott for nature work, Ed Leedy in swimming, Sunny Pickett, Bonny Tag, and Walter Koppelman promoted from Junior to full councilors.   Leslie Exshaw is still (?) at the piano. Charley Classen is Head Councilor.  Jake Classen has the swimming responsibility assisted by Ed Leedy and Donny Tag.  Hammy Welbourn has sailing and baseball.Jack Young still resides in the boat house during most of the day.  It is about the same gang.

Masters.
In the summer school the same voices may be heard rising in cultured tones in all the jargon of their respective trades.  The only exceptions are the absence of Mr. Townsend and the new voice of Mr. Pine.  Mr. Al is taking it easy this summer with some travel on his calendar.   Mr. Pine will do history and help the Director write all that he has to write.

Horses.
Prince and Sue are back.  We had to buy Sue to get her but she was so popular last year that we did it.  Prince says he is glad to get back.  Two new horses are called Cleopatra and Margaret.If we need them, more horses will be added.  Old boys will miss Nigger and Silver.  It will be a pleasant sensation in the case of Silver.  The editor called onSilver the other day and found her as mean as ever.  She was just measuring him for a bite when he stepped out of range.

Buildings.
Hyde Bay has to build every year.  This season the first building is known as Pruddie's Palace and houses Fielder and Prudence who are preparing our food for the seventh year.  This season they are assisted by Theodore, known to a generation of Gilman School boys, and a great man with many years of camp experience back of him.  He occupies the chair of Handy Man.  He resides in the former quarters of Fielder and Prudence.  In course of con­struction is a new recreation hall which will allow ping pong to have more space and will allow the old hall to be devoted to wrest­ling, boxing, and drama, exclusively.

Sanitation.
New York has passed a stringent new camp law.  We promptly met them more than half way by applying to the state dep­artment of health for an inspection by the district sanitary engine­er.  We have met all his specifications.  We are planning other changes in line with suggestions.

Milk.
We have changed to pasteurized milk at the suggestion of the state officer and the recommendation of several parents. It is a very satisfactory change.

Boats.
So far only two new, (to us) row boats have been add­ed to the fleet but other increment is in cerebrational stage.

Tents.                                                                               
A furious rain having shown up the weakness of the tents, they are to be treated to a thorough waterproofing under expert direction.  At present they may be said to leak.  But in all fairness to these veterans of the late war it should be said that it was the hardest rain which has fallen in or on the memory of the Editor.  We now have ten tents and the white one.

Weather.
For the first few days in camp weather was perfect.Sunday the rain fell and the floods came.  Traditional tenacity alone kept us from being washed quite away.

Thanks.Our large numbers this year are due solely to the warm words of praise so many of you have been kind enough to utter.The director has been just as lazy as ever in trying to interest boys in Hyde Bay.  Everyone of us is grateful to you all for your very fine support.   Please let us haveyour criticism at any time. And do drop in to see us!

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