The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-06-07
MANAGING A BOYS CAMP.
Successful Methods of Maintaining
Discipline in a Summer Camp.

4oN4RAAAAO AL s1A4Il4lACl Sdulp.
The y. NJ. c. A. has been in the bust
ness OF conducting boys camps for twenty
years, and so learned the way of the boy
/ These are the suggestions made by h. C.
/ kaighn, the leader OF New York State
camp at Westport for many years.
/ Discipline may be maintained in a boys
/ camp by having rules that are frequently
impressed upon the minds of the Young
campers and then rigidly enforced. Don't
1 do that, Cut that out, are said so often
/ by the leader and his assistants that they
( will talk that way in their sleep. The
young camper who breaks over regula.
ton must pay a penalty. He may have to
sit in his tent for half day, or go with
out swim, be kept off the ball field or
do something that makes him look ridicu.
| lous, like carrying a bucket all day. If
the crime is bad enough or if he has not
grown sufficiently docile under his punish
ment he may be sent home. Such a camp
does not need leader. a policeman will
do.
A vigilant committee may undertake to
regulate the behavior of the campers.
When boy is particularly selfish, or
fresh or mean, he is taken by the com.
mittee to a secluded spot, his sins of
omission and commission reviewed. a
statement made as to what his future be-
haylor must be, and then lest he forget.
a padding administered. 1t is effective,
Every boy is scared for fear he NAV be
the next. Just about the time the leader
Is congratulating himself on the general
tTactablllty he begins to get letters from
the parents OF the boys who have been
spanked Threatening him with lawsuits.
Another way to secure discipline is to
turn the hOVg' fop i
harmless channel. A leader found that
the green apples growing within the
camp grounds were a constant source of
temptation for the boys to pick and
throw. One or two boys were hurt with
the missiles. A tin can was put on A
0oard out IN the lake less than a hundred
ieet from the shore. The boys were invit.
ed TO throw apples at it, with the promisa
OF a pate OF lce-cream to the boy who
could hit 1t: The game was kept up after
supper until dark. There was not green
apple left to be temptation during the
rest OF the camp. Sometimes a leader can
switch an outbreak of rough house into
a game OF contest. 1t takes genius to
keep, up that sort of thing, and the aver,
age leader Is not apt to make more than
Two or three brilliant strokes of manage.
ment in a season.
A'i lull uaV ana then keen them
BUSY, IS a good general rule. But II viii
not work with the leader sitting in his
tent; lie will have to keep in The thick
OF the activities. 1t is exhausting worli
Tor the average small boy has a eanac;ty
Tor strrenuosity in sports and fun that viii
soon soon tire out the average man. -
Discipline may be secured through Of.
ierlng certain incentives to the camners
to cooperate with the management The
privilege OF having the honor tent for or
neatness and good order or of somatb;n1
special to. eat because of good table 0, maps
ners or OF wearing an emblem for a cool
camp record are powerful incentives ~
proper behavior. "
There is probably no patent v,or -
MAINTAIN, maintain discipline in a boys camp. The
resourcetul leader does not depend on one
method, Sometimes he must exercise ia J bie
authority with an iron hand; a cIorn ar
scheme may save the situation at anot tber
Time and often the pervading camn sn;r;t
"a spirit of helpful fellowship and Chris ,is.
necessary. ''ipiine uh-