Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1914-07-16
Burned Up tie Grouc6
lit DeOi1S Lake Park

e The County Y. M. C. A.ss.camp at the
north end of Devils Lake broke up
Monday after an enjoyable week under
canvas. John Thrain, on whose ground
they pitched their cook tent, and played
ball pronounced them the best behaved
crowd of boys he has seen at the lake.
Mr.. Babcock, the county secretary in
charge, says the credit for that is due
to the efficient tent leaders who helped
him, E. V. Donaldson, Aurora, Illinois
and Harold Conley, principal of schools
at Lime Ridge. The men kept the boys
so busy at wholesome, building
and charactermaking recreation that
there was little time or inclination left
for mischief. There were twenty-five
boys present for full time, and three for
two or three days. They paid total
in camp fees of $1042 5, and the total
cost including purchase of some hard
ware, hire of a cook, rent of ground
and boats, freight and drayage, grocer
les, meat, eggs, milk, bread and all
incidental expenses $104 88. The Coun-
ty Y. M. G. A. plan is slightly different
from the city plan, inasmuch as there
is little attention paid to the question
of membership. The work is made
community wide wherever possible, and
every young man and older boy is
counted in on anything that is doing,
regardless of creed, color or pedigree.
Although the Sank County Y. M. c. A.
field of work does not include the Bara-
boo association, two local boys were adj
mitted to the camp, because the city
Y. M. C. A. is not conducting camp
this year. Another boy, Claude Par
IRISH, who was camping near by with
his parents, was invited to join with the
boys camp in their outdoor athletic test,
and was able to gain the coveted "'honor
standard" button, one of six boys out
of twenty-five who entered to gain not
less than so points in each of the events
in his weight class.
This graded system makes it possible
for a small boy to compete against
larger boys on an equal footing. For
instance boy of 80 pounds or less wins
50 points in the sprint by running SO
yard in eight seconds, while boy who
weighs over one hundred and twenty
five pounds must run one hundred yards
in twelve seconds to earn the same
number of points. This system also
makes it possible for country school
with only a few boys to compete
with town schools, for the total Of
all averages made by all of the
boys must be divided by the num-
Der of eligible boys in school to get
the school average. His scoring
by points and placing the emphasis on
ali around average ability should have
effect on the boys, making it desirable
to attain good all-round development
| instead of specializing in athletics at
too early an age.
The six boys who gained the little
silver pin which any boy would be
proud to wear were: Claude Parrish,
Baraboo; J. Hager and T. Slime, Reeds
burg; D. Barry, Prairie du Sac; all in the
60 to 80 pound class. Louis Schulze,
Reedsburg, is in the 81 to 95 pound
class, and Charles Foulkes, Merrimacki
is in the Ill to 125 pound class. The
| last named has one more test to pass
before awarded the pin, as the pound
shot which was expected did not arrive
/ in time. He must put the shot at least
% feet to win the necessary so points
His average for the other five counts in
his class was "a. The highest average
made was by Tom Slime, GAL points.
Seven of the boys learned to swim
more or less and one or two made very
rapid progress. The weather was good
| all the week, the water warm, and the
boys had two swimming periods each
day.
Each morning there was 20 minute
Bible study period, the boys going in
two groups high up among the rocks.
The lessons were special out door study
les and gave the boys some idea of the
kind of studies to be expected during
the fall and winter, when groups of
men or boys will meet each week at the
members homes in the towns and coun-
try communities. Several of the boys
said they enjoyed this morning Bible
study almost as much as the swimming,
and a few gave it first place. Each
boy got a souvenir of the camp in the
shape of pennant at the Sunday even
ing camp fire and by popular vote they
awarded the largest one to Floyd Bass
of Sumpter township as the best fellow
in camp. The camp fire program varied
from a serious talk by Mr.. Donaldson