The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-08-01
CAMP W|NNATASKA GREATLY ENJOYED
 BY YOUNG FOLKS
Outdoor Life and Instruc- ton Proving of Great Benefit to Members of
 Sunday School Classes
By CAROLYN B. ELLIOTT

By CAROLYN B. ELLIOTT
 Every one of those 149 girls who have just returned from Camp Wiuna- taska is telling the other girls who arc going tomorrow about the swim ming and the hikes and the eats and everything
 Everybody likes our camp after one visit there, even the preachers de- clared one young enthusiast, which
 reminded me of a very special invita- ton to the ministers from the Birming- ham Sunday School Association that ran:
 Dear MT. Superintendent and Pas
 tor.
 "The camp committee of the Sunday
 School Association invite you to visi- Camp Winnetaska. We believe all you
 will need in order to become a camp
 booster is to visit us one time. We have put in the prospectus that We
 do not encourage visiting, but you vii.
 he the exception-so come"
 Now here is the invitation, signed, sealed and delivered, and if Sunday
 school workers and pastors of the city
 fail to visit the camp a least for d
 few hours they will miss a great deai
 or the simon pure joy the young peo-
 ple of their churches are having.
 The older girls camp begins tomor-
 row for high school pupils from 15 to
 IS years of age. Miss Rosa V. Strick-
 land who is noted for her remarkable
 work with young people. will be m
 charge as director for the remainder f O. the summer.
 In talking with a bevy of girls who have been fortunate enough to enjoy
 one of the camps, there were plenty
 of exclamations when everybody tried to say al once: '"rhe swimming Wa grand"
 But I was crazier about the council meetings around the camp fire" I'm wild to go this minute on hike with Mrs Ballard for an hour of na ture study"
 "Tell me about Mrs. Ballard $ classes" I begged. To which plea there was such unanimous and enthu- siatsic response that trees and flowers were hopelessly mixed with birds and butterflies The result was that sought Mrs. Ballard herself to tell me the secret of the attraction in hef classes.
 q believe the girls really do enjoy I our hikes" said Mrs. Ballard. And I've tried to plan the nature study so that it will be play. You know, II I very much easier to play with girls and boys than it is to reprove them This was added with the wisdom or som \ ancient sage I might have thought her. II had I not been looking straight into N pair of guile1ess eyes that have always held the secret of girlhood happiness in their blue depths, for Mrs. Ballard \ has never lived so long that she doesn grasp the girls viefpoint in flash. You see. I remember how l use dto like nature study in school she re- l minded. "Botay was joy, and ha ' U0 ,11t, xx-i n l- ogy in college that helped to gain my degree in science. Since my marriage i+ has been so easy to continue my H studies of ferns and flowers. rocks ano N trees, birds and butterflies-some sPe' K cific study each season, because pr Ballard is just as much interested in II N as I am Our children, too, are always E so delighted with a trip to the Wooos they think very vittle about the twaorS \ amusements in the city.
 N Many will recall that the fame o1 II Winnataska for a campground spreao "A abroad through the Scout troops Wh> had such jolly trips there when pr M Ballard was acting as first scout com
 missioner in Birmingham. In one O
 the hikes he found the spot that ny
 named Winnataska Crushing water
 and adopted it, not only for the BOY
 scouts. but as the location for the sum VI mer home of his own family M "The eighty acres included Tn tn' M ir,.onertv of the Birmingham Sunda. N School Association are all wooded W!ti
 inc exception of the space lett TOT iN III ing quarters, and for sports nhe pa All tennis and yolley ball." said Mrs' pal MI ,ord "rhis makes an admirable trac of ground for nature study and it is m, N delight to take the girls on early morn MI ing and afternoon hikes Unoesiraui 3i growth can be cleared out when tn H association is ready to undertake thi |I forestry work , +,a HI ferns we always go in boat down tn IHt creek., Mr. Ballard said. These siri MI ard those who study flowers have attrae HI tive collections for their heroariurhs ii.e HI are always interested. too, Tn makni s MI b,ue prints of different leaf 1ormatio.i MI and of flowers and ferns IL ls easy < I'M ,oake several dozen of these pictures |J an hours time. MT. Hamilton has pee |III teaching the classes in photography an MI the girls learn to develop their own ke Ht dak pictures, also how to take the oes ! pictures. ,..os+.d :;
 Many of our pupils are interested II
 the collection of a library of nature pook'
 Snp,e of them come year after year. SC
 lact different topic each season
 eve never talk about anything we don eco in our walks" the wise teacher con tinued. ''In this way. the classes gam really good knowiedge or the pian.' ''' Al of the bird life of their own state
 Mrs. Ballard does not con1lne he HI classes to the creations of earth, howeve
 When night falls. a crowd of interesss
 sirls gather around her to study |, heavens that declare the glory or 1ol
 more wonderfully than ever tnese. ca, ca,
 summer evenings Her ciasses III as' v
 omy are eagerly sought ,..
 It isn't strange that young people T hs
 nature study" Mrs. Ballard continued
 Mature herself is the most sraclo. and attractive of teachers: II young pe' w nle are helped to use their eyes Tor se' ;nr and their ears for hearing, there
 not one of them who will not respoI
 mentally and spiritually to her wohne ful revelations"
 Last year Philadelphia's 115 hosiei
 mills made two pairs of stockings f'
 every man, woman and child in tn | country.