Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-07-28

full boys let their bashfulneSs fall
away like cloak in this camp, and
when called upon for a few words
of welcome to visitors, they come
forward and deliver an extempor-
aneous welcome that in many in
stances would do credit to the most
polished public speaker.
From / to 2 p. M. is the rest per-
iod, but few OF the boys are found in
the bunk houses at this time unless
it Is to write their letters. They find
finished individual tasks. Two
O'clock to 4,30 is the athletic period.
1t Is the aim Of the camp to have
every boy participating in some ath-
letic sport. Baseball, tennis, volley
ball and basketball occupy the at
tention OF large groups. and there are
practically no sideliners or rooters.
they are all in the game for all they
are worth.
A baseball league has been func-
tioning. which has produced some
particularly keen rivalry and compe-
tition and leagues with regular
schedules are planned for other
sports. Boating. fishing. and similar
pleasures are also enjoyed during
| this period by special permission.
From 4.30 to $50 the three groups of
swimmers have the afternoon SWIM
ming period. And supper is at 6
o'clock. At any meal time 1t is a
! revelation to see these boys eat.
| They are not finicky about what the
, menu provides but hungrily devour
whatever the capable chef has pre-
pared for that meal.
Supper is followed by a varied pro-
gram. 1t is in the after supper softly
lowering twilight that the council
| fires are held, and the surprise stunts
| introduced. 1t is in this period that
| "snipe hunts" and wild animal ex-
petitions are staged. AT the last
snipe hunt one little fellow, who
| stood his post in the ominous sill
ence of the woods. as the deep shad
ows spread into all enveloping dark
| ness, until relieved of his task Of
holding the mouth of sack open to
catch the fieeting snipe, was certain
| that he had one in his hand" OF
course he could not know that it was
| the common garden variety of hop
toad that slithered through his fin
gers and insisted that it had some
kind of soft, downy, feathery fur.
Motion pictures in the auditorium.
| NdIlcu Will dIiloiCOi poAli5S "Hi>h
all the boys are eager to participate
in as principals, are also part of the
| camp program.
| In the few minutes Just before
taps, which is* sounded at 8 o'clock,
the boys are assembled in their paja-
mas, before the great blazing fire.
places in the six big lodges or bunk
houses and listen with the closest at
| tention and keenest enjoyment to the
bed times stories, told by the leaders
or sometimes by the boys themselves.
| 1t is at this time too that the leaders
sound the religious note, and it has
been found in one of the lodges that
the lads have thoroughly. appreciated
| the evening prayer pronounced by
different hoy each night.
When the clear notes of taps die
away in the pine trees, and the last
echo has reverberated from the hills
across the lake, all is still in the
great area of the "Y." camp, and the
boys fall at once into the deep sleep
, Of health. Sometimes new arrivals
are little inclined to talk after taps,
when it is necessary for the leaders
in each squad room to silence them
with a word of admonition. And 1t
was true that when the first contIn-
gent of boys from the Capital CITY
were in the Augusta Rotary Lodge,
the leaders awoke one night. to find
that things were happening all about
them with considerable lively activ-
itv. but little noise except for an oc-
casional soft thud, and litter or
stfllcd laughter. Investigation de-
vcloped that a battle royal was in
progress in both ends of the Augusta
building Pillow cases had gone into
the discard and the pillows were be-
oil
with every man for himself. 1t was
said that none but such group as
that from Augusta could have staged
lust such an enthusiastic melee.
The "don'ts" at this camp are rev,
and are made by the boys them
selves at the council meetings. The
tendency is all for the good and any
youngster who breaks rule or dl-
verges from the straight path bound
ed bv precedent, is out of step with
the rest and is speedily brought back
in line Each boy takes his turn III
the kitchen and waiting on table and
it is true that most of them look
forward to the day Of their detail as
dish washers, for this detail some
times means an extra dish Of choco-
late pudding, or an extra molasses
cookie.
This IS just a sketch Of the pro-
gram of an average day at this
great camp, where during the sea-
son 600 boys will have enjoyed an
average of two weeks each. The
leaders are of the highest type of
young men, trained mentally, moral
ly and physically for their great re-
sponsibilty in shaping, in a small
way, the character Of these recep-
"a AJ1cr
at the present time numbers about
60 boys, with their own leaders.
Though they act as a unit in many
things, and as the individual boys
believe, lead the camp activities, they
are under the general regulations
governing the entire camp, and par
ticipate in all its activities.
Much could be written about the
leaders, instructors, councillors, and
adult pcrsoncl, but it is only the
object in this story to try to tell in
small way of what the boys are
doing, and so we have mentioned
only Jeff Smith himself, the director
of the Y. M. c. A. camp. But any,
one who has a boy of his own, or
was a boy once himself. or is in
terested that our youth of today get
square deal and are properly guild
ed toward clean upright living.
should make a special effort to go
to the camp and observe the acti-
vities of any hour or hours of the
day. He would certainly be i'm
pressed by the wonders that are be-
ing worked there, only if he knew
personally some of the youngsters
"before" and "after."
There are some real human interest
stories in the careers of some of the
lads who come to the camp for a week
or the season. There are stories of the
genuine gratitude of parents, whose
wilfuI offspring return from two weeks