Evening star., 1923-07-29
At Camp Roosevelt
With D. c.. Scouts

But how is it managed to keep
such a group of live boys from all
sorts of mischief" you naturally ask.
The only answer is the point sys-
tenn" This. in brief, consists Of
certain number of points for the sat
isfactory completion of a task in one
of the following divisions:
Patriotism, such as history of the
American flag. giving the biography
of ten great Americans, ten points:
nature study. classifying several
plants and birds, twenty points;
swimming, boat rowing. fishing, etc.
down through a long list, comprising
woodcraft, radio, throwing the lasso
and general scout craft.
IF scouts days are filled. his
nights are as we'll occupied.
For Monday night on the sandy
beach beside the swishing. slapping
sea, a campfire is lighted and the
rockies or newcomers in camp that
day (Monday is the day the scouts of
the week before leave and new ones
for the succeeding week arrive from
Chesapeake Beach on the camp
launch) are told the traditions and
regulations of the camp.
Tuesday night Is one of rest from
the tired newness Of the camp life
Wednesday is a mystery play
"Come n See Anna" in which
ghosts stalk about the campfire.
Thursday is the minstrel show
made up Of the new boys as well as
some OF the older ones. who put on
skits planned by themselves, which
always create an uproar.
Friday night finds the boys imme-
diately after dusk marching silently
in single file, as the Indians are repu-
dated to have done, to the ceremonial
grounds. There the fire is lighted
with flint and steel, as begun years
ago at the first camp. Never has
there been a match used on those ira
ditional grounds. AS the smoke
bursts into a flame the boys come to
attention and, saluting, repeat the
scout oath in unison. After the camp
letters have been awarded for the
week and the Rough Rider" a paper
exposing all the funny happenings of
the week, read around the then dying
embers of the huge campfire on the
high cliff overlooking the Chesapeake,
ghost stories and stories of adventure
are told to the eager. intensely inter
ested boys With the telling of the
last one, the embers are scattered and
the fire extinguished. Then. as be-
fore. the boys return in single file
solemnly to camp, never uttering a
sound.
Saturday night is a gala night for
tot 80 In
Those who have been lucky enough
to have won their camp letters for
the week and have made themselves
sufficiently popular among their COM
rades are invited to join the Clan Of
the Mystic Oak, a secret organization
founded at Camp Roosevelt for the
high purpose of maintaining the
proper loyalty to the camp and it's
leaders Of former days. The clan Is
a fraternity Of the lightest order and
so simple that any boy is able to
grasp its full purpose. Its ritual, car
ried out in the dead of night within
the black shadows of a great weird
looking oak tree situated in the deep
woods, while all about in the high
treetops katydids keep up a nurdy-
gurdy noise punctuated here and
there with the distant who-who-who-
600 of a screech owl, is sufficient
to make a lasting impression on the
character of every boy who goes
through with that solemn initiation
an experience never to be forgotten.
Usually, where there is large
group of boys, <se always has the
"tummy" ache, This is unheard OF at
Camp Roosevelt, for a physician. Dr..
oliver Mink, Is on duty twenty-four
hours a day. Besides, only food
served at mess is permitted in camp,
while each boy is allowed. once a day,
Immediately after noon mess, to buy
a whole dimes worth of candy.
For those boys especially interested
in the mysteries of the deep woods,
Fred G. Stuart, camp assistant, spins
yarns. Under the careful, efficient
guidance of Waldo H. Jones, an ex-
pert swimmer and experienced sailor,
swimming, rowing and sailing are
taught the boys in barely two and
one-half feet OF salt water. covering
a hard sandy fioor.