Evening star., 1923-07-29
BY F. NJ. VAN NATTER.

BY r. NJ. VAN NAIEEHs
TT Is $50 A bright. piercing sun
has broken we'll above the east
ern horizon of Chesapeake bay.
L One hundred and fifty boys are
sleeping soundly in two long rows or
tents nestled among a mass of trees,
while all about scores of birds are
singing. keeping in perfect unison
with the swish-swash-slap of the In
coming tide as il breaks on the firm,
| sand beach.
Crash, boom, A small homemade
cannon speaks. followed at once by
a bugle announcing sharply that an
other day In Camp Roosevelt. the Dis
trict of Columbia Boy Scouts summer
| camp. has begun.
Ten minutes later the bugle sounds
once more, and from out of the tents
come scurrying tow-headed, black
headed, red-headed boys. some In COM
plete scout uniforms. some in merely
breeches and some in only pajamas
and "nighties"-but all rubbing their
eyes, yawning, stretching and Jab-
bering.
The boys straggle and jostfe into
line and stand at attention while the
bugle plays ITO the Colors." as Old
Glory Is reverently hoisted by two
other boys to her commanding posi-
ton at the top of high fiagpoie. A
few remarks, by way of announce
ments for the day, are made by the
camp director, Linn C. Drake. and i'm
mediately afterward H. B. Holbrook,
camp athletic director and quarter
master, proceeds 10 put these half
awake boys through Ave minutes of
vigorous setting-up exercises.
With Mr.. Holbrook's command,
'Dismis issedw most Of these lively lit
tie rascals scamper away, tumbling,
yelling and showing one another, for
their morning dip in the bay.
/ 1t Is scarcely necessary to mention
that these Same young fellows have
an appetite whetted to such an edge
that they wholly forget to ask for
or even indicate a desire for anything
in particular to eat at breakfast, but
pitch right in, after grace has been
said by a member Of the headquarters
staff, and eat most heartily.
Camp Roosevelt Is q tract Of fifty
six acres, covered by a dense tangle
of trees, shrubbery and underbrush.
In fact, a more wild, a more primitive
piece of land can be found hardly
anywhere and most certainly not q
more ideal one for a boys summer
camp.
Here, overlooking as it does Calvert
cliffs. a point on Chesapeake bay four
miles south of Chesapeake Beach, are
to be found in the greatest abundance
both plant and bird life.
Well known biologists, such as DR..
Paul Bartsch of the Smithsonian In
stitution, come out here to ramble
about, leading parties OF scouts. to in
vestigate and record certain phenom-
ena of nature. At present DR.. Bartsch
is making a series of motion pictures.
showing the methods of housekeep-
ing employed by an osprey in it's fiat
topped, sun-exposed, eagle-like nest
in the top of a dead sycamore tree.
An opportunity for nature study at
first hand is here offered to the boys
at the age of most rapid development.
Those people who think hundred
and fifty boys thrown together for
week would be nothing more than
a yelling. aimless mob have big
surprise in store. At Camp Roosevelt
everything moves according to a fixed
schedule.
immediately after breakfast there is
the cleaning up OF the tents. followed
quickly by a minute inspection. The
next two hours each boy has to him.
self to work on points" So many
points secure the camp letters, c. r.,
800 for red, 500 for white and 700 for
blue.
Eleven to twelve o'clock is the
period for swimming. Then comes
1880 mess, followed by a long rest
period, then perhaps next game or
an athletic meet, and again swimming
from 4 to 5, and at last the evening
mess, when, as before all meals. the
boys must walk past a camp assistant
to prove to his stisfaction that their
hands, faces and hair are clean
enough to go to the table. Retreat.
coming at once after the evening
mess, finds the boys again standing
at attention while Old Glory is slowly
lowered to the sounding Of ITO the
Colors."