Camping For Boys by H.W. Gibson

H >> H.W. Gibson >> Camping For Boys

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14

Transcriber's Notes.

This book shows a world where character and morality are prized. The goal
of camp is not just to get the boys out the parents' hair, but to
encourage good character and citizenship. Camp leaders are enticed by the
contribution they can make to the boys' futures and are selected (or
rejected) based on their own moral virtues.

There are many practical suggestions for safety and comfort aside from the
absence of modern materials and conveniences, like nylon and gas stoves.

Medical advice given in the book is from 1913 and may be unhelpful, often
contradicts current practice and involves unsafe or now illegal
substances.

The approximate conversion for prices is 20 to 1, $1 in 1913 is about $20
in 2004.

[Illustration: Photograph by Joseph Legg]

The Heart of the Camp

Have you smelled wood smoke at twilight?
Have you heard the birch log burning?
Are you quick to read the noises of the night?
You must follow with the others for the young men's feet are turning
To the camps of proved desire and known delight.

From Kipling's "Feet of the Young Men."

CAMPING FOR BOYS
H. W. GIBSON

ASSOCIATION PRESS
NEW YORK
1913

Copyright, 1911, by the
INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATIONS

TO
THE THOUSAND AND MORE BOYS WHO HAVE BEEN MY CAMP MATES IN CAMPS SHAND,
DURRELL AND BECKET

CONTENTS

Foreword
General Bibliography
I. The Purpose of Camping
II. Leadership; Bibliography (See General Bibliography)
III. Location and Sanitation; Bibliography
IV. Camp Equipment
V. Personal Check List or Inventory
VI. Organization, Administration and Discipline
VII. The Day's Program; Bibliography
VIII. Moral and Religious Life; Bibliography
IX. Food
X. The Camp Fire; Bibliography
XI. Tramps, Hikes and Overnight Trips
XII. Cooking on Hikes; Bibliography
XIII. Health and Hygiene; Bibliography
XIV. Simple Remedies
XV. First Aid
XVI. Personal Hygiene
XVII. Athletics, Campus Games, Aquatics, Water Sports; Bibliography
XVIII. Nature Study; Bibliography
XIX. Forecasting the Weather; Bibliography
XX. Rainy Day Games; Bibliography
XXI. Educational Activities; Bibliography
XXII. Honor, Emblems and Awards
XXIII. Packing Up
Index.

FOREWORD

The author has conducted boys' camps for twenty-three years, so that he is
not without experience in the subject. To share with others this
experience has been his aim in writing the book. The various chapters have
been worked out from a practical viewpoint, the desire being to make a
handbook of suggestions for those in charge of camps for boys and for boys
who go camping, rather than a theoretical treatise upon the general
subject.

Thanks are due to E. M. Robinson, Dr. Elias G. Brown, Charles R. Scott,
Irving G. MacColl, J. A. Van Dis, Taylor Statten, W. H. Wones, H. C.
Beckman, W. H. Burger, H. M. Burr, A. B. Wegener, A. D. Murray, and H. M.
Allen, for valuable suggestions and ideas incorporated in many chapters.

Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following publishers for permission
to quote from the books mentioned in the bibliography--Charles Scribner's
Sons, Harper Brothers, Outing Publishing Company, Baker & Taylor Company,
Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Company, Penn Publishing Company, Doubleday, Page &
Company, Hinds, Noble & Eldredge, Ginn & Company, Sunday School Times
Company, G. P. Putnam's Sons, Little, Brown & Company, Moffat, Yard &
Company, Houghton, Mifflin Company, Sturgis & Walton, Funk & Wagnall's
Company, The Manual Arts Press, Frederick Warne & Company, Review and
Herald Publishing Company, Health-Education League, Pacific Press
Publishing Company.

Every leader, before going to camp, should read some book upon boy life,
in order, not only that he may refresh his memory regarding his own
boyhood days, but that he may also the more intelligently fit himself for
the responsibility of leadership. The following books, or similar ones,
may be found in any well-equipped library.

If this book will help some man to be of greater service to boys, as well
as to inspire boys to live the noble life which God's great out-of-doors
teaches, the author will feel amply repaid for his labor. Boston, Mass.,
April, 1911.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

Boy-Life and Self Government--Fiske. Association Press, $1.00.
Boy-Training--Symposium. Association Press, $1.00.
Youth--Hall. Appleton and Company, $1.50.
Winning the Boy--Merrill. Revell and Company, $0.75.
The Boy Problem--Forbush. Pilgrim Press, $1.00.
Up Though Childhood--Hubbell. Putnam and Company, $1.25.
Growth and Education--Tyler. Houghton, Mifflin Company, $1.50.

SUGGESTIVE ARTICLES ON "CAMPING" IN "ASSOCIATION BOYS";

A Course in Camping--Edgar M. Robinson. Feb., 1902.
The Sanitary Care of a Boys' Camp--Elias G. Brown, M.D.
April and June, 1902.
Seventeen Seasons in One Boys' Camp--G. G. Peck. April. 1902.
Association Boys' Camps--Edgar M. Robinson. June, 1902.
Following Up Camp--Editorial. October, 1902.
What Men Think of Camp--Edgar M. Robinson. June, 1903.
Fun Making at Camp--C.B. Harton. June. 1903.
Educational Possibilities at Camp--F. P. Speare. June, 1903.
Bible Study at Camp--Raymond P. Kaighn. June, 1903.
Simple Remedies at Camp--Elias G. Brown, M.D. June, 1903.
Tuxis System--H.L. Smith. April, 1904.
Life at Camp Dudley--Raymond P. Kaighn. June, 1905.
Life-Saving Crew--F.H.T. Ritchie. June. 1905.
Summer Camps--Frank Streightoff. June, 1905.
Wawayanda Camp--Chas. R. Scott. June. 1907.
Objectives in Camps for Boys--Walter M. Wood. June, 1907.

CHAPTER I THE PURPOSE OF CAMPING

VACATION TIME
NEED OF OUTDOOR LIFE
PURPOSE OF CAMPING
"TOO MUCH HOUSE"
A QUERY
APOSTLES OF OUTDOOR LIFE
HEEDING NATURE'S CALL
CHARACTER BUILDING
CAMP MOTTOES
"ROUGH-HOUSE"
CAMPS
BOY SCOUTS
INFLUENCE OF CAMP LIFE

It is great fun to live in the glorious open air, fragrant with the smell
of the woods and flowers; it is fun to swim and fish and hike it over the
hills; it is fun to sit about the open fire and spin yarns, or watch in
silence the glowing embers; but the greatest fun of all is to win the love
and confidence of some boy who has been a trouble to himself and everybody
else, and help him to become a man.--H. M. Burr.

The summer time is a period of moral deterioration with most boys. Free
from restraint of school and many times of home, boys wander during the
vacation time into paths of wrongdoing largely because of a lack of
directed play life and a natural outlet for the expenditure of their
surplus energy. The vacation problem therefore becomes a serious one for
both the boy and his parent. Camping offers a solution.

The Need

"A boy in the process of growing needs the outdoors. He needs room and
range. He needs the tonic of the hills, the woods and streams. He needs to
walk under the great sky, and commune with the stars. He needs to place
himself where nature can speak to him. He ought to get close to the soil.
He ought to be toughened by sun and wind, rain and cold. Nothing can take
the place, for the boy, of stout physique, robust health, good blood, firm
muscles, sound nerves, for these are the conditions of character and
efficiency. The early teens are the most important years for the boy
physically... Through the ages of thirteen and fifteen the more he can be
in the open, free from social engagements and from continuous labor or
study, the better. He should fish, swim, row and sail, roam the woods and
the waters, get plenty of vigorous action, have interesting, healthful
things to think about."--Prof. C. W. Votaw.

The Purpose

This is the real purpose of camping--"something to do, something to think
about, something to enjoy in the woods, with a view always to
character-building"--this is the way Ernest Thompson-Seton, that master
wood-craftsman, puts it. Character building! What a great objective! It
challenges the best that is in a man or boy. Camping is an experience, not
an institution. It is an experience which every live, full-blooded,
growing boy longs for, and happy the day of his realization. At the first
sign of spring, back yards blossom forth with tents of endless variety. To
sleep out, to cook food, to search for nature's fascinating secrets, to
make things--all are but the expression of that instinct for freedom of
living in the great out-of-doors which God created within him.

Too Much House

"Too much house," says Jacob Riis; "Civilization has been making of the
world a hothouse. Man's instinct of self-preservation rebels; hence the
appeal for the return to the simple life that is growing loud." Boys need
to get away from the schoolroom and books, and may I say the martyrdom of
examinations, high marks, promotions and exhibitions! Medical examinations
of school children reveal some startling facts. Why should boys suffer
from nerves? Are we sacrificing bodily vigor for abnormal intellectual
growth? Have we been fighting against instead of cooperating with nature?

The tide is turning, however, and the people are living more and more in
the open. Apostles of outdoor life like Henry D. Thoreau, John Burroughs,
William Hamilton Gibson, Howard Henderson, Ernest Thompson-Seton, Frank
Beard, Horace Kephart, Edward Breck, Charles Stedman Hanks, Stewart Edward
White, "Nessmuck," W. C. Gray, and a host of others, have, through their
writings, arrested the thought of busy people long enough to have them see
the error of their ways and are bringing them to repentance.

Camps for boys are springing up like mushrooms. Literally thousands of
boys who have heretofore wasted the glorious summer time loafing on the
city streets, or as disastrously at summer hotels or amusement places, are
now living during the vacation time under nature's canopy of blue with
only enough covering for protection from rain and wind, and absorbing
through the pores of their body that vitality which only pure air,
sunshine, long hours of sleep, wholesome food, and reasonable discipline
can supply.

Character Building

In reading over scores of booklets and prospectuses of camps for boys, one
is impressed with their unanimity of purpose--that of character building.
These are a few quotations taken from a variety of camp booklets:

"The object of the camp is healthful recreation without temptation."

"A camp where boys live close to nature, give themselves up to play,
acquire skill in sports, eat plenty of wholesome food, and sleep long
hours ... and are taught high ideals for their own lives."

"To give boys a delightful summer outing under favorable conditions, and
to give them every opportunity to become familiar with camp life in all
its phases. We believe this contributes much to the upbuilding of a boy's
character and enables him to get out of life much enjoyment that would not
otherwise be possible."

"A place where older boys, boys of the restless age, may live a happy,
carefree, outdoor life, free from the artificialities and pernicious
influences of the larger cities"; a place where "all the cravings of a
real boy are satisfied"; a place "where constant association with
agreeable companions and the influence of well-bred college men in a clean
and healthy moral atmosphere make for noble manhood; a place where
athletic sports harden the muscles, tan the skin, broaden the shoulders,
brighten the eye, and send each lad back to his school work in the fall as
brown as a berry and as hard as nails."

"A camp of ideals, not a summer hotel nor a supplanter of the home. The
principal reason for its existence is the providing of a safe place for
parents to send their boys during the summer vacation, where, under the
leadership of Christian men, they may be developed physically, mentally,
socially, and morally."

Whether the camp is conducted under church, settlement, Young Men's
Christian Association, or private auspices, the prime purpose of its
existence should be that of character building.

"Because of natural, physical, social, educational, moral, and religious
conditions, the boy is taught those underlying principles which determine
character. The harder things a boy does or endures, the stronger man he
will become; the more unselfish and noble things he does, the better man
he will become."

No Rough-house

The day of the extreme "rough-house" camp has passed. Boys have discovered
that real fun does not mean hurting or discomforting others, but consists
in making others happy. The boy who gets the most out of camp is the boy
who puts the most into camp.

Mottoes

Many camps build their program of camp activities around a motto
such as
"Each for All, and All for Each,"
"Help the Other Fellow,"
"Do Your Best,"
"Nothing Without Labor,"
"A Gentleman Always," and
"I Can and I Will."

Scout Law

Endurance, self-control, self-reliance, and unselfishness are taught the
"Boy Scouts" through what is called the "Scout Law."

(1) A Scout's honor is to be trusted;
(2) Be loyal;
(3) Do a good turn to somebody every day;
(4) Be a friend to all;
(5) Be courteous;
(6) Be a friend to animals;
(7) Be obedient;
(8) Be cheerful;
(9) Be thrifty.

All these are valuable, because they contribute to the making of
character.

In the conduct of a boys' camp there must be a definite clear-cut purpose
if satisfactory results are to be obtained. A go-as-you-please or
do-as-you please camp will soon become a place of harm and moral
deterioration.

Results

Camping should give to the boy that self-reliance which is so essential in
the making of a life, that faith in others which is the foundation of
society, that spirit of altruism which will make him want to be of service
in helping other fellows, that consciousness of God as evidenced in His
handiwork which will give him a basis of morality, enduring and
reasonable, and a spirit of reverence for things sacred and eternal. He
ought to have a better appreciation of his home after a season away from
what should be to him the sweetest place on earth.

CHAPTER II--LEADERSHIP

THE DIRECTOR
ASSISTANT LEADERS
THE TERM LEADER
HOW TO GET LEADERS
VARIETY OF TALENT
SUGGESTIONS TO LEADERS
OPPORTUNITY OF LEADERSHIP

The success or failure of a boys' camp depends upon leadership rather than
upon equipment. Boys are influenced by example rather than by precept. A
boys' camp is largely built around a strong personality. Solve the problem
of leadership, and you solve the greatest problem of camping.

The Director

No matter how large or how small the camp, there must be one who is in
absolute control. He may be known as the director, superintendent, or
leader. His word is final. He should be a man of executive ability and
good common sense. He should have a keen appreciation of justice. A desire
to be the friend and counsellor of every boy must always govern his
action. He will always have the interest and welfare of every individual
boy at heart, realizing that parents have literally turned over to his
care and keeping, for the time being, the bodies and souls of their boys.
To be respected should be his aim. Too often the desire to be popular
leads to failure.

Leaders

Aim to secure as assistant leaders or counsellors young men of
unquestioned character and moral leadership, college men if possible, men
of culture and refinement, who are good athletes, and who understand boy
life.

"They should be strong and sympathetic, companionable men. Too much care
cannot be exercised in choosing assistants. Beware of effeminate men, men
who are morbid in sex matters. An alert leader can spot a 'crooked' man by
his actions, his glances, and by his choice of favorites. Deal with a man
of this type firmly, promptly, and quietly. Let him suddenly be 'called
home by circumstances which he could not control.'" The leader must have
the loyalty of his assistants. They should receive their rank from the
leader, and this rank should be recognized by the entire camp. The highest
ranking leader present at any time should have authority over the party.

In a boys' camp I prefer the term "leader" to that of "counsellor." It is
more natural for a boy to follow a leader than to listen to wise
counsellors. "Come on, fellows, let's--" meets with hearty response.
"Boys, do this," is an entirely different thing. Leaders should hold
frequent councils regarding the life of the camp and share in determining
its policy.

The most fruitful source of supply of leaders should be the colleges and
preparatory schools. No vacation can be so profitably spent as that given
over to the leadership of boy life. Here is a form of altruistic service
which should appeal to purposeful college men. Older high school boys who
have been campers make excellent leaders of younger boys. A leader should
always receive some remuneration for his services, either carfare and
board or a fixed sum of money definitely agreed upon beforehand. The pay
should never be so large that he will look upon his position as a "job."
Never cover service with the blinding attractiveness of money. The chief
purpose of pay should be to help deepen the sense of responsibility, and
prevent laxness and indifference, as well as to gain the services of those
who must earn something.

Do not take a man as leader simply because he has certificates of
recommendation. Know him personally. Find out what he is capable of doing.
The following blank I use in securing information:

Leader's Information Blank, Camps Durrell and Becket
Name
Address
College or school
Class of
Do you sing? What part (tenor or bass)?
Do you swim?
Do you play baseball? What position?
Do you play an instrument? What?
Will you bring it (unless piano) and music to camp?
Have you won any athletic or aquatic events? What?
Will you bring your school or college pennant with you?
Have you ever taken part in minstrel show, dramatics, or any kind
of entertainment; if so, what?
What is your hobby? (If tennis, baseball, swimming, nature study,
hiking, photography, athletics, etc., whatever it is, kindly tell
about it in order to help in planning the camp activities.)

[Illustration: A Leader's Pulpit--Sunday Morning in the
"Chapel-by-the-Lake"--Camp Becket.]

Leaders should not be chosen in order to secure a baseball team, or an
athletic team. Select men of diverse gifts. One should know something
about nature study, another about manual training, another a good
story-teller, another a good athlete or baseball player, another a good
swimmer, another a musician, etc. Always remember, however, that the chief
qualification should be moral worth.

Before camp opens it is a wise plan to send each leader a letter
explaining in detail the purpose and program of the camp. A letter like
the following is sent to the leaders of Camps Durrell and Becket.

SUGGESTIONS TO CAMP LEADERS.
READ AND RE-READ.

The success of a boys' camp depends upon the hearty cooperation of each
leader with the superintendent. The boys will imitate you. A smile is
always better than a frown. "Kicking" in the presence of boys breeds
discontent. Loyalty to the camp and its management is absolutely necessary
if there is to be harmony in the camp life.

Personal

Your personal life will either be a blessing or a hindrance to the boys in
your tent. Study each boy in your tent. Win his confidence. Determine to
do your best in being a genuine friend of each boy. Remember in prayer
daily each boy and your fellow leaders. Emphasize the camp motto, "Each
for all, and all for each." Study the "tests" on pages 8 and 9 of the
booklets, and be helpful to the boys in your tent who are ambitious to
improve and win the honor emblems.

Tents

Neatness and cleanliness must be the watchword of each tent. Sweets draw
ants. Decayed material breeds disease. Insist upon the observance of
sanitary rules.

It is unwise to have all the boys from one town or city in one tent. The
tendency is to form clans, which destroy camp spirit. Get the fellows
together the first thing and choose a tent name and tent yells.

Appoint a boy who will be responsible for the boys and the tent when you
are not present.

Too much attention cannot be given to the matter of ventilation. When it
rains, use a forked stick to hold the flaps open in the form of a diamond.
In clear weather, tie one flap back at each end (flap toward the feet),
allowing a free draft of air at all times. On rainy days encourage the
boys to spend their time in the pavillion. Whenever possible, insist upon
tent and blankets being thoroughly aired each morning.

Three inspectors will be appointed for each day; fifteen minutes' notice
will be given and boys will not be allowed in or around their tents during
the period of inspection. Leaders may suggest but not participate in
arranging the tent.

The Honor Banner is to be given to the tent showing the best condition and
held as long as marks are highest.

Swimming

The U. S. V. L. S. C.[1] crews' in boats will patrol whenever the boys are
in swimming, and the leader of swimming must give the signal before boys
go into the water. Boys who cannot swim should be encouraged to learn. The
morning dip must be a dip and not a swim.

[Transcriber's Note 1: United States Volunteer Life Saving Corps.]

Boats

No boats are to be taken unless an order has been issued by the tent
leader (or by the superintendent). The man at the wharf always has power
to veto orders at his discretion.

Order of Day

It is the leader's part to see that the order of the day is carried out
and on time, including the setting up drill. (See Camp Booklet.) "Follow
the leader" is an old game which is still influencing boys.

Work

Three tents and their leaders are responsible for the work at camp, and
will be expected to report to the assistant superintendent after breakfast
for assignment of work. These tents are changed each day, so that the boys
and leaders come on duty only one day in seven.

Each tent is under its respective leader in doing the following work:

Tent 1. Sanitary work, such as policing the campus, emptying garbage cans,
sweeping the pavillion, disinfecting, etc.

Tent 2. Preparing vegetables for the cook, drying dishes, pots, pans,
cleaning up the kitchen, piazza, etc.

Tent 3. Cleaning the boats, supplying wood for the kitchen, putting ice in
the refrigerator, etc.

The next day tents 4, 5 and 6 will come on duty, and so on until each tent
has been on duty during the week.

Leaders for the day will call the squad together after breakfast and
explain the day's plans. Encourage the boys to do this work cheerfully.
Lead, do not drive the boys when working. Not more than three hours should
be consumed in camp work.

Sports and Pastimes

Bring rule books on athletics. Study up group games. Bring any old clothes
for costumes; tambourines and bones for minstrel show, grease paint, and
burnt cork--in fact, anything that you think will add to the fun of the
camp. Good stories and jokes are always in demand. Bring something
interesting to read to your boys on rainy days. Think out some stunt to do
at the social gatherings. If you play an instrument, be sure to bring it
along with you.

Bank

Encourage the boys to turn their money and railroad tickets over to the
camp banker instead of depositing them with you.

Camp Council

Meetings of the leaders will be held at the call of the superintendent.
Matters talked over at the council meeting should not be talked over with
the boys. All matters of discipline or anything that deals with the
welfare of the camp should be brought up at this meeting. Printed report
blanks will be given to each leader to be filled out and handed to the
assistant superintendent each Thursday morning. Do not show these reports
to the boys.

Bible Study

Each leader will be expected to read to the boys in his tent a chapter
from the Bible and have prayers before "taps" each night, also to take his
turn in leading the morning devotions at breakfast table. Groups of boys
will meet for occasional Bible study at sunset under various leaders. Each
session will continue twenty minutes--no longer. Sunday morning service
will be somewhat formal in character, with an address. The sunset vesper
service will be informal.

Praying that the camp may prove a place where leaders and boys may grow in
the best things of life and anticipating an outing of pleasure and profit
to you, I am Your friend, (signature)

Opportunities

In securing men for leadership, impress upon them the many opportunities
for the investment of their lives in the kind of work that builds
character. In reading over a small folder, written by George H. Hogeman of
Orange, N .J., I was so impressed with his excellent presentation of this
theme of opportunities of leadership that the following is quoted in
preference to anything I could write upon the subject:

"The opportunity of the boys' camp leader is, first, to engage in the
service that counts most largely in securing the future welfare of those
who will soon be called upon to carry on the work that we are now engaged
in. Most people are so busy with their own present enjoyment and future
success that they pay little heed to the future of others. They may give
some thought to the present need of those around them because it more or
less directly affects themselves, but the work of character building in
boys' camps is one that shows its best results in the years to come rather
than in the immediate present.

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14