The Council Room

[Alan Neagle]

I definetely remember the 'Thought for Today' being 'Do not bring a bottle of Lavorus on a Mount Washington trip".After questioning Brian Anderson, he said 'I could kill that person'.

I seem to remember the J8 cookout site at the top of that long steep trail that went down to the swimming area. I have a memory of sticking my dirty marshmellow stick in Mike's Coffee water. Mike was not happy about that!

Somebody mention Fred Lang? I remember him waking up one morning in the middle of the tennis court.

Jeff, do you want to tell that one. If not, I will.
_________________
Alan Carter Neagle

[Pat Freeland]

My brother's mentioning potatoes at cookout brings on a flood of memories. Thursday at lunch Mr. Risser would come around with his clipboard and his Penna Dutch accent and ask without fanfare "Hah many for coogoht?". In our coogoht box we'd get a bunch of hot dogs or ground beef, potatoes, butter and ??? some sort of sweet for dessert. The average councilor would cut up the (already-boiled) potatoes and dump them into the frying pan, then put butter ON TOP of the potatoes. The result was charred bunch of potato(e) sludge with butter on it, with a layer of not-too-easily-scraped-off residue on the bottom of the pan. Mr. Risser told us in pre camp that it's really important to get all of that residue out because it rots and everyone would get sick. He told about one councilor who got sick, went to the junior pines, then came out, made it half way across the jr camp and then headed back looking purposeful and desperate. "First you're afraid you're going die, then you're afraid you're not."

Of course once and only once during the season was chicken bar-b-que. Bob Fox cooked it and basted it with nothing but vinegar and salt and it was great. The drawback was that no one got seconds in anything, no one, nothing, so we all had sticky fingers with little pennants of paper napkin fluttering from each one, until Bob allowed us to line up for seconds in anything that was left over (besides chicken). A bit draconian to my way of thinking, but the chicken was good and the freedom from cleaning the coogoht stuff was great.

Then the staff could go to Red Roof for hot dogs and punch, which apparently was half grapefruit juice and half iced tea.
_________________
Living with wife Vicki happily retired after we moved back to Cornwall, Pa.

[David Bentley]

Oh, Pat, you have touched on a subject near and dear to my thirst buds - namely, the punch at Red Roof on Thursday nights. Over the years this became known as bug juice and the recipe was a closely guarded corporate secret known only to those actually intimately involved in making any one specific pitcher of juice. The general ingredients included iced tea, pink lemonade, and any number of and quantities of a citric juice (a la orange, grapefruit, whatever) mixed together and chilled. The actual percentages of any given ingredient in any given pitcher of juice would vary depending upon how much may have been left over from the previous mixing and was used in the present mixing. The whole purpose of the juice was to be cold, tastey, but seductively unrecognizeable, while at the same time allowing any drinker to be sure in his (or her) mind that he (or she) knew the formula. The fact of the matter is, and was then, too, there never was a formula. I add this small anecdote, with love and reverence to "Ma", Edna's mother, who usually made the punch: She was slowly "losing it" through the years, and she could never quite remember what she had actually put in the mixing bucket, so she added whatever was handy until it tasted good. Hey, what can I say, all great mixologists do it without a recipe.

Over the years Sherry and I have made a vat full of the stuff, never the same, and all with "no complaints".
_________________
C-1 49 J-7 52 S-3 55 J-10 58
C-7 50 J-7 53 S-2 56 J-8 59
C-8 51 J-4 54 S-7 57 (JA) J-8 60 - 64
1965 - 1968 Military service
Pine Cone 68 - 75 (with wife,Sherry,
and daughter Tracey)
Wolfeboro - full-time since 1997

[DavidAyars]

Well if Arnold Palmer ever dropped by Red Roof one Thursday night and ripped off Mrs. WHB, you should definitely sue the guy for a cut of the untold millions he stands to reap on this one:
http://www.arnoldpalmertee.com/news.asp

(I bet his isn't as good as hers.)
_________________
Camper: J-8 1965 (Kevin Ryan), J-8 1966 (Mike Freeland), S-6 1967 (Russ Hatch), S-3 1968 (Jeremy Cripps), and JA-2 1969 (Dan Mannis).
JC: J-2 1970 (Bill Bettison) and J-3 1971 (Gene Comella). Councilor 1972, J-5 1973, and JA-1 1974 & 1975

[Bob Kennington]

[Jim Culleton]

LOL, Bob! Always a "true Blue" here! What was that other color? . . . . . . Was it "Gray"? Just kidding, Mike! Always loved the competition between the "Blues" and the "Grays". That's what made the Wyanoke experience sooo much fun and valuable in later life! Competition back then is what has formed us into being the responsible human beings that we are today (at least I think? ). Lord knows what they are teaching in our schools today! Everyone gets a "medal"? Competition declining?
_________________
'56 - J-9 J. Moulton
'57 - J-11 J. Moulton
'58 - J-4 E. Web Dann, S. Hood
'59 - S-6 P. Leavitt
'60 - S-2 F. Avantaggio
'61 - JA-1 RK Irons
'62 - C-9 JC with P. Freeland
'63 - C-1 JC with S. Borger
'64 - C-6 Councilor

[Mike Freeland]

Hi Bob,

The only pre-war cook at Wyanoke I can recall (not from experience) was Paul Byrd. He was sort of legendary, and was remembered for things like the Bean Hole, where, as I think I recall from stories, he'd boil up a huge cauldron of beans in an ember-lined hole dug into the ground somewhere near where the Senior Rifle Range used to be. (Garth and I set out to find it one day when we were seniors in '60. I think we did.) The whole camp would gather 'round the Bean Hole and eat 'em up. One wonders what the tent was like overnight, especially if it was raining and the flaps were down.

He was black, and at campfires, used to sing "De Watermelon on de Vine" and other old black folk songs back in a more innocent and less paranoid era. He was pre-1940, where my data stops, but I remember BMB relating stories about him.

Anyway, I bet it was Paul your dad's thinking of. I'm certainly not the best-informed in this forum, but I don't remember any stories about a chef named Sam. That doesn't mean there wasn't one.

Oh yeah, that little cabin a few yards to the left (coming out) of the kitchen door near the bubbler, "Byrd's Nest", was named for him. Mrs. Morin, the world's best pastry chef, lived in that cabin for most of my years at Wyanoke. In the rosters, in the later years, the cabin's name slowly became misspelled as "Bird's Nest". Too bad.

I may be pretty inaccurate here -- this is all from memory of others' memories -- so any help or additional information from DMB would be appreciated. Dave?

I also think I'm the only gray on this forum. Lonely at the top.
_________________
'56-C-9 C. Mosher '57-C-9 Bill Feaster
'58-J-14 H. Peavy '59-J-11 G. Wood, C. Duncan
'60-S-8 R. Leavitt, D. Hemphill '61-S-1 E. Slocum
'62-JA-1 H. Dunbar '63-C-2 (JC)
'64-C-5, (JC) Councilor
'65-C-9 '66 - '72-J-8
'73-JA1 '75-J-6

[Mike Freeland]

I almost forgot:

For those of you who are veterans of trips, whether to the Presidentials, Chocorua, Mt. Major or lake or river trips, here's a recipe for a flavor which will take you back 40 years. I inadvertently tried this a few days ago after I bought a "Variety Pak" of luncheon meats (for my luncheons). I used potato(e) bread, but the effect was the same.

So, Bon appetit!! Here we go!

Baloney Sandwich with Water and Orange

This hearty meal should be enjoyed while seated in pine needles, sand, or on an irregular rocky surface.

Ingredients:

2 ea. slices white Wonder Bread brand Wonder Bread, crusts on
1 ea. slice generic homogeneous-in-appearance, flavor-free meat-style Baloney
1 ea. slice Imitation Pasteurized Processed American Cheese Food Product
1 ea. pat cool Butter or Margerine
S. S. Pierce brand Unnaturally Yellow Prepared Mustard -- just enough to be not enough
20 oz. tepid water in plastic- or metalic-flavored canteen, divided
1 ea. seed-rich Orange
1 ea. Hershey brand Milk Chocolate bar

1 square foot Waxed Paper
1 brown paper luncheon bag
1 gallon Ole Time Woodsman Fly Dope (optional)

Preparation:

Set Orange and Hershey brand Bar aside.

Using spreading knife, attempt to spread butter/margerine pat, but only until bread tears.
Apply Baloney slice decidedly off-center (to taste) onto prepared bread.
Apply Cheese Food Product, equally off-center but in opposite direction, onto Baloney slice.
Using spreading knife, evenly spread Mustard onto small corner of second slice of Wonder Bread.
Place second slice Wonder Bread, mustard side down, onto prepared Wonder Bread/Butter/Baloney/Cheese Food Product described above, taking care to misalign it so the mustard makes little or no contact with the preparation prepared in the preparations above.
Drizzle about a half ounce of the Water onto one corner of the finished Sandwich.
Wrap entire assemblage in one square foot Waxed Paper, being careful to insert a liberal portion of the waxed paper (to taste) into the watered corner of the sandwich, ideally between bread and Cheese Food Product.

In brown paper luncheon bag, place completed wrapped sandwich at bottom, followed by Orange and Hershey brand Chocolate Bar. Roll bag tightly to preserve freshness.

Set aside 24 hours or more in a warm place.

Serving Suggestion:

Liberally moisten hands and body with Ole Time Woodsman Fly Dope.
Remove Waxed Paper from Sandwich (the segment inserted into the watered corner will remain. This is expected and desired). Remove protective jacket from Orange in one continuous spiral. Discard on ground.
Eat Sandwich, one bite at a time, alternating bites with Orange segments and sips of Water until gone. Expectorate orange seeds in direction of fellow diners.
Enjoy Hershey brand Chocolate Bar.
_________________
'56-C-9 C. Mosher '57-C-9 Bill Feaster
'58-J-14 H. Peavy '59-J-11 G. Wood, C. Duncan
'60-S-8 R. Leavitt, D. Hemphill '61-S-1 E. Slocum
'62-JA-1 H. Dunbar '63-C-2 (JC)
'64-C-5, (JC) Councilor
'65-C-9 '66 - '72-J-8
'73-JA1 '75-J-6

[Bob Kennington]

I deliberately left out that the cook was black, so you undoubtably have your version correct—and nailed!

Maybe I'll see my dad later this morning. Hopefully, his computer's been hooked up again and he can read the very enlarged copy of your reply I e-mailed to him. It needs to be big because he reads standing up at the screen, over the user's shoulder.

I'm hoping that he can relate even more details about camp life back then, so that I can write them down. ('Cause I can't remember anything since Google arrived at my computer—can't write anything legible by hand, anymore, either!)

I'd like to make a "Vanity Page" for everything relating to pre-WWII Camp Wyanoke, or at least the parts that relate to my dad. (Or that my dad relates.) :^)

Would that be OK at this site?

Editing to add: That "Sam" reference was highly likely to have been a "generic" Sam—as you stated previously—"from a less-paranoid time".
_________________
Gordon B. (Father) Wyanoke ~1929-1937
Midget C-1 (1952, 53) (Belden, Edwards)
Junior J-7 (1954, 55) (Scheirer)
1967-1971 Military-Naval Security Group
Sister: Winnemont 1955-56

Blue: there's another color?

[David Bentley]

Well, gentlemen, you are both correct. Paul Byrd was, indeed, our cook in the pre-1940 time frame, and he was a also an entertainer and a bit of a counselor to my Grandfather and Father. His kitchen skills were almost taken for granted - after all, he was the cook, but his entertaining skillls lived on after him and became legend. I also remember my Dad telling a story about how Paul Byrd built a contraption to make homemade icecream in which he used his motorcycle to power the revolving drum in which the icecream was made. Dad would tell that Paul Byrd didn't advertise that homemade icecream would be the dessert, but, the firing up and deafening sound of the motorcycle engine was a sure give away of what was happening!! Mrs. Morin and her husband, Joe, lived in the Byrd Nest cottage for many years, then Phil Hodgson and his wife, Mary, moved in with Mrs. Morin after Joe died. Mary was a proverbial baby machine and they moved to the large guest house (Archery Range) and grew a veritable tribe of children. Phil was a frat house cook at Wesleyan during the school year, but enjoyed being away from "them" for a while in the summer.

Well, Mike, seeing as how it is July 4th week, I think I'll read Prunes Alaska, maybe Journey at Sunrise, and a quick review of A Message to Garcia, drink some bug juice (that damned Arnold Palmer), and have a sloppy hot fudge sundae at Bailey's Bubble. I'm sorry you feel alone at the top of the Gray pile, all I can say, "Come on, Grays, support Mike !!"

Happy Fourth of July to all of you, ENJOY.
_________________
C-1 49 J-7 52 S-3 55 J-10 58
C-7 50 J-7 53 S-2 56 J-8 59
C-8 51 J-4 54 S-7 57 (JA) J-8 60 - 64
1965 - 1968 Military service
Pine Cone 68 - 75 (with wife,Sherry,
and daughter Tracey)
Wolfeboro - full-time since 1997

[Tom Shirley]

I am proud to be grey (more ways than one these days) and her to support Mike!!
_________________
J-1 1970, Marc Liddle from Scotland
J-1 1971, Bob Vaughn
S-3 1972, Steve McDavitt
S-2 1973, Charlie Thomas
JA-2 1974, Dan Mannis
JA-1 1975, Dave Ayers

Proud to be Gray

[Jim Graves]

Call me crazy, but I still try to peel my orange in one spiral. By the way I too am a Grey.
_________________
Jim Graves
67 J-2 Jerry Hoyt
68 J-5 Todd Whittimore
69 J-9 Charlie Thomas
70 S-1 Bob Arnot
71 S-5 Russ Vaughn
72 J-2 Dan Mannis
74 J-? (The small cabin across road from J-2) Councilor
75 J-5 Councilor

[Chris Gill]

Mike:

I'll try that recipe with my kids. I have a question, male of female Hershey bar?

My kids have never had Wonder bread, we don't have yellow musturd in the fridge, where do I find an aluminum canteen to mix the koolaid in, we do not serve balogna in our house. I wonder what a comperable lunch would be today?
_________________
1965-1975
C7,C8,J8,S4,S3

[DavidAyars]

Just thinking about that Baloney Sandwich with Water and Orange recipe sent my blood sugar and blood pressure soaring to levels unknown in some time. The only ingredients in that list my current diet permits in one meal are half the orange, and the S.S. Pierce mustard... along with the canteen-flavored water.

Canteen flavored water did have a distinct flavor and smell, didn't it? Remember how we used to fill our canteens in the iced bubbler by Byrd's Nest before boarding the bus, but by the time we got up to the mountains on a hot day, the canteen water would already be 82 degrees and have that distinct canteen smell? I had a Boy Scout pitted-aluminum canteen with an Army green canvas cover and AYARS penned on it in fat Magic Marker; it held enough water to adequately hydrate a kid for about 25 minutes of strenuous hiking, but it had to last all day, as could be seen in urine output that was more yellow than the flourescent Wilson tennis balls that came into vogue on the Junior-Senior courts around 1968. I think Mike's canteen held twice as much water as mine and as I remember(??) had a red-brown-yellow-green striped "mohair" covering which would have made Jerry Garcia proud to call his own.

/should go without saying... emphatically not a Gray
//you have to know the Harry Potter books or movies to get this allusion... but at the beginning of the first year Dave Bentley was a camper... I bet waiting to find out what color he would be was like waiting for Harry Potter to get assigned to Gryffindor by the Sorting Hat in HP & The Sorceror's Stone.
_________________
Camper: J-8 1965 (Kevin Ryan), J-8 1966 (Mike Freeland), S-6 1967 (Russ Hatch), S-3 1968 (Jeremy Cripps), and JA-2 1969 (Dan Mannis).
JC: J-2 1970 (Bill Bettison) and J-3 1971 (Gene Comella). Councilor 1972, J-5 1973, and JA-1 1974 & 1975

[David Bentley]

Actually, a camper's color designation was predestined if there were relatives in Camp before him. Family trees seem to determine color designation (in almost ALL cases). If your relative was of a certain color, the 99% chance was that you would be, too. I guess my Dad and his Dad wanted to keep the peace in a family around the Thanksgiving table !!

(Boy, wouldn't the foregoing sentences send the politically correct crowd screaming today - imagine, discussing someone's color in an open forum.)
_________________
C-1 49 J-7 52 S-3 55 J-10 58
C-7 50 J-7 53 S-2 56 J-8 59
C-8 51 J-4 54 S-7 57 (JA) J-8 60 - 64
1965 - 1968 Military service
Pine Cone 68 - 75 (with wife,Sherry,
and daughter Tracey)
Wolfeboro - full-time since 1997