fcol YB !oO SUMMER. CAMPS MUNICIPAL and INDUSTRIAL Summer Camps Municipal and Industrial Community Service (Incorporated) One Madison Avenue, New York City June, IQ2O 6(0 CHAPTER ONE MUNICIPAL CAMPS HOW many private camps have sprung up in the last twenty years beside lake, sea- shore and river, it is difficult to estimate even roughly. Parents who can afford to send their children away to camp for even part of a summer have done so eagerly because of what it meant the summer previous, or what it had shown in the improved lives of the neighbors' children. Cost is not a question where the benefits are so great. For a boy or girl to be away at camp from the first of July to the last of August is no longer a novelty in the average American family. What is a little newer is the idea that the city is offering similar recreatipn to its children, and that industry is providing means for its children to find vacation facilities at small cost. In count- less municipalities throughout the country groups of men and women are now planning the summer outdoor life of the people of these communities. In many cases this will mean actual camp life at points nearby or more distant from the city. [ three ] 4802 SUMMER CAMPS Particular cities and industries have chosen various ways to give to those wishing it as nearly ideal a camp life as possible. A Municipal Mountain Camp In the San Bernardino Mountains of California are three excellent municipal camps. They have attracted wide interest both because of their un- usual beauty of location and because of the fact that they are self-supporting. Camp Seeley, Camp Radford and the camp in San Dimas Can- yon are conducted by the city of Los Angeles with the accumulated improvements and development of five years' experience. Camp Seeley is nestled between high peaks in Seeley Flats, seventy-five miles from the city and 4500 feet above sea level. The auto stage which runs from San Bernardino to the camp takes one through beautiful canyons, over high mountains to the very door of the rustic "Lodge." Grouped around the Lodge are found about sixty well-ventilated cabins, furnishing housing for all the guests. The open-air dining- room is shaded by oaks, and the large open-air swimming pool is its strong competitor in popular- ity. It is difficult to describe the enthusiasm of [ four ] MUNICIPAL CAMPS the city dwellers in these rustic facilities or their appreciation of the advantages offered by a spot so far removed from the things to which they are ac- customed. Hikes among the woods and to nearby streams and mountain lakes make the leisure time both novel and inspiring. Rest and invigoration come unconsciously. Such a location offers two benefits not to be overlooked in placing a camp; namely, a genuine change from city life and a complete change of climate. The groups of campers are composed of citi- zens from every walk of life and as the camps are self-supporting there is no thought of pat- ronage. Professional cooks are employed but the campers take turns in helping with the table set- ting and dish washing, preparing of vegetables and gathering of fire wood. Simple wholesome meals are served cafeteria fashion. The dishes are of white enamel and the tables are covered with white cloth. The cost of a thirteen day out- ing at Camp Seeley including transportation, meals, housing and all other expenses is eleven dollars. Children under twelve are taken at a lower rate. The city has found it possible to make this cover the cost of salaries, food, freight, printed matter and even the clerical help in the [ five ] SUMMER CAMPS city office where the reservations are made and the fees paid in advance. Family outings are now the rule rather than excursions for groups of boys and girls. This program has been found most satisfactory especially from the standpoint of the younger children. In both camps, however, special provision is made for parties of boys and girls, as well as for week-end holiday parties. The distance from the city makes the two-weeks' stay more profitable than a shorter visit. During the summer of 1919 Camp Seeley proved its usual popularity, 2221 persons having attended between June 10 and September 25. The spirit of the camp is the most wonderful thing about it. Inside of two or three days three hundred and fifty people, unacquainted before the journey, have become an amalgamated group with strong community feeling. The trips into the woods together and the campfire entertainments at which talent abounds leave no chance for feel- ing of estrangement. The splendid spirit is due also to the fact that the campers are all part owners in a public utility. The small amount of work required of each camper adds rather than detracts from the good will. Of course the free- dom of primitive life cannot be overlooked as a [ * ] MUNICIPAL CAMPS contributing factor, and the leadership is always of the best. The spontaneous response to the opportunities offered finds outlet in many a song, poem and campfire speech. Camp Radford also has its full quota of en- thusiasts, 1200 people spending their vacation there at the rate of $12.25 for a fortnight. Rad- ford is 6000 feet up in the San Bernardinos in the Santa Ana Canyon. Since it is farther from the city and near the Redlands the trip in this case is half the outing. Practically the same ad- vantages are enjoyed by the campers as at Seeley. A Pow-Wow Center with fireplace as the rally- ing point for the impromptu entertainments, an athletic field for baseball, volley ball, croquet and similar games, as well as the natural advantages of the woods, furnish equipment enough for the healthful, happy vacation. The San Dimas Can- yon camp is open on week-ends for special groups from department stores, factories, schools and churches. Municipal Camps Near the City The gap in the summer lives of school children sometimes so difficult for parents to plan for is [ seven ] SUMMER CAMPS well filled by the program of such a camp as the one maintained by the Recreation Commission of Detroit. Located only thirty miles from the heart of the city on Lake Elizabeth it nevertheless af- fords ideal opportunities for swimming, boating and fishing. Groups of boys and girls go to the Lake on alternating weeks through the summer from the last week of June to the first of Sep- tember. From the time that a boy or girl enters the camp until his last day, each moment is pro- vided for by a definite schedule of duties and pleasures. Reveille, the roll call, morning colors, inspection of tents, the games, hikes and the swim, all in the morning ; the rest hour, free play, swimming, campfire circles, doctor's inspection in the afternoon and evening ; these give a variety and freedom as well as the necessary discipline. , Each boy and girl goes through a simple physical examination at the start and finish of the camp- ing to determine the degree of cleanliness and physical conditions. A record of development is kept and the child is informed of the percentage of improvement when he leaves camp. ( No child who is sickly or who needs medical care is allowed to go to the camp.) Each evening before "taps" is sounded everyone visits the doctor so that any [ eight ] MUNICIPAL CAMPS scratches, bruises, or sunburn can be fixed up. In this way as well as in the recreational freedom, often an entirely new experience every child is benefitted physically. In the meantime the parents are assured that their children are per- fectly safe, safer than at home in the busy streets with the attendant dangers. Another country playground maintained for the children of the city is conducted by the Recre- ation Commission of Bridgeport. Twenty-five acres at "Fairfield" are open to Bridgeport chil- dren from July 15 to September 15. At the rate of $3.50 per week the children may stay as long as their parents wish. The program is semi-mili- tary, so that there are rules to be lived up to. However, this discipline is often as beneficial to the youngster of ten or twelve as the fact that he or she is leading an outdoor life. The families of New York City may procure any of 296 sites (30 by 60 feet) with a tent (15 by 35 feet) at Pelham Bay Park, about six miles from the subway, at the rate of $20" per season. The camp is laid out in streets and is appropriately called "Tent City." There is a splendid view and a good bathing beach near at hand. The Park and Health Departments see to it that there f nine ] SUMMER CAMPS is rigid compliance with the few necessary health and order rules, and good behavior means the opportunity for a renewal of the lease. Through the generosity of the National Cash Register Company, the city of Dayton has come into possession of small camp sites similar to the ones at Pelham Bay. There are fifteen camp buildings located not far from the city which are rented at the rate of $1.00 a day. Each building consists of a rustic structure at a point of vantage on the edge of the woods overlooking the camp grounds. This serves as a shelter from the weather and as a place to keep the table and kit- chen outfit, which, with wood and water, are pro- vided for each camp. In each building is an open fireplace. There is seldom a day through the summer when "Hills and Dales" is not full to capacity. Reservations are made with the City Welfare Department of Dayton. Salt Lake City asks the guests at each of their boys' and girls' camps to meet their own food and part of their transportation expenses, furnishing the supervisors for sport, and the general man- agement. The City of Oakland, California, has recently made arrangements with the National Forest Service for a camp site near the Yosemite [ ten} MUNICIPAL CAMPS National Park, and plans to open the camp for city residents this summer. From the playgrounds of Rochester, New York, the leaders take twenty- four boys at a time for overnight hikes. The campers carry their own food with them, cooking it over a campfire. In one full day's camping program the boys manage to include the follow- ing activities : swimming, scout games, contests of various sorts and informal campfire stunts. The campers clean up carefully when they are leaving. There is no expense to the city for these outings. Camp Inside the City Limits Without going outside the boundaries of the city St. Louis has found a way to give her poorer citizens a "Vacation Village." The village is con- ducted during the hottest part of the summer in a quiet section of Forest Park, out of sight of autoists and pedestrians. Here, needy families recommended by various social organizations find respite from the heat of congested city quarters. The village was carefully planned and laid out by the Division of Parks and Recreation even to the installation of toilets, showers, kitchens, and a well-equipped playground. Matron, cook, cots, [ eleven ] SUMMER CAMPS and cooking utensils are furnished by the local Red Cross chapter. A common kitchen is con- ducted under the auspices of the Community Kitchen Club. By this means it was possible in 1918 to furnish meals to the guests at an average of 11% cents per person. In a park very near the city, Omaha conducted an outing spot for the organized playground boys over twelve years of age, raising the money to meet the expenses by subscriptions from business men. This fund maintained the boys at a cost of $2.50 per week. A recreation tent, similar to an army "Y" hut was erected on the grounds, and in it were concentrated the indoor amusements. The outdoor activities consisting of drills, com- petitive athletics and hikes to interesting points kept the Recreation Tent unpopular except on rainy days. The City Health Commissioner and the head of the public school nursing staff gave the boys a medical examination each morning, thus keeping a careful record of the noticable improve- ment in physical condition. A Camp in a State Reservation On the other side of the Hudson from New York and far enough up the river to be away from [ twelve \ MUNICIPAL CAMPS * every sound and sight of the city is a camp for the city waifs. It is located in the center of the Interstate Palisades Park, in the Harriman sec- tion where each lake shore has been developed into a little summer community for the under- privileged children, and where their older brothers and sisters are also given a chance to live out-of- doors. The children are housed in rustic* pa- vilions which are built out into the lake and con- structed with a view to all the comforts consistent with real camping. The camps are under the supervision of people who are expert in the art of making children happy. Experienced leaders take groups of boys and girls over the fine trails, indicate the types of trees, identify birds, and point out the things of Nature never before seen by the majority, and never to be forgotten. The program followed also encourages habits of cleanliness and thought- fulness, and there is provision for rowing, swim- ming, games, story-telling, moving pictures and music. Many prominent song leaders have con- ducted song fests with the children ; the band of the Hebrew Orphan Asylum spent the entire sum- mer in camp playing in the settlements on the various lakes ; a talented Russian violinist devoted [ thirteen ] SUMMER CAMPS - her entire summer playing in the working girls camps. Other entertainers and lecturers have come from the city to make the evening around the campfire a joy to be remembered forever. One of the interesting developments in the co- ordination of the work of the camps in the Palis- ades Park is the feeding of the campers. To assure the best possible diet the Interstate Com- mission made a careful study of the food needs of children living an outdoor life, and prepared a standard dietary providing each child with a minimum of 2500 calories of food per day. The large food manufacturing facilities at Bear Moun- tain Inn, operated by the Commission, are called into cooperation. The expert Inn cooks prepare all the food. Automobiles take it to each camp in heat-retaining vessels. Three years of this service have verified its practicability and value, and the coordination has made it possible to supply twenty-one meals per week at $4.00 for each child. Effects of Camping on the City Child "It is always difficult to picture adequately what our little city child feels when he is whisked as [ fourteen ] MUNICIPAL CAMPS though he were on the proverbial magic carpet from the sordid environment of the city streets to the exalting contact of the glorious outdoors. An educator who has visited one of the camps re- marked that he felt that more education could be derived from an evening around a campfire than from a week in a conventional school. It is here that life companionships are formed, and the im- pressionistic mind of the child receives attitudes, ideas and impressions which will always stay with him. The physical invigoration, the spiritual exal- tation, all leave on the child who has never before known these things an impression which stirs the sluggish ambitions out of the rut of their uninspir- ing and barren city wretchedness." CHAPTER TWO INDUSTRIAL CAMPS DESPITE all the efforts of a municipality in behalf of the summer leisure time of its citizens, old and young, it is obvious that there are great difficulties in providing ac- commodations for all who clamor for the out- doors. It must therefore be the responsibility of smaller groups of city people to provide other opportunities. In many places it has been the part of the Y. M. C. A. and the Y. W. C. A. to establish state and county camps for groups of young men and young women. In other com- munities the Women's Club, as in Springfield, Massachusetts, has maintained a camp for busi- ness girls and girls who cannot afford to pay their own vacation expenses. Boy Scout camps have given vacation facilities to organized groups of boys. But because of the fact that its resources are large and its workers the very ones who need camp life most, industry seems to be a natural leader in this direction. Without savoring of the [ sixteen ] INDUSTRIAL CAMPS paternalistic, there are many stores and factories which have offered to their employees the chance of a happy vacation life in the open at the smallest possible cost to the firm and the employees. Of these, some have built summer club houses near the store or factory where various sports may be enjoyed in the evenings or on Saturday after- noons. Others have maintained a summer home for the employees who are ill or who have been ill during the winter. Still others, however, have gone another step and said to their workers : "Up there is a camp. It belongs to you at small cost if you care to use it. There are no conditions except that you be an employee and that you are willing to obey a few simple regulations." Camps Maintained by Department Stores The type of industrial camp that naturally comes to mind first is the one maintained by de- partment stores. A summer resort where the 2500 employees of the Grand Leader Dry Goods Company of St. Louis can meet on a common ground with their employers has been established on the Merrimac River. It is a farm of sixty- eight acres with a resident farmer and is open [ seventeen ] SUMMER CAMPS not only in the summer but during the winter on store holidays. The two bungalows, one for the young men and the other for the young women, are equipped with baths, showers, electric lights and fans. The rules of the camp, made by the employees themselves, are lived up to by the mem- bers of the firm who visit the camp. Both em- ployee and employer insist that, "on the farm there is no distinction." The heads of the firm of the Famous-Barr Store of St. Louis have built their bungalows on the same grounds of the camp where their employees spend their vacation. Since this camp is never open to the general public under any circumstances, it is a real summer store home. A military encampment under strict discipline, with barracks, a headquarters house and parade grounds is not a war product in the case of the John Wanamaker Commercial Institute. It was started in the summer of 1900 for the junior boys and girls of both the Philadelphia and New York stores, who are required to attend the camp for two weeks, the boys in July and the girls in August. Salary is paid acording to a schedule which is based on the length of service in the store and attendance at camp. Military ratings are given and promotions to varying ranks are [ eighteen ] INDUSTRIAL CAMPS made accordingly. The competition for promo- tion as well as for athletic honors is strong. The physical training features are under the direction of competent officers. Uniforms are worn only on the trips to and from camp ; and on inspection, guard duty and evening parade. When the men from the Rogers Peet Company are at "Old Camp Put" they know the freedom of practically everything except the spending of money. A custom which has been found most satisfactory is to issue to incoming campers a com- plete set of cooking utensils. It is then the re- sponsibility of the campers themselves to cook their own breakfasts, the raw materials being se- cured from the camp manager. If you can't cook yourself, you team up with an experienced tent- mate. At noon a substantial meal is served in the dining-hall of the bungalow at a cost of only thirty-five cents. Even the wildest extravagance there does not allow any individual to spend more than $5.00 per week, and under these conditions the camp has been a veritable god-send to the men and their families. The summer home conducted by the May Com- pany of Cleveland has unconsciously developed a good comradeship among the employees. A f nineteen ] SUMMER CAMPS camp which is looked upon by the employees as a place of fellowship is hound to he a success. This one is a recreation center in all that the name implies, with a beach, boating, dancing and pro- visions for indoor pleasures including dramatics and stunts of all sorts. The informality incident upon the latter activities makes for the friendliest relationships between all the members of the camp family. Other Industrial Camps On French Point, about halfway up Lake George is a camp where the girls employed in any of the factories of nine cities may spend their vacation at a cost of less than one dollar a day. It is only one of six camps and vacation clubs maintained by the General Electric Company. The entire management of this camp is in the hands of one woman. The girls are required to bring their own sheets and towels and to keep their tents in good order. Between the rows of tents there are athletic fields and tennis courts. No attempt to organize a daily program has been made, as the informal plan has proved successful. Once a week the campers go off together on an all- [ twenty ] INDUSTRIAL CAMPS day hike and shorter tramps are taken frequently. On Association Island, Lake Ontario, are three other General Electric camps. Camp Claverack, covering sixty-five acres, is available to the men of the Company as well as their families and friends. Nela Camp in Nela Park, Cleveland, affords unusual opportunities for the summer conferences held by the representatives of the Company, and gives to those attending the free- dom of outdoor life not ordinarily available so near a big city. Recreation facilities are provided in the form of a baseball diamond, rifle range, tennis courts and a swimming pool. Armour and Company, Chicago, have for a number of years maintained a well-equipped camp on Round Lake, Illinois. The girls from the plant may go to "Oval Lodge" during their vaca- tions from Monday to Saturday leaving the week- ends free for the office girls. The plant girls are paid half salary while at camp, and both plant and office girls are furnished free transportation, board and room. There are similar camps for the women employees of several other Armour plants. In a short article intended to be mainly sugges- tive, description of all the industrial camps in the [ twenty-one ] SUMMER CAMPS country would be as impossible as a discussion of all the camps maintained by municipalities. It is worth noting, however, that in nearly every case where an industry has established a well-con- ducted camp, it has continued year after year to be patronized by the employees. Where cities have conducted camps they have been full to capacity each season. This seems to prove a real need. The increased happiness of the campers in both cases proves that the need can be met by the sort of camping opportunities which have been described above. The question of benefit for everyone from living in the open is hardly a debatable one since the question itself no longer exists. Camp life has become established as one of the biggest fac- tors in the physical improvement of a person and a large factor in character building. It should therefore rank in importance somewhere between the open bedroom window and the latch string to good living. For years Danish and German cities have sent thousands of children to the coun- try every year at public expense. America has done some splendid things along this line but not enough. For those who wish to enjoy their ad- vantages, municipal and industrial camps in suffi- cient number should offer themselves. [ twenty -two ] INDUSTRIAL CAMPS The municipal camp stands on a plane with the public school; the industrial camp should be a cooperative enterprise. "In the gathering around the campfire of hundreds of people from all walks of life, with no interest in common except that of their citizenship, the seed of a community spirit is sown, which transplanted from the ideal con- ditions of this nursery garden into the everyday conditions of the city itself has hope of healthful growth." And a city councilman, interested in city camps, has said : "More civic pride is devel- oped around the campfire in five minutes than in the city in a year." Then let us light the camp- fire! ' twenty-three ] CHAPTER THREE CAMP ADMINISTRATION PLANNING THE CAMP Site. Should be chosen on the advice of an expert with regard to : 1. Sanitation : sloping ground, good distance from marshes and bogs ; land not recently disturbed and without "clay soil 2. Water Supply: nearness to spring as the ideal source of supply, or good well, if spring is unavailable. (In the latter case the well must be thoroughly tested by an expert.) 3. Convenience for transportation and the secur- ing -of food 4. Particular appropriateness for the kind of camp wanted Buildings. Should be chosen with the following considerations in mind : 1. Number of campers to be accommodated 2. Seasons of the year to be used [twenty-four ] CAMP ADMINISTRATION 3. Temporary or permanent camp 4. Available funds NOTE : A pavilion type of dining-room arid a central building for indoor games in rainy weather are requisite in most sections of the country, ex- cept in a case where the center is large enough 10 be used as dining-room in unfavorable weather. Tents or rough shacks furnish sleeping- quarters. The best type of tent is one accommodating four to six people which opens at both ends and with sides which may be rolled up. It should in every case be pitched over a wooden platform floor several inches above the ground. General Equipment 1. Equipment for field sports such as basketball, volley ball, baseball, tennis, etc. obtainable from city playgrounds if not in use 2. Auto or horse for transportation and pleasure. (An auto truck with seats along the sides is ideal.) 3. Row boats and dock, and diving raft, if camp is near lake or river [ twenty -fi^re ] S U M M E^ CAMPS Bud yet. A sample budget is practically impossible as costs and kinds of camps are so varied. For general statements of expenses sec below. 1. Outlay Initial cost of camp and equipment Running expenses : salaries, food, transporta- tion, rent (if any), emergency supplies for ac- cidents, etc. 2. Income Fee of campers Gifts or appropriation from city or individuals. (Often persons interested in municipal recrea- tion will provide good site without rent.) Personnel of Leaders. Should be chosen with regard to character as well as ability, for "good leaders are more important than equipment." 1. Head of camp. The Director should have the final responsibility and authority in everything. On him a large part of the success of the camp and its spirit depends. He should supervise the entire season including the opening and closing. 2. Assistants. There should be a sufficient num- ber of counsellors to allow the breaking up of [ twenty-six ] CAMP ADMINISTRATION campers into small groups for hiking, nature study, etc. They must have a love for the outdoors themselves, and a genuine liking for people, especially children. 3. Physical Director. For the supervision of tl-e water and land recreation. He or she should be an expert with a fine sense of responsibility. 4. Resident nurse, or doctor if possible 5. Housekeeper. To manage the dining-room and kitchen and plan the meals 6. " Handy man" 7. Gardener (if necessary) Advertisement An attractive poster with pretty pictures or an illustrated folder are the best means of advertising a new camp. You cannot very well talk ade- quately about a camp to those who have not been to one. But a picture will tell a great deal about kinds of clothes, etc. Of course a camp which has been running successfully for a year or more needs only word-of-mouth advertisement by for- mer campers. I twenty -seven ] SUMMER CAMPS The printed announcement should contain a simple explanation of admission to camp, and an outline of the requirements made of each camper, e.g. clothing, registration fee, physical examina- tion, etc. - CONDUCTING THE CAMP Receiving the Campers 1. In welcoming each newcomer, make him feel that he is coming to his summer home of work and play; that there are a few regulations which are to be kept for the good of all. A good place to extend this welcome and explain all regulations is around the first campfire. 2. A physical examination by a doctor before the registration of the camper is accepted is neces- sary. The resident nurse or doctor should make another examination on arrival at camp. Feeding the Campers 1. Camp Menu. The importance of a balanced and sufficient diet for any kind of camp can- not be over-estimated. It need not be based on an elaborate menu but it should be well [ twenty-eight \ CAMP ADMINISTRATION proportioned and wholesome. If easily ob- tainable milk should replace meat often in the menu. Use raw vegetables and fruits in abun- dance. Cocoa should be substituted for tea and coffee, since outdoor living in itself gives sufficient stimulant. (For a week's camp menu see Appendix) 2. Food supply. Too much emphasis cannot be placed on a supply of good milk. But do not forget that the country is not always the ''garden of health" it has been reputed to be, and that farmers who are careful about other things may be careless about the handling of milk. Investigate not only the source but the time intervening between the milking and the delivery to camp. Good packing houses offer standardized forms of meat supply but there is no reason why fowls should not be obtained fresh from local sources. Vegetables from the farms are fresher and apt to be cheaper than those sent from the city. Certain fruits may be imported in large quantities, saving cost. Be- ware of the contact of flies with any and all food! [ twenty -nine ] SUMMER CAMPS Camp Program A daily and weekly schedule of events should be prepared in advance, no matter how simple it may be. It will of course have to be subject to impromptu changes. A girls' or boys' camp needs a rather full schedule of activities ; adults may be left more to their own initiative. Where parents accompany children it is well not to depend on the responsibility of the parents for the sleeping, eat- ing and swimming schedule of the children, but to enforce a few rules for all. This method will soon show good results and gain the cooperation of the parents. It is important to remember that as many leaders are usually needed when parents and children go to camp together as when large groups of boys and girls go alone. The following suggestions are well combined with any program. (A daily schedule is given in the Appendix) 1. Swimming. During the swimming period row boats should patrol the beach, and the leaders should be in the water with the campers. Allow no swimming without a counsellor or without special permission. Strict enforcement of this rule will avoid chances of danger and gain the [ thirty 3 CAMP ADMINISTRATION confidence of parents. One accident will dis- count the camp in the minds of the public and make them forget the other benefits. The swimming period should be confined to twenty or thirty minutes in moderate water. Some- times boys can stay in the water longer as in the case of instruction in life saving, etc. A good rule is to have each camper take a two- minute dip in the morning upon rising and go in only once during the day after that. 2. Quiet Hour. Observe a rest hour each day. Keep it really QUIET for sleep, writing or reading. It may be lengthened for individuals needing relaxation more than exercise. 3. Exercise. Do not allow those physically un- prepared to overdo the athletic part of the pro- gram. People physically tired out should not go on long tramps or play strenuous games until they have gradually worked up their vitality. Progression in tramping or some other activity is a good way to have the indi- vidual watch his own gain. Required exercise may be confined to ten minute setting-up drill upon rising, followed by the early "dip." 4. Regularity. Insist on carrying out the pro- [ thirty-one ] SUMMER CAMPS gram with regularity so that the real benefits of a summer camp are secured. Prompt re- sponse to rising, meal calls, and the end of the swimming period, will help the schedule to run smoothly. In a boys' or girls' camp visits of parents should be confined to one special day ; otherwise the camp routine will be interrupted. 5. Singing. Have plenty of singing; let the camp- ers originate many and varied words to familiar tunes. Have one good "Camp Song." 6. Gardening. This may be made a regular part of the program. In this way the camp may produce some of its own supplies, and the campers receive a novel experience. 7. Neatness. Awards have practical effects ; give a banner daily to the neatest tent. 8. Comradeship should be encouraged among the campers. Toward this end plan that each camper participates in the activities, especially the games. Corrective Work It is encouraging to note that several municipal camps and a few industrial camps attempt definite corrective work and its tabulation. A careful rec- [ thirty-two ] CAMP ADMINISTRATION ord of the physical condition of the camper when he reaches camp, compared with the condition in which he leaves, may prove a veritable stimula- tion, encouraging him to duplicate as nearly as possible on his return to the city the things that made for his well-being in camp. Cost of Maintaining of a Municipal Camp The cost of starting and conducting a muni- cipal camp depends on several things. Since the food and salary items are usually the largest in the expense column, the availability of supplies at good rates and availability of good leaders' for little pay are to be considered carefully. Too much economy in either item is disastrous, however. Distance from the city is another important cost item when free transportation is furnished to the campers. Camps may be classified according to cost in the following way : 1. Self-supporting camps where the charge to campers covers all expenses The salary, transportation and food supply ex- penses of Camp Seeley (Los Angeles) totalled $15,570.00 for 2220 people during the summer [ thirty -three ] SUMMER CAMPS of 1919. In this case there was no rent item, since free use of a reservation was given, and no equip- ment expense since the building and equipment were owned by the city. With a charge of $11.00 for two weeks for adults ($6.00 for children) the city cleared $1,000.00 for the season. 2. Camps whose total cost is borne by the city or city funds supplemented by individual sub- scription No charge was made to the children and mothers attending the camp conducted by the city of Newark, N. J., the cost for 1550 persons at- tending for varying lengths of time totalled $9,976.00 for the season; the food, salary and transportation again figuring as the largest items of expense. In this case the food was 45% of the total cost. The city of Omaha, Nebraska, bore the cost of outings for boys in a city park at the rate of $2.50 apiece in 1918. 3. Camps whose facilities are rented out by the city to families Where the camping facilities are rented out- right to parties of families and no food or activity responsibilities are assumed by those in charge, it is usually easy to meet expenses after the equip- [ thirty -four ] CAMP ADMINISTRATION ment has once been paid for. At the rate of $20 to $25 per season the camps at Pelham Bay, New York, are rented with water, gas and electricity supply. The shacks rented by the city of Dayton at the rate of $1.00 per day are provided with wood, drinking water, towels, cooking equipment and light. Answers to the questionnaires sent out recently by the Playground and Recreation Association to cities conducting municipal camps show that the charge to campers per week ranges from $3.50 to $7.50. The percentage of food cost to the total cost of camp expenses ranges from 40% to 60% according to the ability to get the food at wholesale prices, to transport it easily, and to use it wisely. According to a recent investigation of general costs conducted by the National Association of Boys' and Girls' Camps the cost of operating a camp in 1920 would show an increase of about 13% above that of 1919.. Under expenses the following is considered as a good guess of the probable cost of supplies in 1920 as compared to 1919; Flour would go up from $12.50 to $13.00 [ thirty-five ] SUMMER CAMPS per barrel ; sugar from 9 to 18 cents ; no increase in canned peas, corn, and beans ; canned cherries and tomatoes would go way up ; wheat cereals, butter, milk and eggs would show a slight rise; meat and chicken might go down a little; sta- tionery and printing would go up 20% ; there ought to be no increase in counsellors* salaries. [ thirty-six ] Appendix A Daily Camp Schedule 6:30 Rising call 6 :45 Setting-up exercises, followed by morning dip 7:30- 8:15 Breakfast 8:15- 8:30 Morning sing, assignment of camp duties (roll call) 9:15 Inspection 9:30-11:20 Games, boating, swimming 11:30-12:30 Free period for sewing, or hand work les- sons (or more exercise) 12 :30- 1 :30 Dinner 1 :30- 3 :00 Quiet hour, for reading, writing and rest 3:00- 5:00 Boating, hiking, swimming (for groups who did not swim in A. M.) 5:00- 6:00 Games; walk (for those who did not go on hike) 6 :00- 6 :30 Supper 6:30- 7:30 Games 7 :30- 8 :30 Campfire singing, stunts, sometimes short talk 9:00 Lights out (If desired, the schedule may start half an hour later in the morning, e. g., at 7 A. M.) [ thirty-seven ] SUMMER CAMPS What Each Camper Should Take to Camp Necessities Usual outdoor clothing; heavy according to the cli- mate Two pair of full-size woolen blankets, pillow, towels, sheets (unless all these are supplied at camp) Toilet articles : mirror, soap, tooth brush,' tooth paste 1 pair of substantial shoes 1 pair of rubbers (important) 1 raincoat or old overcoat 1 sweater or jacket (For girls : short skirt or bloomers and middy blouses) Bathing suit Desirable additions (which do not take up much room, and which will add to the enjoyment of the camp) Tennis shoes and racket, baseball gloves and bat Fishing tackle Camera, hammock, musical instrument Fancy work or sewing [ thirty-eight ] A Camp Menu (The menus marked with double asterisk (**) are especially adapted for children's supper. The children's dinner should resemble the adults' lunch or may be modeled after the adult dinner menu, leaving out heavy meat and fried food.) Stewed Prunes Oatmeal Boiled Eggs Bread Butter Coffee or Postum Fruit Monday Boiled Ham Relish Mashed Potatoes Spinach **Mush and Milk Bread Butter Cocoa Cakes Shredded Wheat Fried Mush Fried Bacon Coffee or Postum Tuesday Julienne Soup Crackers Lamb Chops Gravy Boiled Potatoes Tapioca Pudding Bread Butter Tea Macaroni and Cheese Fried Potatoes Bread Butter Cocoa Wednesday Stewed Apricots Lamb Stew Boiled Potatoes Hominy Grits Buttered Beets Succotash Creamed Potatoes Bread and Apple Apple Sauce Coffee or Postum Butter Bread Butter Iced Tea Cocoa [ thirty -nine ] SUMMER CAMPS Cream of Wheat Fried Hominy Thursday Split Peas with Bacon Stewed Tomatoes Friday Cream Tomato Soup Potatoes Escal- loped with cheese Bread Peanut Butter Fruit Jello Stewed Prunes Salmon Balls Spaghetti with Oatmeal Relish Tomatoes Corn Bread and Cream Corn Fried Potatoes Syrup Bread Butter Stewed Apples Coffee or Postum Lemonade Bread Butter Mashed Potatoes Cocoa Saturday Corn Flakes Lentil Soup **Boiled Rice and French Toast Pork and Beans Milk Apple Butter Bread Butter Bread Peanut Cocoa Coffee Butter Fruit Jello Tea Half Orange Shredded Wheat Griddle Cakes Syrup Coffee or Postum Sunday Lettuce Salad Roast Lamb Creamed Peas Mashed Potatoes Gravy Ice Cream Frankfurters Potato Salad Rolls Cocoa Doughnuts NOTE: Although it is never satisfactory to have the boys and girls give up much time to the preparation of food, a frequent campfire supper prepared in the open is a splendid experience. [ forty ] APPENDIX Camp Fire Evenings The first night around the camp-fire may include the informal introduction of the campers to each other. Various suggestions will occur to the leaders according to the group concerned. Each camper might introduce himself by an original stunt which takes no longer than one and a half minutes to prepare or each tent group may introduce itself. The Camp Fire Girls suggest the following types of evening entertainment, which may be made instructive as well as amusing: Star Night Finding of constellations, guessing names of ones most commonly known, learning of new ones Puzzle Night May include anything from trick rope knots to conundrums Story Night One good story told by an expert after several campers have told original stories or experiences Circus Night If more feasible this may be put on in the afternoon Game Night Any game which may be played circle fashion indoors is applicable here; or the fire may be deserted for active outdoor group games if the twilight is long Original Song Contest Night This has many possi- bilities ; well-known tunes will be most popular used with parodies, but often an original tune will be dis- covered. Dividing the campers into tent groups or larger groups will produce most sociability and fun Dramatic Night Act out a local legend or a well- known fairy story The Y. M. C. A, the Y. W. C. A. and the Boy Scouts also have suggestions for evening entertainment around the camp-fire. "Camp and Outing Activities" (Associa- tion Press, New York) contains some excellent sugges- tions for games, songs, plays and nature studies which have been tested in boys' camps, but which are easily adaptable to almost any kind of camp. [ forty-one ] Community Recreation WHAT the municipal recreation system is ; - what its functions are;. how it is admin- istered and what broad community recreation activities may be carried on under it, are discussed in this 122-page booklet which has just been pub- lished by the Playground and Recreation Associa- tion of America. The municipal recreation worker will find in the practical information Community Recreation has to offer; in its recreation bibliography, its sample playground programs and its suggestions regarding social center work and adult recreation, an invaluable source of information and refer- ence. Teachers, volunteer workers all who are interested in the development of a broad com- munity recreation program, will profit by the theoretical and practical values of this little book. Single copies may be secured at the Playground and Recreation Association of America, 1 Madi- son Avenue, New York, for 30c each. No charge is made for mailing. [ forty-two ] Comrades in Play RfecREATION directors, settlement workers and all who are conducting activities for young men and women will welcome the new booklet, Comrades in Play, which is now ready for distrubution. Comrades in Play embodies a discussion of the activities which young men and young women may enjoy together in their leisure time. Com- radeship in social and recreational activities, in educational, cultural and art interests, and in ser- vice to their communities all these phases are brought out in this helpful little book, which has been compiled from actual experiences in many localities. Not only are the activities suggested but the principles are discussed on which group organization for leisure-time activities may be built. A bibliography on social and recreational ac- tivities for indoor and outdoor use, suggestions for church entertainments and a list of plays and pageants, with brief descriptions, help to make the book extremely practical and suggestive. Single copies may be secured for 30c from the office of the Playground and Recreation Associa- tion of America, 1 Madison Avenue, New York City. [ forty-three ] GENERAL LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIABERKELEY RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROW This book is due on the last date stamped below, or on date to which renewed. Renewed books are subject to immediate recall. 17Jan'55TF JAW 9 1955 LU MflYl 5 1955 Llf I/V4 1957 ff ? f"*^ . DEC 14 LIBRARY USE JAN 2 1 RECTD CO JAN 21 1958 21-100m-l,'54(1887sl6)476