Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2007 with funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation http://www.archive.org/details/canoeingcampingOOcruirich JAMES A. CKUIKSHANK, On cruising trip, Ontario, Canada. Spalding "Red Cover" Series of ^ — i rn Athletic Handbooks N0.6OR PART I CANOEING A Little Book for the Lover of Woods and Waters and in Praise of the Light and Fragile Craft of the American Indian with which Continents have been Explored and which has now become the Most Popular of all Vehicles with which to find Sport, Recuperation and Rest out of doors. BY JAMES A. CRUIKSHANK PHOTOGRAPHS BY THE AUTHOR PUBLISHED BY AMERICAN SPORTS PUBLISHING COMPANY 21 Warren Street, New York CONTENTS PART I PAo. Introduction 6 Canoes of All Nations 8 The Open, Cruising Canoe 11 Decked Paddling Canoes 18 Decked Sailing Canoes 24 Canoe Cruising and Cruises 30 Equipment for Canoe Cruising 38 The American Canoe Association 46 Racing Regulations of the American Canoe Association 49 Hints for the Beginner 63 How to Paddle a Canoe 66 Learn to Swim — Canoe Stunts — Take a Camera — General Hints 70 Sailing Canoes 73 The Joys of Canoeing 80 Concerning the Cook on the Canoe Cruise 81 PART II Camping for Boys and Girls 84 How a Camp is Conducted 86 The Relation of Camp Athletics to Character Building 94 Intellectual Recreation at Camp 98 "The Long Hike" 100 A Vacation Camp 102 Care Necessary in Camp Selection 104 A Boys' Camp with a Religious Environment 106 The Real Aim of Camping 108 How the Boys' Camp Movement Has Grown 109 The Camp as an Adjunct to a Summer School 110 Horseback Riding for Boys' Camps Ill The Value of Camp Life for Girls 112 Why Basket Ball is Especially Suitable for Girls' Camps 113 Camps for Adults 114 Athletics at Camp 115 Camp Life Has Developed Many Prominent Athletes 117 582378 BPALBING'S ATHLETIC LIBEABT. INTRODUCTION Probably no vehicle or craft, so far devised by man, contains in proportion to its weight such marvelous capacity for business and pleasure as the canoe. Its only rival in lightness and carrying capacity is the bicycle; but the bicycle is limited to one, or at most to two, passengers, permits practically no baggage to be carried, and is dependent for its usefulness on a road prepared by man. A canoe of equal weight to a tandem bicycle will com- fortably carry three, four, or even five persons, or two persons with ample equipment and food for several months of cruising in the wilderness far from the haunts of men. It becomes shelter or tent in an emergency, and it requires only the natural road of river or lake, that great, flowing highway which was man's first route to the regions beyond. As bearer of those intangible, priceless gifts, pleasure and health, even the tiniest canoe carries such cargo as rarely falls to the lot of an ocean greyhound. For it is not too much to say that perhaps no single implement of sport enjoys such reasonable cer- tainty that it will be used by many for simple, wholesome pas- times out of doors, that it will stimulate many to beneficial exer- cise under sunny skies, that it will bring its precious freight into the very heart of nature, whence come the finest inspirations of life. Fortunately, the canoe is not a type of that "sport by proxy" which thoughtful students of modern athletic pastimes are be- ginning to question so critically. Nobody comes into the fas- cinating range of a canoe's influence without desiring to take a hand in managing the craft. Every canoe owner knows the avidity with which guests are willing to exchange comfortable seats among cushions for a bit of the strength-giving exercise at the paddle. And few who have ever tasted the rare joys of han- dling a canoe for themselves are satisfied with mere memories. 6 SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBEART. Not a few men who have tried every form of water sport end by being thoroughly satisfied with the canoe. Some of the most noted canoeists of the world are even graduates from the decks of lordly yachts, who have learned that if one truly loves the water the nearer one can get to it the happier one is. The Americans, and by that we mean all the dwellers on this continent, owe much to the canoe. First as the craft with which the early voyageurs made their way up the Hudson, the St. Law- rence, along the Great Lakes, down the Missouri, the Ohio and the Mississippi, then to explore those wonderful rivers of our own great Northwest, and the even mightier highways of water in Canada and Alaska. Perhaps the conquest and the civilization of this continent was advanced hundreds of years by reason of the birch-bark craft of the American Indian. Having served its day and generation so well as a vehicle for trade and exploration the canoe has renewed its youth and now promises' to become the most popular implement for sport and nature-enjoyment so far devised by this or any other people. Unless one is fully in touch with the facts, the statement of the rapidity with which the canoe is coming into popularity, not merely on this continent, but all over the world, reads like ro- mance. Where, twenty years ago, the use of the canoe was lim- ited to the real wilds, or to some few daring souls apparently in search of the quickest method of suicide, it is to-day found every- where that men and women seek the joys of the open air, from billowy ocean to tiny mountain stream. Clubs spring up over night and build additions every year. With that enthusiasm character- istic of the American people in matters of sport, the vogue of canoeing promises to be one of the most interesting developments in the wholesome athletic life of the people in which this gener- ation has been privileged to participate. Already the American canoe has become one of the most popular features of the Henley Regatta in England, perhaps the most important aquatic festival held anywhere in the world; and the upper reaches of the Rhine furnish Continental proof of the widening interest taken in this strictly American contribution to the joys of life afloat. The Sweetwaters of the Bosphorus and the sacred waters of the SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBEAET. 7 Ganges, the blue Nile, the fjords of Norway and the lakes of South Africa, the headwaters of the Amazon and the network of canals which have made Venice the delight of artists for centuries — all these places know and respect the light, fragile, buoyant thing of life and beauty which the American of to-day has learned to fashion from the patterns which the American of yes- terday handed down. If America had contributed no other gift to the sports of the world, the modern canoe would entitle her to a respectful ranking among all those virile people who have learned that the spirited outdoor pastimes of any race are true foundations upon which to build structures of individual integrity and character. BPAUOING'S ATHLinriO LIBRABT. CANOES OF ALL NATIONS It is a curious fact that something in the form of a canoe seems to be known among all the peoples of the world. Differing slightly in shape, and greatly in materials, the divergent products seem clearly to indicate that the canoe, as we know it to-day, is not a thing which has been discovered by one nation and through countless centuries slowly shared with other nations. It is much more likely to be a product of universal necessity, which, after long years, has been evolved to its present development. This seems to be amply proven by the samples of the canoes of the world which, either in tangible form or through drawings and photographs, have been brought to the attention of the canoe enthusiast Among the primitive peoples known to the present-day world, the so-called "dug-out" is almost universal. The far centers of the African continent and the upper reaches of the great rivers of South America, furnish fine examples, perhaps the finest ex- amples extant, of the "dug-out" craft. Among these primitive peoples the shape is not merely that of a log, from which has been scooped out part of the body of the wood ; it is ofttimes a carefully shaped craft, having lines fore and aft admirably suited to the work which it is called upon to do, whether that be the carrying of great loads on still lakes and rivers or the running of fast water white with foam. Americans familiar with the northwestern States, and their fast-disappearing Indian tribes, will recall the superb work in the form of "dug-out" craft which can still be found there. And among the little rivers of North and South Carolina and Georgia there are still in existence and active use some of the best "dug- outs" to be found in the world to-day. Perhaps it would be fair to say that the finest examples of the ancient "dug-out" craft to be found anywhere, outside of museums, is among the river folk of the eastern part of the Carolinas and Georgia. SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBBABT. 9 But the immediate predecessor of the canoe is found among the wide varieties of water craft which have a cover or shell or skin of some form. And again it is found that this sort of construc- tion is so universal among the ancient peoples of the world as to clearly indicate that it has been a local development from the stimulus of necessity, rather than the copying of the arts of other people. The kayak of the Eskimo and the dwellers in the arctic regions offers an excellent example of the skin-covered craft at its best. Perhaps it is not too fulsome praise of this craft to say that no shape or method of construction so far adapted to carrying human beings in small numbers on rough water or under varying condi- tions has so far been discovered. These tiny, light, amazingly buoyant things, bobbing about like a cork on the crest of the waves, never fail to furnish the traveler and the explorer who see them for the first time a sensation rarely duplicated. And some of the tricks which can be done in and with these tiny, unique things are almost unbelievable ; as, for instance, the aston- ishing performance of turning the craft, with the paddler and his duffel, perhaps with even two paddlers, completely over to the right or left, the men retaining their places in the kayak and coming up on the other side as i£ nothing had happened — and, incidentally, with the contents of the kayak dry and unharmed. The writer has often thought that this water trick, which is by no means uncommon anywhere in the regions where the kayak is known and used, would make a distinct sensation if introduced into some of our aquatic festivals. The skin-covered canoe, at its best in the kayak, is also found widely distributed. The "coracle" of Ireland and Scotland, and the bullock-skin craft of Africa, are modern examples, although the shape of the "coracle" is at the extreme of difference from that of the kayak. Where the kayak is narrow and sharp-ended, the "coracle" is wide and beamy and almost round in shape, or elliptical. The "coracle," too, is intended for transportation over- land, in wt^ch respect it may be said to be more specifically re- lated to the modern canoe than the kayak, although the kayak is much more closely related in form and structure to the modern 10 SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. canoe than is the "coracle." The "coracle" is often used in fish- ing the salmon waters and lakes of Scotland and Ireland, can be carried on the back or in the crook of the arm, generally does not exceed ten or eleven feet in length to three feet in beam and is extremely shallow. The kayak varies greatly in model, rang- ing in length from ten feet to twenty, and in beam from eighteen to forty inches, while its shape at bow and stern is fitted to the nature of the waters in which it is to be used, in some cases being sharp and low, and in others very full and round below the water line and high and peaked above. From these various sources, or in spite of them, has come or been evolved the modern canoe. It is interesting that the various types of the modern canoe embody many features of these ancient and historic predecessors. Some have the wood buoyancy of the "dug-out," its tendency to crack open, its tendency therefrom to leak, and some minor ills of the all-wood water craft. Some have the tightly stretched skin over frame of wood, with this one difference, that whereas the ancients made the canoe cover from the skin of an animal or fish, or the bark of a tree, the modern canoe builder makes it of canvas, perhaps of paper or pantasote, or steel or aluminum. And the modern canoe, like its ancestors, is either decked or open. The latest types of canoes, for use where canoeing is more popular than anywhere else in the whole world, are actually reverting back to the tiny cock-pit of the Eskimo kayak builder, although the need for protection from rough waters is remote indeed. So, although the canoe is ancient and associated with all the virile, roving people of the four continents, it still retains in its general form and mode of construction the features which from time immemorial adapted it to the needs of man. BPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBEAKT. U THE OPEN. CRUISING CANOE Twenty years ago, or less, the decked sailing canoe was prac- tically the only canoe known to the sport-loving folks of the United States. True, occasional daring travelers in the Cana- dian wilderness learned the charm and the usefulness of the open cruising birch-bark or cedar or basswood, but the intro- duction of this construction into the general water-life of civili- zation had scarcely begun. In the Adirondacks of New York state there was a craft called a canoe, but it was almost invariably propelled by oars and should rightly be called a skiff or boat. To-day the open, cruising canoe, either of wood, without or with canvas cover, or of papier-mache or linenoid, or steel, or aluminum, or phosphor bronze, is so far in the lead as to numbers and popularity among the water-sport enthusiasts of the whole world as to render the decked sailing canoe a very minor item in the general canoeing world. The decked sailing canoe probably does not number one-tenth of the whole fleet of canoes now being used for sport and cruising. No animadversions are implied against the decked sailing canoe. It is now, as it always has been, a fascinating, thrilling medium for the enjoyment of sport afloat. In some respects it provides the most spectacular and daring sport so far listed in the athletic doings of the world. The open, cruising canoe ranges to great extremes in the matter of material out of which it is built, dimensions, shape, weight, capacity and uses. It may be said to be the most versa- tile craft now in use on any of the waters of the world, for it serves with equal success the aristocratic sportsman seeking mere pastimes of the woods and waters, the hardy prospector cruising the uncharted wilderness in search of precious gold and silver, the pioneering railroad crew pushing ribbons of steel across continents, the trapper, fur trader, and the half-wild folks who live on the very edge of man's domains. It SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBEABT. The Open, cruising canoe varies wonderfully in iaodel and size. The writer has seen a birch-bark canoe away up in the Hudson's Bay region which actually carried a piano to the isolated post of a fur-trader. On the other extreme is the open cruising canoe in which that master of canoeing, the immortal "Nessmuk," made several of his famous cruistfs; a mere shell of cedar over a score of ribs and weighing less than ten pounds. Between these extremes are the great array of open, cruising canoes in use for all varieties of sport and business. The fact that the open, cruising canoe is so rapidly increasing in popu- larity, over against the fact that the decked sailing canoe is barely holding its own, indicates that the open, cruising model has greater variety of uses, is more generally serviceable, and meets a much more universal need than its more aristocratic and more artistic cousin. To the lover of water sport, the marvelous interest in the open, cruising canoe, adaptable to anybody, re- quiring but little training for its successful use, light enough to be carried from one waterway or lake to another, cheapest of all devices with which to cruise from place to place, and incompar- ably the most ideal craft so far devised by man with which to study out the fascinating secrets of nature — all these facts make the widening vogue of the canoe matter for congratulation and delight. The open, cruising canoe, as generally constructed to-day, ranges from fifteen to twenty feet in length, has practically no decks, save for a few inches at bow and stern, probably used more for the purpose of bracing the ends than for any other use. Some manufacturers of strictly wood canoes do furnish a decking of about fifteen inches inboard from bow to stern, and a limited number of open, cruising canoes have a very narrow decking which runs from bow to stern, but, in general, decks of any kind are not found in the average open, cruising canoe. ^ For small rivers, small lakes and one-man use, the fifteen foot or sixteen foot is suitable and popular. For two men, carrying camping outfit and cruising from place to place in country where some or much carrying must be done, the seventeen foot SPALDING'3 ATHLETIC LIBRABT. U length is best, although an increasing number of expert Cana- dian canoe cruisers are using sixteen foot lengths for this work. On large lakes, where rough water may be expected, or for use on salt water of bays or ocean, eighteen foot canoes are to be recommended. In materials, the American swears by the canvas-covered craft, over a frame or shell of cedar or basswood and ribs of cedar. The Canadians have long preferred the all-wood canoe of cedar or basswood, but the writer's long travels among the Canadian canoe users warrants him in saying that the canvas-covered canoe, often known in Canada as "the American style," is greatly increasing in popularity, not merely among" skilled ama- teurs but, what is much more significant, among the rangers of governmental parks, among leading guides, and in the resorts where severe service is required. Strong prejudices are met here and there on either side of the border as to wood or canvas outsides for canoes, but the writer believes that the canvas- covered canoe is making friends so fast that within a few years the all-wood canoe will be comparatively rare among cruising canoes. The writer confesses his own strong preference for the canvas-covered canoe after many years' use of canoes of all sorts and materials, ranging from birch-bark to linenoid and steel. For durability, dryness, buoyancy, ease of repair and general utility, the properly constructed canvas-covered canoe is without a peer. For a cruising model, suitable for general uses on rivers and waterways where moderate weather conditions prevail, and adapted to the use of two people, with or without camping duffel, there is a design, known as the "Maine Guide's" canoe, which has become famous everywhere that canoes are used. It had its origin in the varied waters of the state of Maine and is well adapted to fast water, running rapids, big and dangerous lakes, and even to general salt water uses, although for this latter use a special model has been devised that has met with general app^roval. The amateur, seeking the right model for geineral cruising or summer uses, should be governed by the details of these famous designs, for their safety and staunchness 14 SPiLLDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRAET. has been proven thousands of times on waters ranging from the Rhine to the Columbia, from the Penobscot to the Amazon. The general lines of a canoe best suited to average use on average waters, implying running water and lakes, with a bit of stiff weather occasionally, are as follows : i6 feet length, 33 inches beam, 12 inches depth, weight about 65 pounds. 17 feet length, 34 inches beam, 13 inches depth, weight about 70 pounds. 18 feet length, 34% inches beam, 13 inches depth, weight about 75 pounds. 20 feet length, 39% inches beam, 13% inches depth, weight about 90 pounds. Such a canoe ought to have comparatively flat floor or bottom, extending well into the ends, which adds stability and makes for speed. It should have full bow and stern, to give quick buoy- ancy, meeting the coming or following waves. It should have very little rise of the extreme upper ends, since such rise fur- nishes leverage for the wind and seriously interferes with easy paddling in bad weather. If the canoe is to be used on salt water or in very large lakes where bad weather may be encoun- tered, it should have not quite such a flat floor or bottom ; some- thing of the curve bottom of the yawl is better for seaworthy purposes. In the matter of a keel, it is interesting to note that there are now very few canoes commercially sent out without keels. Even those which are to be used in river work, where there is liable to be stiff current, are now provided with keels. But there can be no question, in the mind of any experienced river cruiser, that the keel may be an element of positive danger if one is cruising on fast water in rivers. One of the most important and difficult feats with a canoe, on fast water, is to "draw" it sideways, by the use of the paddle, across some smooth but fast- running water just above rapids, sa as to get the right position in which to shoot the rapids; in this extremely important bit of canoe handling a keel may spell the SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. ]0 diflFerence between easy success and disastrous failure. Again, there are many times in running fast water when even the slightest projection on the bottom of the canoe will cause it to catch and hang. No canoe intended primarily for running fast water of rivers should be equipped with a keel. On the other hand the growing use of the keel is due to the fact that on lakes, in wind, in crowded waterways, where there are many other watercraft and where manoeuvering is important, thei keel is most valuable. Moreover, it certainly does tend to strengthen and stiffen a canoe and adds considerably to its length of life. The best models of canoes adapted to general use on rivers or lakes are therefore now offered with or without keels. The beginner will make his choice according to his plans for the use of his craft. An important feature, which the writer believes ought to be incorporated into the construction of every canoe, is the extension gunwale. A sort of inch-wide, stiff, outside gunwale, running the whole length of the canoe and standing at right angles to the sides of the craft, forms a most remarkable pro- tection from breaking waves, besides furnishing a handy edge for grasping when the canoe is carried overhead or handled. This extension gunwale is by no means as well known on this side of the border as it ought to be; when it is, its vogue will be universal. A half-inch extension gunwale is worth two inches additional freeboard or height of sides. While the open, cruising canoe is generally of the pattern and construction described, there are a few of the old guard "Nessmuks" left, who cruise in the very short, extremely light craft, built solely of cedar, basswood, cypress or n^ahogany, without decks of any kind, or with long decks, and propelled by double-blade paddles. There are not many of this fine old coterie, and pity 'tis their tribe is waning, but they make up in quality and dignity what they lack in numbers. Many features of their outfit are well worthy of study by the young fellows who are takflng up the sport of fast and far cruising in heavier, less beautiful craft. If the writer, from his experience, correctly sizes up the canoe- 16 SPAUDING'S ATHLETIC LIBHART. ing situation, there is likely to be a return soon to the extremely light, one man, center seat, double blade propelled canoe for small river and general cruising. It is not quite as sociable as the larger canoe, being generally incapable of carrying more than one man and light equipment, but for that very reason it can almost be used, as one of its devotees says, "on a heavy dew." The open, cruising canoe, of cedar or other woods, and with or without outside cover or skin of canvas, is the preferred craft for all forms of real woods travel in the United States and Canada, and the writer was very much surprised a year or so ago, during an extended trip abroad, to find large numbers of these typically American canoes, made in Waterville, Maine, in popular service at such famous aquatic festivals as the Henley Regatta on the Thames River, in England, and others, of the same make, away up on the far reaches of the River Rhine, in Germany. It appears that America has really made definite, permanent contribution to the water sport of the world in the developed craft which she has fashioned from the designs of the American aborigines. The open, cruising canoe, as used for fishing, hunting, explor- ing, cruising the^ famous routes of Maine and Canada and the western part of this continent, is almost invariably propelled by two paddles of single blades, wielded by two men, one seated in the extreme stern of the craft and the other near the bow. In the United States the use of seats for both paddlers is cus- tomary, but the Canadian paddlers kneel on the bottom of the craft and rest buttocks against the thwarts. Occasionally canoes of this pattern will be seen propelled by two paddlers, using double blades and seated on the bottom of the canoe near the center. Such a canoe as has been described in the first part of this chapter, seventeen feet in length and about thirty-five inches beam, is capable of comfortably housing two persons and all their duffel and supplies for a two months' cruise far from human habitation. Such a craft, drawing less than six incrj}c,s of water, is capable of carrying a total of more than six hundred pounds of freight. V - ;;^ it is boarded in on all sides, so that whatever water gets into it cannot get into the hold of the canoe. An upset in such a canoe does not matter in the least. The skipper climbs 74 SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. out on the windward side and by his weight lifts the sails out of the water and thus rights the canoe. As no water has been able to get into the canoe except the gallon or two in the cockpit, the skipper sails on again as though nothing had happened. No canoeman minds getting his feet wet when sailing. The cockpit in an ordinary cruising canoe should be at least six feet clear between the bulkheads if the captain expects to sleep in it at any time. The deck opening need not be over five feet long and at least half of this can be covered with removable hatches. THE SAILING CANOE. The paddling canoe is simple — boat, seat and paddling being the essentials. The sailing canoe has, in addition to these, spars, sails, rigging, centerboard or keel, rudder or steering gear (per- haps ballast), and a sliding seat. The canoe is so small and light a boat that it is necessary the sailor should keep in the middle to trim ship. Thus, it has come about, in order to get an effective rig, that the sail area is divided into two sails, one in front, and the other behind him. A rudder is necessary to control the movement of the canoe at all times. A boat must have considerable lateral resistance, as it is called, to sail in any direction relative to the course of the wind except straight before it. If a sail is put up in a shallow paddling canoe, and the boat is headed at right angles to the direction of the wind, for instance, it will be found to drift sideways almost as fast as it goes ahead — it makes "leeway," according to the sailor's ver- nacular. The addition of a straight, deep keel will prevent this and make it possible for the canoe to sail to windward ; that is, by a series of tacks — sailing diagonally to the course of the wind — actually to make progress against the wind. There are many dis- advantages to the use of a keel. It makes the boat draw more water and, consequently, dt cannot be navigated in shallows. The long, straight keel prevents quick turning, and it adds materially to the weight. A hoisting centerboard serves the same purpose and does away with these disadvantages. The first sailing canoes had only one small sail forward, about an inch of keel along the bottom, and were steered with the pad- SPAXDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. 75 die, the skipper sitting at the bottom in exactly the same position as when paddling. Gradually the keel was deepened, the sail area increased, a second sail added, and the captain changed his seat to the deck, so that his weight would be more effectively exerted against the sail pressure. Then the rudder became a necessity. The idea of making the canoe a general all-around sailing, pad- dling, cruising and camping boat was alone recognized for many years, and all improvements in rig were in this line. Therefore, when the centerboard was introduced, it was placed well forward so as not to cramp the open cockpit space which the skipper occupied. The rig necessary with such a disposition of centerboard, in order to preserve the balance, was a large sail forward and a small sail aft. Some canoes were built with two centerboards, a very small one aft, so that more sail could be carried on the mizzenmast. The modern sailing canoe is the direct result of racing. The canoes that entered the races at the annual American Canoe Association meets, previous to 1888, were all fairly good cruising canoes. Since then, the purely racing machine has come to the front, and the general utility canoe relegated to the rear. Long practice and great skill are required to win a sailing race ; but anyone who knows even a little about sailing, can very soon learn to manage a moderately rigged cruising canoe and derive great pleasure from the sport. Racing at present is too expensive in time and money for many men to indulge in it. A few years ago the canoemen were obliged to make their own sails, do their own rigging, and even design and superintentend the building of their canoes. The expert racers do this to-day. Now, the best builders supply all the modern improvements, and a fully equipped sailing canoe can be purchased ready for the buyer to put in the water, get in himself and sail away. THE CENTERBOARD. This is a brass plate working in a trunk, hoisted and lowered by a rod or line. The nearer it is placed to the center of the canoe the better from a purely sailing point of view. It can be so W SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBEART. placed without inconveniencing the canoeman, if he gives up all idea of sleeping in his boat. This was thought to be a necessary qualification of any canoe formerly, and very pretty and conve- nient tents were made to put up at night over the cockpit as a shelter, the canoe, of course, being drawn up on the shore. There are two makes of folding boards, fan-shaped, in limited use to-day, which, when hoisted, occupy a small, watertight box in the keel of the canoe and leave the cockpit clear for sleeping room. They are somewhat prone to get out of order and check the speed considerably when lowered, and are, consequently, not popular. If a small and compact shore tent is carried in the hold of the canoe, all camping requirements are provided without in any way lessening the speed and handiness of the canoe. The centerboard is dropped when sailing on all points of the wind, except just before it, and may be left down then as ballast without any appreciable loss of speed. It is hauled up when paddling, cruising in shallow water, and when the canoe is housed or drawn up on shore. It can even be lifted out of the trunk and clear of the canoe to lessen the weight to be carried, if so desired. THE RUDDER. The drop rudder is now almost universally used. It is of brass, and the plate that is in the water can be raised when it is down by •means of a line leading to the cockpit; when up it drops of its own weight, if the line is released. The drop rudder, when down, reaches far below the keel, and rarely if ever jumps out of the water when the stern goes up in the air as the canoe rides over a high wave. It is thus always partly in the water at least, and will steer the canoe at any time. It is raised up just as the center- board is when the canoe is run into shallow water or on shore. Lines run from the rudder crosshead to a tiller within easy reach of the canoeman's hand. This tiller is a movable stick pivoted on the deck, which can be reached from either side of the canoe on which the skipper happens to be sitting. If a sliding deck seat is used, on which the sailor sits well out over the side of the canoe, the tiller is made to slide also, so as always to be within reach. SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRABT. 77 The sliding seat is a racing device, as is also the athwart ship tiller, but both have been found so comfortable for cruising pur- poses that they are now generally used on all sailing canoes, but not, of course, made to the extreme racing sizes. It requires strength and skill to go to such extremes, as the slightest letup in the force of the wind, without a quick shift of position, would upset the canoe to windward. SAILS. There is probably no form, shape, cut or make of sail that has not at some time been tried on a canoe. The sails and rig must be very simple, as one man has to handle them and at the same time balance and manage the canoe. The lateen is a simple sail, and for this reason was very popular and largely used a few years ago. The sail is triangular, with sticks (spars) on two sides, linked together at the angle — boom and yard. A short mast with a pin in the top completes the spars. A ring is lashed to the yard which fits over the pin in the mast, and a jaw on the boom, which fits the mast and holds the boom in place. A line attached near the end of the boom, called the sheet, completes the outfit. The canoeman trims the sail with the sheet and the sail is bodily lifted off the mast when it is to be taken down. When two sails are used, the sheet of the mizzen (which is behind the skipper) leads to a block or ring on deck at the stern, and from it to a cleat within easy reach of the skipper's hand amidship. The standing sail is better than the lateen in several ways, and even simpler. It has only mast, boom and sheet. The cloth of the sail is sewed or laced to the spars. The boom can be folded up against the mast, and the sail wrapped around it. It can be set or furled by simply unrolling it and standing the mast up in the mast tube in the canoe, or lifting it out and rolling it up. The size of the sail can be greatly increased without lengthening either mast or boom, by the use of battens slipped in pockets made in the sail. Racing canoes have many standing sails of different sizes, suit- able for light, moderate or heavy weather, and the suit best suited 78 SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRABT. to the day is used in a race, the others, of course, being left on the shore. The large light weather rigs spread nearly two hun- dred square feet of sail, and the heavy weather rig is rarely under seventy-five feet. The latter area is ample for a cruising canoe, and it will often occur on a cruise that fifteen or twenty square feet will be found quite sufficient for speed and comfort. There are those who prefer a hoisting and lowering rig to either lateen or standing sails and use it for both cruising and racing. There is much to be said in favor of the standing sail, especially on account of its simplicity, but for those who are not afraid of a little trouble, the hoisting rig is much more satisfac- tory. It can be hoisted, lowered and reefed by the skipper while afloat, and consequently is far better for cruising or long-distance sailing than the standing sail. Small blocks, strong line and neat fittings can now be purchased, and several sail-makers cut and sew very fine sails for canoes. A hoisting sail is "yachty" and far more scientific than any other, but it needs a "sailor man" to make and handle it well. Battens in canoe sails have been used for many years, and the yachts have lately borrowed this idea for keeping parts of their sail areas perfectly flat. There have been innumerable reefing gears invented and used on hoisting sails by which they can be quickly and simply reefed by the captain without moving from his seat. Canoemen rarely, if ever, reef in races now ; the races are not long enough in point of time to make it necessary (as violent changes of wind rarely occur), but for cruising or pleasure sailing for all day a reef able sail is absolutely necessary. Canoe sailors often take to larger boats, and of late years their ideas in models, rigs, sails and fittings have materially affected small yachts and skiffs to greatly improve them. The St. Lawrence skiff is nothing more nor less than a large canoe, and would be called a canoe if it was not propelled by oars so frequently. A sailing skiff is a canoe in every sense of the word, and the racing skiffs on the St. Lawrence have adopted all the canoeing devices (except the sliding seat) — plate, center- board, drop-rudder, two batten sails, watertight bulkheads — and SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. 79 they are sailed in exactly the same way except that from four to six men compose the crew instead of one man. The crew all sit to windward when tacking, and lean far out during the heavy puffs. The single-hand cruisers, so called, are also often owned, de- signed and rigged by ex-canoemen. The best type of such boats thus far produced are solely the work of canoemen. A larger boat than a canoe is demanded by those who want companionship when sailing, and by those also who live near and enjoy the sport on large bodies of water, where the waves are at times too heavy for comfort in so small a craft as a sixteen- footer, only thirty inches wide. Be it in canoe, skiff or single- hander, if you are fond of the water and need recreation, "get afloat," and "learn to swim." Perhaps the order should be re- versed. BPAI^ING'S ATHLETIC LIBBABT. THE JOYS OF CANOEING By David M. Hooks Director Camp Wowaste, Instructor Physical Training De Witt Clinton High School, New York. The contentment of a quiet paddle over the glassy surface of the lake at twilight, the thrill of shooting rapids or jumping small water falls on the winding river, the joy of struggle and the exhilarations of the conqueror in riding the swell and white caps of the great ocean are by no means the only advantages afforded by the graceful canoe. There are also the physical advantages. As a physical exercise, canoeing is invaluable in developing the long elastic muscular fiber so essential to beauty of the body, grace and agility, strength and endurance. And the fine part of this muscular development is that it is acquired without conscious effort. If one would really get in touch with Nature, let him take such a trip as Robert Louis Stevenson* in his incessant search for health took through Belgium and Northern France. Let him travel for days down some meandering stream, now drinking in the glories of primeval Nature, now viewing the quaint or inornate handiwork of man scattered at intervals along the winding bank. Let him paddle through long almost currentless stretches, let him scurry down rapids, work his way through almost inaccessable places or carry his canoe around impassible obstacles. Then, and only then, will one really know and ap- preciate the joys of the canoe. Canoe sailing is great sport. Any canoe can easily be equipped for sailing. Single sails, double sails of the triangular or leg-o'-mutton type are used. Lee boards are necessary and may be easily made. Two bamboo poles are used for the mast and boom respectively. The lee boards are made out of shelving, so that they fit snug about the middle of canoe and require no fastening. With this rig the canoe L^-weled fast and we were able to sail anywhere we wished. * Stevenson's Inland Voyage. I and 2 — Sea fight. 3 — One end of standing race; cross shows winner. 4 — Standing race. A TRI-LAKE CANOE CLUB REGATTA, LAKE OF THE ISLES, MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. ■jp^'^':'!' '' .mm HHHHH^^L'iM I^B^^^B iJi 1 ' ' ■II. : SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. 81 CONCERNING THE COOK ON THE CANOE CRUISE By W. L. Wise Bordentown, N. J., Manager of Camp Minne-Wawa, Algonquin National Park, Ontario, Canada. Whether we admit it or not, man's happiness is dependent, to a great extent, on his stomach. He does not have lofty flights of exultation when he 'has been without food a couple of days, nor does he rejoice immoderately if what he has eaten does not digest well. One expects to give up many things on going to the woods, but it is not necessary to be ill-fed. All camp cooking need not be accomplished in a frypan and pails; biscuit and pies are by no means among the unattainable luxuries; the folding baker is easily carried, easily used, and adds immeasurably to the pos- sibilities of the diet. It is made of tin or aluminum, and in different sizes, to fit differing pocketbooks, and various sized parties. Packed with the blanket tump, it adds little to the load, and it should be included in the outfit if the trip is of more than two days' duration. It is surprising to the uninitiated what good work the baker will turn out. In setting it up the operator places it in front of 'a fire, back of which a large log or stones will reflect the heat into it. A little ingenuity will easily contrive a fireplace almost anywhere ; if there is a heap of stones near the camp site, a little shifting of a few of them will produce a first class one. With a good fire, not a big one, but a small one made of good sound wood, biscuit may be baked in from fifteen to twenty minutes, that will compare verj'f avo^ably with the home product. With a little experimenting the novice can turn out creditable work, provided he does not try too many recipes at first. Go slowly at the start and get confidence. 82 SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. Life in the open should, above all, cultivate a spirit of Jregard for the other fellow's rights, and a part of that fellow's rights is that you leave the woods in as good shape as you found them. Do not leave behind unsightly refuse matter; tidy up the place before leaving. If you cannot sympathize with these sentiments, better stick to the town. But the life of the canoe cruiser, worked in a fair and square way, offers one of the most attractive and beneficial vacations one can spend, and if he can handle the cook's job, he can give himself and his friends added pleasure. PART II BOYS' AND GIRLS' CAMPS 81 SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBBABY. CAMPING FOR BOYS AND GIRLS By George T. Hepbron Camping needs no word of praise or commendation from anyone, as the value of this form of spending a summer has long since established itself favorably in the minds of intelli- gent parents as the very best way for real girls and boys, with red blood in their veins, to spend a profitable vacation under the most favorable circumstances from every standpoint — health, character, recreation. The director and his councilors are responsible for the "atmosphere" of the camp; and, as their personal character is reflected in the actions of the boys, it is mighty important that they be the right kind of men or women. Hero worship is a strong factor in the makeup of girls and boys of the camping age, and this makes it all the more im- portant that the councilors or leaders, as they are sometimes called, should be men or women of true and tried character, refinement and enthusiasm, with a knowledge of boys and girls, and of that indescribable temperament which at the same time makes them congenial companions as well as wise leaders. Councilors are selected very carefully by the directors of all camps of which I am acquainted, most of them being col- lege trained and of exceptionally high character. Boys and girls for these camps are selected with the same care by the directors as they exercise in engaging councilors. Only girls and boys who are willing, voluntarily, to conform to the few fundamental rules are considered, and a misunder- standing of the purpose of any camp and a failure to conform to conduct that respects the best interests of the camp and the rights of others usually results in the camp losing the presence of this boy or girl, so they may be free to go elsewhere for the remainder of the season. This does not often occur, as the intuition and long experi- : SPALDING'S ATHLBTIO LIBRARY. 8S ence of the directors in selecting members for his or her camp has made them good students of human nature. One interview with the applicant and the parents usually is sufficient to make a right decision. Boys and girls going to camp expect to have a good time under normal conditions, and, believe me, they have it to their fill; and all winter, before some of them have even decided to attend a camp, the director is planning for their sports, trips, entertainment and education along lines that will meet with the full approval of every boy and girl who have the right stuff in them. Parents, especially mothers, are often loathe to part with their girl or boy for so long a period, "so far away from home," in an environment totally different from the home life. This is perfectly natural, but in a well-conducted camp the director has anticipated this i condition, and in conjunction with his councilors has planned to dispel this anxiety by being temporary fathers and mothers to the girls or boys in a way — pardon the statement— that makes for a larger degree of manli- ness or womanliness than if they were home. This seems like an extravagant statement, but the parents who have had a girl or boy at camp, I am positive, will attest to the truth of this statement. The day's order is planned for the week, so that everyone in camp has something to do which is enjoyable and beneficial. Groups are selected and with a councilor go off to indulge in the activities planned for that day. During the period at camp the following takes place under supervision conducted in such a wise manner that it is not recognized by the girl or boy — in fact, co-operation is a better word. In a well-conducted camp all activities, whether mental or physical, are so planned as to produce, along the line of least resistance, the following: Character, manliness, in boys* camps; womanliness in girls* camps; right relations to others; love for nature and animals; respect for authority; promptness, etc. 86 SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. HOW A CAMP IS CONDUCTED By George T. Hepbron It has been suggested that a chapter outlining the best methods for organizing and conducting the now popular camps for boys and girls, which have come to be a feature of the summer life of this continent, might well be included in this book. The author has had the advantage of considerable experience in summer camps of all kinds and has visited many camps for boys and girls in the course of his own wide travels in vacation territory and is glad to record here some suggestions as to the best methods of starting and maintaining these healthful and interesting estab- lishments. The first essential in a successful summer camp, for either boys or girls, is a leader or camp director who shall have mag- netic personality,, high character, genuine love for young folks and real fondness for nature. It is not enough that there shall be expensive or elaborate equipment, for these things are secon- dary to that stimulating and beneficial influence which comes from daily, personal association with leaders of fine ideals and rounded character. Given the right leader or organizer, there is almost absolute certainty that the camp will be a success. The argu- ment for the summer camp for boys and girls is so strong and is now so widely recognized that the thoughtful fathers and mothers of the country are almost unanimously agreed that the youngsters thrive better and have better times in such summer environment than could possibly come to them in the artificial life of the average summer resort. It is a fact that the standard of the average summer camp for either boys or girls is remarkably high. As a rule the organizers of these enterprises have early learned that parents will not entrust their young children in the charge of any claimant not fully recommended by persons of high standing in the com- :^»|K*S *•' f*^ CAMP WOWASTE. CAMP MINNE-WAWA, ALGONQUIN NATIONAL PARK, ONTAlCiO, UAxN, .1 I II 1, 1 « cii.n -<■;.!, fioetV 2i '^TeacSiiR^ novices to hurdle; 3, War Canoe party; 4, Aqua-planing near beach. CAMP TECUMSEH SPALDINGTS ATHLETIC LIBRARY. 87 munity. The bulk of the summer camps are in charge of college graduates who have followed educational pursuits. These organizers have in turn drawn around them helpers who are, like themselves, college trained, and it is almost un- necessary to add that few would take positions in these summer camps as helpers or assistants, with the round of temper-testing experiences which must invariably accompany such a summer vacation, unless they possessed genuine interest in young boys or girls. That interest almost guarantees fitness for the work. The average woodsman or guide, often a necessary part of the camp equipment, as doer of the really hard tasks or guide in the more elaborate woods* trips, may safely be counted upon as fit companion of young people. There is a cleanness and spiritual element in the life of the real woodsman which makes him almost invariably a suitable and inspiring comrade for young folks in the woods. The location of the summer camp for boys or girls is most im- portant. It should be healthful, close to good supply of pure drinking water, near some lake or river where water sports may be enjoyed and in such forest environment as affords opportunity for the youngsters to learn some of the habits of the wild crea- tures and some of the endless lore of the woods. There should be abundance of firewood handy, for no single influence of the summer camp will so immediately appeal to the young people or offer such remarkable opportunity for potent influence upon their susceptible lives, as the rendezvous about the camp fire. There should be selected, if possible, a location facing the west rather than any other point of the compass, for the sunset pic- tures across the waters of the placid lake will be found the choicest benediction of nature to the young lives into which it enters. There should be good bathing facilities, with a safe, shelving beach for the beginners at swimming and, if possible, deep water for those who are or become expert. There should be safe and well arranged landing for canoes or other water craft. Owing to the natural solicitude of many parents concerning 88 SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. their children when separated for long periods there should be some easy and quick means of communication with the outside world. The writer knew of one anxious mother, whose little boy was in a camp in Maine, who suddenly became obsessed with a fear that something had happened to the youngster. No quick means of communication being at hand, she made the long, hard trip into the woods — to find her boy the picture of sunburned health. The physical equipment of the summer camp for either boys or girls need not be elaborate but it should be ample and suitable. There is no reason for carrying into the woods all the burden- some details of effete civilization. The youngsters will feel more thoroughly in touch with the spirit of nature if there is just a little spice of "roughing it"; which need imply no breaking down of the refinements of civilized life nor weakening of the standards of the best homes. Many of the best men of the country take real delight in donning flannel shirts and eating flap- jacks around an open fire, whenever and for as long as their business affairs permit; their children have this inherent desire to get away from the conventional and the habitual even more strongly than have their parents. Good beds, which may mean cots raised above the floor or merely beds from the forest balsams, "boughed down with care," as a guide once put it to the writer, are one of the first essen- tials. They may be under roofs of log cabins, rough frame bungalows or tents ; there is a strong preference among boys for the tent rather than the wood house and strong preference among girls for the house rather than the tent. Blankets are invariably required among almost all camps in the northern part of the United States during the summer and in some camps sheets are used. There are a few camps where the young patrons are allowed to wear almost anything they please. There are many disadvantages to this plan. It emphasizes differences of wealth and standing, since some will be elaborately and expensively equipped and others will bring old clothes. Few parents know the right equip- SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. 89 ment for these camps. The better plan is the regular camp uni- form or costume as supplied to many of the leading camps of the country by A. G. Spalding & Bros. There is nothing in this arrangement to give any boy or girl social advantages over any other; the uniform makes a neat appearance either in camp or on any of the outings of the youngsters and the wearers are always easily to be noted. A uniform not only will prevent a boy from falling into temptation which the ordinary daily cos- tume might suggest as a cover, but will likewise serve to differ- entiate him, and often avoid the odium which might attach to an escapade in which he could very easily be wrongfully included if there was no means of identification. Besides which, a uni- form on a well conducted party of boys gives a camp better advertising than tons of printers* ink. All sorts of colors and combinations are possible and the general design of the gar- ments are the result of the experience of the leading conductors of boys' camps. The following is a typical list of the outfit as supplied to many of the largest boys' camp of the country by A. G. Spalding & Bros. : BOYS' CAMP. 1 No. C300B Hat, cloth, gray, one inch monogram embroidered on front in camp colors. 1 No. C600 Shirt, worsted, sleeveless, with camp monogram in camp colors. 2 No. C6E Shirts, cotton, sleeveless, with camp monogram in camp colors. 2 No. C406G Shirts, flannel, full sleeves, two pockets, camp mono- gram on left pocket. 2 Pairs No. C5D Flappers, khaki. 1 Pair No. C3CL Trousers, duck, white, loops for belt, cuffs. 1 No. C4R Swimming Suit, one piece, fine quality. 1 Pair No. C2 Tights, cut worsted, short, silky finish. 2 Pairs No. 33R Stockings, wool, white feet, medium weight. 1 No. C725 Belt, leather, nickel buckle. go SPALDINQ'S ATHLETIC LIBRABT. 1 No. CWDJP Sweater, worsted, medium weight, coat style, reversible collar. 2 Pairs No. CI Shoes, canvas, white rubber soles, best quality, low cut. 1 Pair No. CI Moccasins, leather soles, spring heel. The outfit for girls' camps, as supplied by A. G. Spalding & Bros., to many of the leading girls' camps of the country is as follows : GIRLS' CAMP. 4 No. Ill White Middy Blouses. 1 No. C20 Belt. 2 No. 112 Khaki Middy Blouses. 1 No. CMKH Half Kerchief. 2 Pairs No. 224 Poplin Blooomers. 1 No. CX Windsor Tie. 1 Pair No. 220 Serge Bloomers. 2 No. 4RL Bathing Suits. 1 Pair No. 219 Khaki Bloomers. 3 No. CSH' Bathing Caps. 1 No. C505 White Duck or Khaki 1 No. WJP Sweater. Hat. 1 Pair No. C3 Mocassins, or 6 Pairs Tan Stockings. 1 Pair Sneakers. 1 Pair No. C6D Army Blankets. 1 No. CS Camping Kit. 1 No. C2y2 Rubber Blanket. 1 No. CM Canteen. 1 No. C280 Rain Coat. 1 Tennis Racket. 1 No. C420 Hat, sou'wester. 1 Hockey Stick. 1 Pair No. CWHB Hiking Shoes. 1 Basket Ball. 1 Pair No. WCB Athletic Shoes. A tennis racket is usually a necessary part of the athletic equipment. Tennis racket, hockey stick and basket balls are selected from Athletic Department. In addition to these items it is wise for the young folks to have as part of the personal equipment of each, the following items : BOYS' CAMP. 1 No. C420 Hat, sou'wester, oiled, lined, waterproof. 2 No. C6D Blanket, wool, West Point gray. 1 No. 0214 Blanket, rubber, 45x72 inches. 1 No. CI Poncho, rubber, 66x72 inches, or 1 No. C336 Poncho, oiled, 54x72 inches. 1 No. CSB Camp kit, consisting of aluminum cup, spoon, plate and a combination knife and fork. SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBBABY. M 1 No. CM Canteen, metal, felt inside canvas covered, shoulder strap, Vi gallon. 2 No. C271 Towels, Turkish, extra heavy, plain white. 1 Pair No. BT Shoes, tramping, high cut. There is a tendency among these camps for boys and girls to allow the matter of exercise largely to adjust itself. The result often is that energetic and restless young people get more exer- cise than is good for them and the more phlegmatic or anaemic youngsters get too little. There is therefore distinct advantage in regulating periods of sports in which all the members of the camp are urged if not required to participate. The water sports will be overdone in almost every case unless strict attention is paid to the camp life while other fine and developing sports, such as lawn tennis, base ball, basket ball or volley ball, are neglected. Too much time should not be spent in the water by growing children or young people. A delightful variety of wholesome and fascinating land sports are now available for the members of these camps. Some of these have so recently come into vogue as not to have been in- corporated in the programme of a few of the camps. Among the boys' camps the following sports may be suggested and recom- mended: Base ball, among the members of the camp, or playing rival camps or even local town teams; volley ball, the new and fast game which has so rapidly caught the fancy of American youths; basket ball, unquestionably the most widely popular in- door game in the country and especially adapted for play in the out of doors; foot ball, or even the passing of the foot ball in the start of imaginary plays; medicine ball, putting the shot and all forms of tumbling, wrestling and athletic drilling. There should be, on the part of every member of the leader's corps, a persistent effort to urge every youngster in the camp to par- ticipate in some or all of these sports and failing in the enlist- ment of such interest by urging, there should be positive in- sistence upon these sports by those boys who need them most. It is always the case that there are athletic young fellows in 9B SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. every camp who will lead any form of sport; it is just these young fellows who ought not to be allowed to monopolize the good effects of regular outdoor games and sports. In the list of games suitable for girls' camps may be men- tioned the following: Base ball, with the softer ball now pro- vided for girls' use; lawn tennis, basket ball, volley ball, kicking or passing the foot ball, medicine ball, tether tennis, archery, fencing, roque and croquet. Some of these sports have special advantages little suspected by those unfamiliar with them; put- ting the lightweight shot, for instance, is about as fine practice for golf, where no golf is available, as could be imagined, since it encourages steadiness of pose, strength of arm muscles and even control of the swing of the body. Fencing is much too little employed among the trainers of young girls in athletic mat- ters; it is unsurpassed for the development of grace, suppleness and carriage. Every camp, whether for boys or girls, is a law unto itself in the matter of the day's programme. The location of the camp and the specific objects of its leaders influence the ar- rangement of the day's doings. But for the information of the interested reader an excellent programme is presented herewith, as followed in many of the best known boys' camps in the country, also one from a girls' camp : BOYS' CAMP. A.M. Daily Programme. 7.00 (Rising bugle. 7.05 Setting-up exercises. 7.15 Morning plunge. 7.45 Breakfast. 8.30 Inspection. 9.12 Boating, canoeing, athletics, manual training, photography, nature study, tutoring, etc. 11.00 Swim. 12.00 Dinner. SPAIJ)ING'S ATHLETIC LIBBABT. 98 P.M. 12.45-1.45 Rest, no physical exertion. 1.45-4.30 Base ball, tennis, athletics, basket ball, volley ball, archery. 4.30 Afternoon swim. 5.30 Supper. Rest after supper 30 minutes. 8.00 Assembly for camp fire, stories, games, entertainments. 9.00 Evening prayers, singing. 9.15 Good night. 9.30 Lights out, perfect quiet, asleep. On Sunday each boy is expected to write a letter home and to attend church. GIRLS' CAMP. A.M. Order of Exercises. 7.00 Reveille. 7.10-7.30 Setting-up exercises, dip, tennis, archery, volley ball, basket ball, playground ball. 7.30 Breakfast. 8.30-11.30 Riding, sports. 8.30- 9.00 Inspection. 9.00-11.30 Handcrafts, 12.00 Dinner. p. M. 1.00- 2.00. Rest hour. 2.00- 4.00. Land and water sports. 2.00- 5.00. Horseback riding 4.00 Swimming. 6.00 Supper. 6.30-7.45 Land and water sports. 8.00-9.00 Social hour, dancing, theatricals, reading log, etc 9.00 Call to quarters, 9J0 Lights out. 94 SPAIiDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. THE RELATION OF CAMP ATHLETICS TO CHARACTER BUILDING By George W. Orton. Director of Camp Tecumseh and Athletic Director University of Pennsylvania- The relation of camp athletics to character building is a matter that is seriously considered by all those who are making a study of the ways and means of obtaining the best results from camp life. Most summer camps make a big feature of their athletics. This is true except for those camps that are chiefly interested in canoe trips and on that account are so situated that they have not the facilities for developing any system of athletics through- out the camp. Parents are coming more and more to realize that the benefits of athletics are not only physical, but in a great measure also mental and moral. Those who have had much to do with developing boys have noted time and time again the great effect that athletics have on the character development of the boys interested. Several years ago a boy at Camp Tecumseh, after running a quarter mile race, was called into the office of the camp by the head of the organization. "You showed a yellow streak this morning," said the head of the camp to the boy. This abrupt declaration by the camp director completely knocked the boy off his pins and he vehemently disclaimed any idea that he was yellow. "You have more speed than your opponent, you have often shown that you can run further, but simply because you could not shake him off and because he stuck to you with grim determination, at last you gave in and he beat you," said the director. "You certainly showed a yellow streak and as you are only a boy, now is the time to think about it and to make up your mind whether you are going to be a coward in your athletics from now on or not. Now I want to leave you to yourself for a little while so that you can think it over and when I come back I expect you frankly to acknowledge that you 1, Senior Camp ; 2, Swimmingr Meet ; 3, Sigmund Neustadt Memorial feuildihg. SURPRISE LAKE CAMP, COLD SPRING-ON-HUDSON. N. Y. KAMP KILL RARE, ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN, VERMONT ;i^ mm kM^~ m KAMP KIWASSA, OXFORD, MAINE SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LXBBABT. « were yellow this morning and to promise that you will not show the white feather again." Thereupon the camp director left the boy and did not return for some fifteen minutes. The boy then stated that after thinking the matter over he felt that he had shown a streak of yellow and he declared that he would not give any evidence of it again. That boy became one of the greatest scholastic athletes in this country. He has shown him- self fearless and plucky and there is no doubt that the lesson he got that morning was a big factor in his development along this line. The above is a definite individual example of what can be done through athletics in the development of a boy's character along the lines of courage and determination. Boxing is a sport which is practised at many camps and is one that should be encouraged because of its aid in developing manli- ness and self-control. How often at camp does one see two little fellows in their first boxing match. The first time that one of the little fellows gets a good crack over the eye he is quite liable to stop and to begin to cry. If this matter is handled right the boy's self-esteem will not be hurt and it will only be a matter of ten days or so until the same little fellow will be standing up to an opponent getting the same knock and not thinking any- thing about it. The older boys also get through boxing a degree of self-control that is worth much to them later on. ^ Base ball and other team sports are also most valuable aids in developing the character of boys. In base ball, as in other team games, the boy must learn to give away to the best interest of the team. He must learn to "sacrifice," if the order for a sacrifice is given, even though he would much prefer to knock it to the woods. He must learn to be courageous enough to slide to bases, to stand up to the plate and to do many other things that will develop self-control and courage in him. He must also learn to recognize that the boy who displaces him on the team is a better boy than he is and that the best way to get back on the team is to get down to business, work hard and earn his way back. Such lessons as these for the growing boy are really 96 SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRAHT. i invaluable as they have a direct influence on his character md strengthen him on the very lines that are necessary for him if later on he is to be a success in business or professional life. The individual games, such as track and field athletics, tennis, swimming, etc., are also all valuable aids in developing a boy's character. In these individual sports, the boy must learn to de- pend upon himself. He is opposed directly to other individuals and it is soon brought home to him that in order to do well he must practice faithfully and must gain a high degree of skill in whatever event he is participating. The field events, hurdle races, rowing, swimming, etc., are also very valuable in teaching a boy concentration of mind and self-control. In field events, it is necessary first of all to obtain the required style for the event. For instance, in high jumping the boy must put a great deal of attention on the way in which he throws his body over the bar. To do this he must concentrate probably much more keenly than he ever does in his studies. There is no denying the fact that in mastering the various sports and games boys generally develop more concentration than in any other way. For this reason fi.eld sports and athletics in general are very valuable factors in developing concentration of mind. The individual sports spoken of above are also a great aid in bringing out individuality in the boy and in developing courage and determination. In such sports the boy finds himself opposed directly to some other individual and he must do his very best or it can be seen at once. The boy must measure himself with the others and he feels at once whether he is superior or not. It is for this reason that in some respects these individual sports are more valuable in the training of a boy than are the team games. They are, undoubtedly, so as far as the development of concentration of mind and courage are concerned. One of the best features of athletics at a camp or any insti- tution, is the generous feelings that are developed throughout the boys on the various teams. The boy in his athletics learns self-sacrifice in very many ways. How often do we see a boy on a base ball team, for instance, teaching another boy the finer SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRART. 97 points of catching or batting or sliding to bases, even though he knows that that boy may later on displace him from the team. The boy's idea is to do his best for the team and this spirit will help him greatly in after life in business and in society. Summing up, I would state that athletics are one of the biggest factors in the life of any camp because they have a direct in- fluence upon the character of the boys. They develop courage, self-control, self-sacrifice, keenness of eye, and an all around ability to handle oneself physically, and a general sturdiness of character that is appreciated by all. In addition to the real bene- fits to character, through their athletics, the boys get a vast amount of enjoyment and they make some of their very best friends while engaging in sports. No summer camp, unless as stated previously having as its aim canoe trips, etc., could afford to abolish athletics from its sphere of activity. The question of whether athletics in summer camps should be confined entirely to the camp itself, or to competition with other camps, is one that must be decided by circumstances. If suitable opponents can be found, competition with other camps should be engaged in because it emphasizes the various benefits spoken of above. Inter-camp athletics will also develop an esprit de corps throughout camp, which is valuable not only to the camp, but to the boys. Such a spirit will help the boys in their determina- tion to do their very best and it will also spread throughout the camp a feeling of comradeship, which is very valuable to all concerned. •PAIi»IN6'S ATHLBTIO LIBRARY. INTELLECTUAL RECREATION AT CAMP By Dr. George Alexander Kohut Director of Kamp Kohut, Oxford, Maine. As an oflFset to the strenuous activities of camp life, with its diversified sports and athletic routine, it is well to encourage diversions and recreations which give the boy not only a rest period but a definite interest in something which appeals to his emotional and spiritual nature. A feature of any well organized camp is the compulsory siesta, usually after the principal meal, at midday. Boys should be required to stretch out on their cots and to relax. If they are not able to sleep, they should be encouraged to lie perfectly still or to read some absorbing book. It is obviously perilous to permit them to be at large, during the heat of the day, after a heavy meal. Perhaps the most important phases of camp life are certain group activities, established under wise and competent leader- ship. These may be either clubs, for the purpose of reading or debate; nature study classes, for the observation of the flora and fauna; dramatic societies, and other forms of entertain- ment, which are numerous and varied, according to the resources of the men and women in charge of camp organizations. In our own camp we have found it a pleasure to interest boys in dramatics. In this field a boy is naturally at home. One does not find it difficult^ to discover latent talent in almost every in- dividual. Every boy is an actor. At every camp there is abundant human material for this form of entertainment. We have reproduced quite a number of popular plays as given in New York, and guests who had seen these performances are enthusiastic in their endorsement and admiration and maintaia that they compare favorably with the work of professionals. A notable educational feature is a series of illustrated trave- logues. The director and members of his faculty can easily SPALBINQ'S ATHLETIO LIBRARY. 99 hoW a group of boys by telling them something of their varied experiences. In addition to these, addresses by distinguished men on various topics likely to interest the average boy, would be welcome for an evening's entertainment. Altogether, it may be recommended as a good working prin- ciple, that a boy's mental and spiritual life should not be suf- fered to lie fallow during the fruitful vacation period, when a boy, in his formative years, will carry with him impressions which will remain through life and which should help him in his future career of usefulness as a citizen. SPALDINO'a ATHLBTIO LIBRABT. "THE LONG HIKE." By Eugene H. Lehman Director Highland Nature Club, South Naples, Me. On the first Saturday evening in July, when the Highland Nature Club lassies, having assembled to participate in the cere- monies connected with lighting the opening campfire of the sea- son, instructions are given out relative to the big hike. Girls are then informed that only fifteen of the fifty members of the summer colony will be chosen for this expedition, and that the privilege will be awarded to those who show the best physical condition and reveal in their community life the highest degree of H. N. C spirit. From that moment, competition begins — a unique competition in caring for one's body and in obeying the laws of the clan. The expert tennis player now ceases to grumble when her less skillful partner fails to return an easy ball; the snobbish girl abandons her clique; the poor "mixer" seeks to become a "good fellow." Finally, as a result of a fair competition in a series of pre- liminary tests, fifteen enthusiastic walkers and trained campers win their places in the hiking squads. After the weather bureau has been carefully consulted, the day is set for the start. On the evening before, each girl is provided with a government chart, showing the highway along which the party is to proceed. This road, she, under the guidance of the chief hiking councilor, marks with red ink, plainly indicating the places where every meal is to be taken and where the night is to be spent. Further, she it told of the points of literary, geographical, or historical interest that are to be passed on the march, and is then sent to bed for a good night's rest. As the girls tramp along, their merry voices accord so nat- urally with the songs of the birds and the beauty of the flowers that the actual walking is almost forgotten, when the whistle SPALDING'S ATHLBTIO LIBRARY. 101 suddenly gives the signal that the six mile stage has been covered, and that th© time for the two minute rest period has therefore arrived. The hikeri halt, but do not iit down, for sitting relaxes the muscles and makes starting again all th« mort difficult. At five in the evening, camp is made for the night. By seven, supper is over, the ponchos spread out upon the grassy turf in the orchard of a kindly-disposed farmer, and soon the girls are sleeping the reinvigorating sleep of health. They rise with the sun the following morning, and after break- fast, they tip-toe their way to the farmer's cottage, and startle his family by giving a lusty camp cheer in grateful recognition of his hospitality. With a song on their lips, they are off for the second day's march. So the miles roll on, until at five in the evening, the hikers reach the summit of Crockett's hill; their campmates espy them and rush to welcome their more hardy sisters with a cheer while plying them with innumerable questions until every adventure on the hike is told and retold to groups of interested listeners. On the morrow, there is but one topic of conversation — ^the "Long Hike" for the next year. 108 FPAIJSING'S ATHLBTIC LIBBABT. A VACATION CAMP By Leon E. Katzenstein. / Superintendent Young Men's Hebrew Association, Lexington Avenue and Ninety-second Street, New York; Administrator Surprise Lake Camp. The growth of population in our large cities has developed the "Vacation Camp," varying from the luxurious lodge in the Adirondacks, the plaything of some millionaire, to the little tent of a group of boys, erected on the ocean's edge, or in a grove on the property of some kind-hearted farmer. Of this later type and its development, I would write. When people lived more moderately, with room for air and sunshine and exercise, and an opportunity for enjoyment of green grass and waving trees and the sparkling waters of river or lake or ocean, there was not the present crying need for a period of rest and change. This has evolved with the growth of industry and the consequent development of cities. To meet the natural longing and actual needs of the less fortunate boys and girls and even men and women, the "vaca- tion camp," so called, has been developed. A bit of the history of Surprise Lake Camp owned jointly by the Educational Al- liance and the Young Men's Hebrew Association of Man- hattan, will best illustrate the vacation camp idea. Its slogan, "Recreation Without Temptation," the words of Mr. Henry M. Toch, for many years chairman of the Committee epitomizes the camp object. "^ From two small camps on rented grounds on Long Island, has grown the present organization, occupying its own premises near Cold Spring-on-Hudson. The property comprises six hun- dred acres of rugged mountain land, covered with forests and fields and orchards and encompassing a most picturesque little lake. The land is so rugged that there was not even enough level land for an athletic field, so the only swampy spot on the CAMP NAMASCHAUG. SPOFJTORD^ NEW^HAMPSpiRE CAMP HARLElV J^aUREL lake, TYLER HILL, PA, CAMP WONPOSET. BANTAM LAKE,' COJ^CtlOUT ' 1. A-wor.mjr of CoBege Camp; % Camp minstrel troupe; 3, Trying to look civilized. ' • ^JOlilJSiitiE .GAMP. CLIFF HAVEN, N. Y. SPALDING'S ATHLBTIO LIBRABT. IM property was graded and filled for this purpose. The prin- cipal structure at the camp is the elaborate Sigmund Neustadt Memorial Building, containing kitchens and mess halls for the accommodation of three hundred campers, play rooms |for younger bOys, business and physician's offices and rooms for visiting directors. In a camp as large as this (almost fifteen hundred were ac- commodated last year) systematic administration is an im- portant requisite. Not only is the commissary carefully regu- lated, but the amusements of the campers must be directed, so that every facility may receive the fullest use. The lake, with its boating, bathing and fishing, is constantly under the sur- veillance of life guards. A man trained in sports is always on duty on the athletic field to organize and assist. Leaders take groups for hikes and excursions. Manual training teachers interest boys in handicraft. An experienced forester teaches them the ways of the woods and the kinds of trees and their value. There is even an artist to arouse the interest in and appreciation of nature. This camp is by no means self-supporting. A large section is devoted to boys from poor homes whose payments represent only a fraction of the cost of maintenance, but all are treated exactly alike A camp like this receives students and clerks of moderate means. It gives them, during their usually limited vacations, the opportunity of receiving all the benefits of life out of doors, witkout the hardships which their inexperience would bring, were they in a crude camp and dependent on their own efforts in procuring and preparing their food and otherwise providing for their personal necessities. lil SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBBABY. CARE NECESSARY IN CAMP SELECTION By Ralph F. Perry Director Kamp Kill Kare, on Lake Champlain, Vermont. The experimental stage of the summer camp for boys has passed. The value of such camps is now well recognized. Parents, who are able, prefer to have their boys' activities supervised during the long vacations, rather than to allow the boys free rein to their inclinations with the "gangs" in their native towns, or at summer resorts where the social life does not provide a wholesome atmosphere for the adolescent. Different camps provide different advantages, and parents should make a careful study of these advantages before making a selection. Four factors enter into such deliberations. First, the personnel of the directing forces; second, the location; third, the type of boys represented; and, lastly, the equipment should receive consideration. The parent wants to feel sure that the camp to which his boy is going for a considerable time during the most formative period of his life, is directed by men who know and sympathize with boy nature, and have had successful experience in dealing with boys. He should make sure that there is a stability and a permanency to the organization; that conscientious effort is ex- pended to develop the best qualities in the boy. The wise parent will scrupulously avoid all mushroom organizations, and such as have been formed with no broader vision than to make money. The pitiable feature of the situation is that, with the growing need of these camps, has sprung up a crop of unscrupulous ex- perimenters who think they see, in this business, an opportunity to make some "easy money," and who know or care nothing for the proper care and supervision of youth. ^\ The second consideration is one of locality. It is a mistake to send a boy to a camp so remote from railroad accommodations that it is inaccessible. It should be possible for parents fre- quently to visit their boys during the summer, and access to ,^ BPALDINQ'S ATHLKTIO LIBRAET. 106 tenUri should be easy in case of need. This does not mean that the wild, free life of nature must be sacrificed, for there ar« many camps not remote from centers which yet afford all the pleasures of the wildest regions. The locality should be one which affords water for fishing and swimming, mountains for climbing, land for all kinds of sport. It furthermore should be a site which is high, and so free from all the attendant evils of low, damp ground. The tents should be pitched in a grove furnishing shade, but not too deep shade. For this, maples and elms afford a much more healthful atmos- phere than thickest evergreens. Just a word should be included regarding the selection of boys. A money-making organization will take a boy regardless of his qualifications. An honest camp with an ideal, will see to it that no boy of twisted morals enters its doors. Moreover, it will be as scrupulous in dismissing boys who prove themselves, in any way, unfit companions. Finally, a camp which intends to perform its functions properly for the growing boy should be well equipped in all that makes that function possible. If boys over fourteen years of age are taken, it should be ascertained that such boys have separate grounds and sleeping quarters, widely removed from the younger boys. A regulation base ball diamond for each group should be provided; tennis courts, in number enough to accommodate the needs of all the camp, and good enough to insure pleasurable and accurate play, are indispensable; open air gymnasiums, basket ball courts, canoes, rowboats, motor boats, swimming rafts — all should furnish their quota toward making the boy's summer profitable and enjoyable. And most important of all is the consideration of sanitation. If pure drinking water is not provided and sanitary disposal of all refuse, the camp is unsafe and no fit place for summer occu- pation. ^>^' If the councilors are wise and kind, the location suitable, the boys congenial, and the equipment satisfactory, no more healthful or enjoyable vacation can be offered a boy than a season in a summer camp. BPALDINS'S ATHLBTIO LIBBIST. A BOYS' CAMP WITH A RELIGIOUS ENVIRONMENT While camps in general are usually undenominational and the director makes it a point to see that his charges attend the services of whatever creed they may profess, still many parents prefer to entrust their boys to the supervision of one of their own denomination. Camp Namaschaug at Spofford, New Hampshire, under the direction of the Very Rev. J. J. Griffin, Ph. D., is a typical camp of this description, but the routine varies in no wise from that of hundreds of others. In speaking of his ideas of camp life and what led to his establishment of Camp Namaschaug, Father Griffin said: **Some years ago, the problem of what to do with the boys was often a perplexing one to parents who were planning their summer holidays; for resorts which offered the fullest measure of rest and recreation to the other members of the family proved dull and depressing to the boys when the novelty of the new environment wore off. Though the schools close their doors and books are laid aside, the boy's education itself knows no respite but continues on during vacation, and needs capable experts for its direction through the summer months as well as during those of winter. Courage, fortitude* resolution, self- control, regard for the rights of others, and courtesy, may be inculcated in school, but they become habits in a properly con- ducted camp, the true laboratory of character. "The development of the real boy calls for a certain amount of proficiency in athletics on land and water, and no lad is going to neglect any opportunity of attaining it. During the summer months, away from the restrictions of school life, and with that freedom of movement which comes from a dependence on his SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRABT. 107 own resources for amusement, his search for recreation may bring him into aisociations more or less injurious. *'Not the least effective factor in the success of the Many camps is the personnel of their staff of instructors. These are college men of proven ability; better, graduates, selected for their sympathetic interest in all that concerns boys. They enter into companionship with them, joining in their work and play, aiding them with suggestions, discussing school work and all boyish ambitions, giving assistance in study, and discerning and bringing out the best that is in them. 108 SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. THE REAL AIM OF CAMPING By William Mitchell Director Camp Harlee, Laurel Lake, Tyler Hill, Pa. The great aim of a camp should be to give the boy camper every benefit possible. The average boy of from ten to fourteen years of age is impressionable; full of the desire to learn and to live, and it is at this time in his life when camping will do him the greatest amount of good. The one thing that should be most emphasized is that he be helpful to others. It is all well and good to derive as much pleasure and personal benefit from camp life as possible. That is what the camp is for. But the boy who seeks only selfish benefit and refuses to give a help- ing hand to his fellow campers, loses much of the beauty and value of camp life. The time is coming when parents will fully realize the great value of camp life for the all round development of their boys. In the meantime it is the duty of the camp leader to equip him- self for the great task of dealing with tender lives and to make his camp more than a mere pleasure ground. It should be this and more. The only camp that is worth while is the one that is and aims to be a character-building institution. SPALDING'S ATHLBTIO LIBBABT. 109 HOW THE BOYS' CAMP MOVEMENT HAS GROWN By ROBERt TiNDALB. Director Camp Wonposet, Bantam Lake, Conn. There has never been any question in the minds of most thinking people as to the advisability of keeping the younger generation out-o'-doors as much as possible. The various wood- craft movements begun by Seton-Thompson, and encouraged by such nationally-known defenders of boydom as Dan Beard and his brother, have developed with remarkable rapidity of late years and one of the natural outgrowths was the summer camp for boys. It is now pretty thoroughly understood that the change of air, change of mental perspective, change of food and companions and methods of life in general, all under the blue sky and forest trees is beneficial to a degree. Boys are becoming more self- reliant, more resourceful, and, after their long period of study, far healthier boys. The sweet, clean tent, in the big outdoors, with sandy beaches, tennis and base ball matches, in addition to Nature's wonderful book of many mysteries, open for all to see. When a boy re- turns at the end of a season he is pretty much a master of any situation, from building a fire without matches in the rain to knowing the habits of the cinnamon bear and the scarlet tanager. We are destined to see still more rapid advances in the boy's camp movement and with such big, manly ideals, guiding it, is sure to be the Mecca of every real boy who once discovers what Old Chief Wonposet discovered, many, many years ago. BPALDING'B ATHLBTIO LIBRARY. > THE CAMP AS AN ADJUNCT TO A SUMMER SCHOOL Lafayette W. Yarwood, who is director of the "College Camp/* near the Catholic Summer School at Cliff Haven, N. Y., adjacent to Plattsburgh, on Lake Champlain, has made an especial study of camp life and is a believer in athletics as a vent for the rest- less nature of the boy and likewise as an antidote for the regu- larity of the life which would otherwise become monotonous to the undeveloped and semi-disciplined youngster. Mr. Yarwood says: "The educational advantages that accrue to a boy from association with others in camp can be readily appreciated. Mental training and character building depend in great measure on the associations of youth, and diversity of ideas and breadth of view are the results of the subconscious impres- sions which are moulded into youthful habits of thought. Ath- letics and muscle building must have a prominent place in the schedule of camp existence. Realizing this, camp officials are making athletic contests an attractive incentive to boys under their charge. Tennis, base ball, golf and water sports are some of the major attractions which give the boys healthful outdoor exercise." HORSEBACK RIDING AT CAMP KINEO 7 CAMP SETAG. IN THE ADIRONDACKS, N. Y. A standing doubles contest. Swimming ashore with a canoe after an upset. SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBBABT. lU HORSEBACK RIDING FOR BOYS' CAMPS By Irving G. McColl, Director of Camp Kineo. Riding is a manly sport which every young gentleman should master as early in life as possible. The "rough rider" idea appeals to every live boy and this should be encouraged. An ambition to become a cowboy is more wholesome for the young- ster than a desire to be a gentleman chauffeur. The city- bred boy is trending too much in the latter direction and knows more at thirteen than his father did at twenty— or thinks he does — and has more privileges. He needs some "roughing up" in contact with other beings, human and otherwise, and a re- adjustment of his opinions and ideals to fit the real conditions he will encounter later. This is what the right kind of camping will do for him and here he should have the widest kind of experience such as he does not get during his school year. Riding as a part of the boy's training in sports should take equal rank with swimming, base ball, athletics and the study of nature and campcraft. The boy should learn to know and love his pony. Learning to ride properly is a training in self-control, • in unselfishness, in manliness, and in a broadening of interests, for he learns to treat his mount kindly and keep his wits working. The boy who learns in camp something about his true relation to the world around him, its great message of love and service, and the art of living with and enjoying other beings and creatures about him, has gained something worth while. in SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. THE VALUE OF CAMP LIFE FOR GIRLS By Miss Ada M. Gates Camp Setag, in the Adirondacks, N. Y. The past few years have brought quite clearly to parents the value of the outdoor life for girls. Heretofore the outdoor sports and the week or month's tenting in the woods and enjoying of nature was left entirely to the realm of boyhood. Consequently she did not reach the physical development she should and thus her mental development was restricted. The broad, wholesome view of life she should have had given her was lost — lost in the training of the girls who were to be the mothers of the future men of this country. As distinguished from mountain climbing, walks, and the various phases of life in the open — the direct activities include tennis, archery, soccer, basket ball, swimming and rowing. All these sports stimulate team work and the right spirit of rivalry. The swimming hour is always one of greatest interest. No one can use boats until she has quahfied by swimming a certain num- ber of yards, which has been decided upon by the physical di- rector. This rule stimulates all the girls, so that before camp closes practically everyone can swim. And when the nine weeks of this healthy, helpful and happy life come to an end many girls wish instead they were still before them. BPAU>INa-S ATHLETIC MBBABT. lU WHY BASKET BALL IS ESPECIALLY SUITABLE FOR GIRLS' CAMPS By Senda Berenson Abbott- Formerly Director of Physical Culture, Northampton, Mass. Of all times and places the summer and a camp are most ideal for the playing of games. It is then one can catch the spirit of play — one can then play all day with a clear conscience. And what more delightful game is there to play than basket ball ? It has been the most popular game for girls ever since it came into existence, over twenty years ago. It is played by thousands of girls of all ages, all over the country, and if carefully super- vised is the best all round game anyone can play. It is a most valuable game from the point of view of physical development; it exercises every part of the body and does not, like most other games, exercise one side of the body more than the other. It trains the mind to think and act quickly. Especially it teaches, as no other game, the spirit of co-operation, the desire to work for the team instead of for oneself, loyalty — traits that the woman of today vitally needs. From a practical point of view it is a splendid game to play in a camp, as it gives a surprising amount of exercise and pleas- ure the very first time one plays it — and with each practise the pleasure and interest are increased. Until teams are chosen, if the open air fi,eld is large enough, it may be played by a goodly number (say, ten or twelve on each team) at one time. Young girls, also, may play it with perfect safety, providing they are never allowed to play it without supervision, and there are numerous periods of rest during the practise. Surely, anyone who has tried basket ball for a summer will say that it is the most delightful and profitable game that camp girls play. IM SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. CAMPS FOR ADULTS By a. Schatzel Director Kamp Kiwassa, Oxford, Maine. While, what might be termed "community" camps — as dis- tinguished from the hunting or fishing camp of a few sports- men — are commonly associated with those designed for the summer vacations of boys and girls, there is just as much neces- sity for a camp on similar lines for the grown-ups, and this phase of camp life is meeting with much encouragement from those wearied with the conventionality of the town and who have not the desire to follow it during the all too short period of midsummer recreation. Living in the open, if only for a limited period, fortifies one for the rigors of another year of urban residence and the healthful and recuperative air of the forest does for the camper what the prescription clerk can never compound. No camp is complete now without the athletic feature — of varying degrees of strenuosity, as the camper may elect — and tennis, volley ball, medicine ball, basket ball, and even base ball with the soft playground ball, all lend themselves to enjoyable contests which can include players of both sexes. Style is ignored and with congenial companions, the days soon pass, while the evening is spent around the big campfire with music, story telling and such diversions as make the twilight hours most pleasant memories. SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBBART. 116 ATHLETICS AT CAMP By George V. Bonhag, Director. The primary object of a camp should be to afford boys a wholesome vacation — the amount of exercise to be indulged in (in the various forms of sports) to be governed entirely by the physical condition of the different boys. The value of athletics as an aid to education has long been acknowledged and at all the leading schools of the country a certain number of hours per week, devoted solely to athletics, is insisted upon. Right here is where the camp proves an invaluable aid. Athletics at camp should not be conducted as a requirement, but should be encouraged and so presented as to afford the greatest amount of pleasure to the participants. Among every group of boys there is always a certain number who are more or less apathetic to athletics. These boys should be instructed in the various sports in such a manner as to arouse an interest. This can be accomplished in several ways. Take for instance the game of base ball. The writer has known of several instances where young boys have shown a decided dislike for the most popular of American sports; yet before the end of two months some of these boys have not only shown great interest in the sport, but decided ability. This was brought about by forming a base ball league, playing the "indoor base ball" game outdoors. Every boy, no matter how young, could take part and be a member of one of the teams, and before the first interclub series was finished the greatest possible interest was aroused for all, which continued throughout the season. It developed a sense of team work in the boys which could hardly have been brought about in any other way. The same thing will apply to other sports, if tournaments are arranged for teams — doubles in tennis, doubles or fours in rowing, and so on down the line. The directors of camps have a splendid opportunity to develop the js^ense of loyalty in the boy — loyalty to his school, his college, his us SPiLLDlNG'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. friends, his puriK)se in life— by instilling the idea of team work in his athletics. Track work at camp (especially for boys under sixteen years of age) should be confined to such events for which it will not be necessary to undergo a systematic course of training. The out- door life of camp, with its various activities in base ball, tennis, swimming, etc., should be sufficient preparation for running events up to the 440 yards run, and races of longer distance can well be dispensed with at camp. The purpose of the camp is to build up the boy and prepare him for a hard year at school, and training for young boys during the summer season will defeat this purpose. BPAU>INa'S ATSUITIO LIBBABT. tVt CAMP LIFE HAS DEVELOPED MANY PROMINENT ATHLETES By George C. Carens, in the Boston Transcript With the recent great development of summer camps, schools and colleges have been quick to realize how much these institu- tions do to insure that steady flow of good athletes that is not only desirable, but virtually necessary. Many of our college stars received their early base ball training at camp, where they were under the direction of competent coaches and where they were free to devote much of their time to their favorite sport. School boys who have spent a portion of every day during the summer on the diamond or tennis court or in the water are bound to become proficient athletes and to find the task of earning posi- tions on the school teams a much easier task. Every boy must learn to swim in order to care for himself in the water. Instructors usually teach the best methods so that it is not many days before the smallest members of the camp can take the "morning dip" with the larger campers. The love of the water in summer camps has no doubt been the cause of many of the marked strides made by this sport in the school and college ranks of recent years. One of the advantages of camp life is that everyone, from the director down through the councilors, senior and junior campers, is required to share the work of bed-making, water carrying, cleaning of the grounds and other duties which under other conditions might be considered distasteful. A democracy among the campers is developed by this plan, it has been found, and tends to develop the boys physically. A part of the after- noon programme at many of the camps includes a "rest period,*' usually after lunch, during which time the boys are required to either sleep or read, in order that the life may not key them up to a high tension and assume a "merry-go-round" atmos- phere. 118 «PAl4DING'S ATHLETIC LIBBABT. Intra-camp base ball leagues are formed as a general rule, with the councilor in charge of the different teams. The coun- cilors generally are boys who have a lot of natural ability, or athletes of more or less note who have made good as college or school players. The programme at many of the camps is practically along the lines of the "compulsory sports" systems adopted by many private schools, although not bearing that name. Every boy is given a chance to get into the game and this is especially true of base ball, for the club system is usually adopted, with intense rivalry resulting. Then, too, once or twice a week the "first" team meets nines that represent adja- cent camps, and when the grouping of camps allows, a league is formed. Evening story-telling, occasional visits from college men who are known because of their feats in the field of sports, boat and canoe racing, archery, croquet and many other activities are used to break up the routine and put zest into camp life. 8 4"^ 14 DAY USE RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED LOAN DEPT. This book is due on the last date stamped below, or on the date to which renewed. Renewals only: Tel. No. 642-3405 Renewals may be made 4 days priod to date due. Renewed books are subject to immediate recall. FEB 1 Q 197? 8 AUG2 6tr? ^ 1 . BEC'DLDAU616/1 .^PM^O, ^Ji^i'}Aor.7^Z2 uoiv^^^^g""^" YB ^