Timberlane’s barbecue area has always been used for holding all-camp cookouts. These cookouts are held on every Cruiser Day, Sundays, and on other special occasions such as U.N. and Pow Wow Days.

Although many at Timberlane have supported cookouts as an enjoyable activity, TIMBERLIFE maintains that these barbecues lend strongly to chaos and disenchantment among both campers and staff.

First one must consider the following question: Is the program sufficient enough to accompany over 200 people? Although the barbecue area has been successfully used for campfires, there has been difficulty in serving so many in an organized manner. Several factors can be used to support this observation.

Much pushing and shoving has occurred because campers have to wait several minutes in a long line for sandwiches. Many try to cut ahead of their cabin. A lot of grumbling is heard by those who are forced to wait longer in line. About twenty minutes have elapsed before all receive their initial servings.

Additional pandemonium has resulted when firsters in line return for seconds. It is not uncommon to see many of these people take more sandwiches before others have received any food whatsoever. If this is repeated during a cookout, a large inequity of food distribution becomes apparent.

Serving of sandwiches is not the only procedure that has been plagued by the inadequate organization at the cookout. Perhaps the serving of “bug juice” deserves just as much attention. Too often the juice supply is consumed too quickly. Why? Perhaps the amount prepared is not adequate, but there are additional factors which seem to intensify the problem.

The juice is usually found in one or two containers; therefore, crowding occurs again with more pushing. Secondly, many of the campers in front of the line have an opportunity to guzzle several cups before others can be served once. Too often these cups are not saved, and any remaining bug juice cannot be used.

Although chaos and food disparities have frequently been the results of cookouts at Timberlane, alternatives are not completely out of the question. More staff supervision at the serving tables instead of the grill is needed. The juice supply could be increased and divided into several containers to avoid backlog. Relishes can be placed at a separate table.

Counselors should also be more aware of cutting ahead in line so that violators can be treated accordingly. Perhaps dismissal from the meal would serve as proper punishment. If these procedures were adopted, the cookout could be a more organized and pleasurable activity for everyone.

The present methods of no holding cookouts must be rectified. The pandemonium must be eliminated because all of us realized that a tasty meal cannot be enjoyed in an area polluted with noise.

Of the three cookouts that have been held during the first half of this session, the latter two have shown considerable improvement over the first barbecue. While the first one was disorderly, the others ran more smoothly. Lines moved much more quickly as more sandwiches were prepared ahead of time.

The most recent cookout revealed a slight change in procedure of serving food. Beans and cole slaw were allotted to the campers on a separate table; therefore, more room was used for serving the hamburgers. Perhaps Timberane is already adopting some of the procedures which have been positively offered in this editorial. Hopefully, such methods can soon be employed to a fuller extent to make the Timberlane cookout something to remember.