Dear Parents,

On Thursday morning we began getting ready for the parent’s visiting weekend. All reports indicated that it would be a big one--parents were coming from far and wide, and I wanted the camp to be clean and ready...I called in my high command and I issued the following order --”Get this camp cleaned up spotlessly”--so we called the P.A.’s, C.I.T.’s, Jr. and Senior Counselors together and put out the word---”Get this camp cleaned up spotlessly, so they called their campers together and put out the following word. “Get this camp cleaned up spotlessly,” and when the campers looked around to have someone else do it, they realized that they were “It.” We began our paper pickups, garbage runs, double inspections, rushed some dirty laundry to our laundry lady, and had every department make sure that their area was spotless. On Friday we ran three inspections, had a giant scrub down at the beach, and served special good food during the last two days, and when the parents came into camp we were ready for them!!! “Gosh, how beautiful it looks!” they exclaimed as they began to look camp over---”Aaaah, this is the way it always looks.” I responded, and yet I really was pleased with the maximum effort of the whole camp. We were also aided by one of the most beautiful weekends that we’ve ever had for a visiting weekend. Lots of sun, blue sky with a few clouds, and a breeze most of the time.

On Friday evening, after the parents had a chance to visit camp, we had a campfire program in which we did lots of singing, and had some of our campers give a few words of wisdom. Then some of our musicians played a few numbers and we joined in singing on some of them. Tony Searles, one of our counselors from London, England game a short talk about what Timberlane means to him. I followed this up by saying a few words and presenting the Andy Brickman Memorial Award for both of last years ”Campers of the Year” to Bob Komisar and Billy Fried. We then held to a moving Key Log ceremony and finally we sang ‘Taps’ and said goodnight to the parents. The next morning at 10:00 A.M. the parents had a chance to go through three activities with their boys. Many of the boys whose parents did not come to visit camp had left on Friday morning for a giant three-day Porcupine Mountains trip and when they arrived at their sites, part of the group separated to go on a backpack hike while the rest settled into their campsite. They will visit Lake Superior, and swim in it, and follow nature trails; and it is one of the most beautiful areas in the U.S.A. I am so happy that the weather is perfect for this type of trip. Other boys that elected to stay at camp also had a series of activities to take on Saturday morning at camp. We then served lunch to everybody outdoors, and I can only say that our cook, Dorothy Herlitz, and her kitchen staff outdid themselves with a beautiful setting of all types of food It was so beautifully done that I took movies of the whole thing. Our cook is something special, and during meals she walks around to see if your sons are eating, and if they don’t seem to be eating the food, she’ll even make something for them that they like. I’ve seen her take some of our littler younger campers outside of the lodge, and sit them on the fence, smooth their hair, and find out what they like to eat. She is a warm and wonderful person and has become a dear friend to all of us. After lunch, we gave everyone a chance to rest and then our famed Timberbat Waterski Team put on a wonderful show. When they were done, the parents were allowed to take their boys and friends out to dinner. Believe it or not, they took so many boys along with them, that our cook had prepared 8 sheets of fantastic pizza for our dinner, and there were only 42 people left in camp. In fact some of those boys who stayed in camp elected to do so even though they were invited out, because they wanted to eat some of Dorothy’s pizza. At 8:30 P.M. most of the boys were back, and soon we were back on regular canteen. The four moms from Louisville, KY. (Mzzzs) Fox, Geer, Koby, and Schuster ended up taking out a total group of 27 people, and the cost of the meal will set them all back so far that their husbands are going to be eating corn poke and grits for the next week. The parents were so tired after running around all day trying out some of the activities, jumping on our tramps, trying to play tennis, and other things, that many wanted to sleep at camp. But most of my campers were raring to go, and after the parents left the guys were jumping on the tramps and just starting to move out and do things. One mishap--some parents visiting their sons cabin thought that perhaps a chipmunk had died under the cabin--funny smell--they began to check out the place, and they found a sleeping bag that got wet on an overnight trip and it had started to smell up the place--they also found a mop in the cabin that was slightly smelly, and all these items ended up on a large pine tree---yet when we found the culprit who owned the sleeping bag, he was so clean and s scrubbed that he looked like the typical type of camper you see on the Camping Magazine pages that advertise camps for your boys??????

Last Monday, the 4th of July, we had a super program set for the boys, and we ran our full set of activities during the day. At about 3:00P.M, the sky began to get very dark, and all of a sudden it began to rain. It was a funny rain, and pelted us for about one and one-half hours. We didn’t think too much of it, but we had to shift our evening program, and couldn’t run all the things we planned. We shifted to the movie showing of a Walt Disney Film, “The Absent-Minded Professor,” and it was great and we also served shelled peanuts and Cokes. As I went to my home and turned on the TV, I began to hear reports about a series of tornadoes in Phillips, Rhinelander, and areas only 14 miles away. They were hit very hard and many beautiful trees were uprooted with lots of wind damage, but we had nothing except for some rain. Many parents called me to find out if we were alive and well, so again I repeat we weren’t affected by the storm. On Tuesday morning, we sent out a trip to the Flambeau flowage but the roads wee impassable and we turned back. We started out our cabin overnights and during the next three days we got out 7 cabins on overnights and they had real opportunities to share and do things together on the trips. Wednesday was our 2nd Cruiser Day and again the counselors did a super job--one group visited a radio station and was interviewed, and many of the boys got on the air to say a few words about themselves and Timberlane. On Thursday morning we started our 3rd section of activities, and at night we held a counselor hunt, and wrapped it all up with a giant general swim.

We’re all very tired right now, and we’ve got a fun filled week ahead. It’s Lazy Breakfast time again, and I’m looking forward to my $30 egg omelets for me and my family???????? We’ll run 3rd and 4th periods in the morning, and then we’ll relax a little bit. Our Porcupine Mountain trip will return for lunch then it’s Southern Fried Chicken time. This afternoon we’ll again hold a series of clinics, and two have a series of three All-Star softball games, two tennis matches, and a baseball game. Some of our skiers are going to get a chance to see the Badger Open Ski meet in Woodruff today. At night we’ll have another movie, and then we’ll shuffle the boys off to bed. We’re also in the midst of U.N. (United Nations) Day preparations. This is a fantastic program, and we start off by having the staff select 12 boys who will serve as U.N. leaders. They each have one Senior advisor and the first thing they’ll do is to get together and form four teams, choose names of nations, and are then given the names and ages of every boy in camp, plus a staff list. Each leader handles either the Junior, Intermediate or Senior group of boys, and studies his list to see how he would pick the boys. The teams are called together and we start our pickings by the luck of the draw for our 1st and 2nd pick in each division. The boys choose their teams, and we immediately ditto off the rosters. The boys and staff in camp are notified of what team they are on, and then the leaders are given an events sheet which lists the multitude of events that are going to be offered this coming Tuesday. Each boy is eventually placed in three events during the day, plus they compete in a marathon race, and a giant Tug Of War at the end of the day. The excitement will start rising today as we get more and more into U.N. Day preparations. The event goes off on Tuesday, July 12th and the computer says that right now the favorite is Columbia, the winner of the past two years, with the same leader, Ricky Kagen; and the reason they are favored is SAVVY. “We’ll see!” say the other leaders, with grins on their kissers.

Monday will be Blue and White Night. The Blues are still winning, but the Whites have plans to overtake them this week. Wednesday is our third Cruiser Day, and at night Camp Agawak For Girls is having a home-on-home social with us and we are going to try to hold it outdoors as I previously mentioned. The electronics boys are licking their lips in anticipation of the sound system that they’ll be providing, and I’m trying to wipe the perspiration from my brow, as I wonder. “How much is this thing going to cost me?” A word of warning--never start up with electronic geniuses---they can scare you to death with their monstrous plans, and I’m afraid that someday when a kid presses a light switch in his cabin, he could electrocute himself because of the intricate plans conjured by my geniuses???? Last year I told you about the boy who wired up his food locker so no one would steal any candy. He did such a good job, that the whole thing went capooey and to top it off, he forgot his padlock combination, and we ended up sawing off the lock so that he could get into his footlocker. He’s back again this year, and he’s solved the whole thing. He has no candy to lock up, and no lock for the foot locker.

Thursday night we’ll be playing Infiltration, it’s a great game, and we’ll also have some canoe trips out. Our Canadian boys are getting ready for their big trip next Monday, and they’ll be doing some tripping also. On Friday, our Timberbats travel to the most prestigious resort in the Midwest. Froelich’s Lodge--over 400 guests, and they’ll be playing to the biggest audience of their careers. They are nervous but ready. On Saturday, we’ll be finishing activities for some of our boys, packing them up, and giving out some awards. They’ll be returning home Sunday , July 17th. You will each receive a letter, if your boy is coming home, with the time of his arrival ,so don’t worry about it. Remember, it’s Sunday, July 17th. Meanwhile, the rest of our boys will be very busy continuing with their activities and we have many trips planned for them. When the new boys come in on Sunday, we’ll test them and show them the activities and have an all-camp signup for new activities; by Monday morning we’ll be on our way in new activities. No one thinks it can be done, but we’ll do it nevertheless. By Tuesday, we’ll take pictures again, and we’re back in full action. Our Canadian Canoe Trip takes off early Monday morning, so they’ll be well-occupied over the weekend getting ready for the their trip.

We hope that you’ve received a letter form your son’s counselor, and I hope that they filled you in on what your son is doing at camp and perhaps a few words about him. Our staff has held up beautifully and we’re a solid moving team right now. The boys are close to one another, and the same can be said about the campers. They love their camp and they have learned to love one another---that’s what it’s all about, and I know that they will really begin to understand this once they are at home. I have loved this season so far, and know that the countless hours I spend planning, fussing and worrying are worth the total effort when I see how much everyone is really gaining from camp. I hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, it’s been a fun one to write.

Regards,
H.H.