The Council Room

[DavidAyars]

Here's a thread I started which played to Quiet Hour yawns and cicada chirping all around. Undaunted by the many who wonder why in blazes I can't find something a bit more interesting to discuss, I resurrect this thread over a year later with another profound(??) thought...

By the 1960s, many camps had dropped military and summer camp traditions of having bugles and rope-pulled bells that would signal a change of activity and of having aides as runners to summon people when needed. Instead, other camps installed and used an electronic public address system with megaphones in each section. The mercifully short-run 1960s situation “comedy” Camp Runamuck (which was inspired by Camp DeWitt, as I recall) had one of these, too. I can see why many camps installed PA systems, which will always be right on time and will never play wrong notes. They're more efficient at fetching somebody and dispatching him where needed. And they're less disruptive to the camp experience for the young men who would otherwise have to play the bugle calls and go fetch people.

Yet Wyanoke remained an electronic PA-free zone from start to finish.

Every so often, somebody would ask Mr. Bentley when Wyanoke might be getting a PA system and dump its buglers. BMB's eyebrows would bump up, he'd shift and adjust his eyeglasses, and he'd suggest Wyanoke would get a PA system right about the time the infernal regions started reporting minus-80 degree wind chills to challenge the summit of Mt. Washington in January. No, of course he said no such thing, being a true gentleman who would never invoke an image of aitch-ee-double-hockey-sticks. BMB just said that such electronic devices were out-of-place in a summer camp environment.

In this as in other things, Mr. Bentley's old fashionability was ahead of its time. Think about the fights nowadays over the use of pagers and cell phones in public places. Or employees who can't get away from their bosses because they can be electronically summoned 24/7. Or disputes over whether theaters should be allowed to use recordings of music rather than live musicians. BMB was no Luddite, only a man fighting for the principles of people power over technological “advancement”, for some peace and quiet and ability to get away from it all in the woods. Friend to musician, camper and staffer alike.
_________________
Camper: J-8 1965 (Kevin Ryan), J-8 1966 (Mike Freeland), S-6 1967 (Russ Hatch), S-3 1968 (Jeremy Cripps), and JA-2 1969 (Dan Mannis).
JC: J-2 1970 (Bill Bettison) and J-3 1971 (Gene Comella). Councilor 1972, J-5 1973, and JA-1 1974 & 1975

[Mike Freeland]

Where the hell did everybody go? Must've caught the bus to Philly.

I've been lurking in the weeds here waiting to comment of this theme, hoping someone else would jump in ahead of me.

Anyway, I remember going to DeWitt, Alton and Belknap and maybe some others with the swim and rifle teams, hearing the PA-broadcast bugle calls and thinking "how gauche". You gotta remember that we got some pretty good laughs out of the buglers back at Wyanoke, but there was something, I don't know, comforting, hearing a real kid with a real trumpet or bugle, fumbling with a late reveille on a rainy morning. Of course there were the legendary buglers, Steve Hood, Bob ARnot and Dave Ayars who brought true art to the job.

The recorded calls were perfect and tinny, and they always made me think of some camp in the movies where all the councilors were called "Uncle" (What kind of a dumb idea is that?) and were always raiding the girls' camp across the lake.

Part of the connection to the '30s and '40s college-rah-rah era I always felt and loved at Wyanoke was probably in large part due to the do-it-the-hard-way communicatios around camp.

The only exception that I would have changed as soon as it was possible, would have been to add a phone in the infirmary. Not that it mattered in the long run, but I wonder how much less time it would have taken to get Jim Graves to Huggins when he had apendicitis if the infirmary aide hadn't had to run to the office to say there was an emergency in the making here. I don't think it would have helped Walt Scheirer, because he was somewhere on the midget path to the waterfront when he had the heart attack. If I'd been involved in that, I think I'd have high-tailed it to the infirmary, when it would have made more sense to run down to Red Roof. But that's an aside.

I remember when "transistors" were grudgingly accepted, with some rules: Not loud during quiet hour, not during siesta, and most enthusiastically, not after Taps. Well, we had those little white plastic ear things with a wax-clogged hole in the end, and after dark, could get WBZ in Boston (or in my case, WQXR in New York on the skip).

As much as I liked the primitive nature at Wyanoke, I still envied the kids and councilors who got to have electricity in their cabins, or who got to live in cabins at all, for that matter (they had screens!). As far as I can remember, there was only one electrified cabin, and that was J-12 or J-16, whichever you liked to call it. Jim Graves, you lucky dog. Anyone remember another one? Any of the C-town cabins?
_________________
'56-C-9 C. Mosher '57-C-9 Bill Feaster
'58-J-14 H. Peavy '59-J-11 G. Wood, C. Duncan
'60-S-8 R. Leavitt, D. Hemphill '61-S-1 E. Slocum
'62-JA-1 H. Dunbar '63-C-2 (JC)
'64-C-5, (JC) Councilor
'65-C-9 '66 - '72-J-8
'73-JA1 '75-J-6

[Jim Culleton]

Nice synopsis Dave and great followup Mike! We had a bugle call for just about every activity at Camp that required group participation. And I agree! The real life bugler was much preferred over the recorded version at DeWitt, etc.

I do have fond memories from '58 when Steve Hood was my JC in J-4 and also the bugler for the summer. He would always get up and ready about a half hour before reveille trying to keep as quiet as possible not to wake the rest of us. His bunk was in the back of J-4 so he could slip out the back door somewhat unnoticed! I do remember him giving out a short "bleep" on his trumpet before playing reveille, either to wet the mouthpiece or to make sure the thing worked!

Didn't the bugler play each call 2x . . . . . once on the main road between the Jr./Sr. camp and then again just outside of Cabintown? Maybe it was just for certain calls that required full camp participation, i.e. reveille, meals? Taps was played separately for each section as I remember about a half-hour to 45" apart?

Thinking back and looking at your post Dave, being the bugler must have been a tough job that required maintaining a fairly strict schedule. I'm sure that you could attest to that. Hopefully your summer pay included an increase for that responsibility?

Now that I'm thinking about it . . . . . . 1958 . . . . . . . . will be 50 years ago this coming summer. Hard to believe! Russ & Mimi Whitten were the water skiing instructors that summer and for a few other summers. Then I think NorthEast Marina out of Wolfeboro picked up the contract with Wyanoke.

Mike I can't think of another electrified cabin at Wyanoke except J-16. J-16 even had a linoleum floor covering! My brother Larry was in J-16 one year . . . . . I'll have to go back and look at the rosters. J-4 nor Bob Fox's cabin had electricity. None in cabintown that I can remember. Did like the "toilet" feature in some of the cabins in Cabintown, if one could sweep away the spiders! Of course this brings up the subject of "Navy call" on the part of the OD each night in Cabintown . . . . . . . but we can leave that for a new post.
_________________
'56 - J-9 J. Moulton
'57 - J-11 J. Moulton
'58 - J-4 E. Web Dann, S. Hood
'59 - S-6 P. Leavitt
'60 - S-2 F. Avantaggio
'61 - JA-1 RK Irons
'62 - C-9 JC with P. Freeland
'63 - C-1 JC with S. Borger
'64 - C-6 Councilor

[DavidAyars]

The bugler would always try to "warm up" his embouchure by quietly playing a few notes on the horn, because when he first wakes up, he feels like he can't play at all. And Reveille is one of the hardest calls. It jumps up and down so fast that one needs a lot of lip flexibility to nail it. It's like trying to leap out of bed and do squat thrusts or a crossword puzzle as fast as possible. A cold morning would make this even harder. It wasn't unusual for the bugler to really mess up Cabintown reveille for this reason.

In my day, we played calls like Reveille or first call for meals three times in quick succession, once for each section.

I never got extra money for helping out with the bugling, but I was never the designated official camp bugler, as you see on the camp registers. In my day, it was always a junior high kid from Winchester, who would almost always be in S-1. BMB had a relationship with a Winchester junior high school band director who would help him find a bugler. I think the bugler's family paid maybe half the normal tuition? Something like that.

The bugler would sometimes have to be out of camp or tied up in camp with an intercamp sports meet, or on a mountain or canoe trip or overnight, and then the bugler had to find somebody to fill in for him, and that's where some of the rest of us got to do it. Somebody, I forget who, once said to BMB when I was that age, "You know, David plays really well, why don't you make him the bugler?" And BMB answered, "I know, but I would never do that to David." I heard this years later. I understood that was BMB's way of acknowledging that the official camp bugler really didn't get to enjoy camp as much as the other boys. At the time, I kind of wanted that validation of being labeled "the bugler"-- trumpet players are often ego-driven "gimme the ball" types, and I was one of those-- but it was a pain, no question, to have to drop everything and go play bugle calls, so he did me a favor.

Once I was about 12 or 13, Mr. Scheirer often let me play Retreat at parades, and I got to show off and liked doing that one a lot. That's one of the prettiest calls.
_________________
Camper: J-8 1965 (Kevin Ryan), J-8 1966 (Mike Freeland), S-6 1967 (Russ Hatch), S-3 1968 (Jeremy Cripps), and JA-2 1969 (Dan Mannis).
JC: J-2 1970 (Bill Bettison) and J-3 1971 (Gene Comella). Councilor 1972, J-5 1973, and JA-1 1974 & 1975

[Mike Freeland]

He certainly did do you a favor! I remember that we'd get to sleep in for an extra half-hour on especially rainy mornings, and I'd sometimes look down from J-8 just before reveille and see the bugler walking to his position down there by Freddie's shop, almost always wearing a hooded OD poncho. I always thought "Man what a miserable job." That or just having to get up well before everyone else to blow. Sometimes those tentative warm-up blats would wake me up before reveille, by maybe 15 seconds or so. You've no idea how much I resented losing all that sleep.

I admired the hell out of the buglers, no matter how bad they were, for damn near flawlessly keeping the schedule. That's a lot of responsibility for an 8th grader (couldn't have a Junior bugler -- he'd have to stay up after Junior Taps and miss out on the scary-story reading back at the tent to play Sr. Taps. Stay up after Taps? Never!), and they all handled it well.

I remember one bugler, on the first day of camp, very shortly after one of the busses arrived, blowing a horrible First Call for lunch while everyone was still milling around the pump with their fishing rods and tennis rackets. If it wasn't his first bugle call in front of a crowd, it sure sounded like it, and he was as nervous as a cat in a dog pound. Nearly everyone turned around and glared at him with "What the hell was that?"looks. I felt sorry for the kid. He got used to it, and better as the season wore on. I don't remember who that was.

We were all admonished by BMB at the outset of the summer not to tamper with the bugler (on pain of death), and that it is NOT funny to bonk the bell of the trumpet when the guy's playing (two concurrent deaths). I saw that happen a couple of times in my years there, and responded accordingly. Also, don't play with the bell on the dining hall roof.

I must say, Dave, that when I heard you or Steve Hood or Bob Arnot play when I wasn't expecting it, it was literally music to my ears. Anyone ever coach the buglers? Was there any formal training before camp? I do recall a few incorrect calls. The Spanish Inquisition popped out of the woods to take care of it post haste.

Back to J-16. J-16, as I knew it to be, was re-named according to how many other tents there were in the Junior Camp, which, of course, was set by enrollment. More often than not, the cabin wasn't used at all except to store damp mattresses. It was a great secret napping spot. I often wondered why the luxury of linoleum (yellow with white print, as I recall). Its capacity was max 4 boys and a councilor. I think they weren't supposed to use the electricity (is that right Jim?), but they did - no radio battery problems for them. The cabin was fairly close to the lower Junior Pines. Even so, the shrubbery just behind it always seemed to grow anomalously green and lush.
_________________
'56-C-9 C. Mosher '57-C-9 Bill Feaster
'58-J-14 H. Peavy '59-J-11 G. Wood, C. Duncan
'60-S-8 R. Leavitt, D. Hemphill '61-S-1 E. Slocum
'62-JA-1 H. Dunbar '63-C-2 (JC)
'64-C-5, (JC) Councilor
'65-C-9 '66 - '72-J-8
'73-JA1 '75-J-6

[Jim Graves]

Here is another site where you can listen to bugle calls (http://bands.army.mil/music/bugle/). These sure do bring back memories.

I remember one year when I was a camper in S-1 one of my tent mates was Bill Murray, one of the buglers for the summer. On one of the Monday night (?) trips to Wolfboro I had purchased a book on hypnotism. I have no idea why a thirteen year old kid was interested in hypnotism, but anyway I tried to hypnotize Bill to play at his best and if I recall the results scared the hell out us and I think Bob Arnot or Alan Van Egmond, put an end to it right away and confiscated my book.

I kind of, sort of remember that the cabin along the road had electricity. I think I was able to plug in a small radio. I was made a councilor after camp had started and actually started out as a JC in J-10. The smell of the cess pool below the lower Jr Pineswas always a delight on those damp rainy mornings. We lucked out and had our cook out site behind the cabin. I preferred spending the summer in the tents because I enjoyed the fresh air and the sound of the rain on the canvas. It was nice not being at the mercy of the mosquitoes.
_________________
Jim Graves
67 J-2 Jerry Hoyt
68 J-5 Todd Whittimore
69 J-9 Charlie Thomas
70 S-1 Bob Arnot
71 S-5 Russ Vaughn
72 J-2 Dan Mannis
74 J-? (The small cabin across road from J-2) Councilor
75 J-5 Councilor

[Mike Freeland]

I've been thinking about this since Jim posted, and I have a vague memory of a hypnosis fad sweeping the camp, and somebody not thinking it was appropriate for a camp environment, or something like that. Couldn't tell you what year.

I think my brother may have sparked it -- he took a course in hypnosis at some point and did a little practicing at camp that summer (he still uses it). I don't think he had anyone chicken-clucking or anything like that. That was against the rules.
_________________
'56-C-9 C. Mosher '57-C-9 Bill Feaster
'58-J-14 H. Peavy '59-J-11 G. Wood, C. Duncan
'60-S-8 R. Leavitt, D. Hemphill '61-S-1 E. Slocum
'62-JA-1 H. Dunbar '63-C-2 (JC)
'64-C-5, (JC) Councilor
'65-C-9 '66 - '72-J-8
'73-JA1 '75-J-6

[DavidAyars]

[Tom Rawson]

I remember being curious about the buglers and the bugle calls when I was a camper, but I had never thought about the bugler missing out on camp activities until I read this thread. That must have been a real downer. Dave, I had forgotten that you had performed bugling duties. Or perhaps you started doing that after my last year (1967).

Regarding electricity in the cabins: I was in J-4 (one of three cabins in the otherwise tent-filled Junior camp). Definitely no electricity there. But I seem to remember there was electricity in one of the Midget cabins--maybe C-3 or C-4? Also, some of the Cabintown cabins had their own toilet (private pines!). C-5, C-6, and C-8, I think, were the mansions with private pines. Maybe C-7 as well, but I remember that 5, 6, and 8 all had identical designs and 7 was a little different. 5, 6, and 8 all had shelves for clothes whereas residents of the other cabins had to keep their clothes in their trunks. And I think 5, 6, and 8 (and perhaps 7) all had a loft. Anyone else remember this about Cabintown accommodations?

[Steve Hood]

This thread about being the bugler is really interesting. When I joined this list last month, I titled my first post something to the effect that "you might have heard me...." I was the bugler. I guess it might have been good if I had read this thread before getting started.

Ah well. I was bugler from 1957-61; 63 & 64. (ages 15-22.) I was surprised at comments about buglers being +/- 13 years old. I was 15 when I first started. Someone asked, and I can tell you that at least for me, there was no formal training. I remember going to the Bentley's home for my "audition" and playing various bugle calls for Mr. Bentley. I guess I played well enough to satisfy him, and I remember that the majority of the interview involved things like being responsible, being prompt, being conscientious, being on time, etc. I think I probably realized that the bugler would be largely confined to the camp ground, and this was o-k. But in retrospect, I guess it would have been nice to have had an "assistant bugler."

There was no bugle coach. I had been a midget and junior from 1951-53, and thought being the camp bugler would be cool.

I went on only one Sacco, and never climbed Mr. Washington. I did climb Mt. Chiccaoura (sp) a few times. My major activities were helping Pete Sawin with gymnastics, and especially being on the waterfront, teaching swimming and sailing. (Also Life Saving my last summer or two after I passed my Water Safety Instructor.) I often tried to line up a substitute to help with blowing the swim calls because it was a pain in the butt to have to climb up the hill just to play one swim call.

Something was said about echo taps. Yes, we always did this following the Farewell Banquet. But also, frequently on Saturday nights of parents' weekends.

The biggest bummer, I think, was playing the bugle on days that were cool, damp, rainy, etc. I hated wearing a pauncho in the first place, and trying to play calls in the rain was never any fun.

I don't recall campers trying to mess with me while I was laying. They pretty much kept their distance. On visitor weekends, lots of kids wanted to have their pictures taken with the bugler, so I guess the Kodak Camera people sold extra film. I do remember that every night I had to be extra careful to check my alarm clock, because kids would sometimes either reset the alarm, or turn it off completely.

I've always been a prompt person -- a trait which sometimes drives my wife up the wall when I want to leave extra early to get to the airport on time. Maybe my obsession with being on time is related to my bugler days. BUT, I am not sure which is the cause and which is the effect.

ENUF !! Enough rambling.

[/b]
_________________
1951: C-9. F. Whitemore, P. Durkee.
1952-53: J-11. E. Wilkins.
1957: S-7 D. Irons, JA
1958: J-4 W.Dann JC
1959: J-1 G.Engstrom JC
1960-61-63: J-6. Councillor
1964: JA-2. Councillor

[Jim Culleton]

Great memories with your post Steve! I do remember a couple of times when a camper would try to pry the trumpet from your mouth when you would start a call . . . . . . . . don't think that it happened often though. I hope that you were covered by dental insurance?? . . . . . was that even around back then?

"Echo Taps" was always special and, as you say, it was reserved for special occasions. Steve, didn't you use 1 or 2 others to help you with "Echo Taps" or did you do it by yourself?

Anyone remember how we got to "sleep in" an extra 1/2 hour during the month of August as the mornings got cooler? This may have also been the case on Sundays as well, but throughout the whole season.

Fond memories for sure Steve and all! Even the Thursday night gatherings for JC's & Councilors down at Red Roof after cookout! Am wondering if the Red Roof "punch" was ever spiked? Don't think so as we were able to trod up the Midget hill without much problem !

Jim
_________________
'56 - J-9 J. Moulton
'57 - J-11 J. Moulton
'58 - J-4 E. Web Dann, S. Hood
'59 - S-6 P. Leavitt
'60 - S-2 F. Avantaggio
'61 - JA-1 RK Irons
'62 - C-9 JC with P. Freeland
'63 - C-1 JC with S. Borger
'64 - C-6 Councilor

[Steve Hood]

Hey, Jim

Quick reply to your post.

For echo taps, there were three of us. One person stood by J-1, facing Cabin town. One person stood near the water fountain at the west end of the junior camp, and one person stood facing the entrance to the senior camp, about by the sundial.

And, as for late reveille, I really do not remember. Maybe other folks have better memories on this than I do.

Cheers to all,

Steve Hood
_________________
1951: C-9. F. Whitemore, P. Durkee.
1952-53: J-11. E. Wilkins.
1957: S-7 D. Irons, JA
1958: J-4 W.Dann JC
1959: J-1 G.Engstrom JC
1960-61-63: J-6. Councillor
1964: JA-2. Councillor

[Chris Gill]

I was up in Maine for the weekend attending a nephews high school graduation party. I got up at 5:00 yesterday morning and paddled Long Lake in Naples Maine passing several summer camps along the way. As I was paddling through the fog and mist at about 7:00 I heard reveille being blown on a real bugle, boy did that bring back memories.

I also saw and heard several loons which reminded me of the first time I heard one. I was at Lands End on an overnight. The loon must have been about 15 feet away when it let out one of those laughing calls. I think I was about 8 at the time and I bet I slept in full contact with my counselor for the rest of the night.

Chris
_________________
1965-1975
C7,C8,J8,S4,S3

[DavidAyars]

That must have been beautiful, paddling Long Lake.

But I'm surprised you heard a loon at Land's End. Are you sure the loon was there and not on a small pond while you were camping out somewhere else? (I guess Midgets didn't go far, though, for camping out... only Land's End or Melanson's Beach.)

Does anybody else remember hearing a loon on camp property? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Loons.ogg and click the Play button.
They also have a unique, mournful, longer cry that carries really well over water that's not heard in that clip.

The reason for my surprise is that loons normally like smaller bodies of water than Winnipesaukee, with no motorboats. The wakes from powerboats trash their nests which are right on the shoreline. Their nests need stable water height varying no more than a few inches during a critical time of about a month. It's possible a loon dropped by Land's End to scope it out while keeping his real home on a pond in Wolfeboro. They do migrate but not usually in summer, obviously, as it's their nesting season. Or it's possible he wasn't too bright, was nesting in Johnson's Cove, and Darwin ensured that his genetic line came to a quiet end. If loons were going to nest in Winter Harbor, Johnson's Cove would be one place they might pick.

That is an unforgettable sound, though.
_________________
Camper: J-8 1965 (Kevin Ryan), J-8 1966 (Mike Freeland), S-6 1967 (Russ Hatch), S-3 1968 (Jeremy Cripps), and JA-2 1969 (Dan Mannis).
JC: J-2 1970 (Bill Bettison) and J-3 1971 (Gene Comella). Councilor 1972, J-5 1973, and JA-1 1974 & 1975

[Chris Gill]

Dave,

I could be wrong about hearing the loons at Lands End but I'm sure I heard it while a camper at Wyanoke because it terrified me and seared a memory in my head. I was a camper prone to being terrified at night; my daughter has inherited that gene, fortunately I outgrew it. I am sure that my councilors had great fun scaring me on a regular basis, especially the sadistic Freeland brothers.

I have to disagree with you about the loons. Loons are relatively common on larger lakes throughout New England, certainly more common now than they were in the 60s and 70s.

http://www.loon.org/assets/pdf/39767_June-06.pdf
http://www.maineaudubon.org/resource/f_common_loon.pdf

Loons are much more common on big lakes that are less developed than Winnipesaukee probably because their nesting habitat is still intact. Last weekend on my 15 mile paddle I saw at least 6 loons including one on a nest.
_________________
1965-1975
C7,C8,J8,S4,S3