The Camps of Orleans - Orleans Historical Society

The Camps of Orleans
1900-1
988
900-1988
The Camps
of Orleans
1900-1988
A Collection of Histories
written for the
Orleans Bicentennial
1
Introduction
The first campers were no doubt indians, followed by hunters and fishermen.
Then in the twentieth century a new industry appeared on Cape Cod, summer camps
for children.
Orleans became an excellent area for camp
development and over a period of 88 years a total of 13
camps came into existence... some running 10 years or
less and others nearly the entire length of time. Records
indicate the first camp was Portanimicut on Pleasant Bay
starting in 1900, followed closely by Quanset in 1905.
Namequoit, the last camp to close, ended in 1988.
The Orleans’ camps flourished following the end
of WWII and peaked in the late 1960’s. But by then, the
times were changing and the 70’s saw the beginning of
the end for the local camps.
The Cape became a very popular place and real
estate values began to escalate. Camps existed on large
pieces of prime waterfront property and became subjected to sizeable increases in taxes. Insurance liability
costs rose dramatically during the same time and
suddenly federal, state, local and camping association
regulations and standards became more numerous. This
“...the organized summer camp is
was especially true of health and building code requireAmerica’s most significant contribution
ments. Many were considered nonsense... for example,
to the educational system of the world”.
insisting that cabins be electrified so doorway exit signs
Charles W. Eliot, American educator
could be seen at night. Camps did succeed in becoming
exempt from the most ridiculous regulations, but it was
costly to conform to others. All this lead to drastic
increases in enrollment fees and made it harder for these small businesses to operate.
Diminished respect for rules and authority during the 70’s, made it harder for camp life
to run smoothly.
All the Orleans camps remaining in the 1970’s had their roots in a different time.
Some were able to change better than others, but many owners who had been in
camping for a long time began to feel it just wasn’t fun anymore. The value of the camp
real estate prohibited sales for continued camping use. Often family members interests
headed in different directions. All the camps were separately and closely bound with the
owner’s personality. As they died or retired, the long tradition of Orleans’ camps began
to disappear.
Thousands of children had come to Orleans to spend their summers learning
new things, having new experiences, meeting new people and having fun. For many,
those times would affect the rest of their lives, so that long afterward their camp memories would be recalled with great fondness.
During the Bicentennial and while the chance to collect accurate information
on most of the camps still existed, this collection of historys was put together. This is just
a small sampling of the many photos and recollections of each camp.
2
Camp
Locations
1. Camp Chéri - West shore of Areys Pond, Orleans
2. Camp Cunningham - 164 Barley Neck Road, East Orleans
3. Lake Farm Camp - 34 Monument Road, Orleans
4. Camp Mayflower - Meg’s Lane,
off Monument Road, Orleans
5. Namequoit Sailing Camp - off Areys Lane
(now Thayer Lane) South Orleans
6. Camp Owaissa - Champlain Road, East Orleans
7. Pleasant Bay Camp - off
Quanset Road, South Orleans
8. Portanimicut Sailing Camp
for Boys - off Portanimicut Road,
South Orleans
9. Camp Quanset - off Quanset
Road, South Orleans
10. Camps Sealore (boys) &
Seamaid (girls) - Champlain
Road, East Orleans
11. Spyglass Hill Camp Rte. 28, on Crystal Lake, Orleans
12. Camp Tonset off Champlain Road
(now Camp Road), East Orleans
13. Camp Viking- Viking Road,
off Namequoit Road, South Orleans
3
Camp Chéri
1925-1934
Located on the west shore of Areys River,
Camp Chéri was established by Mrs. Alice L.
Murdoch for the purpose of helping young women
become more fluent in French. It was a small camp
with never more than 30 including counselors.
The Murdoch’s cottage on the hill became
the main building. The younger campers slept in
cottages situated among the pines on knolls above
the inlet. The “Studio” nearer the water, housed the
older girls. It was a former barn that had been
moved and remodeled. With its large screened
windows and beautiful antique fireplace it was a nice
setting for the amateur dramatics the campers
performed.
On the temperate waters of the inlet and
Areys Pond, the campers were taught swimming,
diving, and life saving. Campers had to pass swimming tests before they were allowed to sail the
camp’s 14 & 15 foot sharpies. Rowing and canoeing
were also taught. In addition to the saltwater sports,
fishing on a near-by fresh water pond was a nice
diversion. Crabbing and clamming were done in the
salt water inlet. For the time the camp operated, the
campers had sole use of the inlet and pond.
On Areys Pond
Tennis,
Studio in background
A friendly race
4
Diving instruction
Other activities included horseback
riding, field sports and English country
dancing. Riding included work in the ring
and delightful rides through the sandy
woods roads and along the beach. The arts
and crafts program consisted of
leatherwork, block printing, basketry and
clay modeling. A trip to the outer beach for
a camp fire or picnic was a favorite activity
with the campers.
A trip to the outer beach
The main emphasis of the camp was learning to speak
French, Mrs. Murdoch’s specialty. She worked daily with each
group, spending an hour reading or practicing pronunciation.
They learned French songs and dramatic selections and spoke
French at meals and in the evening charades. Parents were
surprised by the amount of French the girls had acquired during
the eight week session.
The following list from a
camp brochure shows what
each camper was expected
to bring to camp for the
season.
Camp Equipment
4 pairs Chéri blue bloomers
1 pair serge bloomers
6 white middies
1 black tie
2 bathing suits
bathing shoes and cap
8 pairs socks
1 pair high white sneakers
1 pair Bass moccasins
1 heavy sweater
1 light sweater
2 or 3 simple light dresses
2 laundry bags
4 sheets for cot beds
3 pillow slips
1 pair heavy balnkets
1 pair light blankets
Each article must be
marked with full name.
The Sharpies were easy for the girls to handle
5
Camp
Cunningham
1917-1940’s
Capt Dave Delano
took the campers sailing.
Camp Cunningham was located on the Barley
Neck Road property of Miss Edna Carret. It was run from
about 1917 until the early 1940’s for underprivileged girls
from the Milton, Massachusetts area. Ages ranged from
preteen to early teen years. The camp was named after its
benefactor, the Cunningham family from Milton. One
camper remembered the fee for camp was $8.00 a week.
Miss Carret was director for 3 counselors and
twelve campers. Her home provided a dining hall and a
nearby barn housed the campers and staff. The names of
the girls can still be seen carved on the beams and walls
of the barn.
Each counselor was assigned either waterfront,
crafts or athletic responsibilities. Water sports were carried
on across the street on the shores of Meetinghouse Pond
or the river area. Capt. David Delano and his son David
took the girls sailing on Pleasant Bay or in the river.
The campers also swam at Nauset Beach and had
overnight camping excursions there, too.
The camp field
6
Campers helping each other
wash their hair
Girls on overnight hike
at Nauset Beach
“The Gang”...1927
7
Lake Farm Camp
1930-1984
summer home in Orleans and give them a summer experience on a farm with farm animals and
allow the students to enjoy all the many things that
she enjoyed for so many years as a child. Thus
eight students from the city spent their first summer at what was to be the first summer of Lake
Farm Camp.
Located 27 miles from the tip of Cape Cod
and two miles from both ocean and bay, Lake
Farm Camp was established in 1930 by Margaret
Plimpton. It was in the fall of 1929 that Margery felt
the great need to bring some of her students at
Ethical Culture School in New York back to her
By the end of the third
summer, Margery knew that it
was time to expand as there
were more children interested in coming than she
could take care of with the
present facilities. Hillhouse
and Cabin were built to
house the girl campers. The
barn had a wing added on
which housed the nine boys
with three girl counselors. It
was called Corral. Soon
another extension was built
and that became Paddock.
8
With the number of childen coming to
Lake Farm increasing to between 30 to 40, it
became necessary to add more animals in order
for more indivdual participation in the care of
the animals, morning and night. Horses, milking
goats and hens became a part of the camp
population. Each camper had a little garden of
his own to tend and care.
Ten days before camp opened,radishes
were planted in little plots in the form of each
campers initials so that the camper could identify
which plot was his. During the summer, other
vegetables would be added to the plot. The
activities were horseback riding, swimming, arts
and crafts and group games.
9
Lake Farm remained very much the
same until it was bought by Elizabeth Nale and
Marion Currier in the Fall of 1957. Marion had
extensive camping experience having worked at
Camp Wabunaki in Maine and then at Quanset
Sailing Camp in South Orleans.
It was with the encouragement of
“Poppa” Hammatt that she embarked on buying
her own camp. Elizabeth had been a counselor at
Quanset and had taught swimming for her local
community under the sponsorship of the American Red Cross. The camp philosophy now
combined an experience similar to a summer on
“Grandmother’s” farm but added activities such
as tennis, archery, sailing, canoeing, and rowing.
Camp expanded both in physical size as well as
population. To the original size of 8 acres, 20
more acres were added. The first parcel added
two large non-productive cranberry bogs. This
area was used for baseball, games and archery.
The second parcel added area to the waterfront.
Space was allotted for swimming, rowing, sailing
and canoeing. Campers also enjoyed the piloting
10
of a miniature replica of a tugboat. There were now
two riding rings...one for beginners and one for the
advanced rider. Campcraft had an area for their
activities which included tree houses, building
bridges, and overnights with the all important
campfire and a chance to tell stories and cook
meals. Adjoining the campfire area were two tennis
courts. Camp buildings were added...four more
cabins and a recreation hall for general assembly
and activities. The infirmary also had its own
building. In the 1970’s a day camp was added.
Enrollment for camp now reached an average of
150 campers with a minimum of 40 staff members.
All campers eagerly participated in the running of a
real farm. There were goats to milk, baby goats and
lambs to feed, eggs to gather, gardens to tend and
horses and stables to care for and much was done
and much was learned about the rabbits who lived
on Rabbit Hill.
Camp lore featured The Hermit and his
shack and The Bog Monster. There were many
camp specials... Counselor Hunt, King Pop and The
Lollipop Tree, Campfire Recognition, Carnival, Skit
Night and The Masquerade. Cabin Night was a
favorite as it featured hiking to local areas - the
favorite being the candy store in the center of
Orleans. The Pirate Hunt divided the campers into
kingsmen and pirates, but at the end of the day
everyone was a pirate. We had a king and queen
and their court. The court honors were bestowed
on the boy and girl campers who had attended
Camp was co-ed and catered to ages five
thru thirteen. A junior counselor program was
added in answer to
the campers that
wanted to continue
in the Lake Farm
tradition. Staff
members came from
all parts of the USA.
Particular mention
must be made of the
contributions of the
Missouri groups!
11
Lake Farm the longest. The whole camp converged on
Nauset Beach in their pirate costumes looking for the
treasure. Spirited songs were sung at meals and in the
recreation hall, “The Titanic”, Pirate and Kingsmen songs,
and “You Are My Sweetheart” being favorites. Who can
forget the scene in the dining room after lunch had been
served and announcements were being made as we all
looked forward to the last announcemant of Miss Currier
which was “I can stand here today and say that we have a
perfect camp!”
Lake Farm
Camp was a small camp
dedicated to the health
and happiness of young
children, counselors and
animal friends. It was
able to carry out this
philosophy through
giving a happy and
constructive experience
emotionally, socially and
physically.
The camp was
closed after the summer
of 1984.
12
Mayflower
Camp
1920-1930
Mayflower was a girl’s camp situated on the north
shore of Crystal Lake on a lovely wooded lot benefitting from
the prevailing southwest wind. The land was purchased about
1920 by Mrs. Norman White, of New York City, who owned
Camp Owaissa in the Tonset area.
Mrs. White had been widowed at an early age and left
with four children to raise. The family summered in Orleans
for several years and so her thoughts had turned to running a
girl’s camp as a way to earn a livelihood. Owaissa was successful so when the property on Crystal Lake became available,
she bought it and started a camp for younger girls. In a few
years, she consolidated the camps into “Mayflower Camp” at
the Crystal Lake site.
13
The camp “Office”
built in 1920
by Norman White
There were between forty and fifty campers housed in long cabins with
four girls in each end with two counselors in a center section separating them.
Some of the older girls were able to live three in a tent, with a wooden floor.
They were the envy of all the younger girls.
The activities were varied with sailing, rowing, canoeing, and swimming
in the lake with Red Cross life saving courses mandatory. On land there was
tennis, various sports on the playing field and trips to Woods Hole, Highland Light
in Truro and to Provincetown’s Wharf and monument, which were optional.
Talking things over
14
Trips to the outer beach
featured activities like
archery and exploring
the Montclair shipwreck
A trip to Provincetown
15
There were plays to put on, jewelry to
make, water festivals to be held (with decorated
canoes) and even a circus one year on the athletic
field. Horseback riding was available as an elective
in Brewster.
There were trips on Capt. Norman White,
Jr.’s boat “The Black Hawk” to Pleasant Bay
beaches for picnics. Also, there were several
picnics on Nauset Beach in the camp truck. The
most exciting were the “Overnights” on Chatham
Bar (a barrier island then) via “The Black Hawk”.
The girls camp, with “Mother” White at the
head, changed directions about 1930. Her son,
Norman White, Jr. had founded “Viking” a boys
sailing camp on Pleasant Bay in 1929, and at the
same time Mayflower became an adult and family
camp. Meg White, Norman’s wife, came over to
Mayflower to help run it. Each long cabin was cut up
into three smaller cabins, holding two iron beds, two
gray bureaus and a toilet room was added. There
were a few cabins that could handle larger families.
At that time the Coast Guard still patrolled
the beaches at night on foot. The patrolmen were
happy to have hot soup and cocoa with us around
our bonfire, while telling us many exciting tales.
We each learned to make up our own sleeping
bag with a blanket and poncho, and were happily
miserable the few times it rained or the sand fleas
invaded our bed rolls.
Marching in the rain
16
did not take long for the fourteen lots to be sold,
many to former guests who jumped at the chance
to own a piece of Mayflower land.
The main dining room in Mother White’s
home remained the same with long tables, each
headed by a young hostess, where all meals were
provided. One or two “housekeeping cottages”
had small kitchens in which breakfast and lunch
could be, with dinner usually being eaten at the
main house. Guests came for one or two weeks at
a time and returned year after year. It was open
from late June to early September.
It is now known as Meg’s Lane after Mrs.
Margaret E.F. White (Mrs Norman White, Jr.) It is
still a beautiful quiet place for those of us who are
fortunate enough to live there. However, it is sad to
think that in this day and age, so few young children
will ever know the fun of going to camp on Cape
Cod in the summer.
This was a very popular and relaxing kind
of vacation. It attracted professors, doctors, artists,
playwrights and many former campers. It lasted for
thirty years until 1960 when Norman and Meg
gave up the camp and subdivided the property. It
Elinor Rust
(neice of Mrs. Norman White)
June 1997
The “circus” arrives on the athletic field!
17
Camp
Namequoit
1925-1988
“A Summer at Namequoit - An Investment for
a Lifetime” That was the slogan C.J. and Lou Anne
Thayer created for their newly purchased summer
camp, located on Areys Lane in South Orleans, Cape
Cod, Massachusetts.
The Camp site, a 40 acre wooded lot, bordered on the Northwest side by beautiful fresh water
Pilgrim Lake, and on the Southeast side by salt water
Namequoit River into historic Pleasant Bay, was
purchased from Dr. Prohasker in 1943, with the first
season in the summer of 1944. Dr. Prohasker had
operated Namequoit from 1938 until 1943, when he
was forced to close down due to World War II and the
camp’s close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the
need for nightly blackouts along the coast.
Although 1944 was their first summer of
private camping, C.J. and Lou Anne Thayer had been
camp directors of YMCA sponsored caddy camps on
Cape Cod since 1925. Many of Namequoit’s first staff
members came from the Eastward Ho caddy Camp in
Chatham, Massachusetts. Those early years of experience in dealing with young men, along with C.J.’s
educational background as a teacher, school principal,
and professor on the staff of Louisiana State University,
established a strong foundation for future years as
camp directors and leaders.
Learning to sail on the Crosby
Catboat, “CJ”, on Pleasant Bay
Popular and educational
activities, crafts and
woodworking were part
of the daily program.
18
C.J. and Lou Anne
Thayer, owners and
directors, with their
1954 staff.
Directors Brooks Thayer
and Art Farnham
Their first summer’s enrollment was barely
over 30 boys, most of whom came from Louisiana
and bordering states, However, the enrollment grew
steadily in the early years as a result of the Thayer’s
promotional efforts and the assistance of staff
members in the teaching community. At the time of
their passing (Lou Anne in 1958 and C.J. in 1959)
the enrollment had reached the century mark and
the camp was well respected in the camping
profession and the Orleans community.
Arthur E.(Art) Farnham was associate
director of the camp at the time of C.J.’s death,
having worked in camp administration with the
Thayers from 1953. He graduated from Springfield
College and was a professor of Physical Education
and Head Track & Field Coach at Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. Art was ably assisted by his
wife, Jerauldene. It is of interest that Art had been a
caddy camper and counselor at Eastward Ho from
1939-1941.
Brooks B. Thayer, their only son, had
graduated from Louisiana State University and
Harvard Business School and was headed for a
career in business when his father passed away.
However, having spent all his childhood and teen
years in camping and developing a strong interest in
sailing, he decided to give
up a business career to
continue a tradition started
by his parents. His wife,
Louise, a Wellesley grad and
former sailing director at
nearby Camp Avalon for
girls in Chatham, was
delighted to return to Cape
Cod and support her husband in their new challenge
as camp owners and directors.
Intra-camp team activities
provided a healthy outlet
for the limitless energy of
the Namequoit campers
19
Namequoit’s 40 acre site
was between saltwater,
the Namequoit River
(above)
and fresh water,
Pilgrim Lake (right)
Namequoit’s program which featured
sailing and racing provided spirited, but limited,
competition; freedom of choice within limits;
mature leadership by tolerant and understanding
counselors; healthful and well-balanced meals; and
professional guidance with respect to health and
safety.
and volleyball courts, 5 tennis courts, rifle and
archery ranges, theatre and stage, athletic field, and
two waterfronts. Instructional swimming, recreational swimming, fishing, rowing, canoeing, life
saving, and competitive swimming were held at the
lake; while racing, rowing, waterskiing, windsurfing,
and sailing took place at the salt waterfront which
was only 300 yards south of the lake.
The facilities which were limited in scope in
the early 40’s were annually updated and improved.
By the time the camp reached its ideal enrollment in
the mid-70’s, 40 buildings dotted the site. These
included: a spacious dining hall, recreation hall, 15
living cabins, infirmary, crafts and maintenance
shops, two shower houses, along with basketball
In addition, the program also included:
tennis, team sports and games such as baseball,
basketball, volleyball, track and field, archery, riflery,
crafts, woodworking, dramatics, ecology, deep sea
fishing, gymnastics, and trips. Golf and horseback
riding were popular in the 40’s and 50’s.
20
Campers loading
personal equipment and
supplies for a sail to
and overnight at our
Outpost on North Beach
in Chatham.
Senior boys boarding
the camp bus for a trip
to Camp Tonset and a
baseball game.
Smiling faces and bass
catches are proof of one of
the most successful deep
sea fishing trips on Cape
Cod Bay
21
A new dining hall built in 1964
provided ample comfort
and modern kitchen facilities
to feed 200 campers
and staff at one seating
Intercamp activities
such as picnics, dances,
socials, leadership meetings,
regattas, and other athletic
contests were held with other
local camps each season. The
highlight and most popular
was the annual intercamp
regatta held close to the end
of each season involving 10 of
the best sailors from each
camp. For many years this was known as the Cape
Cod Intercamp Regatta (CCIR) with five camps from
the Eastern part of the Cape (Avalon, Quanset,
Pleasant Bay, Viking, and Namequoit) and five
camps from the Western part (Bennett, Chappa
Challa, Cowasset, Tabor, and Wampanoag) taking
part. Following the closing of many of the western
camps, it was held in Pleasant Bay and known as the
Pleasant Bay Intercamp Regatta (PBIR), with the
addition of Cape Cod Sea Camps and Camp Favorite, both from Brewster.
Namequoit as campers, couselors, and activity
leaders spending from 10-15 years in camping.
A loyal staff helped to make Namequoit’s
program successful. Larry Willey served as assistant
director in the 40’s and 50’s. Art Finlay was the
camp’s first maintenance director and served until
1964. Chefs Robert Ariniello and John Heron each
worked 18 years. Ted Goodwin served as maintenance director for 18 years also. John Dunsford
was business director for 17 years; while Alan
Haddad was program and assistant director for 19
years.
As the enrollment grew, boys were recruited from all over the United States and many
foreign countries resulting in a very cosmopolitan
environment. Second generation campers became
commonplace. The ages ranged from 7-16 and
included a two-year counselor-in-training (CIT)
program. It was not unusual for boys to grow up at
The decision to close camp in March of
1989 was reached after much deliberation and with
many factors playing a part in that decision. All
associated with the camp took pride in its record
and reputation over the years.
The shore of the
Namequoit River was
the location for riflery
instruction in the
1940’s. A wooden
frame building was
added in later years.
22
Campers at Nauset Beach
Camp
Owaissa
1909-1925
Camp Owaissa was a girl’s camp located in the
Tonset section of Orleans in the early 1900’s. It is uncertain
as to when it began but it was sold circa 1925. It was
owned and operated by Margaret B.C. White and enrolled
34 girls and 9 counselors. The girls from 10 to 16 years of
age lived in cabins and
most campers came for
the full summer season
of July and August.
Their activities consisted of swimming and
diving(Red Cross Life
Saving Tests) from their
dock and float at Snow
Shore, tennis, archery,
dancing, arts & crafts,
hiking and dramatics.
A Gilbert & Sullivan
operetta was performed each year.
Mess Hall and Kitchen
23
Cabin and Recreation Hall
“Mother” White
Campers posing between cabins with
Nauset Harbor in the background
24
View from water tower looking toward Nauset Harbor
There were many special treats such as overnights on
Nauset Beach, boat trips on Pleasant Bay or a day trip to
Provincetown. The girls could hike to Orleans to shop and on
Sundays to attend the Universalist Church (The Historical
Society now occupies that building). There was a little shop
nearby owned by Sadie Pierce where the campers could buy
penny candy and wooden souvenirs made by Cap’n Dan
Gould.
They were healthy, happy summers, fun to remember, but unavailable in this day and age.
Owaissa archery range later became
the location of Tonset’s Chapel
25
Outer Beach picnic
Pleasant
Bay
Camp
1930-1979
PBC was started in 1928 by Alice L.
Melcher on four acres of woodland, sunny
playing fields and a safe, sandy beach on Little
Pleasant Bay.
The camp began as a day camp with
boys and girls 12 years of age coming from the
towns of Brewster, Chatham and Orleans. Bill
Randal was the first “driving” counselor and
picked up all the campers. They loved him and
his daily, outrageous stories made the trip all the
more enjoyable.
Activities included swimming, sailing,
racing, rowing, pottery, shop and games. Picnics
by the ocean and trips to the outside beach
(OSB) were part of the schedule, too. Pottery
created at camp had a special quality in that
“Mrs. M.” actually dug the clay from the banks
that bordered the bay, strained it and made it
usable for the camper’s projects. The season
usually ran from July 5 to August 12. The tuition
was a remarkable $75.
Alice Melcher
26
In 1943 PBC was converted to a resident
camp for boys and girls ages 6 to 13 with a staff of
23 counselors and 70 campers. A heartwarming
activity of the camp at the beginning of each day
was the flag raising ceremony, with everyone
gathered around the flagpole at dawn. Another
beautiful ceremony instituted by Mrs. H. was a
candlelight ritual at the end of each camp season.
Campers and counselors made wax cups with
candles inside which were lit and set afloat on the
bay while singing a special song written for the
occasion.
proved they could float, tread water and swim 100
yards. Learning to row and tie knots was essential,
too. The best sailors were chosen to skipper the
baybirds in the weekly races held by the Chatham
Yacht Club in Big Pleasant Bay. PBC had a fleet of
five sloops designed by S. Burgess and built in
Marblehead, Mass. This class was the majority of
boats being raced at the Yacht Club at the time.
Many sailing counselors were recruited from the
M.I.T. sailing team... a result of which was “Perry’s
Manual”. Bob Perry was the head sailing counselor
for many years.
Sailing, of course,
was the primary activity of
the camp. No one was
allowed to sail until they
passed a swim test that
27
Many campers came back to camp as
counselors during their summers off from college.
Several summer romances blossomed into serious
relationships and eventually marriage. Phil and Sally
Smith and Bill and Dot Sandmeyers were two couples
that did marry.
Jim and Barb Melcher purchased PBC in
1958. Their sons Chuck, Peter and Bart grew up at
the camp. Chuck and Peter later became counselors.
Art flourished in the sixties while the other
activities continued. Marine biology came to be a
natural interest of the young campers as they connected with Will Sargent and his studies of Pleasant
Bay.
28
Barbara and Jim Melcher
Morning flag raising
29
All campers will
fondly remember
this camp song:
Stefan and Marcia Galazzi joined the staff in
1974 and began a winter program, The Experience
Boat School for 18-30 year old students. Due to state
education laws, the school was moved to Hyannis in
1977. Jim Melcher was the school’s first boat building
instructor, his position being filled later by Loring
Wordell of Hyannis.
The last year camp ran was 1980 and the
property was sold in 1982.
30
We welcome you to PBC
We’re mighty glad you’re here.
We’ll set the air reverberating
With a mighty cheer.
We’ll sing you in,
We’ll dance you out.
We will raise a mighty shout!
Hail! Hail! The gang’s all here
At PBC this year!
Portanimicut
Camp
for Boys
1900-1912
Portanimicut, the first organized Cape Cod camp
for children, was established in 1900 on the west shore of
Little Pleasant Bay, next to what later became Pleasant
Bay Camp. Its president was Francis Gray. Gibson Bell
from Brown & Nichols School directed the camp with
help from his brothers. The camp drew boys from Boston
and its suburbs and offered a program of sailing, fishing,
swimming, baseball, tennis and track.
The campers were called “Bell Boys” by the local
residents. They wore white middies, long white sailor
trousers and white sailor caps.
Portanimicut continued until 1910 or 1912.
31
Quanset
Sailing
Camp
1905-1976
Tioga with a full crew
In the summer of 1905, Mary L. Hammatt,
an advocate of healthy, active, outdoor living was
wishing for companions for her only daughter,
Alice. She decided to combine the two ideas and
this was the beginning of Camp Quanset.
At first, the campers lived in tents in the field
behind the Hammatt farm house. They walked to
the Bay to swim, play volleyball, worked on Indian
crafts and made fudge in the evenings.
In 1912, the camp
moved into bunkhouses on
the hill above Little Pleasant
Bay. During these years, a
significant event during the
summer for the people of
Orleans was the performance
of an original operetta or
play, put on by the Quanset
campers in the Orleans Town
Hall.
Ann and Bruce Hammatt
32
By the 1920’s, sailing was an important part of
camp life with weekly baybird races at the Chatham
Yacht Club.
In the mid 1930’s, Poppa Hammatt, Mrs.
Hammatt’s son, took over as director. Sailing continued
to be the most important activity at Quanset. 1936 saw
the establishment of the Quanset Yacht Club. Weekly
races among the camps on Pleasant Bay were held. All
through these years “Tioga” sailed on many outside
beach trips, all day sails and memorable moonlight sails.
It is difficult to average the number of campers
per year over the 71 year history. There were 9 campers
in 1905, the first year, 78 campers in 1928, 36 campers in
1936, 60 campers in 1958, 140 campers in 1976. “Mrs. H”
used to say, “The enrollment follows the stock market.”
Of course the Depression and World War II had some
effect as well.
Frosty Cass has
just called the
Nimmies to come
get their mail.
A third or more of the campers came from New
England. Another third came from New York, New
Jersey and the rest came from all over the United States.
There were also some who came from foreign countries
such as Canada, Mexico, Japan, Belgium, Switzerland
and others.
Model boat building with Mr. Johnson in the 1920’s.
33
Line up check on the Dr. Field before breakfast.
The camp season was eight weeks. As the years
went by, many campers came for 4 weeks only so that
the girls could vacation with their families for part of the
summer. Many girls came for several summers and
perhaps as many as one third to one half were repeat
campers. In 1928, the fee for the summer was $400.
During the Depression it dropped to $200 or even less.
In 1976, the fee was $850.
Poppa’s garden between the bunkhouses and
the shore provided fresh vegetables daily for the camp
kitchen and crunchy carrot snacks for the campers at
any time.
Horseback riding, tennis, swimming, arts and
crafts and ceramics were among the many activities in
addition to Peanut Day, Topsy Turvy Day, nature walks
in the Cape Cod National Seashore Park, fresh pond
swims treasure hunts, reward trips to Howard
Johnson’s for ice cream cones and always the Yacht
Club races.
Something different was planned for each
34
“Poppa” Hammatt
Trail riding
with Honey
evening...paper bag skits, sailing games,
Capture the Flag, campfires and moonlight
sails. On occasion there would be social
evenings with the boys’ camps.
From 1963-65 Poppa’s daughter,
Dorothy ran the camp. Then in 1966 Poppa’s
son Bruce and his wife Ann, bought the camp
and became the directors having had
Quanset connections since 1928-29. They
were helped in the running of camp by their
sons and their wives for several years. Sailing
continued to dominate with Widgeons
replacing the Sharpies and Baybirds still the
favorites. At this time, new activities including
gymnastics and drama were introduced.
Throughout these years, girls from around
the world became Quanset campers.
After a most successful 1976 season,
Quanset Sailing Camp closed for good.
The Quanset “Q”
taken from
the POQ pin.
The Sailing Pier...
Pick up your
lifejackets
on your way out.
35
Mrs. “H”
(Mary Hammatt)
with campers
circa 1937
“Oh, the Baybirds. They sail out in Big Bay”
36
Camps
Sealore
& Seamaid
Returning to camp with the mail
1930’s -1942
Camps Sealore for boys and Seamaid for
girls were located in East Orleans on what later
became the Camp Tonset site.
They were owned and directed by Ellis
“Doc” Abell of Lexington, MA. Doc was the boys’
physical education teacher at the Lexington JuniorSenior High School in the
1930’s into the 1950’s.
The camps, which
featured sailing, swimming,
tennis, team sports, arts &
crafts, archery, and dramatics, were in operation
in the late 1930’s until
1942, when they were
forced to close due to
World War II and the
threat of possible attack or
invasion off the Atlantic
Coast by German U-boats.
Tonset shore
and fish houses
37
Spyglass
Camp
1924-1928
Spyglass Hill Camp, a boarding camp for little children
(eight year olds), was operated from 1924-1928 at the summer
home of two sisters, Agnes McLoon and Katherine Bryan. The
camp was named by a camper while reading Treasure Island. It
was located on Route 28 in Orleans, with 200 feet of shoreline on
Crystal Lake.
The directors of the camp were Marjorie Plimpton from
across the lake and Katherine Bryan, both teachers of wide
experience in progressive Eastern schools. Miss Plimpton worked
at the elementary level and Miss Bryan in a Junior High department. Camp each summer ran for eight weeks. The tuition was
$250 for the entire period and included laundry, camp trips, and
craft materials.
A first catch
Clam digging
38
The “Ideals” as put forth in the camp’s brochure were
“Health, Work and Creative Play are our objectives. The ideal
cooperative family life is our aim - a life in which each member
takes a responsibility for the well being of the whole. We believe
in the wholesome companionship of little boys and girls. Our
camp is small, the number not to exceed eight, and each parent
may be assured - in this ‘Child’s First Camp’- of the careful
supervision and individual encouragement of his child. Ours is a
camp especially adapted to the needs of the only child.”
Among summer trips were those to Chatham Light,
Nauset Coast Guard Station, to Provincetown, and frequent
entire days spent at the ocean. The children left camp “with a
wealth of old Cape Cod sea-lore, in story, poem and song.”
The child’s first camp
39
The Hill
Discipline was meted out gently
to the young campers and one incident
will long be remembered. One boy was
sent to the basement for punishment of
his misdeed. While there he vented his
frustration by tearing off the labels of all
the cans of fruits and vegetables. The
result that summer was “chaos in the
kitchen.”
One tradition was started the
first year and continued at Spyglass Hill
long after the camp closed. The last
night of camp featured a Japanese
Lantern Parade from the house to and
out onto the lake. Each camper was
given a pole with a candlelit lantern on
the end of it. “Oh we were so careful!”
At the lake, the lanterns were set afloat.
The flickering flames reflecting across
the water would ever remind the
children of their days at Spyglass Hill
Camp.
A trip to Nauset Coast Guard Station
Spyglass Hill Camp closed in
1928. In 1929 Katherine Bryan, in
partnership with Norman White, began
Viking Camp on Pleasant Bay.
The day after they found
the pirate treasure
40
Camp assembled on the Hill
Camp Tonset
1949-1972
Owners Mary and Rod Hagenbuckle
Tonset’s only owners & directors were
Roderick and Mary Hagenbuckle. “Mr. H.” was a
school teacher and had experience with other
Cape Cod camps. First, with Gunny Eldredge at
Camp Malabar in Chatham for a couple of years at
the end of World War II and then with a brother,
Cedric and his wife Beatrice for two years at Camp
Viking in South Orleans. Mr. & Mrs. H. decided to
start their own camp in 1949. Tonset (an Indian
name for that area in East Orleans) was the site of
several previous camps, Owaissa, Sealore and
Seamaid. The last one had closed because of the
war.
The site lay on Nauset Harbor with its
beach front adjacent to Snow Shore Landing. The
property included a pine tree covered hill with
cabins, mess hall, rec hall, “head” and infirmary.
In addition there were several acres of open,
abandoned farm land with farm house and barn.
The Hagenbuckles lived in the Farm House and
turned part of the barn into the Camp Shop. In
time smaller adjacent properties were added with
buildings to house campers and married staff
members. Names of these places included
Topsides, Outrigger, Crow’s Nest, Sea Chest and
Boat House.
41
Mail Call with Bobbie Howe
The cabins on the hill were arranged in two
groupings. The older boys (10-13) lived in Sleepy
Hollow, the younger campers in Frog Hollow. They
held six to ten campers and one or two counselors,
were simple, wood framed with a couple of windows and other screened openings- no running
water and sparse electricity. The boys thought they
were really roughing it. The cabins were named
after shore birds- Blue Heron, Black Duck, Kingfisher, Marsh Hawk, Coot, Sandpiper, Plover and
Gull.
Pet crow,
Amos
flexibility in that routine which permitted spur-ofthe-moment events and allowed activities to be
developed around an individual staff members
special talent.
The most important activity was sailing,
followed by swimming. Counselors experienced in
sailing and Red Cross instructors taught the children. The sailing program was conducted in the
Town Cove at the Orleans Yacht Club. The best
sailors raced on Sunday against yacht club youngsters or crewed with sailing counselors in senior
races. Steve Downes, a counselor for several years
was always a contender for club trophys and won
many representing the camp.
Tonset never had more than about 85
campers which allowed the entire staff to get to
know the kids very well. The campers were divided
by age into groups called crews (Able, Baker,
Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf and Hotel) and
participated in the organized camp program within
that group. There was a structure & schedule to the
daily routine, but the camp’s small size afforded a
Model Boat Regatta at Snow Shore
42
Mrs. Bovelle (Mrs. B.)Famous for Sunday
morning popovers
Mess Hall
Tennis, baseball, track, archery, riflery and shop were other
regular activities. As boys learned new skills, they were rewarded by
receiving seamanship ratings reflecting their level of accomplishment.
The ratings were Apprentice, Ordinary, Able-Bodied, Seaman and
finally Quartermaster. The camp was divided in two sides, Port and
Starboard. Throughout the season competitive events would be held
between the two sides- sailing races, swim meets, track meets,the corn
husking contest for the Farewell Banquet, and Capture the Flag. The
season’s winner would be announced at the Farewell Banquet to
sounds of groans and cheers.
Tonset like all camps strived to provide a healthy, safe, interesting, experience for young children. The boys needed to be cared
for and about as they lived out their summer adventure. Camps met
the challenge and were rewarded by the child’s growth and happiness.
Special Camp Characters, Traditions and Events
Harry The Barber was a regular visitor. An itinerant, free
spirited character he visited most of the local boy’s camps
cutting children’s hair. He was also known as Hatchet Harry
& Harry the Butcher. A gentle mysterious man, he appeared out of thin air, lived and traveled in his car accompanied by a small dog. He was old, with bright white hair
and always wore a straw hat.He played the fiddle and
harmonica. At the end of lunch - Harry had a knack for
arriving at meal time - Mr.H would get Harry to perform. A
favorite was watching Harry blow the harmonica and
shuffle his feet imitating a steaming locomotive.
.
Snipe Hunts were another annual event. Supposedly a
hunting expedition, they were really a rite of passage into a
group bonded by a secret. The secret was, no one would
ever catch a snipe. The success of the hunt depended on
yesterday’s fooled to be today’s fooler.The snipe was an
unusual bird- it could not fly’ had one leg shorter than the
43
Miss Babcock
(Miss B.) with campers
birthday cake
Outer Beach trip in the “Recon”
other enabling it to traverse
hillsides easily, but forcing it to run
in wide circles on flat land. And it
ran backwards so it could see
where it had been.The uninitiated,
including unknowing counselors
would be set out in the evening
among the trees and bushes. They
held their blinking flashlight and
whistled softly to attract the
running snipe into their opened
potato sack.Campers in the know
acted as “Beaters” running
through the camp hooting and
hollering chasing the frightened
birds towards the anxious, waiting
hunters. Afterwards, the frustrated
hunters joined the “beaters” on
the Hill. Someone, always unidentified, had been lucky . Mr. H held up the sack yes, something was in there - the bag was opened,
the contents fluttered out- and for an instant in the
evening’s dark you could believe the loose
feathers, the stuffed bird, or whatever it was that
tumbled out on the ground that night was really
the elusive snipe. AH! But, there was always next
year to try again.
that something was percolating appeared mysteriously and with increasing frequency. Finally, an
announcement that a ship had floundered on the
outer beach and its strange cargo of the Allstars
had spilled out and were seen nearby. They would
be in camp to play the campers in the evening.
The Allstars, in fact, were counselors who disguised themselves in various ways. In uniforms,
coats and ties, masks, wigs, some in drag - whatever nonsense appealed. It was enormous fun for
everyone. The Allstars arrived and several innings
were played until a police cruiser, whose appearance had been prearranged by Mr H. drove onto
the ball field scattering the fugitive Allstars into the
woods.
The Hawaiian All-Stars Softball Team visited
Tonset for many years and played the camper”s
team. The Allstars were a strange assortment of
misfits, ex-cons and weird-o’s. Their actual arrival
was spur of the moment, but for days ahead, signs
The Shop Program at Tonset was
an important part of camp life.
Every boy built a model sail boat
and at the end of the season the
boats participated in an all-camp
regatta. An enormous amount of
work went into insuring that every
boy left for home with a finished
boat. Rigged properly, the boats
would sail easily and endlessly.
They were varnished, painted, and
even their names hand lettered on
the small transoms. The program
was brought to Tonset in 1949 by
“Uncle” Andy Miller who had run
Outer Beach Duck Camp- Campers
who took “The Oath of the Trap Door”
returned to camp proudly wearing an
iodine cross on their forehead.
44
“Townies” racing on the Cove
the shop program at Camp Viking
for many years. His nephew, Bob
continued the program after
Andy left in ’59. It was a good
experience for children. They
discovered that by paying attention and following instruction they
could, with simple tools and their
hands make an attractive useful
boat. They learned there was a
right and a wrong way to get the
job done. And there were strict
rules in the Miller’s shop and
unavoidable consequences if they
were disobeyed. They learned
that patience, perseverence and
hard work for eight weeks would
produce something to be proud
of. No instant gratification. And now, 1997, thirty to
forty years after camping, many models sit in living
rooms or on mantles as pleasant reminders of an
enjoyable childhood accomplishment..
Other memories of Tonset’s
traditions and daily life.
•Daily cabin inspection- no woolies
under the bed, Sunday standby
•Clean hand check- both sides - before
meals • Treasure hunts
• Bunny Bread’s Bird’s Nest desserts
• Evening story telling
•Red Rudy, the channel monster,
placated by boxes of cornflakes left on
the float • Gumperts aka Torpedo
Juice or Bug Juice • Sunday evening
vespers in the chapel
• Sunday suppers (cook’s night off)
& Rattlesnake meat sandwiches
• Acme - Shrink-Me, Steal-Me,
Wreck-Me Laundry
• Sportmanship Trophys for sailing,
swimming, tennis, baseball
• Harry Mahoney - magician and
hypnotist
• Camp animals-care and raising of
chickens. Tony the spider monkey
• Crows: Amos, Rastus, Cawky, Heckel
and Jeckel • Raccoons: Lucy, Peanut
butter and Jelly, Bubber and Sweetpea &
Rocky • Dogs: Pepper, Adam, Tavia,
Cambridge, Eisa & Sasha
• Expeditions by WWII Weapon’s
Carrier to the Outer Beach for over
nights at the Duck Camp. And the hike
from the Duck Camp to Philbrick’s Snack
Shack for fried clams.
The What-Is-It area on the Bulletin Board.
Weekly an item would appear on the bulletin board
and the first camper to correctly identify it would be
given some sort of recognition or reward. Mr. H
would announce the person’s name at dinner. One
“what’s it” that kept everyone stumped for several
days was a piece of scotch tape where the item to
be identified usually was positioned. It was with a
great deal of groaning and mumbling coming from
the group assembled, when at last, someone had
correctly identified the item as a No-see’um.
1951 counselors gather for a sing-along
45
Camp
Viking
1929-1984
“K” Bryan, as she was called through the
years, began her first camp in the summer of 1924
when she and her sister Agnes McLoon decided to
offer eight of their New York City students their first
camp experience. They used their summer cottage
on Crystal Lake. The children named it “Spyglass
Hill” after reading Treasure Island.
“The successful handling of the individual
is of greater importance than the camp’s activities,
its equipment, its location, or any other of its
features.” These words were written by M.
Katherine Bryan in one of her first catalogues
about Camp Viking. This philosophy carried Viking
through fifty-five years, and four different directors.
The number of boys that passed through is difficult
to count, but each took a part of camp away with
them.
By 1929 “K” had decided that she would
branch out and start her own camp. Situated on a
sixty acre promontory, the site she chose for Camp
Viking overlooks the protected waters at the Head of
Little Pleasant Bay with the dunes of Nauset Beach
and the Atlantic Ocean beyond. The bay extending
ten miles from Orleans to Chatham Inlet, was without question one of the finest expanses of protected
salt water on the East Coast and was perfectly suited
to sailing, cruising, racing, swimming and explora-
Cedric and
Beatrice
Hagenbuckle
“Long Serpent”
46
Tom, Bonnie, and
Jeanie Lincoln
with Satan and Natas
Viking’s next and last director. He had started as a
young camper in 1960 and continued through camp
as a Sailing Counselor, Head of Sailing, Head
Counselor and Assistant Director. Tom was the only
person to run Camp Viking without actually owning
it. Instead, he arranged to lease the camp from Ced.
tion. The area has remained “unspoiled” as a small
piece of heaven to many who looked over the
“bluff ”.
In 1931 Miss Bryan was joined by Norman
“skipper” White, who had been running Camp
Mayflower with his wife Meg for many years.
When the war years came, Miss Bryan ran it alone
while Norman served his country. One catalogue
indicates that for one or two of these years Viking
may have been coed, to allow mothers to work
away from home for the war effort. With Norman’s
return in 1941, Miss Bryan sold him her portion of
the camp.
1979 promised to be one of Viking’s most successful
seasons. Enrollment was at an all time high. But
tragically Ced capsized his Sunfish and drowned.
Although camp ran for five more years, lease
negotiations became difficult. In 1984Tom decided
to purchase his own camp in Union, Maine. He and
his wife Bonnie ran Portanimicut until 1994, continuing many of the philosophies, traditions and program they had learned at Camp Viking.
More changes came about in 1947 when
the camp was bought by Beatrice and Cedric
Hagenbuckle, whose experience as a teacher, merchant
marine, coach, sailor and
sometimes band drummer
made him perfect for the job.
Intially he was assisted by his
brother Roderick, but after a
few years, Rod decided to buy
his own camp in East Orleans.
Later “Ced” was assisted by his
son, John.
By 1976 Ced was
looking toward retirement. L.W.
Thompson Lincoln, Jr. became
47
Half models
and model boats
at the shop
Over the years the various directors
were assisted by many who helped to run,
maintain and feed the camp. Edward Donnelly
was one of Miss Bryan’s first Head Counselors,
while Norman White was assisted by Andrew
Miller. Ced Hagenbuckle had Charlie Reynolds,
George Jewett, John Hagenbuckle and Tom
Lincoln to name a few. Bob Ditter, Todd
Silberman, Rick Marvin and Bonnie Lincoln
worked closely with Tom Lincoln. Charles “Dar”
Dowling, Dory Klimshuk, and Rod Hagenbuckle
(Ced’s nephew) built and rebuilt during Ced’s
years. Cooking started with Agnes McLoon, K.
Bryan’s sister acting as the first “dietian”. Charlie
“the Babe” Pfeiffer was known for “Babe
Burgers” in the Hagenbuckle years, and Steve
Hobday and Jim Thomas created food for Tom
that made some mothers look bad!
It is surprising how much remained
unchanged over the course of Viking’s fifty-five
year history. The program and its emphasis on
sailing and seamanship endured only small
changes, with the ratings of Apprentice, Ordinary, Able-Bodied Seaman, Mate and Skipper
continuing into the 1990’s with only minor
alterations. Always, life centered around the
nautical world. words like “head, sick bay, mess
hall”, the names ABLE,BAKER, CHARLIE, and
DOG for crews, the Sailing Ratings and in the last
few years the names BRAVO, X-RAY, ZULU, and
TANGO for cabins being the most well remembered. Even the “Order of the Day” is described
the same from catalogue to catalogue. The first
“bell” always rang at 7:10 am!
Model boats and half-hulls were the one
tangible item the boys left camp actually holding
in their hands. It is said that the original patterns
were created by Mo Seely who worked for Miss
Bryan and Norm White. Charlie Reynolds
adapted the art of pouring lead keels, while Rick
Frazen created the “Franzen” sloop. Imagine the
look on a flight attendant’s face when a Viking
model boat with Blue Regatta Ribbon flying
entered their aircraft! How many remain in dens,
offices and basements where men can dream
about their boyhood days at Viking...?
There were noticeable changes, however.
The most striking is the fee a boy paid to come to
camp. In 1939 that fee was $350.00 and by 1970
it had almost doubled. The last year Viking
operated, the fee was $2480.00! Of course one
48
must realize that in 1931 Miss Bryan and Norman
White signed a bank note to purchase the camp
property for $4,000.00.
Less dramatic changes can be found in
the population of the camp. In 1939 enrollment
was eighty campers with twenty staff and in 1979
the enrollment had peaked at over one hundred
ten. Until the late 1960’s campers rarely stayed less
than the full eight week session. 1979 saw that
almost one half the campers attended half season
(four weeks). Viking never succumbed to the
1980’s trend of cutting full session to seven weeks.
49
Viking was always known for its diverse
fleet. It was felt that this would provide the boys
with a broad experience in boat handling. Early
years found the sailing fleet of primarily
knockabouts, sharpies, Skipjacks and the schooner,
“Black Hawk”. Even then there was a Viking Ship,
“Long Serpent”. As these boats became older, they
were replaced by Sailfish, Sunfish, Beetlecats,
Whistlers and Daysailers. The final years found a
Flying Dutchman, Mercuries, Kittens, Bay Birds, a
Lazer, Javelin and Hobie Cat. Of course the most
memorable boats of all were the Whaleboats, the
twenty-six foot Monomoy rescue boats used for
overnights, all-day sails, and very
heavy weather. Few who ever
sailed Pleasant Bay could forget
their big black hulls. When a boy
left camp he could say he had
experienced all types of riggings
from sloop to Catboat, including
gaff, Marconi, schooner and
ketch. Do not forget the “auxiliary fleet” of prams, canoes,
pulling boats, outboards, the
launch “Sea Hawk”, and Tom
Lincoln’s beloved “70”. Who
knew its real name to be “The
Nighthawk”?
Waterfront Sunrise - Whale boats, the Dorothy A. Parsons & Sea Hawk
While sailing and seamanship always
received the most attention, there were other
activities. Both Ced and Tom felt that safe sailors had
to be good swimmers and ranked the sport number
two in importance. Tennis, athletics, model boat
building, archery, and canoeing helped round out
the program. Intercamp competitions in some of
these activities were an intricate part of the program. The Vietnam War brought the end of riflery.
We believe from old pictures, that Miss Bryan
included horseback riding in the program.
peaches on overnights, “bilge rat awards”, road
work, raking eel grass, procuring fallopian tubing,
“sky” hooks and “shore” line, bug juice, Congo
bars, “Harry the Butcher”, inspection, and Wicked
Walter Eldredge.
Campers were not the only ones who lived
and grew at camp. At least six children spent their
earliest days there. Matt Reynolds was among the
first, and then there were John Hagenbuckle,
Matthew Jewett, Abe Wishnoff (son of nurse Gail)
Chris Reiman (son of cook Jeff) and Jean and
Tommy Lincoln. They were of course joined by the
dogs: Lollie, Shackle, Satan and Natas.
No camp is without its own traditions and
special events. At Camp Viking the most memorable
were: Model Boat Regatta; overnights to the Outer
Beach cabin, Monomoy, and Nantucket; Olympics,
Treasure Hunt, Banquet and Awards Ceremony;
sails to Chatham Band night on Fridays; races at
Chatham Yacht Club, QYC, VCYC, Tin Cup Race,
Cape Cod Intercamp Regatta (CCIR), Pleasant Bay
Intercamp Regatta (PBIR) and the Mercury Nationals; and of course all-day sails and dances with the
girls from Avalon, Quanset and Favorite. The 1969
Moon Walk watched on black & white TV on the
bluff, the summer of 1967 when it never stopped
raining, and the Hurricanes of 1971 and 1976 were
unscheduled “special events” that will never be
forgotten by those who lived through them while at
camp.
Today, the ten acres that were the heart of
Camp Viking look much as they did in 1929 when
Miss Bryan first started camp - undeveloped. Most
of the cabins are gone, the Mess Hall is gone, as
are the flagpole, rifle range, tennis court and most
of the paths. What remains besides the memories
are the “191” rock, the beach, the point, the water,
and the bluff. There is still no finer place to listen to
the rustle of the trees and the lapping of the water,
while watching a full moon rise over the Outer
Beach and Hog Island River. Every child deserves
at least one of these memories...
Viking was heaped in traditions that included Turks’ Head bracelets, rigging knives,
50
Acknowledgements
These histories were written and compiled
by members of the
Orleans Bicentennial
Camp Reunion Committee
Bonnie MacGregor Snow - Bicentennial Commission Member,
Betty Nale - Lake Farm Camp,
Elinor Rust - Camp Mayflower,
Art Farnham & John Worgan - Camp Namequoit,
Mary Lou Brier & Robert Melcher - Pleasant Bay Camp,
Ann Hammatt, Ruth Linden & Jeanne Stage - Camp Quanset,
Heidi Hagenbuckle & Bob Miller - Camp Tonset,
Bonnie Lincoln (Chairperson) & Richard Marvin - Camp Viking
Many Thanks to all other contributors
Produced at Best Read Guide, Finlay Road, Orleans
by Heidi Hagenbuckle
51
52