CAMP TIMBERLANE NEWSLETTER #8
Sun. Morning. Aug. 6th, 1978
6:12 A.M.

Dear Parents,

I overslept this morning-- but I reveled in my sleep-- such beautiful weather for Parent’s Weekend...Prior to Friday we had two very cold days, and I had nightmares about parents coming to camp and having to bundle up in overcoats-- I would look out on the lake on Wednesday and Thursday mornings and steam would be rising from the heat being given off by the lake and rising into the cool air. But on Friday morning the weather had begun to warm up and when the parents came into camp, we had a perfectly blue sky, a wonderful sun, and the weather was letter perfect for the rest of the parent’s weekend.

We worked so hard to get camp ready for the parents--- On Thursday evening we had cleaned up the camp grounds by running our staff, Program Aides and C.I.T.’s on paper pickups, garbage runs, and cabin inspections until the place shined. We had checked out the campers clothing to see that they had clean clothes to wear--- as usual a couple of emergencies cropped up. On Friday morning thirty-two of our campers and staff members left for the Porcupine Mountains and as mentioned, the weather was perfect--- part of the group will break up into back pack expedition, and the other group will be camping on the mountains, and visiting Lake Superior, and trying to swim in the very cold water of the lake. I have had a call from the trippers and the boys are having a glorious time on their trips. At camp, we ran three separate inspections and by dinner time, camp sparkled. Then the parents and other members of their families came into camp, and greeted their boys. Everyone had a chance to see camp, and we later had a beautiful outdoor campfire by our barbecue area, and we sang, listened to a talk by Mark Faiwell, enjoyed the music of Tom Callahan and Marty Lynch, and heard some words of wisdom by some of our campers, and eventually heard a large number of campers express their thanks for a great season via the key log ceremony.

I might add that on Friday afternoon (and morning) , a number of our skiers went to Camp Kawaga and competed all day in a giant ski contest. We took 2nd place in the contest and our barefoot skiers took 1st, 2nd and 3rd place which was the 1st time that’s ever been done. On Saturday morning the campers had three activity periods, and in the afternoon our famed Timberbat Waterski team put on a wonderful ski show. At the same time, some of our riders competed at the Camp -Fiesta riding contest, and there were over nine camps competing. Eric Spirtas, Jimmy Hiken, and Andy Dattel were entered and Jimmy got a 4th place and almost got into the giant finals. Andy was superb and took 1st place in jumping and won places in other events and finally won 5th place amongst the many contestants and all of us were very pleased by the results. The parents took their boys out for dinner after the Timberbats put on their show--- I might add that we served an outdoor luncheon on Saturday afternoon, and it was mighty tasty. Dorothy Herlitz and her kitchen crew had outdone themselves again. Many of your boys went along with the parents who were at camp and who had invited them along with their sons, and then Mark Faiwell and Billy Doner went to work again to insure those boys who were left at camp that we still loved them. He made 11 sheet pans of every type of pizza imaginable-- wow- what a fiesta we had -- it was pizza time, and everyone gorged themselves-- we had cheese pizza, cheese and sausage, cheese and sausage and mushrooms and onions, and lots of bad breath-- but filled bellies. Mark was bedecked in an apron and glittering eyes, and I kept adding up the bill , but it was worth it all as we sat down and munched and munched. At night I ran the movie “The Moonspinners” and we held it outdoors-- Full house for the showing.

Today is LAZY BREAKFAST TIME, and I imported 20 dozen bagels to make the breakfast even more fun to eat... We’ll also serve bacon, eggs, omelets, toast, judge, cereal, milk and many other things... but we’ll sleep late and that’s what it’s all about-- we need the rest...Then we’ll be running our 3rd and 4th periods in the morning. As a special treat for our Timberbats, I’ll be sending them to Tomahawk Wisconsin to view the greatest ski contest in Wisconsin as skiers from all over the W.S.A. come to Tomahawk to compete. Our boys will get a chance to see the best part of the ski show and that’ll be the jumping events. Congratulations to Brad Herrold of our ski department who made the Minocqua-Bat ski team and was notified of this horn on Friday evening. It’s a rough and tough battle to make the team, and this makes fives of our people that have made it over the past few years.

In the afternoon, we’ll be holding a series of clinics and I know that the boys love to get involved in these clinics. We’ll also send out a golf trip, and hold some archery and riflery contest. Our porcupine the trip should return late in the afternoon, and then we’ll have an outdoor picnic dinner. We’ll be having a big roast beef lunch ( our heavy meal this Sunday) and it should be a great meal. Then it’s our 1st big meeting for our upcoming POW WOW DAY to be held on Tuesday, Aug. 8th. During the past week, we spent many hours choosing leaders for tribes in all divisions and a head medicine man for each tribe. They were announced on Thursday morning, and the boys were given lists of all available campers and staff members and on Friday morning everyone was chosen on a tribe. From then on, the boys have been placed on rosters and entered in events for the forthcoming Pow Wow Day. But starting tonight after Dinner, we’ll really start getting into the spirit of the day, and after every meal on Monday, the boys will be planning strategy, and on Tuesday morning our riders will come whooping through the camp riding bareback on the horses to awaken the boys, and we’ll all be getting up early and donning our war paint, and on Tuesday it’s GO GO TIME and all hell breaks loose. We’ll let you know how things come out in our next newsletter.

Tonight we've got a bar burner for the boys-- we are going to be showing a FIVE STAR FILM called “PATTON”, and it’s a five reeler, so show tie goes on real early and we’ll be serving shelled peanuts and cokes and the joint will be jumping all night. On Monday morning our skiers will be visiting a girls camp and they’ll be joint together in a special dual waterski program. I know that it will be a lot of fun and our boys will then have lunch at the girls camp. At night we’ll be having our blue and white game contest and some of the events will be geared for the Pow Wow games and will include Indian Ball, Plank Paddling and other related contests. Tuesday night will be campfire night, and I might add that after the Pow Wow Day, we’ll have barbecued chicken for the boys with roast corn and it should be a great meal. On Wednesday, we’ll have our last Cruiser Day and five cabins will visit the Minocqua-Bat ski show at night. Other cabins will have their own evening programs.

On Thursday morning we’ll have our TRACK AND FIELD DAY PROGRAM, and in the afternoon we’ll be having a riding Gymkhana-- gosh it’s unbelievable what’s happened to the tie-- we don’t have enough of it. At night, we’ll be holding a special blue and white Treasure Hunt and the boys will be running all over the camp looking for clues. I forgot to mention that last Thursday evening we had our boxing and wrestling program, and John Marks and Jim Goldstein and friends bedecked our recreation building with the finest fighting ring that I’ve ever seen complete with spotlight, bell, and all the trimmings, and GRUDGE NIGHT was an unqualified success. Mike Jacobs proved to be the star of the evening as he came out slugging, and his fight was greeted with roars from the moment it started to the moment it ended.

A cute note-- One of my kitchen girl’s sisters had been at camp for about 10 days, and was planning to take a 7:40 A.M. bus home. Mark Plattner had grown to like her, and wanted to say goodbye to her, so he set his alarm for 6:00 A.M. but by mistake, he set it for 5:00 A.M. and when he got in front of her place, he parked himself on the ground and waited for her. I was taking Claudia, (my kitchen gal’s sister) to the bus depot, and when I got in front of her place, poor Mark was almost frozen stiff-- I unpried him, and found some frozen tears on his cheek. I took all of them to a restaurant, and then got Claudia on the bus. I know that Mark felt much better after he got some hot food down his gullet. That’s love....

DEPARTURE DATE FOR HOME-- SATURDAY, AUGUST 12th.-- Your boys will be leaving for home on Saturday, August 12th and on Monday I’ll be sending out an itinerary for each of you. It is essential that you be at your airport terminal or bus station to meet your boys. We’ll have five of our staff members along with your boys going to the Chicago airport, and we’ll send along those boys going to other cities and will make certain that they depart from the O'Hare airport if they are going further in their flights. Food will be provided for the boys on the trip, and their luggage will come along with them on the plane. If there is any lost luggage, please let me know immediately at camp, and the number is 715-356-6022.

Later, I’ll be sending you a wrapup of the activities your boys took at camp and breakdown of your son’s spending money account. Some of you have not sent in your payment for the airline transportation for your boy, and I would like you to make a note and please send in your payment today. I laid out over $35,0000.00 and feel that you should follow through on your part. The boys will be bringing home their awards, photo albums (if ordered by you) and Timberlane jackets or other things that will be given to them at the end of camp. We do all we can to make sure that the boys don’t lose their awards.

Mike Perlson keeps catching giant Northerns and Wall Eyes, and he’ll been our best fisherman by far. Hats off to him..On Friday afternoon-- the boys will keep clothing to wear during the day, and awards will be given out after lunch and placed in the foot lockers...They’ll be activities all day, and at night we’ll have our final campfire, with lot’s singing a story, and a giant key log ceremony. We’ll also give our camper of the year award and our first “JON MOLASKY TRIPPER OF THE YEAR AWARD”. which was so graciously set up by Rob Schiller and his family. Then we’ll all light candles and set them out over the over the lake while we make a wish. How can camp be almost over-- them out over the lake while we make a wish. How can camp be almost over-- I’ve loved every minute of this year, and it’s been our best one yet. Our boys will tell you so when they get home. Again, I’ll write you once more.

Love------
HH

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