For some reason, our little group of friends used to get most of the troubled campers to deal with... I am not sure why. Maybe it was our skill, maybe it was our intelligence, maybe it was the fact that the director of the camp didn't like us very much. Sometimes this used to happen away from our own campers as well. For instance, one day on the water front I was confronted by the then water front director, Anne. She told me that there was a kid that no one wanted to take because he was "crazy." Anyway, I used to think that most of the time, the kids who were ignored the most because of their attitudes were the ones that needed the most attention so I was pissed off that she took that attitude. I went over to him and asked him what he would like to do for his free period. He just kind of looked at me with these angry eyes. I am not sure he even meant to make the face he was making.
He was a very troubled kid. One time, he had gotten so out of control, he had climbed up a tree and refused to come down, but that is another story. Since we were on the water front, I figured we would try a canoe or a play-ack or maybe even a sailboat. But he wouldn't get on any of them and I was starting to think by his mood that it might be a good idea to keep him away from oars or other types of large wooden objects, like a dagger board.
Finally, I sat down on a paddle boat. His eyes popped up and his expression changed. He looked at me like I had just opened a container of his favorite food. I thought, hey, yes! A paddle boat, it would be easy to do, burn off some energy and completely harmless. Let's go!
As we got in the boat I steered for a little while and kicked along with my new friend. He was kicking like crazy, in fact, after a bit, I stopped kicking almost altogether and he was propelling the boat decently. He kept trying to steer but I stopped him for fear that we might end up in the weeds or something. But after a bit, I let him steer.
He had the time of his life. I never saw this little "crazy" boy more happy. However, after a while, I noticed that he was steering really close to the sailboats. In fact, he was maneuvering directly toward one that happened to have our friendly water front director in it. I thought that he was going to turn, but he never did and we smashed right in to the little sunfish on the broadside. It didn't do any damage and just startled the director and her passenger, but that boy enjoyed every minute of it.
Now, I am glad that I let that kid do that. It might not have been appropriate completely, but it was good for two reasons. One, because he was a camper, and campers come first and two because no one really gave him a chance to do anything because of his gnarly attitude. I really hoped it made a difference to his experience at camp and I think it did. As for myself, I enjoyed watching him paddle as hard as he could and tire himself out. I think he was totally chill at dinner that night, too for once.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Sing Jingle Bells
One evening, in the movie room, we opted to watch a Slasher Flick [I believe titled "The Act of Vengance]. Needless to say, not appropriate .... well, for anyone. We had no idea [accept for the Rated "R" label, the summary on the back, and the strong advisory warning on front of the tape cover] how bad the movie was until it was on. If I recall, the bad guy, wearing a hockey mask and jump suit, would make his victims sing "Jingle Bells" as he victimized them. Luckily, no campers were about, and the movie "Lucas" was quickly put on. I've never re-watched that movie, but, every now and then .... for some reason around Christmas Time, a small smirk comes over my face when I hear the song Jingle Bells. TAKE MY ADVICE ... DO NOT RUN OUT AND RENT THIS MOVIE BASED UPON THIS POST!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, August 23, 2007
The Three Lovelies...
I was thinking back to one night where two of my friends and I went to the local Friendly's to get some late night snacks. We met three local girls and decided to hang out with them in the parking lot for a little while until the place started to close. As cars were emptying on Route 20, we somehow convinced them to ride with us back to camp.
When we got to camp, however, we had other ideas. They weren't as friendly any more and we started to get the impression that they weren't to happy that we dragged them all the way out to the woods where there were hardly any lights and no one around. It must have been fairly confusing for them to say the least. So, in "not so responsible fashion," we left them there to go in to camp for "5 minutes" explaining that we would be right back. However, we left for about a half-an-hour and hoped that they walked home or something. However, they didn't leave despite the dark and unfamiliar camp entrance.
Instead, they started to yell in to the darkness for us to come pick them up. They only knew our first names, but it was easy for someone to hear them from the farmhouse. There was one person, an old water front director, who heard their annoyed yelps. She ventured out to find the three strangers, standing in complete darkness. They explained the situation to her which prompted her to storm in to camp in a furious wrath looking for us.
We heard our names summoned over the announcement system, "... please go to the farmhouse, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, dong." Realizing our own stupidity, we rushed toward the midget unit and the road. On the way down the main road, the three of us were nervously joking back and forth about what we were going to do when we got to the camp entrance. By this time, the one light at the entrance had popped on, and we could see the three girls and the angry water front director standing there in the middle of the light. As I walked in to the clearing, I felt strangely alone. I turned to see where my two friends were and they had elected to stay in the darkness just outside the street light. I could hear them laughing as I turned to face the four angry people. I must have looked like a forth grader pushed on stage during a school play.
When I was finished calming the water front director down, I drove the three girls home and apologized. It was very humbling to say the least. The next day, during dinner, our camp director made an announcement that there were "Three Lovelies" found out at the entrance and explained that this kind of behavior was not in anyone's best interest to repeat.
When we got to camp, however, we had other ideas. They weren't as friendly any more and we started to get the impression that they weren't to happy that we dragged them all the way out to the woods where there were hardly any lights and no one around. It must have been fairly confusing for them to say the least. So, in "not so responsible fashion," we left them there to go in to camp for "5 minutes" explaining that we would be right back. However, we left for about a half-an-hour and hoped that they walked home or something. However, they didn't leave despite the dark and unfamiliar camp entrance.
Instead, they started to yell in to the darkness for us to come pick them up. They only knew our first names, but it was easy for someone to hear them from the farmhouse. There was one person, an old water front director, who heard their annoyed yelps. She ventured out to find the three strangers, standing in complete darkness. They explained the situation to her which prompted her to storm in to camp in a furious wrath looking for us.
We heard our names summoned over the announcement system, "... please go to the farmhouse, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, dong." Realizing our own stupidity, we rushed toward the midget unit and the road. On the way down the main road, the three of us were nervously joking back and forth about what we were going to do when we got to the camp entrance. By this time, the one light at the entrance had popped on, and we could see the three girls and the angry water front director standing there in the middle of the light. As I walked in to the clearing, I felt strangely alone. I turned to see where my two friends were and they had elected to stay in the darkness just outside the street light. I could hear them laughing as I turned to face the four angry people. I must have looked like a forth grader pushed on stage during a school play.
When I was finished calming the water front director down, I drove the three girls home and apologized. It was very humbling to say the least. The next day, during dinner, our camp director made an announcement that there were "Three Lovelies" found out at the entrance and explained that this kind of behavior was not in anyone's best interest to repeat.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Racer Ball
Racer ball was a game played at Bascom lounge. To play you needed a pool table, pool balls, a "set of your own balls" [sorry ladies] and two or more players. The object of the game? .... to see who could put more pool balls in their opponents pool table pockets. In other words, one or more player would stand on opposite sides of the pool table. Each player would have an equal amount of pool balls. At the count of three the players would scream "raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacerballllllllllllllllllllllllll!" and proceed to roll their pool balls [as fast as they could] toward their opponent's side ---in hopes of putting all of their pool balls in their opponent's sides pockets. Sound like fun? YOU BET!!!!!
I recall one evening a match of two-on-two Racer Ball began. Not too sure the names of the players, but, withOUT much imagination one could figure it out. The game began, and pool balls "went a flying" .... for whatever reason all of the players were hysterically laughing (another intregal component to the game). Not uncommon to the competitive edge and spirit of the game, one of the balls got airborn. Unfortunately, the ball flew right into one of the window panes of the "lodge". ... thus, smashing it to bits! ....... There was a two-second pause ..... and then .... again ----hysterical laughter. ---
Ok, Ok, I've to ask ---- "Who's up for a little game of raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacerball!!!!!"
I recall one evening a match of two-on-two Racer Ball began. Not too sure the names of the players, but, withOUT much imagination one could figure it out. The game began, and pool balls "went a flying" .... for whatever reason all of the players were hysterically laughing (another intregal component to the game). Not uncommon to the competitive edge and spirit of the game, one of the balls got airborn. Unfortunately, the ball flew right into one of the window panes of the "lodge". ... thus, smashing it to bits! ....... There was a two-second pause ..... and then .... again ----hysterical laughter. ---
Ok, Ok, I've to ask ---- "Who's up for a little game of raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacerball!!!!!"
A Bascom Blunder
One night in Bascom, we were sitting on the old grungy chairs out on the porch, smoking cigars and having our usual nightly conversation about the camp and other things. It was particularly late and everyone was really tired.
That and the fact that we had all just returned from the "Pits," and we were pretty drunk. I think it was one of the days before camp started, during work-week. The conversation was good for about an hour but then it got a little sparse and we were all just, sort-of, sitting there, watching the little waves on the lake bump a buoy on the T-dock. Before I knew it, I dozed off for a minute.
When I woke up, the chair next to me was on fire and my friend in it was asleep. I looked around for a fire extinguisher, but back in the day, there were none of those around readily. So, I pulled my sleeve over my hand and patted the fire out. It wasn't that big, just a couple of flames on the side of an old easy chair, but I put that fire out. I saved Bascom.
That and the fact that we had all just returned from the "Pits," and we were pretty drunk. I think it was one of the days before camp started, during work-week. The conversation was good for about an hour but then it got a little sparse and we were all just, sort-of, sitting there, watching the little waves on the lake bump a buoy on the T-dock. Before I knew it, I dozed off for a minute.
When I woke up, the chair next to me was on fire and my friend in it was asleep. I looked around for a fire extinguisher, but back in the day, there were none of those around readily. So, I pulled my sleeve over my hand and patted the fire out. It wasn't that big, just a couple of flames on the side of an old easy chair, but I put that fire out. I saved Bascom.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
The first dis (follow up)
Ok, I was thinking about the dis sign. I want to explain it for those who don't know what it is...
It's a game you can play anywhere at any time. Basically, it's a hand signal. You can make the "OK" sign or point to something (most commonly the palm of your opposite hand) and if someone looks at it, then they lose (dissed). It's very silly, but it catches on after a while and you find yourself ignoring people when they call your name because you don't want to get dissed.
The funny part of playing this game is that some people just don't get it. Case in point, there were a small number of senior staff (at our camp) that noticed people playing and surprisingly took offense to it. Some even described it as "gang signals" or "anti-social behavior." When, in fact, it was a very healthy, social behavior, that many times, in my experience, broke tension with campers and counselors alike. It's too bad those people didn't want to join in the fun. I guess they should have just asked someone what it was about. It could get annoying from time to time, but all in all is a fun game that still sparks some chuckles even after a long time has passed.
So, check out my post in the link below for your "first dis" and teach it to your friends.
Ok, you know I had to...
It's a game you can play anywhere at any time. Basically, it's a hand signal. You can make the "OK" sign or point to something (most commonly the palm of your opposite hand) and if someone looks at it, then they lose (dissed). It's very silly, but it catches on after a while and you find yourself ignoring people when they call your name because you don't want to get dissed.
The funny part of playing this game is that some people just don't get it. Case in point, there were a small number of senior staff (at our camp) that noticed people playing and surprisingly took offense to it. Some even described it as "gang signals" or "anti-social behavior." When, in fact, it was a very healthy, social behavior, that many times, in my experience, broke tension with campers and counselors alike. It's too bad those people didn't want to join in the fun. I guess they should have just asked someone what it was about. It could get annoying from time to time, but all in all is a fun game that still sparks some chuckles even after a long time has passed.
So, check out my post in the link below for your "first dis" and teach it to your friends.
Ok, you know I had to...
Friday, August 10, 2007
Bamf
Remember how we obtained the BAMF at Riverside? I recall learning how to get free games from an "expert skeeballer" -who allegedly had skeeball at his/her home. Free games equaled lots of tickets. Lots of tickets equaled obtaining the BAMF! I think some of the campers even gave us free store to take a turn using the BAMF!
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Friday, August 3, 2007
The First Post...
Ok, this is the first post. I know it's really lame... blah, blah, blah... but I'm tired from fiddling with the Blogger templates. Thus, it's the beginning of the Bascom Lodge blog. Hopefully, we wont offend too many people.
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