RECREATIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE EDUCATION
WHITTLERS' CLUB
PYROGRAPHY
BOAT BUILDING
PLAYS
LANTERN TALKS
LIBRARY
TUTORING
PHOTOGRAPHY
AGRICULTURE
FORESTRY
SCOUTCRAFT
CAMP PAPER
RECORD OF PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT
KITE MAKING AND FLYING
MODEL AEROPLANE
PARACHUTE IDEA
BOX FURNITURE
CAMP CLOCK
HOW TO MAKE A MOCCASIN
HOW TO MAKE A "ROUGH AND READY" HAMMOCK
A HOME-MADE TOBOGGAN
HANDY FUNNEL
INK FOR SCOUTING GAMES
BIBLIOGRAPHY.
'Tis education forms the common mind;
Just as the twig is bent the tree's inclined.
--Pope.
A boy is better unborn than untaught.--Gascoigne
Camping should not be merely a time of loafing or "having fun." The boy
who has returned from a camp, having learned some definite thing, whether
it be different from the school curriculum or supplementary to his school
work, has accomplished something and his outing has been of use to him.
All play and no work makes Jack a dull boy, as well as "all work and no
play." Recreative and constructive education forms a combination which
appeals strongly to a boy. He would call it, "doing things," and in the
doing would have fun galore.
In addition to nature study, woodcraft, first-aid instruction and similar
types of educational activities in vogue in boy's camps, there are many
other forms of educational activities which boys can engage in during the
camping season.
Whittlers' Club
A "Whittlers' Club," organized to meet one hour several mornings a week,
proved attractive to a group of boys in one camp. Under the leadership of
a man who understood "Sloyd" [1] work the boys were taught how to handle a
knife, and it is surprising how few boys really know how to handle this
useful article found in every boy's pocket. They were also taught to know
the different kinds of wood, bark, grain, and method of cutting and sawing
wood for building and furniture purposes, etc. A popular model was a paper
knife made of wild cherry. The bark was permitted to remain on the handle,
while the other end was whittled evenly and smoothly for cutting leaves of
books or magazines. With the aid of a pyrography set the name of the camp
and that of the owner of the knife was burned on the handle.
[Transcriber's Footnote 1: Manual training developed in Sweden, using
woodworking tools.]
Pyrography
Carved paddles, war clubs, hiking sticks, etc., were used to display the
artistic ability of the boys who brought to camp pyrography sets. The camp
name, date of hikes, miles travelled, and other interesting information
was burned on these souvenirs. Shields containing the athletic records and
names of honor boys were made and hung upon the walls of the permanent
building.
Boat Building
[Illustration: Boat Building at Camp Durrell]
In one large camp an experienced boatman was engaged, and under his
direction three large dories were built by the boys. Plans were carefully
worked out, lumber purchased, and details of boat construction explicitly
explained. It took three weeks to build the boats, but no boats of the
fleet were used and appreciated as much by the boys as these which
represented so much of their own labor and time. (See illustration.)
Working plans and "knocked down" material for building boats may be
purchased from a number of firms. Building a boat during the winter by
boys who are contemplating going camping, aids to the anticipation of the
delightful summer time.
[Illustration: "Pyramus and Thisbe," Players Scene from Midsummer Night's
Dream; Camp Becket]
Plays
"The Player's Scene," from "Midsummer Night's Dream," has been given
several times outdoors with great success in the camps conducted by the
writer. The boys were coached by a graduate of a School of Oratory,
costumes were made by the boys out of all sorts of material, make-up was
bought from a theatrical supply house and the scenery supplied by nature.
Footlights were lanterns set in front of reflectors made from old tomato
cans. The path leading to the natural amphitheatre was lighted by Japanese
lanterns and the guests were seated on the ground. In the words of Hamlet,
"The Play's the Thing," and boys and visitors are always enthusiastic over
the presentation, while the players get a new conception of Shakespeare's
plays and writings. "Hiawatha" was given with equal enthusiasm and
success.
Lantern Talks
Since the invention of the inexpensive Reflectoscope, illustrated talks in
camp are now possible. Travel talks, using postal cards from different
parts of the world, postals telling the "Story of the Flag," "State Seals
and their Mottoes," etc., are now published in series, and will be found
to be very interesting and instructive. A number of the large camps have
stereopticons. Lantern slides with accompanying lecture may be rented at
reasonable rates, such as "The True Sportsman," and "Personal and National
Thrift," sent out by the Moral Education League, Baltimore, Md., for the
East. Any first-class firm dealing in lantern slides can furnish a number
of valuable lectures with slides. A sheet hung between two trees on a dark
night makes an excellent screen on which to show pictures.
Library
Every camp should have a library or at least a small collection of good
books. In most cases arrangements can be made with a near-by library or
with the State Library for the loan of books for a certain period of time.
Camps having permanent buildings should "grow" a library. The excellent
library of 1,200 books in the camp of the writer was given by the boys
(see illustration).
[Illustration: Book Identification]
Gummed book labels were sent to each boy with the suggestion that he paste
them in books which he could bring to camp to present to the library. Some
boys would bring as many as ten books from the home library, all good,
readable books. The books are catalogued and a loan system established,
under the "Department of Education," and the following rules govern the
library and use of books:
1. Library open for one-half hour after dinner daily except on Sunday,
when it will be open for one-half hour after breakfast.
2. Books can be kept out three days. If kept overtime a charge of two (2)
cents per day is made. Books may be renewed if returned on day due,
otherwise the usual charge will be made.
3. From 9 o'clock A. M. to 12 o'clock M., and from 2 o'clock P. M., books
may be taken away to read in the room, but must not be taken outside the
building under any condition. Violation of this rule will deprive the
violator of the use of the books for three days.
4. Please bring small change to pay fines.
Tutoring
The following announcement is sent by the writer to parents and boys
concerning tutoring in camp:
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF TUTORING.
Provides Opportunity For
(1) Those who, on account of illness or other unavoidable circumstances,
have fallen behind their grade and wish to catch up by summer study.
(2) Those who, on account of poor work or failure in examination, cannot
be promoted unless they do special work during the vacation time.
(3) Those who have not fully mastered a given subject and desire to review
and strengthen themselves in the subject.
(4) Those who wish to use their summer in order to earn an extra
promotion.
Instruction
Many of our camp leaders are college men and have the requisite
scholarship to conduct the academic feature of the camp. The instruction
is very largely individual and is given in the morning and does not
interfere with the recreation life. The combination of study and
recreation makes tutoring attractive and stimulating.
Subjects
Any subject in the grammar or high school curriculum.
Time
Two or three periods per week will be given to each subject.
Cost
One dollar per week will be charged for each subject.
An accurate record is kept of every boy being tutored, on a card (see
illustration), and a duplicate sent to his parent at the close of the
season.
[Illustration: Report Cards]
Photography
To stimulate interest in photography, a contest is held during the latter
part of the camping season for a cup, to be awarded to the boy securing
the best collection of photographs of camp life. The award is determined
upon: first, selection of subjects, and, second, execution of detail.
Ribbon awards are given for the best individual photograph in these three
classes: (a) portraits, (b) groups, (c) landscapes. The regulations
governing the contest are:
1. Exposure, developing, and printing must be the work of the exhibitor.
2. Mounted or unmounted photographs may be submitted.
3. All photographs must be handed in before 12 o'clock noon (date
inserted).
For camps having good dark rooms, the following rules may be suggestive:
1. Key to the dark room must be returned to the office immediately after
using room and locking same.
2. If films are drying, inform the office of same, so that the next user
may be notified and care taken not to disturb the films.
3. Room must be kept clean:
(a) Do not wipe shelves with the hand towels.
(b) Hang hand towels on nail provided.
(c) Leave buckets and trays in clean condition.
(d) Put paper, empty tubes, etc., in box provided for same and not
upon the floor.
4. Use only the buckets provided, and not those used for kitchen or camp
purposes.
5. Use only your own property and that provided by the camp, and never
touch the property or films or plates of others.
Camp Paper
Every large camp has its official organ or camp paper. An editorial board
is appointed, and the doings of the camp recorded in a permanent manner
through the weekly issue or reading of the paper. Various names are given
the paper, such as "The Camp Log," "Dudley Doings," "Seen and Heard,"
"Wawayanda Whirlwind," "The Maskwa," "The Wyanoka Log," "Kinoe Kamper."
Some of these papers are printed and others are mimeographed and sold to
the campers at five cents a copy. Most of them, however, are written in a
book and read at the camp fire.
Agriculture
Where a camp is located so as to be near a farm, opportunity should be
given city boys to study soil, rotation of crops, gardening, etc. In
cooperation with the Department of Agriculture and under the leadership of
a student of an Agricultural College, an experiment in raising vegetables
may be tried in long-term camps. A plot of ground may be plowed and
harrowed, and sub-divided into as many plots as there are tents, each tent
to be given a plot and each boy in the tent his "own row to hoe," the boy
to make his own choice of seed, keep a diary of temperature, sunshine,
rainfall, when the first blade appeared; make an elementary analysis of
soil, use of fertilizer and other interesting data. Prepare for an exhibit
of vegetables. Whatever the boys raise may be cooked and eaten at their
table. Free agricultural bulletins will be sent upon application to the
United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. Farmers'
Bulletin 385 tells about Boys' Agricultural Clubs.
Forestry
The subject of forestry is akin to camping. Much valuable instruction may
be given boys regarding the forests of the locality in which the camp is
located, kind of land, character and use of woods, how
utilized--conservatively or destructively--for saw timber, or other
purposes, protection of forests, forest fires, etc. Send to United States
Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C., for Forest Service Circular
130, "Forestry in the Public Schools;" Farmers' Bulletin 173, "A Primer of
Forestry," Part I; Farmers' Bulletin 358, "A Primer of Forestry," Part II.
Scoutcraft
The Handbook of the Boy Scouts of America is full of information regarding
knot tying, signalling, tracking, use of compass, direction and time
calculator, etc., which every boy should know. Scoutcraft would furnish
recreational education for scores of boys.
Record Books
Boys like to carry home some permanent record of personal achievements
while at camp, autographs of fellow campers, etc. A rather unique record
is used by the boys at Camp Wawayanda. The illustration shows the card
which was used. "A Vacation Diary," in the form of vest pocket memorandum
book, bound in linen, is published by Charles R. Scott, State Y. M. C. A.
Committee, Newark, N. J. Price, 10 cents.
Kites
Scientific kite flying is one of the best things a boy can indulge in.
Hiye-Sho-To, a Japanese, gives this interesting information about kites.
"To all Japanese the kite is symbolic of worthy, soaring ambitions, such
as the work upward to success in school, or in trade, and so on. When a
child is born, little kites are sent up by modest households to announce
the arrival. Kites are also flown to celebrate birthdays. To lose a kite
is considered an omen of ill-luck."
"For the control of a box kite, I prefer the lightest steel wire to a
cord. This wire is about the thickness of an ordinary pin, with a tensile
strength at the point of breaking of quite three hundred pounds. In
handling a kite with such a wire-ground connection, a boy should always
have rough gloves on his hands, that the wire may not cut them.
"Having a kite of this kind, or even two and three, so that on a single
wire he can keep sending them higher and higher into the atmosphere, a boy
can begin what we were wont to call in Yeddo our 'kite education.' First,
he can make himself his own weather prophet. Self-registering thermometers
are no longer very expensive. He can wire one of these to his kite, and,
by knowing the length of wire he has in hand and the amount he pays out
while the kite is up, ascertain just what the air temperature is 200 feet,
500 feet, 1,000 feet, 3,000 feet above him.
[Illustration: Box Kites]
"There are wind gauges of cheap construction, moisture gauges which will
note the coming of rain, small cameras that will automatically take
pictures while the kite is in the air, that may be attached to these
kites, and from the work of which valuable information may be obtained."
The following instruction for making a box kite was given in "The American
Boy," April, 1909.
"Any boy can make a box kite. The material used may be any tough, light
wood, such as spruce, cypress, bass-wood, or cedar. Cut four pieces 42
inches in length, and sixteen pieces 18 inches in length. The cuts show
clearly how they are to be put together. Use glue and small brads at every
point. The bridle cord is fastened 6 inches from each end of the box. This
is best done before the cloth is put on the kite. Light cheese cloth may
be used, and should be secured with glue and small brads at the last lap.
When the cloth is in place paint it with thin varnish or glue to fill up
the meshes and stretch it.
"The reason why box kites made by boys have a tendency to lie down flat on
the ground is that they are not proportioned correctly. The proportions
given here are correct. The painting, decorating, and tinting are matters
of personal taste and skill."
The principle of kite flying is simple. Air is a fluid like water, but on
account of the many changes of temperature, to which it is subjected, it
constantly changes its density and is found to consist of layers or
strata. These layers are not all flat and parallel, but take every variety
of shape as the clouds do. In flying a kite you simply pull it up one of
those layers just as you would pull a sled or wagon up a hill. Always run
facing the wind.
Aeroplanes
Aeroplane season is now a calendar event in the boy's life. Many boys are
engaged in building these fascinating little ships of the air. "The Boy's
Book of Model Aeroplanes," by Francis A. Collins, Century Co. ($1.20 net),
gives complete directions how to build these marvellous new toys. Form a
club and conduct an "Aviation" meet during the season. Spon and
Chamberlain, 123 North Liberty Street, New York City, sell a complete
full-sized set of drawings for building three model aeroplanes. Price, 50
cents.
Parachutes
[Illustration: A Parachute Idea]
The parachute, in its various forms, has always been a favorite with boys.
The idea is to make an umbrella-shaped contraption out of tissue paper and
a stick, so that when it descends from any considerable height it will
open out and float slowly to the ground. This part is easy enough. The
trouble has always been to get it up in the air high enough to repay one
for his efforts in making it. The idea that a common sling shot had
propelling power sufficient for this purpose led to experiments which
proved that the idea was a happy one. The combination of sling shot and
parachute makes a very fascinating outdoor amusement device. Every time
you shoot it into the air you try to make it go higher than last time.
To make the parachute, get a tough stick about two feet long and whittle
it to a shape similar to Fig. 2. The bottom must be heavy enough to fall
first so that the parachute will fall in the right direction to be opened
out. You can weight the end by tying a piece of lead or a spool on it. Cut
your tissue paper to a shape shown in Fig. 2 and place a thread through
every scallop. If the paper tears right through, a good plan is to
reinforce the edges of the circle by pasting a strip of tough paper or
muslin all around. A parachute made of silk or any fine mesh cloth will be
much more lasting, but not quite so buoyant.
The sling shot is made with a rubber band, some string, and a forked
stick. The greater its propelling power, the more successful will the toy
be.
Box Furniture
Instead of using for firewood the boxes in which groceries, etc., are
shipped to camp, have the boys make useful camp furniture from them. Get
the book, "Box Furniture," by Louise Brigham: The Century Co.; price,
$1.50. It tells what to do with boxes, and how to make all sorts of
convenient furniture.
Camp Clock
Mark the ground around the camp flag pole with white stones or stones
whitewashed, like a sun dial. The sun's rays will cast the shadow of the
pole so that the time of day may be accurately ascertained. (See
illustration.) In the handbook of the Boy Scouts of America is the
following description for making a Sun dial or Hunter's Clock: "To make a
sun dial prepare a smooth board about 15 inches across, with a circle
divided into 24 equal parts, and a temporarily hinged pointer, whose upper
edge is in the middle of the dial. Place on some dead level solid post or
stump in the open. At night fix the dial so that the 12-o'clock line
points exactly to North, as determined by the North or Pole Star. Then,
using two temporary sighting sticks of exactly the same height (so as to
permit sighting clear above the edge of the board), set the pointer
exactly pointing to the Pole Star, that is, the same angle as the latitude
of the place, and fix it there immovably. Then remove the two sighting
sticks."
[Illustration: Camp Clock]
SUN DIAL OR HUNTER'S CLOCK
Some Quotations to Burn or Paint on the Sun Dial.
"My face marks the sunny hours,
What can you say of yours."
"Grow old along with me,
The best is yet to be."
Translation of motto on Cathedral Sun dial, St. Augustine.
"The hours pass and we are held accountable."
The illustration shows how to locate the North or Pole Star.
F. O. Van Ness gives the following directions for making a pair of
moccasins:
[Illustration: Sioux Moccasin]
Fig. 1. Place foot on leather or canvas and draw outline of foot. Turn
same and make pattern for other foot.
Fig. 2. Distance GB equals length of foot plus one inch; distance AC
equals width across instep plus one-half inch; cut DF halfway between B
and G; cut EG halfway between A and C. Cut piece reverse of this for other
moccasin. Place B of Fig. 2 to B of Fig. 1, and sew overhand with wax cord
the edges from B to A and B to C, bringing A and C of Fig. 2 together at A
of Fig. 1. Sew AG to CG.
Fig. 3 is the tongue and DF of Fig. 3 is sewed to DF of Fig. 2. Cut pairs
of half-inch slits a, b, c, d in Fig. 2, and run lace through.
Hammock-Making
For the afternoon "siesta" make a "rough-and-ready" hammock, by taking
apart a flour barrel or sugar barrel, and in the end of each stave bore a
three-quarter inch hole with a heated poker, or bit and auger. Then lace
thin rope (clothes line is good) through the holes. This can be
accomplished easily by noting method of lacing in figure "A." The
stay-blocks "B" should be 12 inches long. Figure "C" shows hammock ready
for use.
[Illustration: Rough and Ready Hammock]
A Toboggan
Get a cheese box. Knock in the end very carefully, so as not to split it,
pull out all the nails and lay it flat, and you have a piece of very thin
board about 4-1/2 feet long and 11 inches wide. Next take a piece of inch
plank of same width as the cheese box, and three feet in length, and to
this fasten the unrolled cheese box by using small lath nails, letting one
end curl up over the plank. To the edge of this protruding piece of cheese
box tack a narrow strip of wood. Tie a heavy cord to its ends, run the
cord through the two hooks screwed into the planks and draw down the end
until it is curved just right. The illustration shows how it is made.
[Illustration: Home Made Toboggan.]
Handy Funnel
[Illustration: A Handy Funnel]
A funnel may be made by taking an ordinary envelope and cutting off the
part shown in dotted lines as in the illustration. Then clip a little off
the point, open out, and you have an excellent funnel.
Onion Ink
Dip a pen in an onion and press until the juice comes; then, with plenty
of juice on the pen, write your message. To read it warm it over the fire,
when the writing will stand out clearly.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
LIST OF BOOKS ON HANDCRAFT AND CONSTRUCTION:
Field and Forest Handy Book--D. C. Beard. Charles Scribner's Sons, $2.00.
Jack of All Trades--D. C. Beard. Charles Scribner's Sons, $2.00.
The Boy Pioneers--D. C. Beard. Charles Scribner's Sons, $2.00 net.
The Boy Craftsman--A. Neely Hall. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co., $2.00.
Woodworking for Beginners--C. G. Wheeler. Putnam and Company, $2.50.
Amateur Mechanics, Nos. 1 and 2. Popular Mechanics. 25 cents each. How to
Build a Biplane Glider--A. P. Morgan. Spon & Chamberlain, 50 cents net.
Problems in Furniture Making--Fred D. Crawshaw. Manual Arts Press, $1.20.
Box Furniture--Louise Brigham. Century Co., $1.60 net.
The Boys' Book of Model Aeroplanes--Francis A. Collins. Century Co., $1.20
net. Postage extra.