Perhaps the most difficult work to be done, especially for one who knows
little about it is the pitching of the tents, yet when simple rules are
followed the task is not beyond a group of young women even when the
tents are large. Remember that the beauty of a tent lies in its
trimness. It should look smart. The canvas must have no wrinkles, poles
must be straight, ropes taut and properly fastened.
First of all see that the tent floors and frame work are as they should
be, or lacking a frame work, that pegs are at hand. Examine poles and
make sure they are of the right height and length for the tent. If a
wall tent is to be pitched lay it on floor, inside down, the fly on top
of it. Run the ridge pole under the center of the tent from end to end
curved side next to the canvas; at either end of the tent at right
angles to the ridge pole and parallel to each other place a tent pole
which is the right length for the height of the tent. Put the spindle in
the end of each pole through the holes in the ridge pole, and the
eyelets in the tent and tent fly ridge.
[Illustration: SERVING TABLE]
Two people, one at each pole, on signal, raise the tent into position by
lifting the poles and carrying them into place. They should stand
opposite each other, at the center of either end of the tent floor.
While the poles are held in place, two other people should fasten
temporarily the corner ropes of the tent and fly. Tie the flaps into
position, fasten the corner rope loops in the bottom edge of the tent to
nails in the edge of the floor, and proceed to adjust the guy ropes. Do
not pull the tent out of line or have one rope tighter than another.
Use a clove hitch for tying the ropes to the strips. The ropes of the
tent should go under the strip for the first turn, the fly ropes over.
By so doing the roof of the tent and the fly will be kept apart, a most
important point; in fact they should never touch except at the ridge.
Fasten the tent to the floor by putting the rope loops in the bottom of
the tent over long nails driven into the edge of the tent floor at the
proper places. When all ropes are fastened and the tent looks as it
should, loosen the bottom at each end, untie the flaps, and hold them
back by fastening one of the ropes in the bottom of the flap into the
loop at the top corner of the tent wall.
Put the tent number on each pole. Cots can now be opened and placed,
blankets shaken, sunned, folded and put on the foot of the cots with a
pillow inside of each blanket. Basins go under the cots toward the head.
While four or five people are attending to the sleeping quarters others
should be washing, wiping and putting away all table ware, and the cook
arranging the kitchen, store room and ice house. All small equipment
must be put in place; a tent or room provided for the nurse's quarters
and First Aid supplies unpacked, an office equipped with all
necessities, counsellors' tents put in order, firewood stacked, lanterns
cleaned and filled, wash houses, latrines, bath house, boats in
readiness, program and camp regulations posted, in short, everything in
order, for when one hundred or more Scouts descend upon a camp, everyone
is kept busy helping them and there is no time to be given to equipment.
Special mention must be made of two things: first, the precautionary
need of fire extinguishers to be hung in the kitchen, mess hall, and
other wooden buildings, (buckets of water not being advised unless
chemical extinguishers are not obtainable); second, the importance of
the Director's office being equipped with record books, files,
stationery, and a money box; all very simple, but there.
[Illustration: SORTING THE VEGETABLES]
A small group of Scouts can make ready their own camp in many cases, but
it does not seem feasible for a large group to do so.