When I think back about the amount of time that I spent at Fort Scott, and the amount of that time that was spent dining, I am kind of suprised that I don't have more stories to tell. When you figure that out of each day we would spend almost three hours in the mess hall, surely there were some shenanigans that went on. Perhaps writing this will jog my memory.
Anyway, there are actually five meals at Fort Scott that stand out in my memory. Two of them deserve their own post which I will do in a bit. The five, in no particular order were:
1. The clam bake that George Wozniak threw on the deck of the boys pool
2. The pasta Prima vera dinner, also sponsored by George Wozniak
3. The best Senior Camp Out ever.
4. The riding department night out at Grand Finale
5. The all staff outing at B&B riverboats
Numbers 4 and 5 deserve their own posts, so I will leave them for later.
I remember the clam bake vividly. I can't recall why, but camp was empty, except for staff, in the middle of the summer. George had set up several grills to boil clams and corn fresh from the Fort Scott fields. Most of the staff was there aound the pool. It was one of those cool nights after a hot day where the steam was rising off the pool, and the lights were reflected on the pine trees near the path. In my whole life, I don't ever remember eating so much corn and clams. the company was good, the food excellent, and the setting was wonderful. Thank you George.
I didn't know George all that well, but it is obvious that he was an avid cook. The pasta dinner was held in the boys mess hall. I can't remeber if there were campers involved, but I remember that this also was fabulous. Since some people didnt care for Pasta Primavera, there was a lot left over. I remember we made very short work of the leftovers. I think another reason why this stands out in my mind, is that this was the same summer that our esteemed head cook allowed the hot dogs to scorch one day, and the camp had to bring in McDonalds in order to get every one fed.
The best Senior Camp Out ever stands out in my mind because not only was the food plentiful, but I think it was the only time that I was able to camp out with my two best friends. We also had an outstanding cabin that period with one of the best all around campers I ever had, Sam Hammock. Sam has a real zest and energy. He made sure that not only he had fun, but everyone around him had a good time too. I will always wonder how he is and where life has led him.
Anyway, as was the procedure when I was at camp, you had to turn in your food request a couple of days in advance. I always asked for extras because everyone who has raised a teenage boy knows they just can't get enough to eat. The kitchen always modified my order, so it would average out in the long run.
When I went down to pick up the food for the campout, I noticed that there were extra boxes of food with our name on it. When I asked the kitchen staff about it, they told me that a family outing had ordered the food, and then canceled. We were the next group out, so it was ours. Jackpot! There were double everything, and even stuff that we could not normally get. I decided to make it a nice suprise and not allow the boys to look in the boxes until we were out at the campsite, and set up. We had chosen Aqualung (or Rivendell) as we called it that was at the top of the hill beyond Squeakers Creak. By the time we got out there, got our tents set, and the fires going everyone was starved. When we opened the boxes, you would have thought that we had just offered free beer at a fraternity party. I think it was the only campfire ever where we had to bring food back.
Anyway, there are actually five meals at Fort Scott that stand out in my memory. Two of them deserve their own post which I will do in a bit. The five, in no particular order were:
1. The clam bake that George Wozniak threw on the deck of the boys pool
2. The pasta Prima vera dinner, also sponsored by George Wozniak
3. The best Senior Camp Out ever.
4. The riding department night out at Grand Finale
5. The all staff outing at B&B riverboats
Numbers 4 and 5 deserve their own posts, so I will leave them for later.
I remember the clam bake vividly. I can't recall why, but camp was empty, except for staff, in the middle of the summer. George had set up several grills to boil clams and corn fresh from the Fort Scott fields. Most of the staff was there aound the pool. It was one of those cool nights after a hot day where the steam was rising off the pool, and the lights were reflected on the pine trees near the path. In my whole life, I don't ever remember eating so much corn and clams. the company was good, the food excellent, and the setting was wonderful. Thank you George.
I didn't know George all that well, but it is obvious that he was an avid cook. The pasta dinner was held in the boys mess hall. I can't remeber if there were campers involved, but I remember that this also was fabulous. Since some people didnt care for Pasta Primavera, there was a lot left over. I remember we made very short work of the leftovers. I think another reason why this stands out in my mind, is that this was the same summer that our esteemed head cook allowed the hot dogs to scorch one day, and the camp had to bring in McDonalds in order to get every one fed.
The best Senior Camp Out ever stands out in my mind because not only was the food plentiful, but I think it was the only time that I was able to camp out with my two best friends. We also had an outstanding cabin that period with one of the best all around campers I ever had, Sam Hammock. Sam has a real zest and energy. He made sure that not only he had fun, but everyone around him had a good time too. I will always wonder how he is and where life has led him.
Anyway, as was the procedure when I was at camp, you had to turn in your food request a couple of days in advance. I always asked for extras because everyone who has raised a teenage boy knows they just can't get enough to eat. The kitchen always modified my order, so it would average out in the long run.
When I went down to pick up the food for the campout, I noticed that there were extra boxes of food with our name on it. When I asked the kitchen staff about it, they told me that a family outing had ordered the food, and then canceled. We were the next group out, so it was ours. Jackpot! There were double everything, and even stuff that we could not normally get. I decided to make it a nice suprise and not allow the boys to look in the boxes until we were out at the campsite, and set up. We had chosen Aqualung (or Rivendell) as we called it that was at the top of the hill beyond Squeakers Creak. By the time we got out there, got our tents set, and the fires going everyone was starved. When we opened the boxes, you would have thought that we had just offered free beer at a fraternity party. I think it was the only campfire ever where we had to bring food back.
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