Rewinding 31 years

April, 1978

31 years ago was the first time I set foot on the Fort Scott property. At that time, the Archdiocese would run ads in the Sunday bulletins at church for the coming summer at Fort Scott. My parents asked me if I wanted to go check it out, and so we packed ourselves into the car and drove out to the open house.

I wish I could remember who gave us the tour of the camp. It might have been Ed Shannon, or maybe Mark Maxwell. I just don’t remember. What I do remember is how big camp seemed. It was open, and green and quiet. We walked through the Boys Camp, and peered into the windows of the cabins. We looked into the 8-1/2 and the playhouse. The tour pretty much ended on the porch of one of the girls cabins that had been opened for the day.

We walked in, and I smelled that cabin smell of forest, and slightly damp lumber. I looked around and saw the bunks and wondered how so many people could live in such a small place. I am sure that I looked at all of the names written on the walls and wondered about the people that had put their names there. At 11 years old, I am sure that I had 11 year old concerns like how would we wake up in the morning, how would we know when to be where, what about this and what if that….

I remember being excited, and apprehensive. I had never been to any kind of camp, although we had a summer cottage in Indiana. I had no idea that by taking that tour on that cool pre spring Sunday, how my life would be changed.

What I find most interesting in this memory is that I underestimated Fort Scott in just about every way possible.

I think that I need to get busy writing again, because it seems that the memories are fading a bit faster than I thought.

Happy Easter to all

Bob