Most of you who were campers or counselors during the mid 80's will remember Jerry Moore. How could you forget his easy smile or gentle nature? He spent most of his time in Sports and Recreation, and as even an AD. I think his second greatest accomplishment was the creation of Midget World- putting 32 six through nine year old boys in Senior 2 and living there for two weeks probably qualifies him for sainthood. But I bet that most of you have forgetten his greatest accomplishment was that of a salesman.
Jerry came up with an idea for an early evening program called Ecco Ball. He would start at the Sunday Evening campfire promoting the greatest game in Fort Scott history. Campers that knew Jerry knew that this had to be something relating to a game with a ball, hence the name. Every evening at dinner, and every time he saw the kids at program, Jerry would talk about Ecco Ball. The kids even started chanting Ecco ball because they just could not wait until Thursday evening to play this wonderful game they knew nothing about.
Finally the big day came and the kids acted like it was Christmas morning. They lined up at the flagpole after dinner, nearly delerious with excitement.
The look on their faces was absolutely priceless when Jerry explained that the Ecco Ball was a plastic bag that they would fill with litter from around the camp. The bag that was filled the most would be the official winner and the winning team would get their choice of fruit......
It only worked once, but it was a lot of fun while it lasted. I think Jerry went into missionary work for a while, but he would have made a great salesman.
Ecco Ball Forever!!!!!!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
He's Baaaaaaaccccckkkkkkkk
So I finally have my life back for a while. I hope some of you are still out there to share these random memories of mine. I have a lot of new stories that I can't wait to give to you. So here goes.....
Thursday, February 28, 2008
10 things about Canoe Trips
Ten things I remember about canoe trips
1. No matter how many times I went down the Whitewater river, I always noticed something new
2. I thought the songs the girls sang on the bus were annoying. I would give a lot to hear them again now
3. Bologna and cheese on slightly stale damp bread never tasted so good
4. I always liked taking the lead canoe ( rank has its privileges ). I appreciated the peace of the river, and the company and conversations were wonderful
5. I never did get invited to a moonlight float…
6. I never could get the hang of putting a canoe on my shoulders to carry them up the hill
7. I will never forget the day that Keith Kinzler and I took Kayaks instead of canoes. We could make it all the way from the head of the pack to the rear of the pack in no time at all. Racing was fun, and so was teasing the kids
8. There was a counselor canoe trip the year that Jessica Vesper was a CIT. She hurt her hand somehow and had to have stitches. Kind of put a damper on things. I think it was that same year that she got a bug in her ear ( I am not kidding) and I had to take her to the hospital in the middle of the night to get it out. Not a good year for Jess
9. Somehow senior girls who were afraid of spiders and would spend hours in the shower dressing for a senior dance had no problems throwing mud
10. Years afterward when we took the same canoe trip with a group of friends, it just was not the same. It didn’t even seem like the same river.
1. No matter how many times I went down the Whitewater river, I always noticed something new
2. I thought the songs the girls sang on the bus were annoying. I would give a lot to hear them again now
3. Bologna and cheese on slightly stale damp bread never tasted so good
4. I always liked taking the lead canoe ( rank has its privileges ). I appreciated the peace of the river, and the company and conversations were wonderful
5. I never did get invited to a moonlight float…
6. I never could get the hang of putting a canoe on my shoulders to carry them up the hill
7. I will never forget the day that Keith Kinzler and I took Kayaks instead of canoes. We could make it all the way from the head of the pack to the rear of the pack in no time at all. Racing was fun, and so was teasing the kids
8. There was a counselor canoe trip the year that Jessica Vesper was a CIT. She hurt her hand somehow and had to have stitches. Kind of put a damper on things. I think it was that same year that she got a bug in her ear ( I am not kidding) and I had to take her to the hospital in the middle of the night to get it out. Not a good year for Jess
9. Somehow senior girls who were afraid of spiders and would spend hours in the shower dressing for a senior dance had no problems throwing mud
10. Years afterward when we took the same canoe trip with a group of friends, it just was not the same. It didn’t even seem like the same river.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Wishful thinking
It was 10 degrees this morning when I woke up.
There was ice on the windshield of my truck and the windows were frozen shut.
I was caught by a train and cut off by a rude driver on my way into work.
I received phone calls from three employees telling me that they were not coming in to work today. After all these years, they still have not learned to lie convincingly.
It was better when I would wake up in the morning and look out my cabin door and see the fog over the stable field and the dew glistening on the grass
It was better when I was tired from being up late watching the stars from cabin walk and consoling a homesick camper, not from being up working on a project that might or might not actually get built
It was better when my breakfast was a bowl of Apple Jacks, a cold pop tart and some ice cold milk, rather than a Egg Mc something and a Coke that I gobble down on the way to a meeting in the morning.
Schedules were not nearly so important. If breakfast was ten minutes or twenty minutes late, there were no cell phones buzzing on my hip with someone on the other end demanding to know what my ETA was.
Fort Scott was not a job to me. It was a summer long vacation. I have many blessings in my life. I have a wonderful family. I get to make music most nights of the week. I have a home, a career, and good health.
I still miss Fort Scott
There was ice on the windshield of my truck and the windows were frozen shut.
I was caught by a train and cut off by a rude driver on my way into work.
I received phone calls from three employees telling me that they were not coming in to work today. After all these years, they still have not learned to lie convincingly.
It was better when I would wake up in the morning and look out my cabin door and see the fog over the stable field and the dew glistening on the grass
It was better when I was tired from being up late watching the stars from cabin walk and consoling a homesick camper, not from being up working on a project that might or might not actually get built
It was better when my breakfast was a bowl of Apple Jacks, a cold pop tart and some ice cold milk, rather than a Egg Mc something and a Coke that I gobble down on the way to a meeting in the morning.
Schedules were not nearly so important. If breakfast was ten minutes or twenty minutes late, there were no cell phones buzzing on my hip with someone on the other end demanding to know what my ETA was.
Fort Scott was not a job to me. It was a summer long vacation. I have many blessings in my life. I have a wonderful family. I get to make music most nights of the week. I have a home, a career, and good health.
I still miss Fort Scott
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Lastgen Party
Alan McConnell hosted a wonderful party recently for Genlasters ( the last generation of staff members) to work at Fort Scott. I saw a lot of familiar faces and realized once again how blessed I am that they have been a part of my life.
On a personal side, many of you commented that you had enjoyed the Fort Scott Blog, and were looking forward to more posts in the future. I must admit that I was truly touched by all of your kind comments, and will try to be a more regular poster in the future. All of us have real life commitments, and I have let mine get in the way of my writing.
So on with the post. First of all, I want to start by wishing all of those who read here a Merry Christmas, albeit belated, and a Happy New Year. I hope that God will continue to bless all of us in 2008.
As I drove home, I was thinking about how I would describe some of the people that I talked to last night to someone that had never met them before. I started making a thumbnail sketch sort of, of the people that were at the party, and tried to describe them in a sentence or two. These are the ones I have come up with so far, in no particular order….
Biz M: The best hugger I have ever met. Her joy and zest for life radiates from her and fills whatever room she is in. You can’t help but feel good about yourself when you have spent time around her.
Ted L: One of the most “genuine” people I have had the pleasure of knowing. He is a hardworking man who will look you in the eye and tell you what is on his mind. I rarely see him without a smile on his face, and his love of Fort Scott is immense.
Tom B: Incredible story teller, very animated. His mirth and excitement are infectious. There is a reason that he was an icon at Fort Scott. He is another person that loves life and makes you glad you were around him.
MABS: A person with many facets. One moment she will be telling you stories about partying at Flick’s the next she will be engaged in something far more intellectual. Many times when I talked with her in the past, I got the impression that she knew more than she was telling. Like me, MABS feels like the work at Fort Scott wasn’t finished when the camp was closed.
More to come as I find the right words...
Bob
On a personal side, many of you commented that you had enjoyed the Fort Scott Blog, and were looking forward to more posts in the future. I must admit that I was truly touched by all of your kind comments, and will try to be a more regular poster in the future. All of us have real life commitments, and I have let mine get in the way of my writing.
So on with the post. First of all, I want to start by wishing all of those who read here a Merry Christmas, albeit belated, and a Happy New Year. I hope that God will continue to bless all of us in 2008.
As I drove home, I was thinking about how I would describe some of the people that I talked to last night to someone that had never met them before. I started making a thumbnail sketch sort of, of the people that were at the party, and tried to describe them in a sentence or two. These are the ones I have come up with so far, in no particular order….
Biz M: The best hugger I have ever met. Her joy and zest for life radiates from her and fills whatever room she is in. You can’t help but feel good about yourself when you have spent time around her.
Ted L: One of the most “genuine” people I have had the pleasure of knowing. He is a hardworking man who will look you in the eye and tell you what is on his mind. I rarely see him without a smile on his face, and his love of Fort Scott is immense.
Tom B: Incredible story teller, very animated. His mirth and excitement are infectious. There is a reason that he was an icon at Fort Scott. He is another person that loves life and makes you glad you were around him.
MABS: A person with many facets. One moment she will be telling you stories about partying at Flick’s the next she will be engaged in something far more intellectual. Many times when I talked with her in the past, I got the impression that she knew more than she was telling. Like me, MABS feels like the work at Fort Scott wasn’t finished when the camp was closed.
More to come as I find the right words...
Bob
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Thanksgiving at Fort Scott
a reader sent me a note encouraging me to imagine what Halloween at Fort Scott would have looked like, but since I have been limited in my blogging time as of late, I missed that opportunity, so we will have to wait until next year for that one. But it got me to thinking of what Thanksgiving at Fort Scott would look like. So here goes....
Naturally, there would have to be at least a little bit of snow on the ground. This is a Currier and Ives kind of scene in my mind. The dinner would be laid out at the Boys Mess Hall. Luminaires would be placed all the way from the gatehouse to the circle lot behind the Boys Messhall. A large fire would be burning merrily on the hill overlooking the Boys pool.
Preparation would have started on the food early in the day. Tables would line the walls loaded with covered dishes of every imaginable type, and pies, cakes and cookies enough to feed an army. There would be table cloths on all of the tables and centerpieces with candles on each one. The air in the mess hall would be fragrant with the smell of turkey and dressing cooking.
The Leonard boys would be outside cooking deep fried turkey. The doors would be swinging open and shut constantly with our children running in and out, making new friends and playing tag in the darkness.
At 6:00 or so, we would all gather around these tables surrounded by our friends and family and quietly join hands. John Farmer would lead us in a prayer to thank God for all of our blessings and we would sit down to a meal that we would not soon forget. Afterwards Sue Carfagna or Tim Clossen, or someone else would get out a guitar and we would sing until the night got very late.
As I write this little story, it occurs to me that a blessing that we all might overlook is that we can imagine this very scene, and remember friends that we would like to include in it.
I just wonder now, why did this never happen for real?
Peace and Happy Thanksgiving everyone
Bob
Naturally, there would have to be at least a little bit of snow on the ground. This is a Currier and Ives kind of scene in my mind. The dinner would be laid out at the Boys Mess Hall. Luminaires would be placed all the way from the gatehouse to the circle lot behind the Boys Messhall. A large fire would be burning merrily on the hill overlooking the Boys pool.
Preparation would have started on the food early in the day. Tables would line the walls loaded with covered dishes of every imaginable type, and pies, cakes and cookies enough to feed an army. There would be table cloths on all of the tables and centerpieces with candles on each one. The air in the mess hall would be fragrant with the smell of turkey and dressing cooking.
The Leonard boys would be outside cooking deep fried turkey. The doors would be swinging open and shut constantly with our children running in and out, making new friends and playing tag in the darkness.
At 6:00 or so, we would all gather around these tables surrounded by our friends and family and quietly join hands. John Farmer would lead us in a prayer to thank God for all of our blessings and we would sit down to a meal that we would not soon forget. Afterwards Sue Carfagna or Tim Clossen, or someone else would get out a guitar and we would sing until the night got very late.
As I write this little story, it occurs to me that a blessing that we all might overlook is that we can imagine this very scene, and remember friends that we would like to include in it.
I just wonder now, why did this never happen for real?
Peace and Happy Thanksgiving everyone
Bob
Thursday, November 8, 2007
10 Things..CIT Shack
Ten things I remember about the CIT shack are....
1. The porch was the second best porch in the whole boys camp. You could lean back in a chair and rest against the wall, with your feet up on the rail
2. The men from the riding staff loved to use our bathroom
3. The speakers from the boys lodge seemed to be pointed directly at my door.
4. Bobby, one of the other CITs during my stay could throw a lawn chair over the roof
5. The lights from cars coming into the parking area at night would always shine right through my door
6. Tom Beiting had a really cool bachelor pad on his end. We didnt go in there, and as a matter of fact, I am not sure that he was ever there very much.
7. Since it was so far away from the other cabins, we were spared the raid that year
8. It was a really cool cabin, because it was shaded even on the hotest days. However you had to walk really far to get a drink
9. There was a brand new riding trail they were breaking behind the cabin that led to the tennis courts
10. You could hear my stereo all the way to the mess hall. The kitchen guys told me this.
Bob
1. The porch was the second best porch in the whole boys camp. You could lean back in a chair and rest against the wall, with your feet up on the rail
2. The men from the riding staff loved to use our bathroom
3. The speakers from the boys lodge seemed to be pointed directly at my door.
4. Bobby, one of the other CITs during my stay could throw a lawn chair over the roof
5. The lights from cars coming into the parking area at night would always shine right through my door
6. Tom Beiting had a really cool bachelor pad on his end. We didnt go in there, and as a matter of fact, I am not sure that he was ever there very much.
7. Since it was so far away from the other cabins, we were spared the raid that year
8. It was a really cool cabin, because it was shaded even on the hotest days. However you had to walk really far to get a drink
9. There was a brand new riding trail they were breaking behind the cabin that led to the tennis courts
10. You could hear my stereo all the way to the mess hall. The kitchen guys told me this.
Bob
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