The Daily Log 2019

The last day of camp’s 125th season started with a blast from the cannon! A final breakfast concluded with council goodbyes and the presentation of a handful of theater and activity cups. For acting, Ollie Longo and Oliver Smith won the Green Room Cup and the Coons Cup respectively. For stage crew, both Lewis Threipland and Charlie King won the Pop Watson Cup. For activities, Rabbit Barnes once again won the Anniversary Cup, and the Beavers won the Club Contest for the second year in a row! After singing the final two verses of the camp song in Mem Hall, the campers finished packing and prepared for their final Inspection. In the Chapel line, Inspector General Jafar Sharipov awarded the Inspection Cup to Stanwood Porches. We walked the path to our chapel, reflecting on the past seven weeks. Mr. Vinnie’s sermon revolved around bringing camp home with us and that our wonderful season is only thoroughly finished if we instill the values we practice here away from camp. After the service, we had a tearful goodbye and the 2019 camp season came to an end. Quietly, all excused.

Watersports are here! An extended duty period was in order as we eagerly tackled tasks to make the hillside look impeccable for the eventful day. For our guests, we took full showers at the waterfront and then proceeded to get our bunks as orderly as possible. Jafar and his inspection team ravaged the dorms one last time in full force and were content with the results. A quick and efficient lunch that lacked soup followed. By 1:30 we headed down to the waterfront and got in our positions. Despite the harsh winds our Water Sports program was successful and finished right on time, giving guests ample time to explore the hillside. The shop and all the finished projects were on display once again with some added decorations by Chip. Guests then migrated over to Tree Talk ridge where counsellors gave shortened versions of their wonderful talks. Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov was then brilliantly performed in the Glade despite the dubious weather. The smell from Mem Hall trickled its way to the glade marking that it was dinner time. Delicious BBQ chicken, corn, rolls, salad, and black raspberry sandwich creamery ice cream comprised the menu. Following dinner, the crew of the theater play acted out the Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov for our guests. Just as the play wrapped up, the bonfire was lit and camp gathered at Baird Hall for singing. After some magnificent songs, we gave a railroad for our guests and a louder one for Pasquaney. Marco then gently sent our guests away to the sound of taps. With only the camp community at Baird Hall, we watched the season’s slideshow prepared by Matt Woolverton and Jack Anderson’s 2019 video. The three final character cups were awarded after, with Mr. Teddy’s Cup going to Bennett O’Reilly and Grey Durham, the Mauran Cup going to Sam Randall and the Most Faithful Boy going to Porter Barnes. 16 year olds were then presented with their lanterns and Mr. Vinnie thanked them for their service. The fire no longer roared but murmured with its embers. We went to Dana for nightly prayer one last time and then gathered as dorms for our final Circles.

At 7:30 am Pasquaney was awakened by the bugle. The campers and counsellors then filed into prayers with many sleepy faces. We then were awakened with a cold shower. We enjoyed a breakfast of eggs and bacon and then filed out to all of our duties. After duties, there were many open activities including the Nature Trail, 16-year-old cuts at baseball, tennis, and sailing, and scheduled activities like the Pasquaney Mile Canoe Race and the Senior Four Man Canoe Race. All of camp then headed to the final soak where everyone got in the water. The sixteen-year-olds jumped in the lake in many funny costumes. Then we headed up for trunk packing followed by lunch. After lunch, everyone headed back to the dorms for rest. Then the bugle blew for the final activity period. There was a variety of activities including the bonfire work, rowing, more final cuts for sixteen-year-olds, tennis, canoeing, and sailing. During sailing, all the harnesses for trapezing and boats were taken out. After activities, there was free time followed by an incredible final Tree Talk by Bubbles about Mr. Charlie’s vision for Pasquaney. We then continued to dinner and enjoyed pizza. Then we had free time and a giant cheese game in wall ball where you could use anything to hit the ball like a tennis racket or a broom. Someone even used Charlie Pink laying in his bunk to hit the ball. The shop open house also took place during this time, where there were many fine projects on display. We then had the award ceremony for campfire. The camp then slept peacefully in their beds.

Kaboom! My eyes opened to Marco’s maliciously magnificent and terrific trumpet. I jumped up and filed into the Dana Barracks with my fellow soldiers. After the Commanding Officer of the Day (COD) gave a rousing speech we dunked ourselves to a cold wet, performed our daily regimen, and notified the Captain (Mr. Vinnie) of its completion. “Troops, move to Mem-Hall” – COD. “Sir, yes, Sir!” – troops. Yummy grub in the Mem-Hall; I love this station. We practiced our battle-hymns for Chapel and filed out ready to serve our institution with our sacred duties. After another quick rinse off (tub), our General inspected our living quarters, and we made our way to hear the weekly sermon, this time speaking to the distinction between popularity and respect. With our hearts full, we returned to Mem-Hall Station and filled our stomachs. Finally some rest! Boom! It was just Marco’s trumpet again. We had our camp meeting. We marched down and assumed our battle stations for the crew races. Several of my comrades loaded themselves into our crew shells of war (a speedy and precise vessel). These boys competed amongst each other to determine the fastest crew, and oh man, was it spectacular. The races were consistently riveting and close, especially that of the senior crews, who had two of the fastest times in our history. This makes me feel more comfortable about our Naval defense. As the sun set over the water, we sang at the Bathhouse dock and then marched up to our sleeping quarters, had prayers, Circles, and taps.

We woke on August 3, day 2 of Trustees’ Weekend, at 7:30 a.m. We had mines, breakfast, and a quick and efficient duty period, followed by activities, including one last outing for crew and Senior singles and Sub-junior doubles tennis matches. Soak took place at 11:45, and was followed by upper camp inspection, lunch, a shortened rest, and inspection. Lunch announcements included some memorable moments. Bubbles was presented with a chair to honor his life of commitment to Pasquaney, and Mr. Vinnie gave remarks. Retired maintenance director Mike Grant and his wife, Marilyn Deans, were honored for their six years of service to Pasquaney. And there was also a bit of humor provided by Jafar Sharipov, who, with Kirk’s help, executed a clever announcement in which his inspection mascot, “Mr. Crabs,” was attached to a string and lifted into the rafters each time Jafar tried to turn around to see him. The afternoon activity period featured the Boys-Council baseball game, won by the council 11-1, and a Junior singles tennis final in which Henry Brown defeated Costa Somers. Finishing touches were put on projects in the shop, and play rehearsals and dinner followed the activity period. Campfire was the Trustees’ Weekend play, Leading Ladies, directed by Charlie Pink and Will Helm. The cast put on an excellent performance, bringing energy and endless humor to a captivated audience. After mines and prayers, taps blew at 10:00 p.m.

The day started with a very chilly morning as all of the campers reluctantly stuck their heads under the cold showers. The highlight of the morning activity period was Simon Brown’s asserting his dominance over the tennis game by winning his second straight senior singles championship. The activity period also included preparation for the diving competition and crew races, a specie to the Bristol Gorge, and a box making extravaganza. The afternoon activity period was much of the same with the highlight being the sub-junior baseball championship. The winner of that was Malcolm Klingler’s “Dinger Slingers,” beating Peter Davies’s team 1-0. This was followed by a fantastic Tree Talk given by Martin Millspaugh on the importance of pushing yourself in “the arena” while also having a quiet “corner” to recover. After the Tree Talk, many trustees were introduced marking the beginning of Trustees’ Weekend. After that, we had pizza Friday and a campfire of Mr. Vinnie reading “Pigs is Pigs” and “The Interlopers.” The stories put us at ease after an action-packed day on the hillside.