Grace Ware Holbrook Journal Entry - Post 12

June 8th [1918]
      Yesterday it rained hard, & later in the day it cleared & grew colder. We remained here through the day doing various bits of housework.
     Today Miss Lubovitsky & I drove with Edwards to Brattleboro & stayed to lunch with Aunt Molly. Mr Moffitt met me & we went over the lists for camp candidates.
     Mother & Michael arrived later, with the Dabneys & Cabot in time for afternoon tea. Michael handed He was most excited over his Boston visit & with all that happened there - The Barrys dined with them, also Sarah Bradley & Miss West. Then Michael went to see Gerard's pictures, shopped with Cook, had tea with the Bradleys etc. We played tennis before dinner for a short time - and danced for the benefit of with several spectators about. presented me a huge box of candy with remarks that it was "so very small".

© 2010, copyright William C. Haskell

Green Mountain Camp - Post 6

[Grace Ware Holbrook Journal Entry regarding Green Mountain Camp]

[January 3, 1918 - Boston, Mass continued]
     That night we arrived at camp rather late - that is, after eight and the five or six girls with me helped with the express cart & its load bound for camp. The darkness was great, and we had one lantern between us to light our way over boulders and through mud holes. The load was extremely heavy, and difficult, as the handle was not at all stable. Two or three of us finally pulled off our shoes & stockings, to make it more comfortable walking through the puddles! Finally the cart was left in the road for the next party to deal with. 
     Arrived at camp all were hungry as bears - for it was after nine then & we commenced a fire. Suddenly we bethought ourselves of the possibility of another party without a light. Back we trudged, but were home again as soon as possible to partake of delicious scrambled eggs & bread & butter.
     Other motor trips & picnics included: Sunset Lake (North Pond) on a Sunday afternoon to avoid general homesickness, when families visited a favored few; a supper party at the Bradley's house, where a last first aid class was given, & final examination taken of each girl by Dr. Burnett.
     On cool evenings we enjoyed sitting about a camp fire, telling stories & playing games - such as drop the handkerchief, Roman Soldiers, etc. One warm evening, a large number played base ball with Mr. Moffit as the [illegible] sport.
     One evening a big thunderstorm kept most of us inside - and then games kept the girls occupied. At frequent intervals, and nearly every day a storm came up at some time. Practically every trip was interrupted by a sudden shower.
     On our last evening, after the Bradley's party, the night was warm & very clear with a beautiful new moon shining over the water. We sat together in the full enjoyment of the scene & sang songs. Every girl felt the spell of the evening, and must have had a realization of our intimacy and all that it meant in the camp life. Some particularly had found companionship undreamed of & a phase of broader vision on life than heretofore had touched them.
     It was with great preparation and bustle that camp broke up the next morning and at the same time with a sensibility of true friendship between us all.

Green Mountain Camp - Health Talk

[end of journal entry for 1917 camp season]

© 2010, copyright William C. Haskell

Green Mountain Camp - Post 5

[Grace Ware Holbrook Journal Entry regarding Green Mountain Camp]

[January 3, 1918 - Boston, Mass continued]
     Dinner came at 12:30, and then a rest hour a burdensome ruling to many, especially if there were not letters to be written. However it was a relief all around; and at the first, when the morning exercises, girl scout drill (given by Sarah Bradley) milk duty swimming etc were new to all they were truly in need of rest for a change from the general excitements. The novelty of course wore off, and first aid classes in hot weather did not tend to contrast sufficiently the dulness [sic] of lecturing and quite hour! 
     Sometimes the rest hour was shortened or early enough to allow for an auto trip or walk when we carried suppers with us. Our first excursion proved a lesson in that it was lacking in excitement other than mosquitoes and midges galore. The whole picnic hardly occupied over an hour, for we went and returned from the short wood walk, eating our supper frugally all around.
     Our most enjoyable expeditions were by motor, & there was general excitement in the air to where we were going & what might happen. One of the most successful afternoon trips was to Brattleboro when all were given a treat by Miss Lesley to ice-cream, and afterward drove to Naulahka to see mother. The children went about the garden etc, and two or three of us played the piano. "Granny" recited the poem she made up about the camp & one about "Granny's teapot". It happened that she went about with Miss Lesley to look at everything and in remarking the regularity of the garden from the outdoor sleeping porch, stated: "It might have been laid out with a yard stick."
     We went on after this in spite of thunderstorms & auto troubles (in Mr. Moffitt's Ford) to the heights of the McVeagh Farm with Margaret Goodhue, added to our party, escorting us.

Green Mountain Camp Girls at Naulahka Terrace

[to be continued...]

© 2010, copyright William C. Haskell

Green Mountain Camp - Post 2

 January 3, 1918 - Boston, Mass [continued]
     The house we occupied as headquarters stands up from the water's edge in an open space about two hundred feet, overlooking all the pond. Beyond the house is the barn a fairly large one with good upper loft. Below the barn is the little clapboarded house we used as kitchen, and in front of this we pitched our fly as shelter for the dining tables. Across the open space about one hundred feet from the kitchen we pitched the tents in which we all slept with the exception of our camp cook and camp advisor who slept on the porch of the house.
     The sixteenth of July then a number of us motored to the top of Ames Hill loaded with every possible article imaginable in the way of food, bedding, tents, clothing, etc.
     Helen Bradley, Mr. Daudelin and myself were of the first to settle down, then with the help of Mr. Dorr Bradley and his daughters, and Mr. Cook we put up tents and began to put up tents.
     On the eighteenth we all congregated: - Mr. Bradley drove some girls in his car, then Mr. Cook and I also filled our cars with all kinds of things and took more girls, mostly from Vernon. At the same time Mr. Moffitt and Sarah and Helen Bradley went to West Halifax to bring that group of girls to camp. 
     In all there are seventeen girls received that day, and we lunched on sandwiches and milk prepared for us by Miss Sutherland - camp cook - and Miss Lesley.

Tents at Green Mountain Camp (no date)

to be continued...

© 2010, copyright William C. Haskell