Director’s Reports

“Clean Mirth”

July 15, 2026

“Clean Mirth”

July 15, 2026

I have been witnessing some very well-run activities in the past few days. There has been lots of good one-on-one guidance and the patience exhibited by the counselors could not be improved upon. The administration has a closed account in which we offer assessments of staff and their relationships with the boys. There have been some very positive and enlightening reports. Very good camp!

Thus, it was that I fell in with Sam and three boys who were building a small fire in the council circle during a morning activity. When I inquired as to what clinic this was, I learned that these windsurfers were building a fire to placate the winds, of which at that moment there were none whatsoever.

Sam, of course, could have done some training on the beach or even shown a windsurfing video, but instead engaged his charges to run back to their cabins and find something of personal value to sacrifice. On the spot, I decided to approve what they were doing.

Look; camp is a long haul. In fact, it takes not weeks but years to do everything we offer at least once. The boys are at tad fatigued at this point due to the pell-mell pace we chase here. Plus the heat wave. Let them have a break.

We harkened back to the story of Henry Ford’s private train that accidently killed three Manning brothers way back in 1924. It was snowing heavily and the boys never heard the train bearing down on them. The Lake Tarleton Inn placed a tablet embedded in a large mound of stone deep in the forest on Aloha Hill across the lake from Kingswood:

E’en as the trod that day to God

So walked he from his birth

In simpleness and gentleness

In honor and clean mirth

The definition of “mirth” stumped the campers: Merry, cheerful, joyful, happy. They quickly agreed that mirth applied to this moment. But, clean mirth, meaning simple, gentle and honorable merriness. Yup, that too!

Then last evening the Guides sponsored a “Fancy Dinner” for the birthday of the Duke of Piermont. I did not know that Alice and I were to be honored guests sitting at the head table until seconds before the bell. Thankfully I keep a set of very old dress-up clothing in my closet for such festive occasions, this one being also, very evidently, clean mirth.