DC Sojourns - No War! No War!

Hi Bill

In my last letter, I told you about the work-related Computers In Libraries conferences that I attended regularly in Washington DC. I also mentioned what it was like to do some research inside the Library of Congress, and how much Pat and I loved to visit DC. Today I want to visit those old Washington DC memories again focusing on a non-work-related experience.

In March 2003, Pat accompanied me on another trip to the Computers In Libraries Conference in Washington DC. Of course, we stayed at the Washington Hilton on Connecticut Avenue again and I spent a few days enjoying a very interesting and enlightening conference. Pat was on her own while I was at the conference, but she was fairly comfortable in that area on Connecticut Avenue. She spent her time in local bookstores and other retail shops, coffee shops and restaurants. I believe I met her for lunch somewhere each day.

On Saturday, March 15^th Pat and I decided to visit the National Mall intending to check out some of the museums, galleries and monuments. In addition, we always visited the Vietnam War Memorial to honor the more than 58,000 service men and women who died in that war. It was probably my guilt about drawing a high draft-lottery number and avoiding the draft that made me pay homage at that memorial.

Peace Kite Flying Near the Top of the Washington Monument

We had heard that there might be some anti-war demonstrations taking place on that day, but didn’t really pay much attention to that possibility. However, when we descended into the Metro station at Dupont Circle we were surprised by a larger than expected number of people waiting for the train. When we actually boarded a Metro train we were astonished because it was jammed with people of all sizes, shapes, and ages. Many of them were carrying signs/placards showing anti-war sentiments and wearing t-shirts with anti-war messages. There was even one guy with a “Remember Korea” sign. Everyone seemed to be very jovial, talkative, and friendly. We realized that our visit to the National Mall was going to be a lot more interesting than we had expected.

Some protesters near the Washington Monument

When our train reached the National Mall stop we climbed the stairs and were amazed by a sea of peaceful but very vocal protestors that had already taken control of a large area of the Mall. Although we were not prepared with any protest signs or t-shirts we felt very comfortable swimming in that sea. We allowed ourselves to float through that huge crowd of demonstrators with lots of anti-war placards/signs, songs, balloons and kites (maybe the balloons and kites were contributed by the aging flower children who were trying to relive their youth).

 

At the time, Pat and I were not supportive of the invasion of Iraq. Therefore, it was easy for us to identify with the demonstrators and we ended up staying on the National Mall with them for most of the afternoon. It was a beautiful day and it was a peaceful demonstration by thousands of outspoken people of all ages, most of whom were passionately opposed to a war in Iraq.

 

Throughout that strange day of protests, we were reminded of the demonstrations that some of us had participated in while I was attending college at Pitt. Some of those demonstrations were to express concerns about university policies, but some were also addressing the nation-wide passionate wish for bringing our troops home from Vietnam and for addressing racial inequalities and poverty.

The protesters on the National Mall were against another unnecessary war that would put our troops in mortal danger and would likely accomplish very little. At least that is what we thought during those times. They also provided an unusual (and enjoyable) afternoon on the National Mall with balloons, kites, clever signs, songs, dancing and interesting people. It was a fun day for us two tourists from South Dakota. 

BTW: You might remember that President George W. Bush had been threatening an invasion of Iraq (with some of our allied countries) for some time and most people seemed to believe it was coming soon. Sure enough, the invasion began on March 19^th and 20^th.

Pat with protesters near the Washington Monument

Bill - I wish you could have joined us during some of our visits to DC. I am pretty sure you have been to DC, but it would have been nice to visit it together sometime. Anyway, I plan to write at least one more letter about our visits to our nation’s capital.

Take care,

Sincerely Clark

DC Sojourns

Hi Bill

Today I am thinking about my work trips to Washington DC in the late 1980s through the early 2000s.

During that time, I regularly attended the Computers In Libraries conferences in Washington DC.  In the mid-1980s, librarians were figuring out how to deploy and facilitate the use of computers by library clients. That was an innovative and complicated procedure so librarians had to take advantage of learning experiences as much as possible. Therefore we tried to attend relevant conferences as often as we could get funding for them. The annual Computers In Libraries conferences were the cream of the crop, attracting librarians from all over the US and beyond. Luckily, my Deans realized how important these educational opportunities were and financed my attendance, not every year but many years.

The Computers In Libraries conferences are still being held annually at the Washington Hilton on Connecticut Avenue, just four blocks north of the Dupont Circle Metro Station. In fact that conference is happening right now as I write this blog post on March 8, 2016. The conference focuses on “ideas, leading-edge practices, tips, and techniques for creating innovative libraries, and engaging communities, as well as designing and delivering strategic services that are of primary importance to our communities. The emphasis is on doing research, translating it into innovative services and practices…”

Anyway I enjoyed those conferences very much and learned a lot from them. I also met lots of new and old colleagues at them. I often met up with former colleagues, including Iqbal J. and Nancy C (both former colleagues from Briggs Library at South Dakota State University) and other former colleagues from University of Cincinnati and University of Nebraska at Omaha. It was a nice way to keep in touch.

The conferences were great and very educational, but I was also very pleased to visit Washington DC, and I came to love that city and its attractions. I always allocated some time to visit the National Mall, including the Natural History Museum, National Art Gallery, Air & Space Museum, and other attractions, including of course The Library of Congress. In addition, I became fond of several restaurants, coffee shops, book stores (Kramer’s), etc. I quickly learned that I could use the Metro (subway) to get to (or close to) most areas in DC that I wanted. I usually ordered a week-long Metro pass via mail before flying to Reagan National Airport. Then I could take the Metro anywhere I wanted to go.

A Metro Pass from one of my DC trips.

As an academic librarian, certainly one of my favorite attractions was The Library of Congress and I visited the tourist area of LoC during many trips. However, standing in a hallway looking down through a window into the opulent LoC reading room was not enough. Therefore, one year, I applied for a library card that would enable me to actually do some research in the LoC reading room. Getting that ID card was a more complicated process than expected, especially via a mail process. However, after verifying who I was and why I needed to use the Library of Congress, I received detailed instructions for how to get into LoC, and get my LoC photo ID card. At that time I was researching and compiling an annotated bibliography of publications by and about my beloved (and extinct) Pennsylvania Railroad and I spent a couple of afternoons in the LoC reading room. Before my trip to DC, I had searched the LoC catalog from the South Dakota State University Library where I worked and recorded the appropriate LoC call numbers for the books I wanted see. When I got into the LoC reading room, after veriyfing who I was and getting my photo ID, I requested retrieval of those books, which took a while. Therefore, I requested them one afternoon and returned to use them the next afternoon. Overall, it was an amazing experience to actually sit in that beautiful and historic reading room and do some research. I will never forget feeling like I was worshiping at the library Mecca. It was awesome! What can I say, I am a librarian! – Well, at least I was a librarian.

My Library of Congress ID card

The Main Reading Room in the Library of Congress

I guess most of us have certain cities that we love to visit and sometimes wish we could live there. Washington DC would be one those cities for Pat and I. However, we realized that dream was not going to be a reality.  Luckily I worked for Deans who realized the value of continuing educational opportunities for their employees. Leon R and Steve M were both such Deans and I am still grateful to them for those opportunities to visit Washington DC and for their support and tutelage as well.

At some point during my library career, I became enlightened enough to realize that I didn’t need to make those trips alone. I could take Pat with me! Therefore, more excitement in Washington DC will be continued …

Camping Calamities

Hi Bill

Today I have been thinking about our camping experiences back in the early to mid-1990s.

You and others who know us well probably understand that Clark and Pat are not campers. It’s not that we think it is dumb to subject ourselves to roughing it in the woods with hungry bugs, struggling through sudden damaging wind/rain/lightning storms that seek to tear down our inexpensive flimsy tent, trying to cook a decent meal on a camp stove or even over a small fire, attempting to get a comfortable night’s sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor of a tent, and tolerating your camping buddies who seem to relish in the absurdities of camping! Well maybe that is dumb! There are campers in this World and there are non-campers in this world. Pat and I fit into the latter species.

However, we didn’t reach this state of hostility toward camping without having some camping adventures back in the early 1990s. At that time we were living in Brookings, SD, where I worked at South Dakota State University. Pat and I became good friends with Mark, who was a colleague at SDSU, and his wife, Sue.

Our good friends and camping buddies, Mark and Sue

Mark and Sue were campers, and they (especially Mark) seemed to make it their passionate goal to recruit and indoctrinate Pat and me into the wonderful world of camping. They kept talking to us about their camping experiences under the celestial canopy or under the enchanted forest canopy. Also they subtly used guilt to persuade us by alluding that our kids deserved to have that experience with nature. 

We finally decided to take the plunge. We bought a decent sized tent and some sleeping bags. However, we didn’t buy much else. We figured we could get by with the flashlights and other things that we already had. We knew Mark had cooking equipment and other camping equipment so we didn’t worry much about it.  

Nando and Sue

We began our camping experiences with Mark, Sue, and Mark’s nephew Fernando (Nando), who spent most summers with Mark and Sue back then. We camped with them a couple of times in the local state parks, including Lake Poinsett State Park and Oakwood Lakes State Park. Those overnight camping outings went well. I remember camping at Oakwood Lakes State Park with Mark, Sue and Nando when Mark and Sue had borrowed a popup camper from Sue’s father, Murph, who by the way is a wonderful man and a great professor and musician. They slept in the popup camper and Pat and I slept in our tent. Rayna, Zeb and Nando slept in Mark’s tent. It turned out to be a fun communion with nature. We had a campfire and Mark and Sue’s cooking equipment helped us prepare some tasty camping meals. There were reasonably nice bathroom facilities near the campground in that park. Best of all the weather was mild and a beautiful starlit sky enchanted us from above. We had no rain, no strong wind attacks, and no animal (or people) confrontations. Everyone had a good time. In fact it was enjoyable enough to encourage us to buy more equipment that would make camping even more comfortable and enjoyable.

Clark and Pat, the reluctant campers

The next summer, we decided to try camping for a longer stay and a little further away from home. We got the same caravan back together, with Mark serving as the great white hunter and leader, Sue serving as his beautiful nature girl, and Nando was a lock for their feral nephew. We made camping reservations for a few days at Niobrara State Park at the confluence of the Niobrara and Missouri rivers on Nebraska's northeastern border. It turned out to be a wonderful state park with rivers, woods, and hills that provided great vistas to gaze at and photograph. There were also decent bathroom/shower facilities near the campground. Mark, Sue and Nando slept in Mark’s tent and Pat, Rayna, Zeb and I slept in our tent. The park was indeed beautiful and we enjoyed it for the first two days. The hiking trails provided both easy strolls through the open plains and more challenging areas with steep grades through the forested areas. Pat and I still didn’t have very good cooking facilities, but Mark and Sue helped us with that. Imagine, Pat and Clark (both city critters) spreading our wings and embracing the wildlands and wild waters. It was all good.

During the evening of the second day Pat and I noticed the skies looked a little darker with some larger clouds. However, we enjoyed conversation around a campfire during that evening, which lasted until we all crawled into our tents and sleeping bags and almost instantly fell into a deep and rejuvenating sleep. Being in the wild seemed to be good for sleeping, or maybe that was only for me.

Unfortunately, we were awakened by some strong wind gusts that blasted and shook our tent. Pat and I peeked outside to discover that the moon was covered by thick dark clouds and the strong winds were ominous. It began raining soon after we zipped the tent door back up. Rayna and Zeb were worried and we tried to reassure them that it would be fine. However, Pat and I were also worried. It continued to get worse, with extremely strong winds that required us to desparately hold the sides of the tent up with our arms and hang on to it as hard as we could. Rayna and Zeb were terrified, especially when the severe thunder and lightning seemed to attack us. Needless to say, we made it through that stormy camping ordeal. However, we and many of our possessions got wet and we were not feeling good about camping anymore.

The intrepid campers:
Nando, Clark, Rayna, Sue, Zeb.
Pat was the photographer and
I don't know where Mark was.

However, by the next summer we had gotten over the camping storm trauma and Mark, Sue and Nando were planning another trip to Niobrara State Park. However, this time we suggested that we reserve a cabin in the park for about 3 days or so. The rugged cabins that we expected turned out to be very well appointed with a kitchen, table and chairs, four bedrooms with beds and mattresses, a screened in porch, and a bathroom and shower. Okay, this is the kind of camping that Clark and Pat could embrace – not all the comforts of home, but damned close. Of course the most important thing was that those cabins provided solid roofs and walls that withstood the wind and rain! There was also a fire pit area where we could pretend we were camping in the wildlands. Hey, this camping trip was guaranteed to be trauma free! At least that was what we thought.

Mark, Sue and Pat

The first day we arrived we did some hiking in the plains area of the park and then sat around the fire pit in our camp chairs enjoying the beautiful starlit sky and conversation. It was a wonderfully relaxing evening and we all got a good night’s sleep indoors on what were possibly Sealy Posturepedic mattresses.

Rayna and Pat

There was a steep forested valley behind the cabin area of that park. On the second day, we discovered a very narrow path that led down into that valley and we decided to explore it. We all trudged down the path and discovered several branching paths, some leading down and others leading up or horizontally along the valley. We wanted to see what was at the bottom of that valley, so we always chose the paths that led downward. When we reached the bottom of the valley, we discovered a river rushing along the valley floor. It was a very scenic river with lots of rapids, large rocks and some deeper pools were people could wade or swim. Nando, Zeb and Rayna stuck their feet in that water and discovered that it was way too cold to swim in. Anyway we spent some time along that river and had a wonderful afternoon. 

Rayna and Clark

We managed to find our way back from the river, up the valley paths to the campground area where we rested and had some supper. After supper we decided to take another walk down the valley paths and along the river. Evidently we were all young and strong enough to play survivor back then. We walked along the river for longer than we expected. Nando was busy trying to impress Rayna and Zeb was just being his normal goofy self. However, we were all having a nice time.  Sunset was approaching and we adults decided we should get back to the cabin. Rayna, Zeb and Nando did not want to go back yet. They wanted to hang around in the woods along the river a little while longer. Nando was a few years older than Rayna, who was about 15 at that time, and he said he absolutely knew the way back to the cabin and we made him recite the directions to us. We also made them all promise that they would begin the return walk within a half hour, before it got too dark. Then Mark, Sue, Pat and I returned to our cabin.

Niobrara State Park in Northern Nebraska

Unfortunately, the three juveniles did not appear at our cabin on time and we began to worry. However, we expected they would soon show up. That didn’t happen, and it was getting fairly dark so Mark and I took our flashlights, hurried down into the valley, and walked along the river to the area were we had left them. They were nowhere to be found. We hurried back to the cabin area hoping we would find them, but they had still not shown up there either. Needless to say, we were all very worried now! Mark was sure that Nando would lead them back to the cabin, but it was really dark by then and they were still presumably lost in the woods with (by-the-way) no flashlights, and of course no cell phones back then. Or, they could have gotten linked up with some sleazy characters who had their own plans for the kids. We had seen two sketchy-looking guys fishing on the river before we had returned to the cabin. Mark and I took our flashlights to the river again and walked in the other direction thinking that they might have walked beyond the path to the cabin area, but we still could not find them. Eventually, we returned to the cabin, where Pat and Sue were frantic. Those kids had been missing for several hours, and we were about to contact law enforcement for help. We were all very stressed out.

Suddenly three very tired explorers walked up to our cabin. They had indeed gotten lost in the woods because it had been too dark by the time they finally decided that they should get moving. They missed the path up to the cabin area and continued to walk along the river, which (luckily) eventually took them to a highway. Nando chose the correct direction for following the highway a short ways and then recognized a road that led toward the park. It took a while but Nando found a way back to our cabin in the park, although it was a very long hike. We were still traumatized but extremely relieved when we saw them. They had no flashlights in that pitch dark woods, but they occasionally used Rayna’s Timex indiglo watch light to help them. Since then she always wears indiglo watches.

Niobrara State Park in Northern Nebraska

We stayed another night at Niobrara State Park, but that was the last time Pat and I ever went camping. We don’t miss it – not a bit.

Bill, I don’t remember for sure, but I don’t think I ever told you this story before. However, I seem to remember that you and your family did some camping back in the day. I would like to hear about it sometime.

Take care.

Sincerely Clark

A Superior Ocean

Hi Bill

Today I decided to write about my family’s first trip to Duluth and Lake Superior.

During the early summer of 1993, Pat and I threw Rayna and Zeb into our small car and headed for Duluth for the first time. After living on the South Dakota plains for about 10 years and 6 years in Cincinnati and Omaha, we desperately needed a sojourn at a large body of water. Lake Herman and Lake Poinsett were just not providing the water therapy we needed. We didn’t need to swim in an ocean of water to wash away the years of prairie life. We just needed to see an ocean of water and spend time with it.

Luckily someone told us there was an ocean-like lake called Superior up north in Minnesota. We crammed the kids and lots of essential (and unessential) vacation stuff into the car and headed in a northeasterly direction. We had never visited northern Minnesota before and it was an interesting 340-mile drive across the plains and eventually into the forested northern hills that spit us out near a visitor’s center at the top of a steep hill on the outskirts of Duluth. We were mesmerized by the magnificent view of a body of water that certainly had to be an ocean. We had heard and read about Lake Superior and knew it was the largest of the Great Lakes. However, nothing could have prepared us for the sudden and incredibly stunning view of Duluth spread along a steep ridge leading down to Lake Superior on that sunny afternoon. That “ocean of water” beckoned to us as we picked up some tourist brochures and maps and then pointed the car toward it.

Post Card of Duluth, MN

As we drove down the ridge into an industrial-looking city with lots of bridges and a water front area, it reminded Pat and me of our beloved Pittsburgh. However, Pittsburgh’s rivers and bridges did not equal the beauty of that monstrous inland ocean. Unfortunately, we needed to keep expenses down so we had made reservations at a Comfort Inn that was not on the lake. 

Rayna and Clark on the Lake Walk in Duluth, MN

After checking into the hotel we drove to Canal Park, a well-developed lakeside tourist area, and we did plenty of walking and sitting along the lake walk that afternoon and evening and on several succeeding days. We just hung around and sat on benches and enjoyed the sights and sounds of that powerful lake communicating with us and soothing our ocean-deprived lives on the plains. There were even seagulls to amuse us, especially Rayna and Zeb who also enjoyed climbing over the large rocks and running from the waves on the beaches.

Sea Gulls and a Shopping Area 

Of course the Canal Park area provided lots of interesting and entertaining tourist activities in addition to many nice hotels. There were many shops that provided local art, souvenirs, and other retail therapy experiences, including a Duluth Pack store were we bought some warm sweatshirts because we discovered that it is very cool in early spring in Northern Minnesota, especially during evenings. Obviously we were not educated travelers back then. Just jump in the car and drive! Canal Park also contained family/kid-friendly tourist areas along the channel into the harbor. We took Rayna and Zeb inside a huge freighter that was permanently docked in the harbor for tourists to enjoy. Also we all enjoyed a tourist boat ride around the harbor and out a ways into the lake.

Zeb, Rayna, Clark on the Channel Wall in Duluth

The Channel from the Lake to the Harbor

The most compelling experiences in Canal Park were when we joined crowds that gathered to greet behemoth cargo ships and other vessels that entered the channel leading from the lake into the harbor. We lined up with other visitors along the channel wall to greet those ships and wave at their crews as they made their way through the channel and under the famous lift bridge that raises a section of highway into the air (backing up automotive traffic on both sides of the channel) enabling the ships to creep under the bridge and into the harbor. Watching those ships arrive from locations all over the world is an experience we still enjoy when we visit to Duluth.

Pat and Clark at Lake Superior

We spent a couple of days in Duluth exploring the town that spreads from lakeside up a very steep ridge and then on the plateau above. We certainly noticed that downtown Duluth had seen better days, like many other industrial cities. However, Pat and I were quite accustomed to gritty industrial cities and we felt very comfortable there.

Of course, we spent most of our time in Duluth along the lake. There was a very nice lake walk that allowed us to walk along the shore from Canal Park north toward the downtown area of the city and then up the ridge a little to another engaging and intriguing lakeside area that included the Fitger’s Brewery complex, which had mostly been converted into a shopping/restaurant area. We also walked beyond Fitger’s through the rose garden and beyond. That fabulous view of that huge and beautiful lake was always beside us.

Clark, Pat, Zeb, Rayna about to board
the North Shore Railroad for a trip to
Two Harbors 

Our train at Two Harbors

There was lots to see and do in Duluth, but we decided to also see some of the north shore, i.e., the area along Lake Superior north of Duluth. Therefore, Pat took the kids (including me) for a ride on the North Shore Railroad that runs north from Duluth to Two Harbors. We had a wonderful time on the train and Two Harbors turned out to be a charming little lakeside town with lots of tourist attractions, and an industrial port area. We drove back to Two Harbors the next day and spent more time there. It was, and still is, an industrial, but charming, little lakeside city that caters to tourists. We all liked visiting the light house and walking out on the breakwaters (stone and concrete walls that extend from shore out into the lake) which probably protect the harbor and shore from serious damage during bad storms. However, I don’t really know what exactly they do, but they definitely define a harbor area and they provide paths and perches for tourists like us to walk on them way out into the lake. They also provide places to sit on out in the lake. We all loved walking, and sitting, on them while just communing with the lake and each other. Two Harbors is a nice little town full of friendly people and over the years it became one of our favorite vacation spots on the North Shore.

Rayna, Zeb and Pat on a breakwater near Two Harbors

Rayna, Zeb and Clark on a breakwater in Two Harbors

Post Card of Two Harbors 

Other attractions that we visited during that first trip to Duluth and the North Shore included Split Rock Light House and Gooseberry Falls State Park. Split Rock Light Station served as a guide to iron ore ships on western Lake Superior from 1910 to 1969, but now it is maintained as a historic site. It’s was fun to take the kids inside and climb to the top of the lighthouse to see a truly wonderful view and think about its history. Gooseberry Falls State Park provides a terrific wilderness experience with lots of wooded walking trails and an amazing falls.

Our photo of Split Rock Light House

That first visit to Duluth and the North Shore with Rayna and Zeb established our standard vacation spot for many years. In fact we like it very much and still visit it as often as I can force my tired and worn-out body to make the trip.

Rayna and Zeb below Split Rock Light House

                                              





Bill – I would love to take you to Lake Superior north of Duluth and just explore and enjoy the woods and lake. I think you would enjoy getting a break from the Philadelphia area.

Take care.

Sincerely Clark

I Want To Be A Leader – well maybe, i guess, maybe not, no absolutely not, who me, are you kidding, ok I suppose I can try, no way, whatever…

Hi Bill

For some strange reason I thought about my high school DeMolay experiences this morning. You remember that Dad was a Mason (not a stone mason, but a member of a Freemasonry lodge, which actually do have historic links to local fraternities of stonemasons, but that’s not important here). However, Dad encouraged me to become a member of DeMolay, which is not really connected to Freemasonry, but maybe its purpose and techniques are similar to those of Freemasonry. I also had a friend (John W - still a Facebook friend), who was a member of the Hollidaysburg chapter of DeMolay and he also encouraged me to join.

HS Senior Photo

If you don’t remember what DeMolay is all about here is a brief description from the DeMolay website at www.demolay.org:

DeMolay is the premier youth leadership organization building young men of character and dedicated to making young men better people and leaders. Providing a program based on timeless principles and practical experience, DeMolay strives to not only create the extraordinary leader, but a leader of character. DeMolays hold themselves to a higher moral standard, striving to constantly improve and be better each and every day.

I was reluctant, but I finally decided to give DeMolay a try during my high school years. I can’t remember how I got nominated to join the Hollidaysburg chapter, but I probably let John W know I was interested and he conveyed my interest to the membership committee. After a short time I was notified that the membership committee’s mystical qualifications examination proved that I was fit for DeMolay and they nominated me for membership. I still wasn’t all that sure about the leadership expectation. It seemed like more of an obligation to accept more responsibilities and stress, and I would have been okay if they had rejected me. However, the DeMolay membership voted to let me play with them, and I decided join them. Then I was given my black membership robe with gold embellishments (or maybe I just like to think it had gold embellishments). That made me feel like a “Leader of Character” or perhaps like the invincible Batman. I discovered later that some of the “Leaders of Character” (those who rose through the DeMolay leadership ranks) were more decorated than newbies like me and it took me a while to figure out how to improve my status and get more decorations. It turned out that there were many ways and several committees that offered opportunities for members to demonstrate their good character and leadership abilities.

Unfortunately, I was not really enamored about clawing my way to the higher echelons of our chapter’s membership. Therefore, I just sort of hung around and did what most other people did at the less-noticed peasant-level of membership. However, over time more of my friends, including Frank A and George W, and other new members made me feel more comfortable at DeMolay meetings and events. I also acquired many new friends from the continuing members of our DeMolay chapter, which was also reassuring. I was surprised that I kept getting appointed to committees of all kinds including membership, activities, fundraising, etc. Through it all I wondered how I had averted being relegated to the goof-off/nerd committees!

As I remember, our meetings were structured and included scripted phrases and activities, such as the opening portion, business portion, social activities portion, and closing portion. The meetings were chaired by the Master Councilor with help from the Senior Councilor and the Junior Councilor. There was also an adult Advisory Council that helped keep us on the right track. Over time I became very comfortable and friendly with mostly all the members and advisors. I also became very comfortable with participation in the general meetings and on committees. 

Fundraising was a very important role because we needed money to pay for events/activities like: Mother & Son Banquets, Rifle Team, Halloween (and other ) Parties, attending Penn State University Games, educational trips, and other miscellaneous events and expenses.

Hoagie sales were one of the main fundraising activities and all members participated in them. I believe all members hit up friends, acquaintances and strangers for hoagie orders. While the chapter paid for the ingredients, the necessary kitchen and equipment was borrowed. Luckily the Mothers Circle put the hoagies together, so they were sanitary and very tasty. I believe they let me try to help make a hoagie once, but I turned out to be an inept hoagie maker. In any case, I and the other DeMolay members took care of the sales and delivery of the hoagies, which suited us just fine. I liked driving (or riding with someone) around town delivering delicious, but sloppy, hoagies to hungry friends and their families. Clark never liked messing with preparing food or cooking. He still doesn’t like it, but he really likes to eat. Actually those hoagie sales generated a nice sum of money. I think we also sold some other things (maybe candy, etc.) to raise funds, but I can’t remember those activities.

As time went by I somehow got persuaded to begin climbing the leadership ladder of our DeMolay chapter. I was still somewhat skeptical about whether I wanted to do that. Actually I did not want a leadership role, but I was pressured to give it a try. I first chaired some committees and gradually moved on to being elected to the Junior Councilor position. The Junior Councilor assisted the Senior Councilor and Master Councilor in leading the chapter. The Junior Councilor was automatically elevated to the Senior Councilor post at the beginning of the new term and would later be elevated to the Master Councilor position - unless they turned out to be screw-ups. That meant that I was likely headed toward the “Big Cheese” position unless I could not control my proclivity for screw-ups, which was entirely possible. I don’t remember the duties of the Junior Councilor, but I must have figured out how to do them or worked out some scheme to get by. Then I moved to Senior Councilor, which had more responsibilities, and I somehow was also able to scam my way through that post. The next level was the Master Councilor (The Big Potentate of DeMolay chapters). I began that role during my senior year in high school, but it did not turn out to be totally fulfilling for me.

To get prepared for my Master Councilor duties, I went to a three-day DeMolay leadership conclave at Albright College in Reading PA during the summer of 1966. One of the three adult advisors of our chapter, Dad Jay M (all our adult advisors were referred to as Dad) drove me to the conclave. Dad Jay M was a wonderful man and I really liked him. We had a very nice conversation in the car and I was shocked to learn more about his life. He had been severely wounded while in the military during a war (I just can’t remember which war – maybe Korean or Vietnam) and he still suffered with physical challenges, including coping with a colostomy. I couldn’t imagine how terrifying that must have been for him and how painful and difficult his treatment and ongoing life was. However, he accepted his challenge and did not complain. It was just part of his life. Of course we talked about all kinds of other topics during that trip and I really came to like him very much and he continued to be a mentor to me during my DeMolay participation. The Conclave turned out to be interesting, and I suppose I learned something while I was there. However, I was again shocked because after the daytime lectures it was “Party Time.” I stayed in a dormitory with other DeMolay members from around Pennsylvania. That evening, I quickly learned that they were prepared to party after hours and had plenty of beer and liquor to fuel the festivities. We got really drunk and partied all over the campus. I don’t believe I got sick but many of my fellow conclavers did. It provided me with a new perception of DeMolay “Leaders of Character.” However, I suppose it was only degenerates like me that participated the debauchery.

After the conclave, I felt a little more comfortable about my upcoming Master Councilor term. I showed up at the first meeting in the Fall eager to present many activities and events for my term as “Supreme-Leader.” Unfortunately, before I could even begin presenting my options at the meeting, Dad C (the overall Chapter Advisor) took the floor and informed me (and the other members) that he and the other advisors had already planned all the activities for my term. He stated that I did not show up at a scheduled meeting during the summer to discuss my plans for my Master Councilor term with them. Therefore, they planned the entire term without me, and never even contacted me to talk about it. I was devastated, but I maintained my composure, apologized for missing the meeting, and continued as Master Councilor as best I could. Yes, I should not have missed that meeting. However, my father (who had suffered many health problems) had almost died during that summer and eventually had to have brain surgery at an out-of-state hospital. I had known about the meeting, but that memory just got blown away. Anyway, my term was planned without my participation, but I continued as Master Councilor and had a relatively satisfying experience.

Redacted to Protect the Innocent

Redacted to Protect the Innocent

Overall, my association with DeMolay was enjoyable and beneficial. I made some new friends and had many new experiences. I also learned a lot about organizations and leadership, and how to cope with disappointments and setbacks. I am grateful to have mostly positive memories of those times. I also acquired a new nickname for a few years – HallMolay!

Bill – I’m sure you already knew about my DeMolay exploits. I’m fairly sure that you were never a member of DeMolay. However, I know you were very active in Theta Chi (fraternity) during college, and I would like to hear about those experiences sometime.

Take care of your family and yourself. I believe you had some deep snow a few days ago. I hope you are not shoveling. 

Sincerely Clark

Camping In Maine

Hi Bill

You may remember that when Pat and I were living in Philadelphia back in the early to mid-1970s we were good friends with Terry and Walter. I don’t believe you ever met them, but I’m sure you’ve heard Pat and I talk about them. Terry and I worked as caseworkers for the Department of Public Assistance (welfare) and Walter was a librarian at the Free Library of Philadelphia. We were very good friends and had lots of good times together.

Both Terry and Walter liked to travel and one day in May 1973 Terry suggested that Walter, Pat and I join him on a trip to Acadia National Park in Maine. Terry had previously visited Acadia National Park and he loved it. Walter, Pat and I were not campers, but Terry eventually convinced us to make the almost 1,200-mile round-trip drive to experience Acadia.

In 1973 Pat and I had a 1967 Opel Kadett, which was very small and was not very reliable. Terry also had a small car, but I can’t remember the make and model. However, Walter had a fairly new large four-door Buick or Oldsmobile. Therefore his car won the privilege of transporting us to Maine and back.

We all got prepared for the trip and were pumped for it. Terry was especially pumped and he talked about it constantly describing how wonderful the trails and rock-climbing areas were as well as the Atlantic Ocean coastal area and the town of Bar Harbor, Maine. So we all got ourselves prepared for a wonderful trip. However, we later discovered that maybe we were not as well prepared as we thought.

Back then Pat and I had a large, and beautiful, Basset Hound named Jessie. She had that wonderful Basset Hound personality, and she loved people and loved to run and play. Pat and I loved her like the child she was for us back then and we were not going to stick her in a kennel while we played in Acadia National Park. Therefore Terry and Walter agreed that Jessie could play in Acadia with us.

Terry was a proud camper and he convinced us that his large tent would be very comfortable for all five of us, even though Pat, Walter and I (and Jessie) preferred to rent a cottage. Pat and I were not campers and we had no camping gear. We also didn’t want to spend much money on camping gear so we just made do with normal casual clothing and I believe Walter did also. However Terry had plenty of camping equipment, which frightened Pat and I because it seemed like we were preparing for a survival test of some kind.

On departure day, Pat and I (and Jessie) met Walter at Terry’s apartment before dawn with our pathetic camping gear and tried to pack everything into Walter’s car. That turned out to be quite a challenge, but we managed after what seemed to be hours of frustration. Then we packed ourselves into the car – Terry driving, Walter and me in the front seats. The trunk and the back seat were jammed with camping gear and there was only a small space for Pat and Jessie (who was almost as big as Pat) to squeeze into like a couple of sardines. Then, still before dawn, Terry fired up the engine and pointed the car toward Maine for the 9-hour+ drive.

It was a long very uncomfortable drive to Maine. Of course we switched drivers but I don’t remember stopping to get out of the vehicle very much, except when we had to potty (especially Jessie). We also had to take turns holding Jessie in the front seat to give Pat some relief. After what felt like a week of driving, we arrived in Bar Harbor Maine, a very charming tourist town on the Atlantic coast, at about 3 or 4pm.

Pat, Walter, Terry and Jessie - the intrepid campers

Terry drove us straight to Acadia National Park because we had to check in to the campsite that he had reserved for us in a somewhat rugged but pleasant wooded area. Terry was in a frenzy about getting the tent erected and all his gear organized. Unfortunately, Walter, Pat and I were not much help. We always camped in nice hotels and knew nothing about erecting a tent. So we all just stood around watching Terry, carrying things from the car, and holding things for him. The tent was actually very nice and large enough for all four of us and Jessie.

I think we ate supper at our campsite sitting on camp chairs pretending to enjoy the great outdoors. Some of us (all of us except Terry) wanted to eat at a nice restaurant in Bar Harbor, but Terry was eager to introduce us to dining in the wild. We also figured that Jessie did not want to be locked in the car anymore that day. We were all very tired and didn’t mind crashing in our sleeping bags on the floor of the tent fairly early.  

Clark freezing his toes

The next morning Terry rocketed out of his sleeping bag ready to scale the mountain peaks. The rest of us sort of crawled out of ours and staggered to the rustic outhouses and then wanted to go to town for a big breakfast. However, Terry had brought lots of “camping food” and he prepared some kind of crude camping breakfast that we ate instead.

I have to admit that Acadia National Park was indeed a beautiful and very scenic park. It provided many diverse environments for hiking and climbing, including gentle paths to stroll on, more rugged paths that got us breathing more heavily, climbing areas that provided wonderful views of the coast and extreme rock-climbing areas for those brave souls who enjoy more physically and emotionally-challenging (frightening) adventures. We mostly stuck with the walking paths where Jessie could walk with us and protect us from any wildlife if necessary. She really loved being in the wild.

Terry and Jessie with Pat and Walter

Terry (the Great Outdoorsman) wanted to try some rock climbing and we finally gave in to his wishes. We found a rock climbing area that didn’t look too treacherous. We locked Jessie in the car (in a shaded area with the windows slightly open) and proceeded climbing. Terry was gung ho about it. Walter, Pat and I were willing to try climbing over a few reasonably convenient rocks. It was mostly an interesting and enjoyable time for a while. However, Terry left us in his wake and we kept climbing without noticing that the path was disappearing and the rocks were getting more difficult to climb on. The vista was wonderful and just kept getting better the higher we climbed. I think we were mesmerized by the whole experience, especially by the view. However, we suddenly realized that we were climbing a very steep rock cliff and we didn’t have any idea how to climb safely on that cliff. Terry had disappeared above us and Walter had wisely given up below us. Pat had done very well and I was careful to stay with her, but we realized that we had gone rogue and needed to cease and find a way off those steep rocks. It took us a while, but we were able to find a fairly safe way down the rocks without any cliff diving or parachuting without the chute. It was invigorating and we were able to take some very nice photos, but we were also lucky that we didn’t get hurt or require rescue by the Park Rangers.

Pat, Walter, and Terry sitting on the rocks

Pat and Terry enjoying the view

Clark and Pat were we should not have gone

We camped in Acadia for about 4 or 5 days, which also gave us some time to visit Bar Harbor. It was (and probably still is) a very charming little tourist town that we enjoyed. We had a great dinner in a very nice restaurant one evening after we tired of camp dining. We also bought a few souvenirs in Bar Harbor. However, amazingly we spent most of our time relaxing and exploring in the park.

Pat and Jessie enjoying the view from the rocks

Unfortunately the weather decided to rain (pour) on us during our last afternoon and evening in the park. Terry was outside digging trenches around the tent to channel the water away. Proud camper that he was, he insisted that we stay with the tent. However, the rest of us were very cold, tired and hungry. Pat decided that she had had enough. Walter agreed and said he would drive her to some rental cottages outside the park. Pat was also taking the dog. Well, I didn’t want to stay in the rain with a wet Terry when I could be dry and cozy with Pat and Jessie. Terry argued for a while, but finally also agreed to join us. We rented two a very nice small cottages and one had a full kitchen. Terry went out and bought some live lobsters and some other food and we had a very enjoyable, warm and dry evening cooking and enjoying our lobsters.

Hanscomb's Cottages were we took refuge from the rain

The next morning we returned to our campsite, packed up our gear and drove toward home. It was a trip that Pat and I will never forget.

Amazingly, our camping trip did not damage our friendships with Terry and Walter. Also Jessie took the trip without complaining. We had to lock her in the car for short periods of time, but we were very careful to not leave her too long. Walter and Terry both helped take care of her and keep her safe.

It was pleasant to remember that trip and our good friends Terry and Walter while writing this letter.

Bill, you probably don’t remember much of our description of Acadia National Park after we made that trip. Therefore, I am inserting a brief description of the park from its website:

The First Eastern National Park - People have been drawn to the rugged coast of Maine throughout history. Awed by its beauty and diversity, early 20th-century visionaries donated the land that became Acadia National Park. The park is home to many plants and animals, and the tallest mountain on the U.S. Atlantic coast. Today visitors come to Acadia to hike granite peaks, bike historic carriage roads, or relax and enjoy the scenery.

Learn more about the park and see lots of photos at http://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm.

I hope you and your family are well and happy. I wish we lived closer to each other.

Sincerely Clark