running the motorbike programme at camp canadensis, in the...

Jeff Ganiban, Mervin and Rob

Camp Canadensis from the air

Lake Lenape at Camp Canadensis

The main refectory

Having lunch in the main refectory

Hammer House horror films

Camp Canadensis

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Running the Motorbike Programme at Camp Canadensis, in the Pocono Mountains

My co-councillor and boys

Bike Heads Motorbike Crew. Circa 1985

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Taking the boys out for a spin

Me cooling off

Taking some of the bikes out for a wash

Jeff Goldburg (my star pupil)

Jeff Burgman, aged 12. Showing off

Uncle $teve (the boss) makes his own trails

Me, riding a 250cc Husqvarna trails bike

Going out on an overnight camp out

My bivouac

My outdoor Pizza ovan

����6XPPHU�����������������%DFN�6WRU\�As a child my brother and I would stop up late on a Friday night with our mum

�GDG� ZHQW� GRZQ� WKH� SXE�� DQG� ZDWFK� ¶+DPPHU� +RXVH� RI� +RUURU·� ILOPV�(Dracula, Frankenstein and The Mummy), which was all innocent fun and if

,·P� EHLQJ� KRQHVW�� ,·YH� DOZD\V� IHOW� WKDW� WKHLU� ZDV� VRPHWKLQJ� H[FLWLQJ� DERXW�watching a scary movie and then later cowering underneath your duvet after

OLJKWV�RXW�� ,Q� IDFW�� ,·G� SHUVRQDOO\� VD\� WKDW� LW� ZDV� KHDOWK\� H[SHULHQFH� WR� JHW�scared a little as a kid.

3RFRQR�0RXQWDLQV�The Pocono Mountains are in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The name comes

IURP� WKH� 0XQVHH� ZRUG� 3RNDZDFKQH�� ZKLFK� PHDQV� ¶&UHHN� %HWZHHQ� 7ZR�+LOOV·��%HFDXVH�RI�WKHLU�RXWVWDQGLQJ�QDWXUDO�EHDXW\��WKH�ZRRGHG�KLOOV�DQG�YDO-leys the area is a popular destination for honeymoon couples, as well as

people who enjoy fishing, hunting and skiing.

&DPS�&DQDGHQVLV�Having been to America working with disadvantaged kids the previous year, I

thought I go again, but this time I applied through a rival company called

BUNAC (British Universities North America Club) and this time I went off to

ZRUN�ZLWK�VRPH�¶DGYDQWDJHG�NLGV·�LQVWHDG�DQG�DOO�LQ�DOO�,�UHWXUQHG�DQRWKHU�WZR�times after, making for three summers (1985/86/87) in all.

When I applied, I listed my skills as: Camping (I was in the Boy Scouts),

VKRRWLQJ��,�KDG�GRQH�D�VQLSHU·V�FRXUVH�LQ�WKH�7HUULWRULDO�$UP\��DQG�DV�DQ�DIWHU�thought I just happen to mention that I had passed my motorbike test and

DPD]LQJO\�,�ZDV�RIIHUHG�WKH�MRE�DV�D�¶2II�5RDG�0RWRUELNH�,QVWUXFWRU·��6R�ZLWK-

out further ado, off I returned to the States. Where back then (in the mid to late

��·V���VL[�PLOOLRQ�$PHULFDQ�\RXQJVWHUV�ZHQW�WR��������6XPPHU�&DPS·V�HYHU\�summer, in an industry worth some $2.5 billion. Some were speciality camps

where you would learn to be astronauts, clowns or silversmiths.

%XW�WKH�SODFH�,�ZHQW�WR�ZDV�FDOOHG�¶&DPS�&DQDGHQVLV·�DQG�LW·V�RQH�RI�$PHUL-FDV�ILQHVW�-HZLVK�6XPPHU�&DPSV�DQG�DW�LW·V�SHDN�LW�FDWHUHG�IRU�����FDPSHUV��,W�ZDV�IRXQGHG�E\�¶8QFOH�%LOO�DQG�$XQW�6\OYLD�6DOW]PDQ�LQ������DQG�ZDV�ZKHQ�,�ZDV�WKHLU��UXQ�E\�KLV�FKLOGUHQ�¶8QFOH·�6WHYH�DQG�¶$XQW·�7HUUL��7KH�FDPS�LV�VHW�on 1,000 acres, in the Pocono Mountains region of Monroe County, Pennsyl-

vania. It comprised of a 75-acre private lake (Lake Lenape), water skying,

saleboarding, indoor and outdoor hockey rinks, a 2,500-square-foot gymnas-

tics room, twenty basketball courts, two heated outdoor pools, a art centre,

high rock wall, horse stables, a golf range, an all-weather outdoor amphithea-

tre, 16 tennis courts, 12 of which are lit for night use and eighteen miles of dirt

ELNH�WUDLOV�DQG�WKDW�ZDV�ZKHUH�,·G�VSHQG�P\�GD\�WDNLQJ�NLGV�RXW�RQ�WKH�\HOORZ��EOXH�RU�JUHHQ�WUDLO��HDFK�RQH�EHLQJ�PRUH�GLIILFXOW�WKDQ�WKH�QH[W�

:KHQ�,�DUULYHG��,�JRW�D�¶FUDVK�FRXUVH·��OLWHUDOO\�LQ�P\�FDVH��DV�,�KDG�QHYHU�ULGHQ�off road before) and by the time the kids arrived (a week later) I was a fully

¶TXDOLILHG·��LQWHUQDWLRQDO��PRWRUELNH� LQVWUXFWRU�DQG�,� WKRXJKW� LW�ZDV�EULOOLDQW�� ,�loved the Camp, I loved the lifestyle and most of all I loved American kids. My

job was to take the boys and girls groups out on their motorbikes under con-

trolled conditions, which meant riding at ten miles an hour and in a straight

line and although for the more advanced riders go off into the woods. It soon

became too tame for me and so I asked if I could take the kids out up into the

mountains and spend the night under the stars camping and surprisingly the

answer was YES.

So I went out deep into the woods and made myself a campsite. First I con-

structed a stone circle like they did in cowboy films for a fire, I bought a enam-

elware coffee pot and some mugs (to add to the effect and to kick start the

cold morning wake up) and then I built a bivouac, large enough to accommo-

date ten kids and covered the floor with leaves and grass to make a crude

mattress and I thought to myself, you know what, the boys are going to enjoy

this. Each week I would take a group of maybe 10 boys (I never took the girls,

EHFDXVH�,�WKRXJKW�LW�LQDSSURSULDWH���2Q�ZHHN���LW�ZRXOG�EH����\HDU�ROGV��WKHQ�RQ�ZHHN�������\HDU�ROGV��DQG�WKHQ���������DQG�ILQDOO\����\HDU�ROGV��

However, the early camp-outs turned out to be a bit of a let down and the boys

GLGQ·W�HQMR\�WKHP�DW�DOO�DQG�WKH�ZRUG�VRRQ�ZHQW�URXQG�WKDW�¶8QFOH�6SHHG\·V·��,�ZDV�NQRZQ�DV�¶6SHHG\�5HHG\·��PRWRUELNH�FDPS�RXW�XQGHU�WKH�VWDUV�ZDV�UXE-

bish and nobody wanted to go. The food was crap, it was cold and if it rained,

then you slept in a puddly of muddy water ad you got misserable.

6R�DIWHU�D�FRXSOH�RI�ZHHNV��,�GHFLGHG�WR�¶XS�P\�JDPH·�DQG�XSJUDGH�WKH�FDPS-

site. First I chopped up a tree to make log seats and put them around the fire,

then I made some campsite furnature like a mug tree to hang your mugs off,

D�ZDVK�VWDQG�DQG�ILQDOO\�,�DGGHG�P\�¶SLqFH�GH�UpVLVWDQFH·���,�PDGH�DQ�RYHQ��This was achieved by digging a trench and putting a tin drum over the top of

it, with the lid (attached by a piece of wire) acting as a door on top and a piece

of clay piping behind it (which acted as my chimney) and finally I covered it in

mud to keep the heat in and you know what? It worked a treat.

6R� WKH�QH[W� WLPH�ZH�ZHQW� RQ�DQ�RYHUQLJKW� FDPS�RXW�� ,� VWROH� KDOI� D� GR]HQ�pizzas from the camp kitchen and I also took along some small 250ml bottles

DW����RI�FKHDS�EHHUV�DQG�VR�ZKHQ�ZH�JRW�WR�¶8QFOH�6SHHG\·V�&DPS�6LWH·�DV�it was now called, we had a party. The kids thought the beer was great, but

WKH�WUXWK�ZDV�LW�ZDV�DZIXO��,�PHDQ�LW�VPHOW�RI�ROG��IODW�EHHU�PL[HG�ZLWK�IUHVK�grass cuttings and stale urine. Still, to the uneducated palate of a twelve year

old, it was pure necta and they thought they were great. So who am I to

argue?

The routine was this: We would leave Camp Canadensis site after lunch at

6:00pm and a couple of hundred kids would come out and wave us off (like

ZH�ZHUH�LQWUHSLG�H[SORUHUV��RII� LQ�VHDUFK�IRU�WKH�VRXUFH�RI�WKH�1LOH�5LYHU�RU�something. After which we would ride around the lake and disappear up the

track into the Pocono Mountain and on to my campsite, which was three miles

away.

Let me just say here that although the kids were riding motorcycles up and

down a very bumpy track, their was nothing dangerous about the journey per

say (I never went more than 15mph). Although Pennsylvania does have black

bears in the woods (we would see them all the time) they never bothered us.

The State also has three venomous snakes (Copperhead, Eastern Massa-

sauga and the Timber Rattlesnake), which we rarely saw and a highly poison-

ous black widow spider, which are reclusive and (as far as I know) I never

came across one. However, as it turned out, the most dangerous thing about

the journey was ME!

As soon as we got to my camp site then I would get the kids to lay their sleep-

ing bags out under the bivouac and send them out to collect wood for the fire,

whilst I cooked the pizzas and then we would sit down on the logs to enjoy a

few beers and swop stories. It was a complete turn-a-round and an instant

success.

All of a sudden their was a buzz going around was that and my sleep outs

XQGHU�WKH�VWDUV�ZDV�DQG�,�TXRWH��¶<RX�PXVW�JR�RQ�8QFOH�6SHHG\·V�RYHUQLJKW�FDPSRXW�²�WKH\·UH�$PD]]]]]]]LQJ�·�$QG�VR�WKH\�EHFDPH�WKH�PRVW�HDJHUO\�DQ-

ticipated event on Camp (not because we indulging in illegal pizza and beer).

But because I had sworn all those who had participated not to tell anybody

about what went on during our time their. So what was happening on my over-

QLJKW�FDPS�RXWV�WR�WDNH�PH�IURP�¶=HUR·�WR�¶+HUR·"

:HOO��)LUVWO\�,�WRRN�D�KDQGJXQ�ZLWK�PH���<HV��,�NQRZ��DQG�,�ZRXOG�¶KLGH·�LW�LQ�P\�rolled up sleeping bag and leave it for the kids to find in the bivouac when they

were setting out their sleeping bags. I always knew when they found it be-

FDXVH�WKH\�ZHQW�IURP�ILJKWLQJ�DQG�VKRXWLQJ�DERXW�ZKR�VOHHSV�QH[W�WR�ZKRP��to complete silence and then whispering.

2EYLRXVO\� WKH\�ZHUH�VKRFNHG� WR� ILQG�D�JXQ��EXW�ZKHQ� WKH\�FRQIURQWHG�PH�DERXW�LW��,·G�SUHWHQG�LW�ZDV�QRQH�RI�WKHLU�EXVLQHVV�DQG�VHQG�WKHQ�RII�WR�FROOHFW�firewood. But then my co-councillor (who was in on the act) would demand I

WHOO� WKH�NLGV� WKH�WUXWK�DQG�VD\�WKDW� ¶WKH\�KDYH�D�ULJKW� WR�NQRZ·�DQG�WKHQ�ZH�would have an all mighty row, which would end up with me threatening him

with the sack if he said any more. Needless to say, we were a good double

act and very convincing.

So anyway, the evening would end up with everybody sitting around the

FDPSILUH�WHOOLQJ�VWRULHV�DQG�WKH�NLGV�FRQVWDQWO\�DVNLQJ�PH�WR�H[SODLQ�WR�WKHP�ZK\�,�FDUU\�D�JXQ�DQG�VR�,��HYHQWXDOO\��¶JDYH�LQ·�DQG�WROG�WKHP�

,·G� VD\�� /RRN�� KRZ� PXFK� DUH� \RXU� SDUHQWV� ZRUWK� DQG� WKH\� ZRXOG� VD\�� D��PLOOLRQ� �ZKLFK� ZDV� DQ� H[WUHPHO\� ORW� RI�PRQH\� EDFN� WKHQ�� WR� ��PLOOLRQ� WR���PLOOLRQ�DQG� WKHQ�KDYLQJ�PDGH� WKDW�SRLQW�� ,·G�JR�RQ� WR�VD\� WKDW� WKHUH�DUH�¶KLFNV·��SHDVDQWV��OLYLQJ�LQ�WKH�ZRRGV�ZKR�KDYH�WR�JHW�E\�RQ�����D�GD\�DQG�that five summers ago, a group of them came down from the mountains and

kidnapped one of the kids from the camp and held him to ransom. At first his

father, refused to pay and it was only when they cut his ear off that the release

PRQH\�ZDV�SDLG�DQG�WKH�FKLOG�UHWXUQHG��7KH�¶VWRU\·�ZDV��RI�FRXUVH��FRYHUHG�XS�E\�WKH�ORFDO�3ROLFH�DQG�QRZ�,·P�HPSOR\HG�DV�D�SHUVRQDO�SURWHFWLRQ�RIILFHU�WR�¶HUP·�VDIHJXDUG�WKH�FKLOGUHQ�GXULQJ�RYHUQLJKW�WULSV�

6R�DW�DURXQG������SP��,·G�VHQG�WKH�NLGV�RII�WR�EHG��EXW�IRU�VRPH�UHDVRQ�WKH\�found it difficult to get to sleep and would be wide awake staring into the dark-

ness from under the cover of their make shift tent. Whilst I would get my head

GRZQ�QH[W�WR�WKH�FDPS�ILUH��VDIH�LQ�WKH�NQRZOHGJH�WKDW�D�FRXSOH�RI�P\�%ULWLVK�co-councillors were walking the trail by flash light and were scheduled to be

at my camp sight by midnight.

Individual stories will vary because I repeated this once a week for the seven

weeks camp duration for three successive years. Anyway now the kids are

wide awake and all facing outward watching for any movement 360 degrees

around where their shelter. A typical scenario would be: The boys hear the

breaking of wood as somebody is moving the camp and they come over to

WKH�FDPS�ILUH�ZKHUH�,·P�VOHHSLQJ�DQG�DOHUW�PH�

%XW�,�MXVW�WHOO�WKHP�WR�JR�EDFN�WR�EHG�DQG�VD\�LW·V�MXVW�D�GHHU�WKDW�KDV�EHHQ�DW-tracted to the light of the campfire, but the boys were having none of it, they

are now on full alert and so they come back and shake me again and say that

WKH\·YH�VHHQ�WKH�VLOKRXHWWH�RI�D�PDQ�PRYLQJ�DERXW�LQ�WKH�EXVKHV��ODWHU�RQHV�ZHUH�D�PDQ�FDUU\LQJ�DQ�D[H���6R�,�WHOO�WKHP�,·P�JRLQJ�LQWR�WKH�ZRRGV�WR�VRUW�LW�out. I take my handgun, cock the weapon and disappear into the dark.

2Q�RQH�RFFDVLRQ�WKHLU�ZDV�D�ILJKW�DQG�WKH�VRXQG�RI�EURNHQ�ZRRG��ZKLOVW�RQ�another their was the sound of a gun shot (followed by silence) and when the

WZR�¶+LFNV·�FRPH�ZDONLQJ�LQWR�FDPS�SDQGHPRQLXP�HQVXHG��DV�RQH�RI�WKH�NLGV�peed his pants, one froze whilst another was preparing to throw a motor

VFRRWHUV�RQWR�WKH�ILUH�WR�FDXVH�DQ�H[SORVLRQ��ZKLFK�ZRXOG�DOHUW�8QFOH�6WHYH�one of the camp owners (who is three miles away).

:KHUHDV�DQRWKHU�WLPH��,�GLVFRQQHFWHG�DOO�WKH�VSDUNSOXJ·V�RQ�WKH�ER\·V�PRWRU-ELNHV�DQG�VR�ZKHQ�WKH�¶QLJKW�VWDONHUV·�FDPH�,�VDLG��¶5LJKW�ZHUH�JRLQJ�WR�OHDYH�ULJKW�QRZ��EHFDXVH�,�GRQ·W�OLNH�WKLV��6R�,�ZDQW�HYHU\ERG\�WR�JHW�GUHVVHG��,�ZDQW�you to put your coats on, your helmets on and your gloves on and get on your

PRWRUELNH�UHDG\�WR�JR·��7KH�NLGV�GLG�WKDW�DQG�FOLPEHG�RQ�WKHLU�ELNHV�DQG�,�VDLG��¶5LJKW��RQ� WKH�FRXQW�RI� WKUHH� ,�ZDQW�HYHU\ERG\� WR�NLFN�VWDUW� WKHLU�ELNHV�DQG�ZHUH�RXW�RI�'RGJH·�

21(��7:2��7+5((��,�NLFNHG�VWDUWHG�P\�PRWRUELNH�DQG�SXOOHG�DZD\�IROORZHG�by my co-conspirator and we quickly accelerated up the hill and out of camp,

and then out of site (before parking up), and when we ran back to the brow of

the hill we were greeted with the site of my boys frantically trying to get their

bikes started, some were pushing them up the hill in desperation, whilst

RWKHUV�MXVW�VWRRG�WKHLU�VKRXWLQJ�DIWHU�PH�WR�FRPH�EDFN��2QH��,�QRWLFHG��KDG�armed himself with a stick.

The joy about all this was the look on their faces when we returned and how

quickly anger turned to relief and they knew it was all a set up after all. Yer

5LJKW��2Q�UHIOHFWLRQ��LW�ZDV�DOVR�D�ELW�RI�D�P\VWHU\�KRZ�,�JRW�WKH�VDPH�NLGV�WR�IDOO�IRU�LW�\HDU�DIWHU�\HDU��%XW�,�GLG��2EYLRXVO\�,�JRW�WKHP�LQ�\HDU�RQH��EXW�\HDU�two and three . . . Really? But I have to say that the third time I got the same

boys was probably my best.

Just before we left Camp Canadensis, the kids asked if I was going to try to

VFDUH�WKHP�DJDLQ�DQG�,�VDLG�QR��QRW�WKLV�WLPH��,�PHDQ�HYHQ�\RX�ORW�DUHQ·W�JXOOL-ble enough to fall for my shenanigans three years on the trot and because

\RX�DUH�P\�IDYRXULWH�ER\V�WKHQ�,·P�JRLQJ�WR�WUHDW�\RX�WR�¶VRPHWKLQJ�VSHFLDO·�because you deserve it and believe me, I sure did that.

When we got to my campsite, we did all the usual of collecting firewood,

KDYLQJ�D�EHHU��ZKLFK�UHDOO\�ZDVQ·W�EHHU��DQG�SL]]D�DQG�WKHQ�,�VDLG��¶,�ZDQW�XV�all to have an early night tonight because tomorrow, I want us all get to up

HDUO\������DP���DV�,·P�JRLQJ�WR�WDNH�\RX�DOO�RQ�D�WULS�WR�WKH�WRS�RI�¶0RXQW�$OOHQ·�to see the sun come over Canadensis and on the way we will ride shoulder

deep in the early morning mist. It will be amazing I told them. So I proposed

DQ�HDUO\�QLJKW�DQG�EHFDXVH�WKH�ER\V�ZHUH�H[FLWHGO\�ORRNLQJ�IRUZDUG�WR�WKH�IRO-lowing days ride they went quietly to bed and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

:KLFK�ZDV�ILQH��XQWLO�VRPHERG\�DZRNH�WR�KHDU�D�VHULHV�RI�¶ZKRRVKLQJ·�QRLVHV�in the air. He got the others up and soon they also heard the same noise. So

WKH\�ZHQW�DQG�ZRNH�PH�XS�WRR�DQG�,�VDLG��¶2K�QR��,·P�QRW�IDOOLQJ�IRU�WKDW�ROG�RQH��<RX�PXVW�WKLQN�,�ZDV�ERUQ�\HVWHUGD\·�DQG�SURPSWO\�WXUQHG�RYHU��NQRZLQJ�that the British contingency from the archery team had arrived) and then a

series of flaming arrows flew over the camp and they just screamed, (even I

NQHZ�,�KDG�JRQH�WRR�IDU�WKLV�WLPH���EXW�DV�P\�GHDU�ROG�PRWKHU�XVHG�WR�VD\�¶,I�\RX�VWDUW�VRPHWKLQJ�WKHQ�\RX�PXVW�ILQLVK�LW·�

6R�,�FULHG��¶7KLV�KDV�JRW�QRWKLQJ�WR�GR�ZLWK�PH��,W�PXVW�EH�WKH�¶KLFNV·�ZKR�OLYH�LQ�WKH�ZRRGV�DQG�WKHQ�,�VKRXWHG�581�·�DQG�ZLWK�WKDW�ZH�OHIW�RXU�ELNHV�DQG�,�ran them the whole three miles down the mountain back to camp and it was

RQO\�ZKHQ�ZH�JRW�WKHLU�WKDW�,�VDLG��¶,�QHYHU�WKRXJKW�,�ZRXOG�JHW�\RX�WKUHH�\HDUV�RQ�WKH�WURW�EXW�ZHOO�������,�MXVW�GLG��*RW�\D�·

The thing is this: At the end of the year Uncle Steve would ask the kids:

¶:KDW·V�WKH�:2567�WKLQJ�DERXW�FDPS"·�DQG�WKRVH�ZKR�ZHQW�RQ�P\�RYHUQLJKW�FDPS� RXW� ZRXOG� VD\�� ¶8QFOH� 6SHHG\·V� &DPS� 2XW·� DQG� KH� ZRXOG� VD\� ¶2K�5HDOO\"��DQG�WKHQ�ZKHQ�KH�DVNHG�¶$QG�ZKDW·V�WKH�%(67�WKLQJ�DERXW�FDPS"·�7KH� VDPH�NLGV�ZRXOG� VD\�� ¶8QFOH�6SHHG\·V�&DPS�2XW·� DQG� LQ� UHIOHFWLRQ�� ,�WKLQN�WKLV�ZDV�SUREDEO\�D�IDLUO\�DFFXUDWH�DVVHVVPHQW��:KDW·V�PRUH��RQH�\HDU�I was voted the most popular councillor on camp, so I must have been doing

something right.

I would imagine that after I left it represented the end of an era and that now

today, what with Politicial Correctness and all the other general crushing of

WKH�KXPDQ�VSLULW���ZKLFK�PHDQV�DQ\ERG\�ZKR�WKLQNV�DQG�DFWV�RXW�RI�WKH�ER[���then Summer Camps are like most of modern life today, must be a pretty de-

pressing place to be. I mean even when I worked their you could see the way

it was going, the way with ever increasing Health & Safety rules and an aver-

sion to risk.

%XW�,�KRSH�ZKDW�WKH�NLGV�H[SHULHQFHG�RQ�P\�RYHUQLJKW�FDPS�RXWV�EDFN�WKHQ�ZDV�DQ�H[SHULHQFH�WKDW�PDGH�WKHP�IHHO�IXOO\�DOLYH�DQG�,�KRSH�WKH\�UHPHPEHU�those days with fond memories and a rye smile, as indeed do I. Finally, let me

say that in my four summers in total (one at Rock Creak Farm and three at

Camp Canadensis) I spent over a year of my life living in America and in all

that time I never net a bad American and I met them all from all walks of life.

From the kids to their parents, the local people in the bars at night, my co-

councillors (who were college students) and people in general who picked me

up whilst I hitchhicked up and down the country after camp ended. Which is

ZK\� ,� VD\� ¶*RG� %OHVV�$PHULFD·� IRU� WKH\� WUXHO\� DUH� �DIWHU� *UHDW� %ULWDLQ� RI�course) the greatest nation on earth.

My bivouac for the kids

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Bunk 17. The best boys

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View from Skytop, Pocono Mountains