Campers at Columbus?
- Thread starter Sean Barry
- Start date
Hit the "Post Reply" button, and scroll down to the "Manage Attachments" button. When the window opens hit the "Choose File" button and then the "Upload" button. Once it attaches you can post the post. There may be file size restriction on the size of it but I have attached some large ones so I doubt that is the problem.
You can also set up a Gallery in the photo section and upload them there. That is slightly more involved so I would try again to attach it.
If all else fails send them to me at TeeGate@comcast.net and I will post them.
Thank you for your post.
Guy
You can also set up a Gallery in the photo section and upload them there. That is slightly more involved so I would try again to attach it.
If all else fails send them to me at TeeGate@comcast.net and I will post them.
Thank you for your post.
Guy
Very nice. Wow, there were quite a few less campers than in the other photo we have.
Guy
There was an older gentleman who came to the camp at least once a week to take the pictures. They were then offered for sale in th office. As described in another posting it was a huge camera. I have no idea what his name was.
TeeGate...
That is the place. It is a high end home theater store and shop currently. I remember the church well... I caught the biggest bass I have ever caught on the beach directly where you initial shot is pointing, just to the left of the bridge rail.
If I remember rightly, I met Mr Jarvis around 1985... my car broke down while waiting to cross Rt 73 going towards Cherry Hill. Darn 240Z always burning points. Anyway, I was trying to push the car up and into the breakdown lane on Rt 73, because I could not go backwards or off the road there because of the stream. A man was cutting the grass right there ran out and helped me push the car up into the driveway of his house. I wish I could describe him better but I seem to remember balding and large build but not too heavy.
Anyway.. I keep hijacking Sean's thread. I am going to give myself a cease and desist.
That is the place. It is a high end home theater store and shop currently. I remember the church well... I caught the biggest bass I have ever caught on the beach directly where you initial shot is pointing, just to the left of the bridge rail.
If I remember rightly, I met Mr Jarvis around 1985... my car broke down while waiting to cross Rt 73 going towards Cherry Hill. Darn 240Z always burning points. Anyway, I was trying to push the car up and into the breakdown lane on Rt 73, because I could not go backwards or off the road there because of the stream. A man was cutting the grass right there ran out and helped me push the car up into the driveway of his house. I wish I could describe him better but I seem to remember balding and large build but not too heavy.
Anyway.. I keep hijacking Sean's thread. I am going to give myself a cease and desist.
The photo has the name Lynwood Photo in the lower right corner. This was taken in 1967, my first year at Camp Columbus. We had just returned from swimming in Bamber Lake, which would explain the bathing suits and towels. We used to line up single file, by cabin, and march to and from the lake. When we arrived at the lake there was a designated spot for shoes to be aligned in perfect rows for each cabin. This was the only time that we were allowed to go barefoot at camp. Beginner swimmers were relegated to swimming in the shallow area that was marked off by a rope with floats on it. The buddy system was in full force, if you were caught out of arms length during a buddy check (I think it was two sharp whistle blasts) you were out of the water for the remainder of the session. There was the occasional drowning drill where all swimmers had to get out of the water as fast as possible and pair up with their buddy. The counselors would then link arms and comb through the tea colored water searching for a body that never materialized. If you wanted to swim by the floating dock (the deep water) you had to pass a swimming test that was administered by the lifeguard. You had to jump or dive off of the platform by the water sluice and swim to the dock and back to the platform. That was how you earned your piece of green vinyl and safety pin that you had to fasten to your bathing suit. More to come...
Attachments
The cub side being closed would explain why I was on the senior side in 75 ( I was 9) Forgot about that. I must have gone for 3 summers if they used the pool in 74 & 75, because I know that one summer (must have been 73) I swam in the lake. Definitely remember the "buddy system"
Summers End - maybe you'll remember my brother, Mike Welch. He was a kitchen worker in 74. Counselor in 75. Not sure how many years he was a camper prior to that.
Summers End - maybe you'll remember my brother, Mike Welch. He was a kitchen worker in 74. Counselor in 75. Not sure how many years he was a camper prior to that.
Chrisw, Yeah I remember Mike. He had a mop of blond hair and was a soccer player. I vaguely remember you. Wasn't your family from the 'boro? I seem to remember something about your family being friends or neighbors with the Sherry's in Garfield Park. Did you know Rich Coyle? Wow, what a long strange trip it's been. I hope that all this reminiscing eventually leads to a reunion in the very near future. I was hoping for one in 2005, which would have been the 30th year since the camp closed. I know from all the interest this site has ignited that it should be possible. Here's another picture from 1972. I'm in the third row behind and between the two bare chested men, (one with a hillbilly hat and the other with a baseball cap) to the left of the Camp Columbus sign. The one with the baseball cap was Mark Maribelli, who ironically enough, I ran into about 10 years ago at the Columbus Inn in Columbus, NJ on Thanksgiving. My brother Bill is at the far right back row with a striped shirt and a lanyard around his neck. Speaking of lanyards here's a rundown of the stitches I still remember how to do from my camp days: Box, barrel, snake, diamond, butterfly, arrow, snarrow (which was a cross between snake and arrow) and one I invented the three string triangle. More to come...
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Summers End, yeah that's my brother Mike to a "T". Give you some ages.
Mike graduated HS in 77, Pat (who I think might be the kid ,3rd row, #2 on his shirt in the 1972 photo) grad in 79, Matt (who also attend camp,could be the little kid standing in front of your brother in the 72 photo) 82 and I graduated in 84. All from Willingboro HS. Mark Maribelli was a gym teacher & football coach while I was there. Yeah, John Sherry lived across the street from us in Garfield.
I think 73 was my first year. They all went earlier.
My brother Mike always talks about some crazy guy named Cushny (?)that used to bring you counselors to Seaside. He drove a van. Came to our house a few times too.
Just talked Mike for a minute (busy at work) said he remembers you.
Mike graduated HS in 77, Pat (who I think might be the kid ,3rd row, #2 on his shirt in the 1972 photo) grad in 79, Matt (who also attend camp,could be the little kid standing in front of your brother in the 72 photo) 82 and I graduated in 84. All from Willingboro HS. Mark Maribelli was a gym teacher & football coach while I was there. Yeah, John Sherry lived across the street from us in Garfield.
I think 73 was my first year. They all went earlier.
My brother Mike always talks about some crazy guy named Cushny (?)that used to bring you counselors to Seaside. He drove a van. Came to our house a few times too.
Just talked Mike for a minute (busy at work) said he remembers you.
Chrisw, I thought you had a lot of brothers and I was right. I remember Pat too. Jim Cushnie worked at the camp for a couple of years. His picture is in the 1973 photo I already posted. He's in the back row 14th from the left, short sleeve collared shirt and glasses. Jim was quite a character. I remember him explaining to me how he could kill someone with a rolled up newspaper. The funny thing was I believed he could actually do it. He visited me on occasion, usually with a van full of former Camp Columbus staffers in tow.
In a previous post someone mentioned that they played tetherball at camp. I know from 1967 to 1975 there was only zelball. For those of you who are wondering what zelbal is I'll explain. It is the same concept as tetherball in that you are trying to hit a ball to wrap it around a pole. A zelball was essentially a tennis ball that had a leather loop sewn into the covering and was tied off to a rope which was attached to the top of a pole. Paddles were used to hit the ball in one direction, opposite for each opponent. The paddles were similar in shape to ping-pong paddles but were a stouter version cut out of at least 1" thick plywood. I remember someone using ping-pong paddles once and they snapped in half in very short order. The person serving usually had an advantage over the other opponent if they knew now to hit the ball so that it was too high for the opponent to return. You could continue to hit the ball without the opponent ever having a chance to lay a paddle on it. That was a strategy that I used often because I was vertically challenged. There were two zelball courts in each village. Whenever I visit camp I often sit under the shade of the cedar tree in the cub village that separated the two courts. I still to this day have one zelball from camp. It doesn't have a lot of bounce to it anymore but it's a piece of forgotten history. They are difficult if not impossible to find even on ebay.
I found some more photos from 1969, once I scan them, they'll be posted. More to come...
In a previous post someone mentioned that they played tetherball at camp. I know from 1967 to 1975 there was only zelball. For those of you who are wondering what zelbal is I'll explain. It is the same concept as tetherball in that you are trying to hit a ball to wrap it around a pole. A zelball was essentially a tennis ball that had a leather loop sewn into the covering and was tied off to a rope which was attached to the top of a pole. Paddles were used to hit the ball in one direction, opposite for each opponent. The paddles were similar in shape to ping-pong paddles but were a stouter version cut out of at least 1" thick plywood. I remember someone using ping-pong paddles once and they snapped in half in very short order. The person serving usually had an advantage over the other opponent if they knew now to hit the ball so that it was too high for the opponent to return. You could continue to hit the ball without the opponent ever having a chance to lay a paddle on it. That was a strategy that I used often because I was vertically challenged. There were two zelball courts in each village. Whenever I visit camp I often sit under the shade of the cedar tree in the cub village that separated the two courts. I still to this day have one zelball from camp. It doesn't have a lot of bounce to it anymore but it's a piece of forgotten history. They are difficult if not impossible to find even on ebay.
I found some more photos from 1969, once I scan them, they'll be posted. More to come...
Memories of CC
This is PatW, brother of Chris, Matt, Mike and Steve.
This is what I remember of CC.
I remember a foot path near the boat launch at the end of the cub camp. It went along the lake back toward clearwater. Maybe 1/2 way down it made a left and crossed through the boggie area of the end of the lake and took you back to the path to Hucklebeery Island. One summer I worked on the foot bridges, the foot bridges were made of cedar and crossed over all the little streams and mud.
I was there the night the pineys tossed out the rattle snake. We were at evening canteen. They sped down the road, turned around and came back and threw it out. It was in a burlap bag. The councelors heard the rattle and beat the tar out of it. They opened the bag and sure as shifting sand it was real. They sped up the road and flipped. I remember a couple councelors going up the road to check on them a calling the cops.
I remember a big wire mesh trap down by the boat dock and legend was that an enormous snapping turtle was caught once in it. It was there like a badge of honor to remember the event.
I remember the assistant camp director trying to drown my brother in the lake. I don't remember the exact circumstances. But Mike was swimming in the deep end by the damm. Onl yspot yo ucould dive. And the jark arss jumped in and started to dunk him, over and over. I remember Mike about in tears and coughing etc. I think that guy scarred me for life, I recall tha tlike yesterday and wanting to jump in and choke him.
I remember a water snake swimming across the shallow swimming area and the councelors all freaked out and made everyone immediately leave the lake. Like SHARK from jaws.
I remember Mrs. Sherry's brazzier being strung up on the flag pole. Ii was done once a summer.
I stayed two weeks for two summers. I was the bad Welch kid, my parents sent me off to get me out of their hair. Little did they know that I loved it. Saturdays were great. Because all the campers went home and the new campers didn't arrive until Sunday. So you sort of had the place to yourself. Councelors did special snake hunts and stuff like that.
I remember drinking out of clearwater and freezing my gonads off.
I remember hiking to a bridge and the councelors taking baby swallows out of nests under the bridges for the pet snakes.
Pine snakes were revered. Like mystical.
The pools has a chemical added to them that would bust any kid who took a leak in the water.
I went on a mud hike with my brother Mike across the end of the lake. It was horrible. We stunk like heck and ahd to shower. Showers were bad.
The bathroom had hoppers and urinals and you weren't allowed to pee in the hopper. How about the hopper monster?
How about this song, "I went to the animal fair, the birds and the bees were there, the old baboon by the light of the moon was combing his auburn hair, the monkey he got drunk and fell on the elephants trunk, the elephant sneezed and fell to his knees and tha twas the end of the monk, the monk the monk"
This is PatW, brother of Chris, Matt, Mike and Steve.
This is what I remember of CC.
I remember a foot path near the boat launch at the end of the cub camp. It went along the lake back toward clearwater. Maybe 1/2 way down it made a left and crossed through the boggie area of the end of the lake and took you back to the path to Hucklebeery Island. One summer I worked on the foot bridges, the foot bridges were made of cedar and crossed over all the little streams and mud.
I was there the night the pineys tossed out the rattle snake. We were at evening canteen. They sped down the road, turned around and came back and threw it out. It was in a burlap bag. The councelors heard the rattle and beat the tar out of it. They opened the bag and sure as shifting sand it was real. They sped up the road and flipped. I remember a couple councelors going up the road to check on them a calling the cops.
I remember a big wire mesh trap down by the boat dock and legend was that an enormous snapping turtle was caught once in it. It was there like a badge of honor to remember the event.
I remember the assistant camp director trying to drown my brother in the lake. I don't remember the exact circumstances. But Mike was swimming in the deep end by the damm. Onl yspot yo ucould dive. And the jark arss jumped in and started to dunk him, over and over. I remember Mike about in tears and coughing etc. I think that guy scarred me for life, I recall tha tlike yesterday and wanting to jump in and choke him.
I remember a water snake swimming across the shallow swimming area and the councelors all freaked out and made everyone immediately leave the lake. Like SHARK from jaws.
I remember Mrs. Sherry's brazzier being strung up on the flag pole. Ii was done once a summer.
I stayed two weeks for two summers. I was the bad Welch kid, my parents sent me off to get me out of their hair. Little did they know that I loved it. Saturdays were great. Because all the campers went home and the new campers didn't arrive until Sunday. So you sort of had the place to yourself. Councelors did special snake hunts and stuff like that.
I remember drinking out of clearwater and freezing my gonads off.
I remember hiking to a bridge and the councelors taking baby swallows out of nests under the bridges for the pet snakes.
Pine snakes were revered. Like mystical.
The pools has a chemical added to them that would bust any kid who took a leak in the water.
I went on a mud hike with my brother Mike across the end of the lake. It was horrible. We stunk like heck and ahd to shower. Showers were bad.
The bathroom had hoppers and urinals and you weren't allowed to pee in the hopper. How about the hopper monster?
How about this song, "I went to the animal fair, the birds and the bees were there, the old baboon by the light of the moon was combing his auburn hair, the monkey he got drunk and fell on the elephants trunk, the elephant sneezed and fell to his knees and tha twas the end of the monk, the monk the monk"
This is Pat Welch, Chris, Mike and Matt's brother.
How about this. The foot path that cut you through to clearwater. About 1/2 way was a left turn and foot path that cut you across the boggie end of the lake and a series of cedar foot bridges acorss streams. If you followed that path it would take you through to the path to blue berry island. Like a short cut.
Big mesh trap down by the boat dock, legends of a huge snapping turtle being caught in it.
Mrs Sherry's skivvies being strung up on the flag pole.
I was there the night the wacko pinnies tossed the rattler out. It was in a burlap bag and the councelors pund it to a pulp.
My favorite councelor was Mr. Rhodes.
And last. The Assitant Camp director tried to drwon my brother Mike. He knew we were friemds with the Sherry's and good swimmers. Mike was swimming in the deep end near the damm and the jerk jumped in and starting dunking him. he went to far cause Mike got upset and was choking and gasping. I wanted to lump that dude up. I think I'm scarred for life.
Pine snakes were like mystical.
How about this. The foot path that cut you through to clearwater. About 1/2 way was a left turn and foot path that cut you across the boggie end of the lake and a series of cedar foot bridges acorss streams. If you followed that path it would take you through to the path to blue berry island. Like a short cut.
Big mesh trap down by the boat dock, legends of a huge snapping turtle being caught in it.
Mrs Sherry's skivvies being strung up on the flag pole.
I was there the night the wacko pinnies tossed the rattler out. It was in a burlap bag and the councelors pund it to a pulp.
My favorite councelor was Mr. Rhodes.
And last. The Assitant Camp director tried to drwon my brother Mike. He knew we were friemds with the Sherry's and good swimmers. Mike was swimming in the deep end near the damm and the jerk jumped in and starting dunking him. he went to far cause Mike got upset and was choking and gasping. I wanted to lump that dude up. I think I'm scarred for life.
Pine snakes were like mystical.
Hoppers
Chris Holt here. I'll never forget one of my favorite hopper pranks and there were a slew of them. Me and Danny Ratyniak were evil personified. We would stake out the hoppers waiting for some poor unsuspecting camper to come in to take a dump. If someone was sitting on the hopper facing away from the door they were a prime target because they couldn't see the door open when we would sneak in. You always had to hold the door and close it slowly so that the spring wouldn't snap it shut
and announce your arrival. We would cautiously peep over the top of the wooden dividers so we knew which hopper they were sitting on. Then we would lift the lid of the hopper directly behind the one in use and we would insert a long tree branch that had just enough of an angle to reach back up to the opposite hole. Once that stick brushed against their ass, you have never seen anybody move so fast while trying to get up and then try to run away with their pants down around their ankles while screaming bloody murder about the hopper monster. I am sitting here typing this and I am laughing my ass off just recalling the look on their faces. I'm sure Eugene Billups was traumatized for life. Another good trick we played was to hide all the rolls of toilet paper on a morning when the mess hall had served prunes. That situation prompted the song
"Stranded"
Stranded on a hopper hole
What do you do when your stranded without a roll
Be a man
Use your hand
Thats what you do when your stranded without a roll
Or something to that effect. The smart camper always carried his own roll. More to come...
Chris Holt here. I'll never forget one of my favorite hopper pranks and there were a slew of them. Me and Danny Ratyniak were evil personified. We would stake out the hoppers waiting for some poor unsuspecting camper to come in to take a dump. If someone was sitting on the hopper facing away from the door they were a prime target because they couldn't see the door open when we would sneak in. You always had to hold the door and close it slowly so that the spring wouldn't snap it shut
and announce your arrival. We would cautiously peep over the top of the wooden dividers so we knew which hopper they were sitting on. Then we would lift the lid of the hopper directly behind the one in use and we would insert a long tree branch that had just enough of an angle to reach back up to the opposite hole. Once that stick brushed against their ass, you have never seen anybody move so fast while trying to get up and then try to run away with their pants down around their ankles while screaming bloody murder about the hopper monster. I am sitting here typing this and I am laughing my ass off just recalling the look on their faces. I'm sure Eugene Billups was traumatized for life. Another good trick we played was to hide all the rolls of toilet paper on a morning when the mess hall had served prunes. That situation prompted the song
"Stranded"
Stranded on a hopper hole
What do you do when your stranded without a roll
Be a man
Use your hand
Thats what you do when your stranded without a roll
Or something to that effect. The smart camper always carried his own roll. More to come...
Camp Columbus
I do remember the hopper trick. Sneak in the opposite door, and tickle the poor unsuspecting kids butt with a stick and watch him rocket off the toilet seat. Great stuff.
I'm so old that that memory was running together with a similar dirty trick we played on a friend once. This was early 1980's, went to Vermont with a friend and my brother Matt. We stayed in a log cabin, and it had a hole in the bathroom floor right beside the john. You could see grass and daylight. Well this firend was taking his morning dump. Matt and I found a perfect stick, 6 foot long with a branch at a right angle. From outside and under the cabin we stuck it up into the hole in the floor right beside his leg. And all we heard was a really loud "holy crap" and the pounding of feet as he ran out of the bathroom. We laughed so hard we couldn't stadn up. We were rolling and laughing in pain.
My brother Chris and Matt I thought sort of befriended one of the local pinee kids. I remember a scruffy, sort of always dirty blond hair kid.
I do remember the hopper trick. Sneak in the opposite door, and tickle the poor unsuspecting kids butt with a stick and watch him rocket off the toilet seat. Great stuff.
I'm so old that that memory was running together with a similar dirty trick we played on a friend once. This was early 1980's, went to Vermont with a friend and my brother Matt. We stayed in a log cabin, and it had a hole in the bathroom floor right beside the john. You could see grass and daylight. Well this firend was taking his morning dump. Matt and I found a perfect stick, 6 foot long with a branch at a right angle. From outside and under the cabin we stuck it up into the hole in the floor right beside his leg. And all we heard was a really loud "holy crap" and the pounding of feet as he ran out of the bathroom. We laughed so hard we couldn't stadn up. We were rolling and laughing in pain.
My brother Chris and Matt I thought sort of befriended one of the local pinee kids. I remember a scruffy, sort of always dirty blond hair kid.
broken neck
I recall a local teenager jumped off the rope swing at the old damm and broke his neck. This was the summer before the damm broke and the swimming pools.
Do you remember the rope swing down there?
Assembly at night was in the rec hall and we would all sit in rows of benchs and sing. To leave we'd all sing and the director would call out a row timed at the end of a song verse. If it was your row you jump up and run out.
I recall a local teenager jumped off the rope swing at the old damm and broke his neck. This was the summer before the damm broke and the swimming pools.
Do you remember the rope swing down there?
Assembly at night was in the rec hall and we would all sit in rows of benchs and sing. To leave we'd all sing and the director would call out a row timed at the end of a song verse. If it was your row you jump up and run out.