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Clear Pool Camp
This morning, on my
way to work, I thought about a group of people whom I haven't seen nor
heard from in many years. They were part of one of the best times of my
life and my family's life and they were mostly Indiana grads. To be more
accurate, they were undergrads.
Back in the late
Fifties and early Sixties, my mother, Margaret “Peggy” Davis, was the
nurse at a camp in Carmel, N.Y., that was run by the Boys’ Club of New
York. It was called Clear Pool Camp. The director, William Elrod Petty,
had a vision of turning the summer camp for underprivileged boys into an
educational camp where they might learn the trades, sort of a vocational
school. He spent most of his free time trying to further that dream.
One of his initial
efforts was to upgrade the quality of the summer camp counselors by
recruiting college students to replace the “city kids” who once ruled
the roost. For several years, most of those counselors came from Indiana
State Teachers College. They were a wonderful bunch of young men who
became like family to us Davises. My mother kept in touch with some of
them for a few years but eventually lost track.
For me and my two
younger brothers, Glenn and Wayne, Clear Pool was such a part of our
lives that our wives are tired of hearing “camp” stories. The years we
spent there were full of very warm memories, many involving Indiana
students. One year, the camp held a big competition between the
“Collegiates” and the “Blivits.” Most of the Collegiates were Indiana
guys or from California, Pennsylvania. The Blivits were the “old” school
counselors and staff. The kids watched and cheered for their favorite
teams while they played softball or volleyball or whatever.
This morning, some
stream of consciousness got me to thinking about them and where they
might all be now. I'm sure many are close to retiring from long careers
in education. I know my mother would love to hear about or from some of
them.
Bruce Davis
Scotch Plains, N.J.
BDavis@TinnermanPalnut.com
Seeing Is Believing
Congratulations on a
great article and subject (Summer, 2004). The
work done by the Millwards and Beth Palilla using the art of Robert
Griffing along with original relics is outstanding and to be highly
commended, as are you for printing it. For years I’ve wanted to submit
an article to a professional magazine on the use of primary source
material such as artifacts and relics in classes, but never got around
to it. Now I am retired and can spend more time doing things I’ve always
wanted to do, so I'm working on two articles for magazines and a book on
collecting relics, as well as speaking for groups on historical topics.
Ever since my earliest days at ISC/IUP, I have pushed teachers to
understand that it takes more than just knowledge of the subject, and to
put forth a bit more effort, and also some bucks in order to improve
their students’ classroom experience. As an undergrad, I had Miss Jane
Mervine for a class on teaching and we had to come up with a sample
lesson. I brought in a Confederate coat, wooden-soled shoes, and some
other Civil War relics and talked about how much more students could
learn about the war and those who fought it if only they could see such
things. Miss Mervine was very excited about it and later, as my visiting
or critic teacher when I was student teaching at Punxsutawney Junior
High, she concurred with my supervising instructor, Mr. Frank Shaw, that
I should get the first A he had ever given to a student teacher.
Interestingly enough, the man who followed me the next semester was also
a collector, and he got the second.
Throughout my thirty-five years of teaching, and also in the Army, I
used these items to boost interest and motivate my students. Yes, it
required the investment of some extra time and money to learn about such
relics and buy them, as well as to travel to historic sites to take
slides or photos and procure bulletin board materials to provide a
backdrop for the relic displays, but it was well worth it. Now I have
realized considerable appreciation on the value, and still use these
things in presenting programs for my historical society, as well as
schools, clubs, churches, and social groups. It also helps to be a
little crazy and act out some of the things you’re talking about. To
further illustrate my point, one day the announcements came on and
reminded the teachers that the next day would be an Act 80 Day. One of
my students asked me what we did on those days. I replied that we worked
on ways to improve teaching our students. He came back instantly with,
“Why don’t you try to get some of the teachers a personality?” Then he
added, “and interest in their subject.” I think that says a lot. We’ve
got to do something to improve the teaching in our schools in all
subjects, but especially in the (shudder...I hate the term) Social
Studies. There is a perception that these subjects, and especially
history, are the most boring subjects in school, but this is true only
if the teacher is boring and not overly interested as well. I think I
proved that abundantly at Neshannock, where I taught.
Many of my students became so interested in history that they went into
teaching it themselves, and several told me to urge my students to keep
their notebooks for use in college because, as one put it, “We didn’t go
nearly as deeply into the Revolutionary or Civil Wars as we did in your
class, and we could impress the professors with the information you gave
us.” One of these students, Dana Shoaf, is now the editor of
America’s Civil War magazine, and another, Michael Kraus, is an
historical sculptor, having done the statue of Colonel Strong Vincent in
Erie, and has been military advisor on the films Gettysburg and
Cold Mountain, and I am quite proud of them both. Mike also has
produced several Civil War tapes/DVDs titled Civil War Minutes I
and Civil War Minutes II-Confederate, in which some of my
collection is featured, and I also had the pleasure of narrating it. I
think we can make a very significant impact on our students if only we
put forth a little more effort.
Charles (Chuck) King ’61, M’69
New Castle, Pa.
More Teaching
Tools
As an educator I
was fascinated to read about Bob and Kathleen Millward’s efforts to
teach history through artwork (Summer,
2004). This is a wonderful way to make the French and Indian War
come to life for the students. I would like to extend the opportunity to
the Millwards, and all educators, to enhance and update their teaching
tools by using the site
www.armyheritage.org to further extend the meaningful learning
experience. There they will find links to the Virtual Museum, which
contains three exhibits focusing on different wars in our nation’s
history.
Of particular
interest is the contribution by Willard Dominick ’46, WWII veteran and
IUP alumnus from the Class of 1946 (currently available only on CD-ROM,
as the site is still under construction). His paintings, sketches,
journal entries, and a video interview provide an intimate portrait of
life as a soldier in the South Pacific. Mr. Dominick was featured in the
Summer, 2001, issue of IUP Magazine in the “More Special People”
section. He has donated his collection of artifacts, letters, journals,
and artwork to the U.S. Army Military History Institute at the War
College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Much of this
contribution can be viewed (along with sound bites) on the previously
mentioned website and serves as firsthand documentation of WWII. Willard
Dominick continues to create paintings on a wide range of subjects, and
he exhibits his work throughout the nation. One painting, Broomrakes,
is on display in the office suite of IUP’s vice president for
Institutional Advancement, 301 John Sutton Hall.
Susan Dominick Mussoline ’71
Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
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