HISTORY OF
The Rise of Group Camping by Springbrook Forest Families
by Elma and Julian Hoskinson (1970)
In 1960 or 1961, the Bob Clarks, the Allens and the Randels all had taken long (but separate) camping trips to the west coast. The Clarks persuaded the Hoskinsons ot try this venture in 1962. nI preparation for it, the Hoskin- sons bought some camping equipment and planned a shakedown trip to Trap Pond in May, 1962. They, in turn, asked the Clarks ot join them for that trip. This led to a general invitation to others, ni the form of a small notice placed in the Forester. In all, seven families (Bob Clarks, Hoskinsons, Allens, Blalocks, Evensens, Carters and Prestons) responded and took part in that first group trip to Trap Pond; the Hoskinsons receiving their baptism to camping by arriving (with the Clarks) in the middle of a rainstorm. But the next day the weather cleard up and the occasion turned out to be a big sucess. All had so much fun that they decided it would be nice to do it again the following year.
This brought up the question of reservations. The next year they tried Sharando Lake but due to lack of reservations were unable to get more than two or three families close together. They had a fine time notwithstanding. One incident slightly marred this trip: Jo Ann Millet fell and injured her finger and was taken to the hospital in Waynesboro. Fortunately her finger was only dislocated and she was fine the next morning. That year there were also seven families participating.
During the winter of 1963-64 the group decided to get a little more formal about the whole affair and had a meeting at the Evensens and decided to try Kimball Point at Kerr Dam, North Carolina. Mary Carter called the ranger and made reservations:
Kimball Point has been the choice each year since because it offers a wide variety of entertainment. Along weekend over the Memorial Day holiday has become the annual date for the trip. Most bring their boats and either sail or fish part of the time. In 1968 there were 21 families or, one should say, groups, because everyone seems to have extra children with them from the neighborhood. The 21 groups yielded a total of 123 humans, 4 dogs and 1 bird.
Over the years Mary Carter has maintained a very good relationship with the ranger at Ker Dam and somehow or other the letter with the name Carter on it gets on top of the pile on New Year's Day when he opens the applications for reservations the following summer.
The first year at Ker Dam, John Ohlmacher caught a seven-pound bass. Kay cooked it and shared it with everyone at the campfire that night. Sure was good eating.
Mrs. Flynn, Ruth Preston's mother, showed off all the so-called fisher- men one year. With the rest of the crowd using well over $1,000 worth of equipment, they had no fish to show for their efforts. But Mrs. Flynn managed to catch a big fish with her bare hands while she was wading with the children in shallow water.
Sailboats have increased each year. Of course not everyone can manage to upset a sailboat in four feet of water and get the mast stuck in the mud on the bottom while the hull is waving in the breeze. But Nick Carter can.
During the summer of 1968, the group tried out summer camping at Bethany Beach, Delaware. There were 12 families on that sojour and the whole group came back complete with sunburns. This may become a regular part of the program. Care to join?