September 14, 1942

Sept. 14, 1942

Dear people,

I received a nice fat letter to-day from youns. Mighty glad to get it too. Tho I don’t write you too often I still like to hear from you. I got the overshoes last fri. They work very nice and I can save my good ones too. I just about had to wear something in the wash room as the greasy water was hard on my shoes and one of my old ones leeked a lot too.

I’ll finish this tomorrow cause there’s a bunch of guys around and I can’t think and besides I like to talk too.

9:25 Tue. Morning----
We had pretty much good luck with the dishes this morning and got the breakfast bach done by 8:45. Sometimes we work till nearly 10:00.

I’m really sorry to hear that some of you are not feeling the best. I hope the sick ones are better now. If time hangs heavy on Charles’es hands he might see if he could write me a letter. It might be good practice, he may want to write a letter to Myrt or some other girl that he lives closer.

That’s certainly bad a bout Waddel. Doctors are getting scarce too. I imagine that Duane is about ready to come home by now and I certainly hope he is getting along alright. In my opinion Lena has had her share of bad luck. But I guess she can take it. When a person trusts in God that helps a lot.

The other night I got my first camp hair-cut. A fellow from New Jersey did it. His name is Ted Flanigan, and his father is an Episcapalian minister. They have a different barber on duty each night except Sat and Sun. In payment for their work they get Sat. morning off when the rest have to work till noon. WE pay a nickel toward a pair of electric clippers, now we are using a borrowed pair that belong to a fellow’s father-in-law. He and Ted are the only ones that use them and the rest of the barber have to use hand clippers.

The Educational program isn’t organized in classes like school, tho there are several classes that sort of meet under the direction of one man. We have one man that is known as the educational director and that is all he does. The library has a lot of books that can be used to learn about anything you want to know and he takes care of that too. Some of the classes that I can think of now are: Choir directing, Non Violent action, Postwar reconstruction, First Aid, Co-operatives, Accounting. There are two Bible classes, Old and New Testament, The Old Testament is taught by a Jewish refugee. That is the only class I have gone to, I don’t think I’ll get in to too much and do good what I do do. Also there is a Chorus, They sing nearly every Sun. in the preaching service.
I am getting better acquainted with more people and I find that there are a few here that don’t believe in the Bible like we do and some that think Christ was just a good man. I think in general the Methodists are more like me in their beliefs than the eastern Friends. I met one fellow that new Errol Elliott and we agree on a lot of things, he works in the kitchen too and likes to sing some of the old revival songs which many of the fellows think and childish or foolish. It is hard to find out just what the fellows believe cause so few of us agree and those that have been here a while are tired of trying to find someone that agrees with them. We have some good discussions tho. We set up quite late sometimes.

They have a nice little carpenter shop here at the camp and I fool around there a lot when I’m not working. If I quit dishwashing that is what I would like to do, get in the shop over at the station if I could. But I like dishwashing pretty well because my spare time comes when there aren’t so many people around and I can read or write letters. How did you like the Camp Paper? Some of the guys think it should have more camp news.

Ab and I got an engouraging letter from Whitely and Opal wrote to me the other day, I kidded Ab about that. She told me about taking Myrtle down to school and the changes in the Faculty there.

Now, don’t you work too hard, any of you. If you don’t get everything done that you want remember that no one will know it a hundred years from now and you will feel a lot better now if you take care of your-selves. Keep Praying, There are a lot of people that need it.

I trust you understand about the 35 dollars. I got paid when the rest of the fellows did and got $1.67. next time I get 2.50, 80 a day. But I’m getting a lot more than that.

Yours
Bernard


Attached: Two photos

This is the camp. That tree is in the NE corner. The Dorms run east and west, but are twisted a little to the Nw and Se. I am in the west end of the second one from the right hand side, known as Dorm 3 west.


This is of the three of the Station buildings there are two or three more that aren’t in the picture. This shows the landscape in the background and the haze that is always in the distance and sometimes is a for right close. This makes picture taking difficult.