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Encyclopedia WinterCampica Volume B |
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Back To The Future Day- Several Winter Camp classics were scheduled on Day Five of Movie Week at Winter Camp XXIV, but the Last Breakfast was designed as a continental meal and kickball didn't happen. The Conglomerate Lunch nonetheless preserved one enduring camp tradition.
Backwards Day- On Backwards Day, staged at Winter Camps XII and XIII, the morning breaks with a snack, dinner is served (ideally) at noon, lunch in the early evening, and breakfast just before the lights go out. At Winter Camp XIII, the disorientation due to this scheduling quirk led to mass confusion, and three meals--the Beggar's Banquet, Monochrome Lunch, and McDonald's Breakfast--backed up into the evening hours. One of the five days of Winter Camp V was dubbed “Backwards Day” in the list of daily themes used that year, but the events of the day were not reversed.
Barf The Mog Lunch- Those Winter Campers who find the Caveman Dinner a little too refined doubtless found the first lunch of Winter Camp XXIV more precisely to their liking. In addition to banning eating utensils beyond plates and cups needed for minimum sanitary considerations, campers were forbidden the use of their hands. Beef-a-roni was indelicately slurped up by most participants.
Bake-Off Snack- Improvisational cooking has not been the most successful Winter Camp culinary experience. In this Winter Camp XII event, teams of Arrowmen were each given the same collection of ingredients and set free to concoct the evening's bill of fare. The results were, in general, of curious quality. Chocolate crepes garnished with bamboo shoots took top accolades in the Winter Camp News review.
Bakery Snack- A massive baking session was plucked from the earliest days of Winter Camp and installed as part of Classics Day at Winter Camp XXII. It was followed by this “classic that should always have been”, a snack including freshly baked bread and toppings, including butter churned on-site, and fresh cinnamon rolls baked from a recipe which was largely improvised and sliced with a yo-yo string. The cinnamon rolls were enough of a hit that the recipe was brought back at Winter Camp XXIII and XXV.
Ball Blast- This improvised Winter Camp XXI game was named by Doug Wilson. Steve Donohue's precamp purchase of a 40” inflatable rubber ball for use in the Area 51 role-playing game proved to be more than just a tangential addition to camp. As the game evolved and more players joined, it eventually became a match between two teams who batted the ball back and forth across the new fence separating the Beaver Creek campsite from Ranch Road. The game combined elements of dodgeball, kickball, and volleyball into a new athletic experience. The team based on Ranch Road made it a point to try and kick the ball onto the roof of the BC building; Brian Mann succeeded four times in succession after deducing that kicking the ball through the open gate would be easier than trying to boot it over the fence.
Balloon Lunch- Steve Donohue proposed this meal on a Winter Camp evaluation form at the end of camp. While the form lay dormant for 11 months, the details of the idea atrophied. As a result, when the next Winter Camp planning committee convened and the idea was brought forth, Steve had no idea what he had meant by his suggestion.
Balloonography- An unscheduled activity, Steve Donohue triggered it at lunchtime of Day One at Winter Camp XV when he began creating a wide assembly of balloon sculptures. Particularly noteworthy were his various costumes, crafted for willing co-participants including Dan Bollman--monkey, Dave Woods--astronaut, and Joe Hall--mosquito. There was also a pregnant poodle, whose latex puppies were delivered via Caesarean section.
Barbecue Dinner- Barbecued chicken topped the menu at this Winter Camp XI meal. The menu resurfaced as the Swinging Meal at Winter Camp XVIII.
Barbecue Lunch- The idea of a barbecue meal was found to be just as easily adaptable to lunch as to dinner. At Winter Camp XIV, beef was the fare served with a hearty sauce. Planned again for Winter Camp XXV, it was replaced by the first of two meals which served leftovers from the 162-Dish Banquet.
Barbed Wire- Capture the Objective has yielded two memorable encounters with the barbed wire fencing surrounding the BC Field Sports area. At Winter Camp III, Dave Oakley was able to elude Doug Wilson by diving between strands of the fence. Fifteen years later, Dave Woods suffered cuts to the face at the hands of the wire. (SD)
Battle Chess- A human chess game has been a four-time Winter Camp favorite, debuting at Winter Camp XIV. Campers play the parts of chess pieces, and each team chooses a captain who is ultimately responsible for move selection. When pieces attempt capture, the battle begins. In order to complete a capture and remove a player from the board, the attacking player must defeat the other player in a mental or physical challenge, with the choice left to the defender. The physical challenge has traditionally been a wrestling match in an improvised battle square, where the first person knocked off his feet or stepping out of the ring is the loser. Mental challenges usually involve answering some sort of trivia question, which have ranged from Winter Camp history to general knowledge. Winter Camp XV was a particularly memorable game for two participants. Dave Woods started play as a rook, got captured by Steve Donohue and lost in the Square, became a knight, got captured again by Steve, became a bishop, and fell to Steve a third time . His frustration was evident and he returned to harassing participants with a cracker flinger. At Winter Camp XXV, the fourth Battle Chess game matched Winter Camp veterans against relative newcomers and proved the most competitive of them all. The game stretched on so long that three pawns-Paul Kupser, Dave Oakley, and John Howey-promoted to queens. Newcomer King Jon Semetko directed his team against this relentless assault for over an hour before succumbing to Paul Kupser in a final battle. (SD)
Battle Square- Originally created during the play of Battle Chess at Winter Camp XIV, the battle square has become a matter of legend, especially among younger advisers who frequently chant “Battle Square, Battle Square” during disputes, suggesting that the parties involved settle their disputes in primal physical combat. (SD)
Beach Party- The unusually warm weather at Winter Camp VI saw Arrowmen converge on the Beaver Creek waterfront for the planned weenie roast. Several daring campers improvised swimsuits and entered the lake, but Mike Osvath resisted the weather's temptations and kept his parka fastened throughout the afternoon.
Beaver Creek- This D-A subcamp has been the home of every Winter Camp, and the cabin of the same name has hosted Downriver and Mahican Arrowmen each December since Winter Camp II in 1978. Indeed, the boundaries of the Winter Camp universe are taken to coincide, most of the time, with the boundaries of BC subcamp.
Beef Fizz- While certain Winter Camp kitchen adventures have resulted in dangerous food, this is probably the only lethal beverage ever prepared at camp. Steve Donohue found it in a book of 7-Up recipes at Winter Camp VII, and it was prepared as part of the Gruesome Snack. Mike Osvath drank heartily of this concoction of beef bouillon, lemon juice, and 7-Up, and found himself sidelined with severe gastric distress.
Begging/Beggar's Banquet- At Winter Camp XIII, with misers Roger Horn, Jeff Rand, and Doug Wilson controlling the food supply at the Beggar's Banquet lunch, it's something of a wonder that anyone got fed. While the food for this lunch was standard Winter Camp fare, the published menu simply read “Whatever you can get?”. Members were required to plead with the cheapskate triumvirate to obtain midday nourishment.
Belmont Bugle- In his role as a journalist during the Area 51 role-playing game at Winter Camp XXI, Mark Bollman--> founded this journal of opinion and tapped his Channel 120 alter ego, Mick Belmont, as head writer and namesake of the publication. The Bugle took an uncompromising skeptical stance to the issue of alien contact with Earthlings, and set the mark among the flood of Winter Camp XXI newspapers by publishing three issues.
Big Bro- Overseer of the Winter Camp Adventure game at Winter Camp X, this fictional character returned, to the Winter Camp electronic universe, just before Winter Camp XXI. With his frequent anonymous posts on the state of Winter Camp, Big Bro generated much speculation as to his identity, which he zealously guarded, and a fair portion of irate feedback from Arrowmen annoyed with his arrogant views or his insistence that “my name is not for you to know”. True to his roots, this new Big Bro limits the content of his messages to one-syllable words. Much energy has been spent in speculation as to his identity, but no one has made a positive identification. Eight people have been identified as the primary suspects: Dan Bollman, Eric Bollman, Mark Bollman-->, Ron Donohue, Steve Donohue, John Howey, Lou Pezet, and Jeff Rand. At Winter Camp XXII, Big Bro attempted to contribute to the event when he agreed to cast curling stones, but the stones never made it to camp. As a result, much conversation on The Wall in January 1999 was dedicated to slamming BB for his failure.
Big Bro's News of the Day- Another incarnation of Big Bro returned to Winter Camp XXI after an 11-year absence to publish this contribution to Winter Camp's journalistic record. His paper was a one-shot issue covering early Winter Camp news and offering helpful advice to campers. In keeping with the linguistic restrictions imposed by his original incarnation, this paper used only one-syllable words.
Birthday Party- Four Winter Campers have celebrated birthdays at camp. Mark Bollman--> celebrates on December 30 and has spent 23 birthdays--the majority of his 38--at camp. He was joined in celebration on the 30th at Winter Camp XXIII by newcomer Harold Rahrig. Steve Johnson and Lou Pezet have both spent their December 28 birthday at camp--while Steve was present only once, Lou has observed 14 straight of 26 to date in the Winter Camp universe. The first party was held at Winter Camp IV for Mark-->, both he and Lou were feted at Winter Camps XII and XV, and the Guru's Birthday Party at Winter Camp XIV commemorated Lou alone.
Black Sheep Patrol- This Winter Camp IV cadre was led by Patrol Leader Steve Donohue and Adviser Doug Wilson. With a lightning bolt as their emblem, the Black Sheep made it a point to set themselves apart from the general sense of lawlessness which they saw demonstrated by the Rebels and the Reivers.
Blazing Saddles Lunch- In commemoration of the famous methane scene in Mel Brooks' film, this meal was added to Winter Camp's dining history at Winter Camp VII. The Winter Camp results were, thankfully, less spectacular than in the movie.
Blind Hike- The only activity to be held at every Winter Camp, this was also the first Winter Camp event. Its destinations have ranged throughout D-A--Old Baldy in Trout Lake was a frequent destination in the early days, while more recent years have seen a variety of treks as the hike has visited Little Prairie in Jack Lord and the Trout Lake firebowl. Two Blind Hikes were held at Winter Camp XXII and XXIII as campers alternated between the hike and the marathon baking session on the first night. The following list of Blind Hike destinations (p. 14) is regrettably incomplete. It is believed that one Blind Hike reached the Friendship Center in Trout Lake subcamp, but it is not certain which one it was.
Winter Camp Destination I Last Ceremony site (Beaver Creek) II James E. West (Jack Lord) III Old Baldy (Trout Lake) IV Old Baldy (Trout Lake) V Old Baldy (Trout Lake) VI Unknown VII Midway (Beaver Creek) VIII Unknown IX Jack Lord Nature Center X Unknown XI Unknown XII Unknown XIII Jack Lord Skills Center XIV Beaver Creek Rifle Range XV Trout Lake Firebowl XVI Jack Lord Nature Pavilion XVII Beaver Creek Skills Center XVIII Little Prairie (Jack Lord) XIX Beaver Creek Skills Center XX Grandview (Beaver Creek) XXI Gate 12 (Beaver Creek) XXII A: Beaver Creek Skills Center
B: Shady Oaks (Jack Lord)XXIII A: Ribble House (Beaver Creek)
B: Little Prairie (Jack Lord)XXIV Trout Lake building XXV A: Little Prairie (Jack Lord)
B: Draper (Trout Lake)
Blind Lunch- To eat without seeing is the challenge at this four-time Winter Camp meal, where blindfolds are donned once the food has been served. As with the Blind Hike, there is frequently suspicion that “blind” means different things to different people, but nothing has ever been proved.
Blind Wrestling- Another improvised activity, this one broke out among various participants during the Blind Hike at Winter Camp IX. Laureled for their skill in the double darkness were Matt Mittino and Steve Donohue.
Blindfolds- Jeff Rand runs a reliable blindfold loan service for those who come to camp without one and need one for the Blind Hike. His blindfolds were constructed in 1974 and washed for the first time in early 1992.
Body Temperature Lunch- Winter Campers armed themselves with thermometers for this Winter Camp XVI meal, where the object was first to raise one's body temperature with the numerous hot dishes served at the beginning of the meal and then to drop it by eating the cold dishes served at meal's end. Jeff Rand proved to be the most thermally malleable, as he successfully regulated his temperature through 4.89 Fahrenheit degrees.
Bollmano's Pizza- Mark Bollman--> served as the most active Winter Camp pizza chef throughout the second Winter Camp decade and the rise of Little Ozzie's Pizza. When Mike Osvath failed to attend Winter Camp XVII, Mark--> took control of the Little Ozzie's infrastructure and renamed the enterprise after himself. The motto of this new undertaking was changed to “The Finest Italian Cuisine In The Wilderness”. His original intent was that the name be accented on the first syllable to follow the emphasis pattern in “Domino's”, but popular usage set the stress on “man”. Bollmano's was granted the Winter Camp pizza contract for the next two years due to Mike's general lethargy during the Pizza Smorgasbord at Winter Camp XVIII and his complete absence from Winter Camp XIX. At Winter Camp XX, the two warring factions formed a temporary alliance. The pizza war came to a head at the Winter Camp XXI planning meeting, where Bollmano's won popular acclaim and was voted in over Little Ozzie's by a 15.2-13.6 score. At Winter Camp XXII, Bollmano's launched a “make-your-own-pizza” format which simplified the pizza-making process considerably and freed pizzeria staff to monitor the ovens. It is Bollmano's custom that first-time Winter Campers get their pizza before veterans.
Bolo Ties- Paul Kupser suggested online that participants at the 162-Dish Banquet should be dressed in Scout uniforms. Jeff Rand provided for uniform augmentation by compiling kits rom which each Arrowmen could make a orange-corded bolo tie bearing the Winter Camp logo in full color.
Boot Drying Rack- One of the star gadgets of Winter Camp XIII was the boot drying rack. Constructed by Geoff Brown, the rack is displayed prominently in the Winter Camp promotional video and in the annual highlights for that year. (SD)
Bouchard's Bonanza- Named for Bouchard's, a good hot dog place located in Richelieu, Quebec near the ancestral home of the Donohue family, this meal served as lunch on Canada Day at Winter Camp XXII. The meal could be described in Canadian as steamed Michigans and poutein-or in American as hot dogs with spaghetti sauce and onions and French fries with cheese and gravy. (RD)
Box o' Chocolates Snack- Based on the movie Forrest Gump and its likening of life to a box of chocolates, this snack was tried at Winter Camp XIX. As the menu was easily available, “you never know what you're gonna get” seems a less-than-accurate description, but the food was still pretty good.
Brain Meal- This new version of the classic Gruesome Snack received the most votes of any theme at the Winter Camp XVIII planning meeting. Mark Hunt's brain-shaped Jell-O mold (acquired as part of his Jell-O mold collecting hobby assigned at the previous year's Hobby Draw) was pressed into service to manufacture somewhat realistic brains for consumption.
Bread Baking- A Winter Camp cooking tradition since the marathon nighttime baking session on Day One of Winter Camp I, this custom sets the Winter Camp food service operation apart from any other Scouting kitchen. The quality of baked goods has varied widely over the years--the “Cave Loaf” incident at Winter Camp II is still regarded as a notable low in camp cooking--but the tradition has been deeply rooted at Winter Camp and will likely survive as long as Winter Camp is held. The marathon baking session returned to Winter Camp XXII as part of Classics Day.
“Bring Me A Bucket” Lunch- In the daily themes adopted for Winter Camp XXII, Day Five became Pythonesque Day, and the Conglomerate Lunch took on this new name (although with no change to the menu) in honor of one of Monty Python's better-known sketches.
Brotherhood Ceremony- Mahican Chapter was asked by the lodge to perform a Brotherhood ceremony at Winter Camp XV so that Mi-Gi-Si O-Paw-Gan could raise its Brotherhood percentage to the level required for a National Honor Lodge rating. Brian Bumgardner and Dave Woods emerged as candidates, and they sealed their membership under the guidance of an all-adult ceremony team. When the chapter's regular team could not be assembled, Jeff Rand, Steve Donohue, Dan Bollman, and John Howey stepped forward.
Brotherhood Dinner/Breakfast- In each of these meals, Arrowmen were paired off and directed to feed each other. In the Brotherhood Dinner's debut at Winter Camp V, Health Director Tom Achatz condemned the event, citing the obvious health hazard inherent in campers thrusting forks at other folks' faces.
Brothers of the Allogagan- This pseudonym was used by Steve Donohue and Jeff Rand during their mini-revolt at Winter Camp XI. 1987 marked the first time that Winter Camp had a strong leader and adviser and neither Steve nor Jeff was a member of the leadership team. Feeling threatened by this new regime, they sought to undermine it with their own anti-communist newsletter. Three issues of the Allogagan were published in a zealous quest to bring down the ruling faction. The BOA also sent a recruiting letter to Doug Wilson, which was the first piece of mail ever delivered to Winter Camp. (SD)
Buffoon Lunch- Some observers might claim that Winter Camp is automatically the home of buffoonery--in both its positive and negative aspects--raised to an art form and that little or no effort is required to encourage it. Nonetheless, this Winter Camp XV lunch--a fairly standard macaroni and cheese meal--was intended to call special attention to buffoonish antics. Whether it did or not is an open question--this lunch is one of several Winter Camp meals where the theme wasn't taken too much to heart.
Bunny Slipper Relay- A sartorial gem from the movie Real Genius, tapped previously in Winter Camp lore in a scene from Paradox Metaphor, was merged with the Wacky Pentathlon to create a game for Winter Camp XXIV. Two-man teams donned bunny slippers (commercial or homemade) and competed in a variety of stunts while a panel of judges chose a winner. Lodge chief Sam Stocker won the rubber band shoot, Jeff Rand proved most adept at collecting cotton balls on his Vaseline-coated face, Alex Leach took the paddleball event, and Jeff repeated his triumph when he topped all comers in solving a mechanical puzzle. In the final event, Zach Polifroni and David Buskin won the Skittles Relay by transporting Skittles on the end of a straw. The judges awarded top honors to the team who complained the least about the event, crowning Keith King and Andy Whaley as champions.
Bureaucratic Lunch- An impressive array of curious rules governed the feasting at this Winter Camp XI meal. Campers were required to fill out requisition forms in order to receive any food item, from hot dogs right down to condiments therefor. Steve Donohue made a notable mark when he filled out a form requesting John Howey's food. It was duly processed by those dining at his table, and his food was delivered as ordered.
Burger Time Dinner- One of two new meals at Winter Camp XXII which took advantage of the 1998 remodeling of the Beaver Creek building, the Burger Time Dinner followed a long-standing camp tradition by not serving hamburgers, despite its name. In the style of the early-generation video game, Tim Hunt took up a spot in the new dining room rafters and dropped tortillas to be caught on plates by waiting diners. The remainder of the Mexican meal was available at ground level.
Buried Treasure Snack- In keeping with the Pirate theme at Winter Camp XVIII, the Pie Snack was pulled from the menu archives and resurrected with a new thematic twist.
Business Lunch- Spy Day at Winter Camp XXIV included this lunch, where spy activities assigned during Cross-Country Golf continued through a meal of sandwiches and French onion soup.
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