NEWS-NOTES 357 



RHODE ISLAND 



Camp Chequesset 



The fifth season of Camp Chequesset, a "Real Camp for Real Girls" at 

 Wellfleet Bay, Cape Cod, has certainly been a genuine contribution to the 

 growing movement of making young America healthy and happy. And at 

 the same time there has been direct, immediate help in winning the war. 

 We are more and more coming to realize that in the boys and girls of this 

 nation lies the hope of the whole world, and that anything which develops 

 them, physically, mentally, and morally is essentially patriotic. That is 

 just what Camp Chequesset is doing. 



Thirty-four girls from many parts of the country spent a happy summer 

 doing and learning many things which bear directly on high ideas. The camp 

 is conducted by Mr. W. G. Vinal, instructor in Xature Study in the Rhode 

 Island Normal School. Miss Alice H. Belding, Director of Physical Educa- 

 tion at Randolph-Macon Women's College, is also one of the camp leaders. 

 Mrs. Vinal is "camp mother" and gives it the home touch. She is a graduate 

 of the Bridgewater Normal School. There are several other leaders, including 

 Capt. Wm. Taylor, "Graduate of the School of Hard Knocks in Cape Cod 

 Bay." 



The camp life is varied, including all forms of athletics, hiking, swimming, 

 semaphore and folk dancing. The fields and forests and sand dunes as 

 well as the fresh and salt water afford endless opportunity for real nature study. 



The honor chart shows much interest in the activities with cups and medals 

 given for excellence. Miss Elizabeth Acheson of Xew Jersey, won the silver 

 cup for Nature-Study, which included flowers, birds, trees and shells; while 

 another young woman "won 18 pounds in weight and gained a ruddy hue." 

 Safe to say there were many competitors for the last honor. 



The War Service Calendar sent to each camper recently shows that these 

 girls, besides knitting 70K pairs of socks, collecting sphagnum moss for the 

 Red Cross, and selling $300 worth of War Saving Stamps, earned $162.90 

 during the season to be divided between the Red Cross and little War Orphans 

 in France. They did it by "shouldering the hoe," picking berries, and digging 

 clams. 



Surely this camp may well be called a Laboratory for Human Nature-Study, 

 the very highest kind of nature study. Long live Camp Chequesset! 



The Rhode Island Field Naturalists' Club 

 The autumn program might well serve as a model for other clubs. Its 

 Itinerary and Suggestions and maxims for members makes one hungry to 

 belong to just such a club. And we like the service flag for Private John W. 

 Russell now in France. The club publishes a News Letter sent to all members 

 which shows the fine spirit of all who belong to it. 



Itinerary 



I. Sept. 7. Title Rock. Rehoboth. Leader, Miss May Merry. Mrs. 



Frank Goff , hostess. Taunton car fron east end of Post Office, 



1.35 P.M. 



II. Sept* 14. Papoosesquaw Neck. Colt's Drive. Leader, Mrs. Harriet 



P. Church. Bristol car from Union Station, 1.15 p.m. 



