Two custom-made wooden tables were located between the T-learners and the Basketball Court.
They were built for the use of swim club members. Because they were within the fenced pool area, they were not accessible to campers.
In hindsite, I should have had the fence moved so these could be used! Never thought of it for some reason.
A snack bar was designed and built on the 1960s to serve the Swim Club. It is believed to have been located just west of the kitchen, near the Peewee unit area. The building was removed after several years and not re-purposed.
For many years, child access to the deep end of the I-Pool and T-Pool was governed by a Black Tag and White Tag system. To obtain their White Tag, children had to demonstrate an ability to swim 5 widths of the I-Pool without stopping, and then, immediately after, be able to tread water continuously for 5 minutes. Success provided access to the deep end of the I-Pool, but the child was required to wear his or her White Tag at all times when swimming there. The tag was a piece of white boondoggle knotted around his or her wrist.
Success in the Black Tag test provided access to the T-Pool compound. In this case the candidate had to be able to swim 10 widths of the T-Pool deep end without stopping, and then, immediately after, to tread water for 10 minutes continuously. This had little to do with safety and deep-end proficiency, since the White Tag already demonstrated that. Rather, insofar as it applied to Swim Club members, the Black Tag test was a thinly disguised effort to keep the T-Pool compound as a more or less adult-only area, with a quieter atmosphere, since most children below a certain age could not successfully complete the test. For children in the single digit age range, wearing a Black Tag (a piece of black boondoggle knotted around the wrist) was a badge of considerable honour.
James WaeseThanks for posting this. As a child of the swim club in the 60’s and ‘70’s, the white tag and black tag tests were absolutely rites of passage, and symbols of growing independence. I can still remember, about 45 years later, the day I proudly walked down the steps into the T-pool area, my new black tag showing everyone my new status among the adults. Not so sure my parents were so thrilled about it…ReplyAfter the T-Pool locker room was built, approximately 400 wire baskets were purchased to fit inside the lockers.
These baskets were initially used by Swim Club members in the 1960’s. After the Swim Club closed in the 70’s, some of these baskets continued to be used in the locker room by campers. A large number were stored away in the various swim buildings, but some found other uses around camp.
Many were used in Central Supply. Cabin requisitions were filled and placed in the baskets. Consellors would pick up the baskets and return them – along with any left-over materials – when they were finished their activites.
These are 2 of the actual baskets purchased in 1959:
Some baskets were used to store documents, like this one marked “SEPT 1976”:
This basket shows the original numbered badge. The baskets – made by Andrews Wire Works in Watford, Ontario – were originally bare metal. Some time after they were purchased, many were painted blue. This paint has almost fully worn off:
The Terrace
Newly constructed auditorium and office in 1964. The office window would be replaced by a door and a full kitchen installed to prepare food for the Swim/Weekend Club. The building was out-of-bounds during camp and was largely unused from the 80’s onward.
Arts & crafts in front of the “The Terrace”. Notice door instead of window.
All of the kitchen supplies were moved into two storage closets built on either side of the stage in the auditorium and remained there until camp closed.
Forest Valley Day Camp 1956 - 1993 