Notes from Cardigan Cardigan Mountain School Canaan, New Hampshire 03741
Issue No. 3
Nonprofit Organization U.S. POST AGE
PAID Canun, N.H. Permit No. 1
Mrs. Olive Bradford Newcastle, ME
04553 January 1973
One of the compensations of Winter is that the sun doesn't come up from behind Mount.Cardigan until just before 7 am. The other morning we had a really breathtaking sunrise. · Imagine standing on the hill overlooking the lake and enjoying the beauty of the spectacular colors in absolute and total silence. The air was crisp, clear and still; the sunrise colors were reflected softly on the snow-covered hills and lake, and it was easy to give thanks to God who in His infinite wisdom created such beauty to be enjoyed by man. Many quiet minutes passed thus until the_ stillness wa~ n_terrup_ted by a dog b_ar_k_-___ - -ing somewhere in the distance and then, as if by signal, the chimes from our Chapel tower sounded their morning hymn over campus; another day began at Cardigan. On another frosty morning we were standing by the flagpole about 5:30 am helping our boys load baggage and themselves on the bus to Boston for Christmas vacation. A tug at the coat and a 1 ittle blond boy telling me in his Southern drawl that he had even put up the flag this morning. There was just enough gray pre-dawn light at that hour to see that something was indeed waving in the morning breeze. Hours later when the busses were well on their way to the city and the sun was shining brightly, someone looked up -- only then did we see that he had raised aloft the old Confederate flag! A sincere thank you at this point to all of you who have contributed to this year's Annual Fund. This is the chief means we have of avoiding a deficit and occasionally affording some of the extras that although needed and desired can't quite be squeezed into a tight budget. A most tangible evidence of this is a previously-owned Sno-Cat which the Trustees voted to purchase from Annual Fund receipts. It is a tremendous forward step for our skiiers who will now be able to spend all their time skiing instead of having to bootpack the slopes for many hours after each snowfall. We have the machine now and are learning how to operate it. Not quite like driving a car when you're on a 30 degree slope and it clings to the hill as if the tracks were glued to it. Thanks to all of you. The First Wilderness Encounter at Cardigan actual _!..Y 3 tarted in Sep_tember -- long before any of the group had anything to do with a wilderness. Their first encounter was an early morning one with the lake -- and this meeting was repeated every morning be.fore breakfast until mid October when it had become unbearably cold. The conditioning and training continued every afternoon during the regular activity period -- but the activities this group engaged in were far from usual. This program was designed and run by Mr. Gunnar Baldwin who has had a lot of experience with the national Outward Bound organizations. He tailored the activity to the age and size of our boys and planned it to take advantage of the environment around the School. There were group exercises of various sorts which were designed to demonstrate the need for leadership. Then one afternoon he - took them off into the woods until they were lost -- so they would have to make meaningful group decisions without panic. For physical strengthening they ran a rope obstacle course, practiced drown-proofing techniques and learned rock climbing skills, including work with ropes and rappelling. A 1 ight pack with all the necessities and no frills is the objective of backpacking. Each boy had to do his own planning; and they practiced packing gear, making and striking camp, building fires and cooking. All along they made notes of essential items forgotten and things they packed but didn't use.
This planning and conditioning bore fruit on Tuesday, November 28th when the Expedition left campus. Waterproof boots and 1 ightweight sleeping bags were rented from the Dartmouth Outward Bound center to be sure each boy had proper equipment for an early winter trip. Three nights they were out; near the top of Tug Mountain, close to the summit of Mt. Firescrew and near the AMC shelter on Mt. Cardigan . A twelve inch snowstorm interrupted their plans at that point; for it was just too difficult to hike through that depth of snow without snowshoes. So they were returned to campus for one night to enjoy the luxury of a hot shower and a soft bed. Saturday morning they were off again for an eight mile marathon and the climax of it all -- the solo experience. Each boy went off alone with only a tent, pack, sleeping bag, 2000 calories of dried food and his own thoughts; to pitch camp, cook and survive entirely on his own from Saturday afternoon till Monday morning. They were out of sight and earshot of each other and had no outside contacts except for two brief visits from the instructor just to be sure all was well. Monday morning the Trustees were meeting at the Headmaster's House and watched as five no longer small boys marched proudly and alone through the main gates back onto campus. Probably the most meaningful part of the entire experience was the de-briefing on Monday afternoon -- a session of self-evaluation of themselves and each other. Of such adventures leaders are made. Sounds of construction will soon echo from the surrounding hills. Cardigan is growing and building. Through the great generosity of dear friends of the School, we will shortly break ground for a new faculty house-dormitory similar to Stowell House. There will be nice quarters for a faculty family and rooms for eight boys with a common room for moments of relaxation. High on our priority 1 ist is growth to include probably four such houses, as our experience has shown them to offer much more home-1 ike 1 iving than the two largest dormitories built in the early years of the School. What a tremendous start to our development program to have a gift of this magnitude. Hopefully these signs of construction will inspire other gifts of 1 ike nature. September occupancy is our target and we'll keep you posted as each vftal stage of construction is passed. Not all growth and progress comes from outside. Entirely through their own efforts, which started last Winter, the boys in the School Council have built, equipped and put into successful operation a student snack bar. Growing boys need and enjoy a little something between meals, and at the snack bar they can find several kinds of hot sandwiches, ice cream, candy and potato chips to fill the empty spaces until the next meal. If the operation continues to be successful, there are plans to add a soft ice cream machine to the store which would make possible sundaes, cones and milk shakes. After considering various alternatives, the Council voted to donate the surplus from this operation toward remodeling the auditorium -- a project which will certainly benefit the whole School.
Notes from Cardigan is published monthly by Cardigan Mountain School. Second class postage paid at Canaan, N.H . 03741