Wayne Towne – Man with Many Hats

Why did this guy who spent 26 summers at Camp Waupaca?

First he enjoyed the fresh air. He worked as the guard on the swim tower this gave him cool breezes off the lake and a beautiful view of the swim area. When he taught crafts most of the work at the Craft Shop was on the table outside. At the Rifle Range the shelter was wide open under the shade of the roof. Then there was the years of taking campers camping, tubing and playaking on the Crystal River, canoeing at Eagle River, the Waupaca River, and the wilderness of the Boundary Waters and Sylvania National Preserve lakes. The last years he had to be content with overnight camp outs, but it was still living with nature.

Then there was working with the “Boys From Stratton Lake”. What a diverse group of boys they were. Wayne hoped that he could show them things that they would not experience in the cities where they were from. At the Craft Shop there was a chance to work with tools and materials that were not in common use at home. In the city they most likely would have ended up in Juvenal Court if they fired a gun. Giving the boys a chance to meet nature while sleeping on the ground. How about water skiing of a large lake, well larger than Stratton Lake? The camping program was the program that Wayne hoped would give the campers an introduction to the outdoors. Did any of them kayak, canoe, boat, or hike after they left camp? Wayne has no idea. Do they have good memories of the experiences from the programs Wayne directed? He hopes so.

1956, not so long ago, Wayne came to work at Camp Waupaca as a groundsman. George Meyer had introduced him to Skipper Kuklin as a possible replacement because he had taken a full-time job. Skipper explained what the job and what the expectations were. The wages to be $ .75 an hour with lunch included and one day off a week. $ .75 an hour WOW. Last year Wayne got $5.00 a day that sometimes was 10 hours long. I would start in May on weekends with the camp clean up and have a job until mid-August. Who could ever resist this kind of job? Wayne signed on. It would be over 26 years before he signed off.

James (Jim) Danielson whose father was the president of the Farmer's State Bank in Waupaca. This was the bank where Camp Waupaca did business and it held the mortgage. Jim was a hard worker and a lot of fun to work with. Also part of the staff was Winfield Sterms who painted the picnic tables, kept the bathrooms supplied, and directed our work.

Our responsibilities after the camp was set up were: haul garbage to the dump, take laundry barrels to the laundry (each cabin had a large cardboard barrel with their number on it) for laundry, pick up the laundry and try to pack it tightly so it would not blow out of the open top barrels, clean bathrooms and showers twice a day, paint whatever needed paint, make minor repairs on benches and picnic tables, clean and mop the Mess Hall every Thursday, and other numerous duties. If our duties were done early we could leave early. Somehow there was always enough to do until 5:00 PM.

On Saturdays there was an event for campers called the Super Relay; a track and field day. All staff members had to take part in running this event, including the Grounds Keepers. My event was to watch the finish line for a 30-meter sprint and record the 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd finishers. Campers who won the most points for their age group got a trip to the A&W for a root beer float.

Driving the old, 1948, stake bed truck was the exciting part of the job. Jim and Wayne had to drive on the camp roads and around the cabin without hitting a tree in the thick oak forest between the cabins. On the glove compartment door the both names were written and under them the number of times a tree got scraped by each driver. It was great fun on the road too. It took a running start to make it up the big hill on County Trunk K so we could make the top without slowing to a very slow crawl. If there was a load of laundry on sometimes a few pieces would fly off. Then we would have to turn around and go pick them up. Often those pieces were a little dirty. Ooops! Those pieces must have been missed at the laundry. The biggest problem for counselors on the day laundry came back was getting the clothes from another cabin back to who it belonged. Who knew what adventures their clothes had at the laundry?

One of the counselors, Wayne believes Nate Mectester (spelling?) was an enthusiastic canoeist. He had often canoed the Wolf River from Gill's Landing near Weyauwega Wisconsin to Fremont Wisconsin. Skipper was not keen of the idea of a canoe trip for campers, but the CIT's talked him into it. The canoes were loaded and secured on the stake truck and Wayne drove them to the launch site. Later that afternoon Wayne picked them up at Fremont. Skipper's car was packed with campers and I had 2 in the truck with me. The trip back was fine until we got to the Royalton St. stop sign in Waupaca. The breaks blew out and we coasted through. There was no traffic so we made it okay. To signal a problem Wayne tooted the horn, Joe Rosen pulled over quickly as Wayne steered the truck to the curb to stop by rubbing the tiers against it. Bang! The truck put a dent in the trunk of Skipper's car, the only damage except for the rub on the tires. Joe took the truck to a repair shop and Wayne drove the car to camp.

At the end of the season Wayne was offered a job as a Cabin Counselor and a cut in pay to $300.00 meals, laundry, and two nights and one day off a week for the season. As he knew a bit about lost laundry, he took his home to Mom and got money for not using the camp laundry.

Wayne was a Weekend Warrior with the Wisconsin Army National Guard so there was two weeks before camp. As a private he had KP the last full day of the training so had to be on the job by 4:00 AM. That night it was his turn at Guard Duty - two hours on and two hours off. As the guards were awakened about 15 minutes before walking guard duty a guard did not get much sleep. The ride home on the duce and a half, (a large military truck similar to a civilian stake bed), was not restful. So that afternoon when Wayne checked into camp the first thing he did was to hit a bunk for a nap.

As the buses pulled into camp, Wayne's Junior Counselor woke him up. The wash up sinks in the cabins were the same as the military urinals that he had been using for the past two weeks. In a fog he stumbled to the “urinal” to relief himself. Behind him his J. C. screamed that's the sink. With a wash of bleach and soap the sink was usable again. Later I wondered if this were a surplus item that had been used by long lines of soldiers.

That evening Wayne met Charles E. Cooper who became a lifelong friend. See the Charles E. Cooper story.

Soon Wayne learned that a Counselor had more duties than to teach a class and manage a cabin. Every counselor had a duty on the waterfront during Free Swim. The first year Wayne stood on the end of pier 1 with a pole to fish out any intermediate swimmer who got in trouble. Also try to keep “buddies” together. Also there was a row boat class and a fishing class and storytelling and one night each 4 weeks in a jungle hammock at the campsite on the far fields. Let's not forget a Friday cook out. It was a job and Wayne was not getting hit with bowling pins as when he worked as a pin setter. Although the bowling pin job paid more.

For two years Wayne had settled in to a nice quiet routine. The craft shop and a promotion from the life guard on a pier to watch man in the tower. The person in the tower watched that campers stayed with their buddies and call buddy check every 15 minutes. If the buddies started getting separated the Buddy Call could happen at any time. Once there were three Buddy Calls in 20 minutes. The reason that this position was hazardous was the homemade latter groaned as Wayne climbed it. Skipper and Joe did not think that this called for hazard pay. Skipper half Wayne's weight climbed it on Wayne's days off.

The next change was from the craft shop to the Rifle Range. “General” Jim Hagerty ran a tough rifle class. He kept an invisible line around it as impregnable as the Berlin Wall. Any boy who broke any rule or fumbled any procedure was benched for the class. Jim was moving on to a new full-time job after camp and would not be returning. Skipper asked Wayne if he could take over the Rifle Range. As this was a position with potential hazards, Wayne got $100.00 for the job. Also he was taken off Waterfront duties.

With the rifle range duties Wayne was given the task to put up the tepee every summer and take it down each fall. Chuck Cooper is to blame for that as he taught Wayne how to do it. After Wayne retired for camp he came back one time to put the tepee up. He was paid with a fine Camp Waupaca dinner.

A recommendation from his National Guard Commander, a membership in the NRA, and a written test made Wayne a Certified NRA Rifle Instructor. Getting tired of the annual NRA dues two years later he became a life member. He is sure that the NRA would not have offered the Life Membership if they had known how long he would live.

Wayne followed the same rules and procedures as Jim had. He had no idea how hard it was to keep the wall around the range. Long balls from a baseball game from the “far diamond” often were chased into the area followed by an outfielder. Campers taking a short cut to the “Far Fields” sometimes ran too close to the range. Campers calling out the name of a boy on the firing line. Danger all around, yet through vigilance there were no accidents. Although a neighbor claimed that a bullet flew over the backstop and hit a tree in his yard. The rife range angle was changed and the sand backstop made higher. The wall around the Rifle Range was easier to maintain when it was moved to a new location a few feet away.

To demonstrate positions to left hand shooters, Wayne had to learn how they had to hold the rifle. A counselor name Norm was his assistant who did not have certification until Wayne got him the paper work. Wayne cannot remember the names of others who became Certified NRA Rifle Instructors but there were several. Several campers earned the NRA Expert Rifleman patches and certificate. Many more shot perfect scores in more than one position.

To give credit to assistants at this is impossible Wayne at this date. Each one did a good job and we kept a safe range. However one stands out and his initial was Muray. He was a Vietnam Vet fresh from the war. Muray had been a message carrier (life expectancy of 3 hours in a combat zone) and a bit jumpy from his war experience. Wayne was a bit nervous about him as he often carried a concealed pistol on the range during class so he could practice after class. Asked not to do this, he at least once came to class with the pistol cleverly hidden. When we were waiting for campers between classes we were having a conversation facing each other. Without any warning he whipped out his pistol and turned and fired several shots at a target. “Got to keep in practice.” he said. Wayne asked him to take his pistol back to the cabin and stay there while he took care of the class. Skipper and Wayne had a hard talk with him. Skipper kept the pistol in the camp safe until Muray took his leave of camp.

Wayne started a “Plinker's Night”. Plinking is shooting at cans or other targets for recreation. To watch a can jump or try to write on a board by shooting a small caliber gun was a traditional recreational activity for a country boy. Campers came to the range with cans and other targets that would not leave a mess or cause a danger and shoot them. When this activity was held there were always a number of enthusiastic campers at the range.

As several campers asked for trap shooting. Wayne tried an experiment. He bought a good quality single shot 20 gage shot gun and a hand thrower with a box of clay birds and ammo. Soon more birds and ammo were needed. Several campers got very good at hitting the birds. The program ended when Wayne started doing camping trips. Also on the Fourth of July, the counselor playing Paul Revere broke the gun by slamming it against the cabins as he rode through camp. Wayne never spoke to him again or took him on any outdoor activities.

Wayne worked with Wally on his most ambitious camp outs. On one of the Eagle River trip Wayne learn of why Wally would seem to be in a trance and not speak to him. Wally suffered from devastating migraine headaches. On that trip he had to take over all the duties as Wally took medication and stayed by his tent. That is why he wanted Wayne as a co-counselor on trips.

Wally's and Wayne's Early Bird trips are covered in another article.

Wally left Camp Waupaca on his own and the Camp Out Department fell to Wayne. After all the exciting trips that Wally had executed for the camp, for Wayne it seemed an impossible task.

Wayne continued the Eagle River Trip, the Waupaca River camping tubing-and canoe trips. One trip was to canoe the Waupaca River from Waupaca to Weyauwega. The trip ended at a small private park with an old fashion merry-go-round. Dead tired canoeists found energy to find out the old fashion fun of the machine. The tube trip was from a bridge in Waupaca to the campsite on the river. Both were popular with many campers.

Skipper started the popular Water Ski Trips as the popularity of the sport increased. The first trips were to Gill's Landing on the Wolf River. Skipper drove the ski boat while a counselor called Montana” took care of the campsite. Wayne's only association with these camp outs was drive the truck to haul canoes and supplies.

Wayne's first experience with these trips were taken to Pine Lake on County Trunk K in Waushara County. The camp site was called Rustic Woods. This was a private campsite with a general store. From some hidden source every camper had money for several cans of soda. While the ski counselors under the keen eye or Warren Metzdorff took care of the skiing he took care of the campsite. Here was the first time Camp Waupaca campers rode inner tubes behind a speeding boat. The first one to try was Eugene (Smitty) Smithart who announced to the boys, That was a kick in the ass!”. All the campers on the trip lined up for a try. These were popular because the size of the lake was much greater than Stratton Lake.

After Wayne purchased property on Legend Lake, there were three trips there primarily for water skiing. There the skiers were able to ski through three lakes without the interference of any other boats. Side trips were taken to the Dells of the Wolf River. In spite of the free campsite this trip was canceled because of cost.

Part of the ski trip to Keshena was a tube ride through the Dells of the Wolf River and a visit to the sacred Keshena Falls. Also swimming with the Menominee children at Keshena falls proved to be exciting. Also swimming with the Menominee children at Keshena falls proved to be exciting. A number of the Menominee kids were walking up the falls and some of the campers wanted to try it.

Smithy Smithart said that he would try it out to see if it would be safe for the campers. Half way up the falls he faltered and came back. When he climbed out, his middle toe on his right foot was bent in a 90-degree angle. “I broke my toe,” he announced. “Wayne are going to have to set it.” Wayne offered to get him into Shawano to have it taken care of. “No, darn it now get a hold of it and set it here and now. Wayne got a roll of tape from the first aid kit. He got a firm hold of the toe and pulled it into place taping the toe to the one next to it. We went back to the campsite and Smithy got on his motorcycle and left for Camp Waupaca. Dr. Salan checked it out when he got back and told him who ever set the toe knew how to do it. Smitty limped up to the returning campers. “Man ,this toe sure hurts, but that is not the worst part of it,” he said. “I'll be going to a bar tonight in a great deal of pain and not one gal will know it. If it had been an arm of leg they would flock around me and say,” “Poor guy is there any way I can help you? “There are a number of ways I can think of for them to take my mind off the pain. I got the pain but no sympathy. Dam!”

Riding inter tubes through the Dells of the Wolf River on ski trips to Wayne's property on Legend Lake, Keshena gave campers a thrilling ride. They bounced off from rocks through the fast-moving rapids and were almost stopped by the dead water at the end of the trip.

Wayne and Chuck were the counselors who were picked by Wally to assist on the first Boundary Waters trips. The trips were popular but expensive and far from Waupaca. When a canoe accident happened on Lake Michigan that caused the lives of several children from an outing much like the trip Waupaca campers were on. Manny said, “NO MORE!”

In place of the Boundary Waters– Canada trip Wayne scouted the Sylvania National Preserve in Upper Michigan. This area was very much like the Minnesota/Canadian wilderness. On Wayne's scooting trip he found the fishing very good and there were interesting ruins to explore. Reluctantly Manny agreed to a canoe trip there. This trip was taken for three years. It was canceled because too many key campers were out of camp and that interfered with the sports program. Eagle River Trips also were canceled for the same reason. Camp Waupaca had become a sports camp.

Crystal River trips in small fiberglass boats are very popular. Camp Waupaca had small kayaks named playaks. These pliable plastic boats Wayne was told were under used on the lake. After one experimental trip they proved them to be superior to the hard fiberglass rental boats tourists used. They easily glided past and over rocks that the other boats got stuck on. A trip from the Village of Rural to the Ghost Town of Parfreyville took about an hour. With two counselors working a morning and an afternoon could be taken in a day, depending on the weather.

On a hot day a trip to the Little Hope Dam with truck inner tubes was a fun way to cool off. The current below the dam was swift and bounced the inner tubes. It also swirled the tubes around back to near the dam. With just a little paddling the tube rider could take another ride on the current. Some campers walked up the spillway and stood in the air pocket under the water flowing over the boards of the dam.

The camping program evolved into a series of overnights at Hartman Creek State Park, Ghost Valley, and Deer Hallow. Wayne was ill with a problem that was sapping his strength. He became disappointed that the program did not give campers real outdoor adventures. At the end of his last season at Camp Waupaca he told Manny that he had to resign. Manny asked that Wayne help out on one more Wisconsin Dells Early Bird the next summer and he agreed.

The last years of camping with the boys Wayne used a camp mattress as the ground was getting harder. It was time to move on to other things, which Wayne did. He became active in many other things that were interesting to him. Still the great years at Camp Waupaca still echo in his life.