Church Camp and Distant Travels

MeriSusan Simms

LHS '65

Last week’s “camping theme” prompted me to chime in and share a bit about my time spent over the years at Sumatanga Camp and Conference Center. It was a 1,400-acre retreat nestled against Chandler Mountain in St. Clair County, Alabama. I also recall a memorable trip to New York City. 

My high school years at Lee also included many hours each week at Holmes Street Methodist Church, spent with several LHS students also attending Holmes Street.  The North Alabama Methodist Conference owns/manages the camp and they are celebrating 75 years of nurturing youth of Northern Alabama through numerous activities.

I generally spent two weeks each year at camp, and on a couple of occasions actually did a “double shift”. That was one just after school let out; then another one just before it started back in the Fall.

Camp was filled with all sorts of activities:  swimming, archery, hiking, various classes covering numerous topics.  One summer there was a Rabbi from a synagogue in Montgomery who came and taught a class on the Old Testament.

Music was a nightly “thing” and there I became quite familiar with doing the “Salty Dog Rag” (sung by Red Foley) plus other music genres as well.

The “camp” extended one Spring Break and found about seven of us from Holmes Street on a trip to New York and Washington, DC, for a week-long adventure that will forever be etched in my memory.  This was my first airplane trip and we flew out of Birmingham to Idlewild. We got to visit the Soviet Union Mission Office at the United Nations; see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall; saw Carol Channing in “Hello Dolly”, plus the taping of a couple of TV shows at Radio City Music Hall.  We were there on St. Patrick’s Day; it snowed and we watched a bit of the parade from an automat. 

A bus ride took us to Washington, DC where we spent a good deal of time on Capitol Hill and actually had breakfast with either Senator Lister Hill or John Sparkman - I cannot remember which.  And, there’s a fleeting memory of seeing Senator Ted Kennedy exiting the tram that serves as the underground transportation for Capitol Hill staff.

Returning to Birmingham from Washington was a memorable event as well. We actually departed from Dulles rather than National Airport.  The bus ride seemed to take FOREVER and the scuttlebutt going around was that this new airport might not “make it”!  Back at that time, a bus actually took you to the plane (which was actually on the runway) and hoisted the passengers from said bus to the level where you walked directly into the plane.  Needless to say, Dulles is still here and about to undergo a major renovation. 

I do have to voice a complaint against my parents — and it is an action for which I will never forgive them. On Sunday, February 9, 1964, I was not allowed to stay home to see the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show.  I had to go to church.  No “ifs, ands, or buts” about it!!

Thank you for indulging me a trip down memory lane.  I seem to remember not only Lee students but also a few from Butler HS being a part of this “magical trip”, in addition to other HS students from other Methodist churches part of the North Alabama Conference.

The Wayback Machine

"The Salty Dog Rag" 

Red Foley

"The Salty Dog Rag" is an American schottische dance described by the lyrics of the 1952 hit tune "Salty Dog Rag" by Red Foley. It is usually a traveling dance, often performed synchronously by multiple couples, who circumnavigate the room in a counter-clockwise direction. It can also be done in-place by a single couple. The dance is performed at some folk dance events, and it is a traditional ice-breaker at Dartmouth College.

The song recorded by Foley was composed in 1951 by John Gordy and Edward Crowe. Shortly after the 1952 release, a matching choreography was arranged and attributed to Nita and Manning Smith of College Station, Texas, who subsequently credited Leland and Frankie Lee Lawson as originating the dance.

I'm still looking for a good email address for Gordon Maynard. His emails keep being returned as "mail box full."

Last Week's Questions, Answers, And Comments

Andrea Gray Roberson, LHS ‘66, "Thank you for posting the info about The Lincoln Reunion. So much History of a life that will never be again."

Janet James Holland,  LHS ‘67, "I am always amazed at your recollections, Tommy! Upon graduation I worked at First Christian Church as organist, just a summer job before college. I met my husband and his Huntsville High friends there. It was the only job I had before I graduated and had a profession. I thoroughly enjoyed the choir director, Roy Rogers. At Peabody I accompanied a few future professional singers for their concerts and juries and senior recitals, but that was insignificant compared to a full time job.

     As far as summer camps. the only one I attended was a music camp in North Carolina at a Presbyterian College. I studied piano, flute, and voice. It was the only time I remember being around Janet's, 6 or 7 flute players, as I recall. It was there I realized I should have majored in voice. By the way, my voice students over the years really enjoyed singing "Hello Muddah", taken from Ponchielli's "Dance of the Hours".

    Now my retired privilege is accompanying my daughter, a doctorate (Northwestern) in opera performance graduate. I have moved back across country to her island, Edisto Island, Charleston, my third island, from Whidbey Island and my brother Lee. Thanks to everyone's remembrances!"

Diane Campbell, LHS ‘65, "I really enjoyed learning of your jobs at summer camp. I was a Girl Scout counselor at Camp Trico during the summers that I was at Jax State. I really enjoyed that job and your article brought back fond memories. Thanks for the connection."

Rose Sharon Towery Linsky, LHS ‘65, "I always enjoy reading your posts about Lee High School, as well as your adventures and insights as well as those of others who post their individual experiences and stories/insights."

Pam Grooms Smith, LHS ‘65, "Tommy, I look forward to reading The Traveller each week. It brings back so many memories of growing up in Huntsville and hearing from old classmates. Thank you for sharing your time with us."

Delores McBride Kilgore, LHS '66, “Thank you, Tommy, for all the memories!”