Why MLV?

As I said before, MLV is when the staff gets up, sings, and essentially jumps off the docks. The real question is why? What would possess so many people to do something as crazy as that, especially while in uniform?

The answer is tradition. Back in 1970s some of the staff members only showered on Saturdays. The Camp Director decided for the sake of everyone's nose that having the staff jump in the ocean would force them to take a shower. Nowadays, the staff showers much more often than that (or at least I'd like to think so), but we still enjoy jumping into the ocean and all the madness associated with it.

Ghosts

There are various areas around camp that are haunted. One such place is the fourth A-frame. I have spent enough time there to say it's true. But is it really true- that's the mystery.

MLV

If you've been to camp since the 80s, you know that the staff do this weird thing one day at lunch. We all get up, play Follow the Leader while singing, and jump in the ocean. Followed, of course, by a buddy check and inevitably by some sort of water war. Well, the first time I saw this I wondered what they were singing (along with "wow, they are crazy"). So here are the words to Man's Life's a Vapor (our MLV song):

Man's life's a vapor, full of woe

He pulls a caper, down he goes

Down he, down he, down he, down he

Down he goes.

Requirements for the Patch

Every year the patch is redesigned, but some things remain constant. Each patch must have:

- a fleur-de-lis

- the year

- "Camp Emerald Bay"

- a pirate

- one more unmentionable

Some years the requirements are harder to find, such as the pirate in the 2000 patch. Others are not, such as the pirate on the 1999 patch. The mystery is finding them every year and figuring out the unmentionable part.

Who wants to walk on the bottom of the cove?

Before the Emerald Bay dive program, there was the infamous "dive helmet". This was a hard hat type of dive helmet attached to a tube which was attached to a two-sided hand-operated pump on a floating dock. Three scouts were required to use the helmet, two to work the pump on the dock and one to walk on the bottom of the cove.

The floating dock was anchored just off of Doctor's Point, where current day war canoes leave the camp. The water there was only about eight feet deep. As there was only one helmet, the three scouts were given instructions on land; however, the diver would be all alone underwater. Due to the length of the tube the diver could only walk about 15 feet in any direction.

The real mystery here, one even I don't know the answer to, is where is the dive helmet? It is said that the helmet is still somewhere in camp, but even with all of my years at Emerald Bay I do not know it's current location.

A Rare Emerald Bay Treasure

Larry Munson.

Enough said.

Area Colors

Each area has a different color, but many of the colors are not widely known or used today. They are:

Ranger- red

Waterfront- blue

Nature- green

Handicraft- purple

Scoutcraft- orange

Field Sports- gray

Maintenance- brown

The exception to the rule is Ranger Red. Any ranger who has a Ranger Red jacket is very lucky.

First Impressions

I'm sure anyone and everyone who has ever been to Emerald Bay will tell you that one of the most powerful events to happen on the first day of camp is the fire drill.

The first time I was at camp I remember thinking, "Great, what's going to happen now amidst all this chaos?" At that time swim checks were held on Sunday afternoon and dinner time was dependent upon how fast everyone swam. Then the alarm sounded and I followed everyone to the parade ground to be astonished by the rows of people lined up based on some unknown system, all with sunglasses and heavy coats on.

As a newbie to boy scouting, I was flabbergasted. From my vantage point, everyone on staff looked huge, tan, and like I wouldn't want to meet them in a dark alley. They were all staring grimly straight ahead, but I had a feeling they were actually enjoying themselves. When the Camp Director said something about how tough of a week it would be some of the staff smiled rather devious smiles and I was scared.

But as I watched them, assessing this week's campers, moving together at a single word from the Camp Director, and performing the Colors Ceremony, I realized that I wanted to be a part of that. I wanted to be that staff member helping to fold the American flag, to be the staff member who could stand so stoically as if life depended on this ceremony. I wanted to be a part of this amazing group, who had me from the fire drill.

I have been one of those lucky ones who has had the privilege to be an Emerald Bay staff member. I have stood in that fire drill countless times and I have learned a thing or two. Sunglasses are REALLY important when the bell rings, and yes, we are looking at the campers, deciding on the best way to share another life-changing week.

Oh, the unknown line system, we arrange ourselves in lines by cabin or A-frame. That way when there are real fire drills (yes, I have had to line up for real emergencies) it is easy to see who is missing. For our weekly fire drill though, you can always tell who has been on staff the longest by looking for the rows of people lined up in the shade.