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         Steve Cunnignham writing -- These Home Letters have been reproduced here as they originally appeared in the years they were published (as best we can - see Larry Pickett's comments below). There were misspellings, gaps and non-uniform formats. Such as it was using the old Remington typewriters without deletes, spellcheck and inserts. Some of the text was unreadable due to wrinkles in the original mimeograph template and was replaced by a series of "?" or "#" characters. You will notice in the sixties that, occasionally, the same date will appear on two newsletters - such as with 1964 and 1966. You may also notice that some Home Letters lack a space between the day paragraphs, probably as a means to cram more text into two pages.

      Larry Pickett writing -- I've finally gotten in gear and started on transcribing the home-letters. The early ones are done on fairly plain letter head and reproduced on one of those blue ink memo machines that we all loved to breath the fumes of. These documents most likely wouldn't lend themselves to scanning and intrepretation by OCR software as the type is faint, the paper yellowed, and the lines not always streight. To the best of my ability I've reproduced the appearance of the doc - type face seems to be courier 12. I've tried to act as a scanner and have reproduced typos and spacing gafs where possible. I have yet to figure a way to reproduce the over strikes and the delightful way the old Remington (which I believe was the insturment the Director used - in a family history he identifies it as the instrument being used to create the opus and that's in the 1930's) produces wavy lines of type when the Director keeps typing at the very bottom of a page.

      This is the oldest home letter I've found as yet is the first one above of July 5, 1930.

      This appears to have been the 4th year of HydeBay's existance so perhaps there are some older ones in the pile. Though the next years batch (1931 - the fifth year) are labeled Volume II so perhaps not. I've also got pic's to add to the collection, I believe they include the ones that hung for ever in the campers lodge and other places. I'll package some up if you've got an opening in your scanning time. It sounds like you've got quite a backup already. I also have the early advertising and of all things an inventory of School equipment from 1927 these things I think would scan in quite well. Let me know when a good time would be to send them along for inclusion in the digital archives.

      Looking over this stuff is an emotional mixed bag. It's such a lift to see how the camp started how much the origional ideas were still visible when we were there. It's sad to realize that today what with government regulations and the life style most kids are used to that there isn't such a wonderous place out there and it may be almost impossible to start one. I can't help but think that's a terrible loss. For the past 4 years I've been involved with a bunch of adolescents and young adults that make it their business to have fun and enjoy life to the fullest and yet take responsibility for their behavior and support each other through the pains of growing up. Any time any of them get together there's noise, ceaseless activity, and a lot of love in the air - in a lot of ways they remind me of the spirit of HydeBay and why after all these years so many of us drive our kids crazy with HydeBay stories and flock to you and the project of preserving some of this on the web. I think the Director and Directoress would be overjoyed knowing that HydeBay's spirit continues on.

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