Boondoggle Forever! Handicrafts at Camp Ondessonk
By Pati Egan
Many campers and staff members have spent countless hours working with multiple strands of plastic lacing to create a lanyard, keychain, bracelet, or any number of creations. This is called boondoggle! Camp’s 50th Anniversary Book doesn’t mention when Handicrafts became an activity. I imagine it first made an appearance in the Camp schedule in the very early 1960s. This photo from the early 1960s shows campers learning the fine art of boondoggle and leathercraft. Both have been mainstays of the Handicrafts Program.
Where did the strange word “boondoggle” come from? I was checking how to spell the word and found a fascinating page on the history of the word https://www.history.com/news/where-did-the-word-boondoggle-come-from. “During the late 1920s and early 1930s, Boy Scouts at summer camps spent their days not only swimming and playing games but participating in the latest scouting craze in which boys braided and knotted colorful strands of plastic and leather to fashion lanyards, neckerchief slides, and bracelets. According to the March 1930 issue of Scouting Magazine, Eagle Scout Robert Link of Rochester, N.Y., coined the term for this new handicraft – ‘boondoggling.’”
Handicrafts had very humble origins – campers would buy supplies in the Trading Post that was in the Original Administration Building – current name Staff Lounge – depending on when you are/were involved in Camp. Campers would go out to some picnic tables and learn the crafts.
Campers would have the craft lessons at the picnic tables. The Trading Post staff sold all supplies. All campers had handicrafts twice a week.
The new Handicrafts Building was constructed in 1975. Students from Gibault High School in Waterloo, Ill., funded and constructed the building. It is dedicated to Treva Barker who did much to bridge relations between Camp and the town of Ozark in the early days of Camp’s existance.
The new building was the first building dedicated to Handicrafts. The building the staff member is inside of is the same building that staff now store supplies. The opening of this building also opened a whole new set of activities campers could choose from.
These postcard-sized pieces of plywood were quite a hit! This was the age of decoupage.
The maintenance staff would cut small plaques from larger fallen branches. This piece measured about 4” x 4”. A project introduced in the 1980s involved picking out a small piece of a log and decoupaging a postcard on top.
Campers still had to pay for their supplies until the very late 1980s. Before that, the camp staff started looking for projects that the campers could do for free. Rock painting and decorating were born! Some Campers would be very creative with just a nice rock or a piece of wood. The Campers would paint scenes on these objects—none have survived the test of time, but some were good!
There was usually just one instructor, sometimes two staff would be assigned to this activity. There was never volunteers. It was a lot for two people! Usually female staff taught it during Boys Season and male staff taught it during Girls Season.
Campers could climb the Handicrafts Tower for a birds eye view of Camp. The stairs were very steep. The Campers loved climbing up there to relax and work on their craft project.
Leatherwork, decoupage, rock painting, and plaque making would come and go throughout the years at Camp but there was always one constant – BOONDOGGLE!
Campers now have so many choices of projects, but you still see campers gravitating to this one activity. Thanks to the skill of Peggy Hausmann the fine art of Boondoggle has created a dedicated boondoggling Handicrafts staff.
The Handicrafts Building had a renovation and an expansion. The tower is gone but an inviting, enjoyable place to work on your project took its place. The staff are creative and patient. Patience has always been a must in Handicrafts. Staff have 36 campers all needing instruction and supplies. It is impressive how they manage to make this activity so much fun.
An activity that started out at a picnic table has grown into a creative place where campers can create, relax, and enjoy a little downtime from the hustle and bustle of daily Camp life. Just like in the beginning of Camp, it’s a chance to make some new friends, make a present for a family member, or just create something cool for yourself. It’s creativity at its best!
Click here to learn more about Camp Ondessonk’s programs and activities.
