July 27, 1967
Page 20450
A CLIMATE OF SPIRIT
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I consider it a distinct privilege to commend to the attention of the Senate an article describing the summer program at Pine Tree Camp, Rome, Maine, written by William Langley, and published in the July 16 issue of the Portland, Maine, Sunday Telegram.
Sponsored by the Pine Tree Society for Crippled Children and Adults, Pine Tree Camp provides an outstanding program of rehabilitative outdoor activities for disabled Maine youngsters. The camp functions within an environment of warmth and understanding, and through a series of closely supervised programs, stresses development of self-reliance for children who often have had no opportunity to learn how to overcome or live with their handicaps.
Because I know that Senators will be interested in the superior work being done at Pine Tree Camp, I ask unanimous consent that the article be printed in the RECORD.
There being no objection, the article was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:
(By William Langley)
Pine Tree Camp at Rome, serving Maine's handicapped children for its 22nd year, will dedicate some $200,000 worth of new living cabins and other facilities on Saturday.
The additional construction allows the camp to accept more seriously disabled Maine youngsters, including 14 in wheelchairs for the first time this summer.
Six new cabins have been built at grade level, without thresholds and with extra wide doors to provide easy passage for children with crutches, braces or wheelchairs.
New ramps have been added to all existing buildings, black-top walkways have been laid down and a new sewerage system installed.
There are 93 boys and girls at the camp for this summer's eight week session. Ranging in age from seven to 16, they come from all sections of the state: from Madawaska to Ogunquit, and from Calais to Fryeburg.
Nestled on the edge of North Pond, on a 100-acre site, the camp offers ample opportunity for disabled youngsters to experience an active outdoor life for several weeks each summer.
Pine Tree has a staff of 48, including 26 cabin counselors, seven program staffers, a registered nurse and assistant, speech therapist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, two administrators, secretary, two maintenance men, a driver and a kitchen staff of six.
Camp officials and staff urge the children to be self-reliant and take care of themselves as much as possible, but they are in constant attendance. Rather than supervision, it might be called friendship. The result is a climate of spirit.
As an example, after all meals campers remain at their tables for a singing lesson. After a halting start, the dining hall soon fills with young voices, clapping hands, laughing faces, shining freckles and the shy smiles of boys finally giving their voices to song.
As a finale, the group sings a marching song and a counselor makes a slow circuit of the hall, picking up a camper on each trip until a long line of youngsters, holding hands, marches among the tables as the others sing and clap in time to the music. "What most people don't realize," says camp director Paul Scudder, "is that most of our kids are not sick – they just have disabilities.
"Most are boisterous and tough, with plenty of pluck and spirit. They can take their spills, falls and lumps without complaint."
On an annual operating budget of $44,000 – funded by public subscription, Easter seals and Service club contributions – the camp provides a complete waterfront program, including swimming instruction and recreation, boating and canoeing. The campers also take part in arts and crafts lessons, nature studies, overnight camping trips, softball, circle games and other special events.
"We want these children to do things for themselves," Scudder says. "Because of their handicaps, they have enjoyed more vicarious experiences than other children.
"For instance, they don't play baseball. But they watch it on television and can quote the batting averages of the Boston Red Sox roster. We want them to actually do things. We don't care so much how well they do it, but we want them to do it."
Among these challenging activities are overnight camping trips where the handicapped youngsters learn how to cook, and classes in arts and crafts.
"We also change the rules for our kids during games," says Scudder. "In softball we don't go by the three strikes and you're out rule. We let them swing until they hit the ball."
The therapy section of the program means much to the youngsters, many of whom have never previously had the opportunity to receive such treatment.
Carl Nelson, the physical therapist, says most of the children look forward to physical therapy "because they all hope to improve their conditions."
Nelson, director of health services for Colby College, has a warm and tender touch with the campers. He works with 44 of the youngsters on a regular session basis and also repairs and services the braces, wheelchairs and other therapeutic devices.
"Up here, needless to say, the children are hard on their equipment. That's a healthy sign because if they are hard on the gear you know they are having a good time."
Tony Giles, a graduate student at Syracuse University, the speech therapist, works a half hour a day with 20 campers ages eight to 14.
Most of the cases he sees are hearing defects as a result of cerebral palsy. His training sessions also handle children who have difficulty in articulation and breathing, or who suffer from cleft palate, hearing loss and brain injury.
Mrs. Richard Beckler, of Norridgewock, is the occupational therapist, a new service this summer. She directs sessions at which the youngsters are taught how to overcome the challenges of daily living, such as how to button clothing, use a spoon and tie shoe laces.
The campers themselves are selected by the parent body, the Pine Tree Society for Crippled Children and Adults, Inc., which has its state headquarters in Bath.
Payment is on a more or less voluntary basis with parents who can afford it contributing toward the cost, which works out at around $60 per person a week.
Many campers can't afford to pay anything. "More important, most of them give each other something instead," says Scudder.