Camp Leo - Timeline

c 1940	  Camp Manning abandoned, reestablished as Camp Carpenter south of 
Manchester, Lake Manning property idle.

7-16-42	   Francis enlists as Carpenter's Mate, 1st Class, in New Haven.  Trains
 at CB Base in Davisville, RI. Posted to South Pacific Theatre with 35th NCB.

6-14-1944   Francis mustered out with medical disability (malaria?).  Lengthy
 convalescence in Auckland, New Zealand may have sparked ideas on education, 
 leading to Camp Leo and St James.  With CB background, he has needed skills 
 for constructing camp buildings.

1945      Francis establishes Cub Pack 24 at St. Joseph RC Church in New Haven,
 while at Timothy Dwight College in Yale.  Friendly with the Rector, Father 
James Keating.

Sept. 8th, 1946.  LWF 28 years old.  Has bought Camp Carpenter on Manning Lake, 
ten miles SE of Laconia, New Hampshire, from the Daniel Webster Council of the 
Boy Scouts of America.  Over 400 acres of land and shore-front involved.  Name 
changed to Camp Leo, in honor of Pope Leo XIII, late-19th century social 
reformer, at wish of Fr. Keating. Cost of property, financing and renovations 
unknown.  Mortgage to local BSA is mentioned in a later CL Budget Report. First
camping season held, most boys from New Haven area.  First ads appear in the
Catholic Transcript, published by Hartford Arch-diocese.

1946	  First Camp Leo catalog issued. 6x9" vertical format, 12 pages.  Staff
 roster includes LWF and Yale men, C. K. Smith & Wallace F. Smith & five other
 college "Counselors." Later info shows that while they are "real persons" they
 never were at CL then, or ever. Likewise, statement that St. Thomas Seminary of
 Bloomfield, CT would provide seminarians for religious instruction also bogus.

7-7-1946  Camp Leo opens (boys travel all day on 6th)    Reverend William R. 
 Townsend, later President of Leo Foundation, says first Mass at camp, amid
 primitive conditions.

2-14-47   Fr. Keating dies.  Large Funeral Mass.  Camp Leo delegation present?

3-47	Francis graduates with EE degree from Yale, but chooses to be associated
 with Class of 1948.

1947	  Second Camp Leo catalog shows turnover in staff; appx 40-45 campers

7/8-47	  Rapid growth in CL facilities and camper enrollment.

10-47	First newsletter.  Dk blue. 9x12" Logo of boy on horse. Pix of 7 boys,
 abt 8-10 yrs old with councilor in back before Fort Boonesboro Cabin. Wear
 CL logo T-shirts, dark (navy) shorts, short socks. Caption: The "Year's Best!"
 Mention of combined total of 100 merits. 
	Back page has Honor Role, Best Camper is Peter T. Earle, gold medal and 
$300 "scholarship."  Religious Studies award to  Raymond D'Antonio (he is appar-
ently a younger brother of Coach Bill D'Antonio, in 11-47 CLN, below.)  Swimming
Award to John Earle.  "Honors" to 15 others, "from whom junior counselors are
to be selected...."  Brush cutting at camp & fall weekend camping. Campers may
get hunting permission from Mr. Sargeant.  John Healey stayed with Mr. Francis
in Southington during a polio epidemic in Providence, RI.  Six CL horses winter-
ing with various friends.  Chalice contributions for Fr. Vincent's Ordination to
be sent to Box 1930 at Yale.

11-47	  Front page has pix of about 25 boys lined up, with two Holy Cross 
visitors giving basketball instruction. They are identified as Captain Joe 
Mullaney and Director, with "our own" Bill D'Antonio assisting. Camp Finances 
reported on P 2.  Income: $15,691 vs Outgo: $21,255. Half page pix of waterfront
activities on P-3. New laundry & photo equipment listed.  Article on reducing
ad costs by ensuring early enrollments. Fee of $350 to be maintained. Back page
has same De Pinna Boys Shop ad as in back of 1948 Catalog.  Pix of youngster
wearing "Famous Marlowe Suit" with short pants.  Imported (again) from England.
CL spared from ravaging New England forest fires. Notes on what four campers are
doing in school.  Winter trip for staffers and a few boys to be held in Montreal
at Xmas time.  Fr. Vincent's Chalice donations lagging.  LWF at Catholic Youth
Activities Conference, (RC Scouting Asso?) headed by Victor Reeder
New construction of $3,552 accounts for most of $5,665. Deficit. Tax agreement with
 Gilmanton; payment for road improvements.

Winter	  Christmas Vacation winter trip to CL.

1948      Extensive building and camper growth reported.  Camp Leo boys go on 
group outings during school vacation periods, including Williamsburg, VA and 
Bermuda.  Wear travel uniforms with shorts, later used at St. James School.
Camp program includes regular outings to such Canadian religious shrines as 
Ste. Beaupre.

3-48      CL's growing pains examined.

5-48	   P 3 devoted to pix of four boys on rock overlooking lake.  All shirt-
less, with shorts & knee-socks.  Text cites Dec. '47 CLN & '48 Catalog.	Taken by
Kravitt Studio of New Haven. Won 1st prize by Am. Camping Ass. BSA request for
use denied, as two of boys not Scouts. (a closer look shows kids dressed in much
briefer shorts than those of the BSA and knee-socks are of the old knickers 
diamond-pattern.)  Names given of boys and LWF praises their ideal life style 
of health and "continuous camping...three of them are in shorts from early 
spring until late fall."  The page ends with New Construction Notes.   Page 4 
has fun lyrics to old tunes.  None mention CL specifically.

10-48	  CLN
	  P-3 has interesting article on Teaching.  LWF mentions his convalescing
in a naval hospital in Auckland, New Zealand, meeting girl clerk from a large 
boys' school and the contrasting attitudes and salaries of educators there vs US
Pix of three boys in Quebec City for Fr. Vincent's Ordination. Are dressed in 
identical English school-boy outfits of CL caps, dark suit coats, DB shorts & 
knee-socks. Abt 12 yrs old, named Bob Hansen, Richard Fagon and Chuck Lautz.  
Lautz's father was VP of Leo Foundation for abt 25 years. Perhaps LWF got his 
uniform idea while in NZ, where such outfits were regulation for many years....

1-49      CLN shows pix including John Healey, who has entered Cheshire Academy
Connection shown with teacher Anna Nolan to LWF & father HBF. Pledges listed. 
(Cheshire Alumni Office had no record of JH.)

3....49   Leo Foundation of New Hampshire incorporated.

3-49	CLN 4 pages. blk ink.  21 returning campers listed.  New staff appts
include Br. Achille from a school in Beauce, PQ to teach wood craft. Br Claude
from same school to teach nature study.  Mr. Graham Chase of Conn Teacher's Col
New Brit for transportation & Photography.  Mrs Yates of Yale Sterling Library 
to be at camp.  Seven contributors to Chapel Fund listed, abt $70 donated. Also
13+ pounds of pennies from Lautz family.
	P 2. New books listed.  A discarded Conn. road-grader put back into 
service at camp. Pix. A 15 station intercom system installed. A possible posture
correction program discussed.
	P 3.  Montage of various campers and activities, some in off-season
	P 4.  Q-A on "Scholarships"  No "extra charges" Movies and Photo IDs 
for travel to Canada.  "Camp applicants NOT judged on their looks!"  Lost gun 
sight.  New Catalog is also a yearbook.  Preachy Chaplain's Column.

4-49	(Via CLN 5-49)  10 boys spend snowy Easter Week at CL.

5-49  CLN  Report on new staff appointments; Fr. Rosenfelder, SJ, as Chaplain,
plus 5 laymen.  Check 1949 CL Catalog Staff to see how many actually listed.  
LF Corporation Annual Meeting: Francis M. Jordan (LWF uncle) President, Raymond 
T. Lautz VP, Mrs. Nicholas Lachmund Secy-Tres. Robert P. Tilton as Clerk, LWF 
as CL Manager & Director. CL to open Sunday, July 3rd., the 2nd for overnight 
travel. "No boy will be accepted without a uniform."  40 more campers may be 
accommodated in new farm house. 50 camper names & addresses given under "Recent
Enrollments."  (7 not in 1949 Roster, including 3 Hellawell brothers of Menands,
NY.  Application photos necessary "for Canadian travel."  Camp uniform details.
"After 3 years the knickers knee-socks worn with the shorts will be replaced by
special order hosiery. (why couldn't LWF simply order Cub and/or Boy Scout knee-
socks?) Also, the navy cheviot Dress Shorts for the stocky (fat) boys to be 
shortened so that "the proper length will be half way from crotch to top of 
knee." (no "husky sizes" available then?)  Finally, "We encourage the wearing of
camp clothing (shorts) for school and play....now is the time to get a healthy
suntan Gradually."
         Mrs. Byrne represented Camp Leo at a Philadelphia meeting of Catholic
Camp Directors at the Nat. Cath. Edu. Assn. Convention.  Dr. McPadden of C.U.A.
was among the attendees.  (he was also Speaker at June, 1961 SJ Commencement,
shortly after LWF arrested for Cruelty to Persons.)
         Pix of 24 new campers.  On back page photo quiz of 6 pix of campers
of previous 1946-48 seasons, also Bobby Lane with baby sister.  Note on	Vincent
Lee a Camp Policeman suffering compound arm fracture attempting to protect a 
smaller boy from bully.  (he is back in 1950 roster)

6....49   LWF deeds Camp Leo to the Leo Foundation.

7-24-49	  (Via CLN 5-49)  Belknap Area summer ski meet on iced 400 meter run
brings CL boys.  Pix of ski jump in 1950? catalog.

Summer 49  Corporal punishment at camp administered by LWF via hairbrush,
 ping-pong paddle, belts, straps & switches.