Y. M. M. I. A. Outings

Improvement Era Vol. XXIII OCTOBER, 1920 No. 12

Y. M. M. I. A. Outings The laiv of interest is inexorably tlie law of boy-life. The way to educate a man is to set him to work. The way to get him to work is to interest him, and tlie way to interest him is to vitalize his task by relating it to some form of reality. The outings of Boy Scouts and Fathers and Sons have marked an epoch in the history of the Y. M. M. I. A. It is safe to say that thousands of boys and fathers have enjoyed the beauties of nature together, in all parts of the Church, from Idaho to Arizona, and from Nevada to Wyoming, in the outings that have taken place during the past summer months. They have learned to know and love one another better, and to appreciate the marvelous beauties of nature in their native states. From the accounts that come from all parts, their enjoyment has been unsurpassed by any other form of recreation ever before taken.

Fathers and Sons' Outing of the Uintah Stake A very successful outing was planned about a year ago, and 187 fathers and their sons made the trip, the company being the average of one father to each two boys. They traveled by wagon with four horses to each wagon to the summits of the Uintah mountains. From Vernal it took a day and a half to reach their destination among the highest peaks in the state, where the scenery is beautiful, fish plentiful, and the weather ideal. The Lord sent his blessings ahead so that everything was ready for the company. A day or two before their arrival at the destination, a hail storm had killed the horse flies and mosquitoes and freshened the grass, much to the joy of the animals. A brass band and several quartets were along, and music sounded sweeter on this occasion than ever as the melodies came floating across the water of the beautiful lakes where they were camped. Before retiring each night the band quartet went out into the tall pines surrounding the camp and played many of the old melodies that t >uch the soul. Quartets stationed about the camp would answer one another with songs, one just a little sweeter than the other. At the campfire each night there was community singing, accompanied by the brass band. Talks were given on the glacier formations of the country round about, which were very interesting to trace and note. There are hundreds of lakes formed by the glaciers that covered the locality in the vicinity where the camp was located. Talks were also given about the moon, stars and other interesting subjects. Campfire stories and Scouting talks were a feature of the campfire program. In the daytime they had hiking and fishing parties and the wild flowers were explained as the boys traveled through the timber. Nearly 100 climbed to the summits of Mount Marsh and Mount Gilbert, the oldest person being 79 and the youngest 5 years. The stake presidency, one-half of the high council, a number of the bishoprics and others were present at the outing and helped materially to make a success of the trip. Brother T. Geo. Wood of Salt Lake City repre-

Photos by Fathers and Sons' Outing, Uintah Stake.

Lakes near camp. The Uintah Mountain range is the ivatershed of Utah's largest rivers, the Duchesne, Bear, Weber and Provo. At the foot of the peaks that rise from 10,000 to 13,000 feet, lie hundreds of lakes, in which the rivers find their origin. Mountain trout abound in these lakes. Some, however, are filled with water-flogs, or salamanders, and in these no fish can live. Here rivers rise that flow in devious ways to the Great Salt Lake, and also through impassable defiles and box can- yons to the Pacific Ocean.

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seiUeft the General Board andtook part in many of the activities mentioned, giving also many kind instructions. The outing was under strict military discipline. The camp was kept clean and sanitary in a way that received high compliments from the United States forest office. The outing was carried out under the direction of the stake Y. M. M. I. A., assisted hy the stake Sunday school in every detail, and who worked hard and deserve a great deal of credit for the success of the outing. Superintendent Pontha Calder closes his account of the splendid out- ing by saying, "It' exceeded our expectations. Many hoys we had to lahor with and coax to go, as they had an idea that we were going up into the mountains to hold Sunday school and meetings. These same boys later were among the first to tell us that they had the best time of their lives. The old saying came true: 'Those who came to scoff, remained to pray.'"

The oldest and the youngest who climbed to the summit, with a hundred others.

The youngest, after the return.

Fathers and Sons' Outing, Uintah, Utah

Photos by Fathers and Sons' Outing, Uintah Stake.

Top —The Start of the Caravan, July 19. Center— A part of the group camp. at — Bottom A few of the first to reach the top of Mount Marsh, altitude 12J49 feet.

Pliotos by Fathers and Sons' Outing, Uintah Stake. Top-Snow drift on the side of Mount Marsh, above the timber line. Center- Mount Gilbert in the distance. A park near camp. "A day or two before their arrival, a hailstorm had killed all the horseflies and mo- squitoes and freshened the grass, much to the joy of the animals" — Bottom Mount Baldy in the distance.