Morty Fink mentioned the Mexican Burros. We thought they were Mexican but who is to know the bloodline of a burro. Last September when Dan Riviera and I (and Marv) were walking around Div. 3. Dan brought up the subject of the burros. To start I was not part of getting those burros on the D3 float. I am sorry to admit that, because that was a great idea! Nor do I know who did it. I hope they come forward fifty years later and take credit for that wonderful stunt. It is things liked that....why TMR was great.
But I do remember the Burros were one very big pain. They did not do anything except mess up the camp. Marv had a campcraft area on the side of the hill where the trail went up (and so did the waterpipe) to the camps. I still do not remember the name of the camp that I was a scoutmaster in 1950. Those Burros made a mess of that camp area and had no value. When I was in D 1 we also had burros and we had them on the field across from the Administration Office. It is the field where we now park to see the Indian Cliffs. My lean-to was near the Administration Building. Great spot...I had a toilet and hot shower in the Infirmary and a back door to get in. Back to Burros...someone got the idea that they would load up the burros and take them down the TMR trail. The trail came around the Cliffs and down. Last September, I saw some the rusted metal markers that identified the trail. It was part of the 40-mile trail that went all through the TMR reservation. I led a 40-mile hike with Dick Agar who I believe was the Scoutmaster of Delaware one year. It took about three days or so. You went through all of the five Borough camp and ate in their dinning halls. A totally objective evaluation of the five Borough camps concluded that Brooklyn was absolutely the most busy. Who could be more objective then me! Well, as you would expect the Burros did not carry the load down the trail...they nearly had to carry the Burros. I could be wrong...but I have a picture in my mind of Yank Kandell leading or more likely following those Burros around.
Where did those Burros come from? I will tell you. They came from TMR Headquarters!! A truck pulls up and unloads the burros ..throws some hay out and takes off. No one asked for those Burros. Another bad idea from TMR HQ.
The Burros
Richard L Weidman
I had responsibility for 6 of those little beasts and they were used primarily to teach Scouts to use them for overnite and extended trips around TMR. The diamond hitch was taught for packing the gear on the Burros so less was carried by the Scout troop on long overnites. They came to TMR from Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico for the purpose of promoting Philmont...and getting more leaders and teenage Scouts to want to attend a trip to that place. I remember Joel Holibar had gone out to Philmont and returned to TMR to work on the staff.