Richard, Gary, and Brian Morton, Rodney and Duane Folger, Jim Wiegert, Carl Harvey, Jim Stone, Gary and Lloyd Steele, and Richard Wiltse made up the 11 people. We arrived at Cottonwood lake in time to survey our beautiful camping area. The head honcho soon found there was more to group vacationing than he ever imagined. We listened to two of our group come down an almost vertical slope of the mountain in complete darkness. This occurred only after an extensive hunt for them on somewhat level ground.
Southeast Kansas doesn�t seem to get very cool or wet in the summer so the group didn�t take many sweatshirts or rain coats. After one cold night and one wet morning the group decided to head east. A warm water lake was our destination. After a 50 mile side trip to hillbilly land we arrived at John Martin Reservoir at about 2:00 in the morning. We couldn�t see and there was a lot of dry sand where the water once covered. It was late enough that everyone slept even if the vehicles were crowed.
The next morning we found a campground, swimming hole, and a diving board. We spent the rest of the week getting close to each other. The head honcho again had much to learn about group dynamics as the group pretty much slit in the middle and conflict after conflict developed. To make things more interesting we had a couple of turncoats who played each side against the other especially in the big water fight.
Distance, size, and personalities were all to be considered for the next trip. Table Rock was the destination, six was the number and brotherhood was the personality. The Steele, the Folger, and two of the Morton brothers made the next trip. Baseball gloves, a 6 man raft, and swim suits made up the recreation inventory. This was in the summer of 1960 so Table Rock Lake had been filled a little over one year. We found Little Indian campground. The lake had just filled in the summer of 1959 so things were pretty new and basic.
The next summer we found Big M campground, Art Grass, his wife little Evelen and Paul. We had a 14ft Lonestar with a 35 horse Evenrude that the head honcho had purchased that spring. The fall of 1960 he had taught at Moran, Kansas, had a faculty picnic with a boat available, had a good friend in Bill White who would climb the fence, fight the dogs and help get the loaned boat running. Bill had the head honcho sit on the edge of the dock and get a little slack in the rope then he hit it full throttle. The fall didn�t hurt too bad so the stage was set to buy the above boat and plan the next group vacation.
Here are a few of the memorable moments of the original Table Rock crew. Brian Morton and Larry Peterson, a late addition, skipping rocks to win candy bars. Rodney Folger hanging his clothes in the tree and Gary Morton waking everyone to fight the intruder. Having to take Gary Steele�s girl friend back to Rogers. Lloyd reconnecting wires that had burned because of a non fused wire. Gary and Rodney had come home with smoke pouring out from under the hood of Walt�s new, to him, pickup. Packing to go home and using the chain saw to get the car out after the 80 mile/hour wind that blew the tree down behind the car. The boat taking on water because of the way it was tied then running the boat in the pitch dark to get water out. Then we will all remember the pleasant manner with which Duane Folger dealt with our organizational skills. Then there was Gary eating food to relieve Brian from going to the bathroom so often. Then there was dealing with the sunburned feet after a trip to the dam in a 14ft overloaded boat. Two guys had to get out on the nose of the boat so it would plane. Once we got on plane we were in great shape. Don�t forget Rodney and Gary getting us lost on the way down.