With the D.O.C.
FIVE seconds—four seconds—three—two— one—Go." Nine axes poised against the blue sky for an instant and then crashed down simultaneously on ten-inch logs. Overhead the May sun beat down on the bared and sweated backs of the choppers as they bent to their tasks and sent chips of wood arching into the air. Up and down the line shouts and cheers arose from the spectators as the axes bit deeper and deeper. It was May 5th and another annual Woodsman's Weekend was in full swing at Dartmouth.
For two days student teams from Dartmouth, Maine, McGill, Middlebury, Norwich. Paul Smith's College and Kimball Union Academy pitted muscle and skills against a variety, of tests o£ outdoor skills. To the winning team would go the Ernest Quillian Brazel Trophy, and for the resttlie memories of a weekend in the out-of- doors and a few strained muscles.
Camping at Storrs Pond, the student woodsmen vied against one another in twelve events during the two days. Saturday's schedule included felling and twitching, cross-cut sawing, pulpwood throwing, bucksaw;ing, splitting, chopping, fire building, packboard racing, one-man portage, and one- and two-man canoe racing. In these events the Big Green team managed to get away to a lead with Middlebury pressing hard in second place. The Sunday morning events consisted of fly-casting and bait-casting for both distance and accuracy. Middlebury gained additional points as they took first place in the bait-casting for accuracy and the fly-casting for both distance and accuracy. However, two long casts by Lang Palmer and Marty Person of Dartmouth in the bait-casting for distance event enabled the Big Green team to nose out Middlebury for the Brazel Trophy by 1171 .o points to 1122.6. Maine was in third place followed by Kimball Union Academy, Williams, McGill, Paul Smith's and Norwich. In the second division, the Dartmouth No. 2 team outpointed the Maine No. 2 team.
For Dartmouth it was the fifth triumph in as many years. The weekend also brought out the largest number of competing teams in its five year history. In 1946 when the first such competition (suggested by Ross McKenney, DOC woodcraft adviser) was run off, only three teams—Dartmouth, Williams and Kimball Union Academy—were represented. Since that time, each year has brought more entries and added interest, until at present Woodsman's Weekend occupies a prominent spot on the DOC schedule of events. Other colleges have now added their own version of this weekend to their schedules, and this year Hugh Grey, editor of Fieldand Strearn, and Paul Caravatt '45, a writer for Hunting and Fishing were both in Hanover to cover the weekend for their publications.
FRED HARRIS CABIN DEDICATED
An added feature of the weekend was the dedication on Saturday evening of the newly constructed Fred Harris Cabin on Moose Mountain, near Etna, N. H. Named in honor of Fred Harris 'i 1, founder of the Dartmouth Outing Club, the new cabin is go by 40 feet in size with a large main room and fireplace, a kitchen and sleeping loft. Present for the ceremonies were Mr. Harris, John Rand '38, director of the Outing Club, undergraduate leaders of the Club, and members of the competing teams. A banquet and entertainment followed the dedication.
