❖ FOUR WINDS CAMPER'S SAIL TO EUROPE ❖ 1950

Chart page from the travelogue,
 The Time of My Life
written and illustrated by Cherie Sutton.
Cherie was one of the fortunate Four Winds Camp 
alumni to tour Europe with Ruth Brown.
 As early as 1928, Brown escorted a party 
of 8 girls on a 7-month tour abroad, 
after the camp had closed for the summer.
Their motto was  "Around the World Friendship." 
Scan courtesy of Louellen McCoy, from her own
private book, one of 100 printed for a fund-raiser for
 Four Winds-Westward Ho Camp, Orcas Island, WA.

15 February 1950

“Glorified vagabonds” is what London affectionately called five young Pacific Coast girls who have arrived here on a tour that has taken them through a dozen European countries.
      One of the purposes of the group was to see what happened to food and clothing parcels sent to needy Europeans from the Four Winds Camp for girls at Deer Harbor, Orcas Island, WA.
     “The glorified vagabonds” moved around as the spirit prompted––and in style. The girls and their three chaperones traveled in two automobiles roomy enough so eight could sleep in them, if necessary. It wasn’t necessary. All of the sleeping was done in hotels.
      Chaperone-in-chief is Miss Ruth A. Brown of Seattle, director, and owner of the Four Winds Camp. Other chaperones are Mrs. Charles Zook Sutton, of Piedmont, CA, and Mrs. Hamilton Roberts of Stockton, CA
      The girls are Eleanor Harris, 21 yrs, of Berkeley, CA; Jane Graham, 20, of Vancouver, BC; Michaela Moran, 20, of San Francisco, CA; Tomolla Lipps, 24, of Los Angeles, CA; and Margaret Cranston, of Boise, ID.
      Their tour, which began in France at Le Havre in September, took them through France, Belgium, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, West Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy.
      In each city, they visited they looked up persons to whom they had sent parcels.
      “They thought we were Santa Claus,” Miss Lipps said.
      “In one place in Germany they thought we were Marshall Aid,” Miss Cranston added.
      “We were whistled at and oo-la-la-ed in all languages", Miss Brown said, “But no one was fresh.”
      The cars have covered 21,000 miles. The only trouble was a puncture caused by a nail.
      The girl’s program included intensive sightseeing, some study, and wide-eyed observance of the complicated European scene.
     Some of their impressions were:
     Germany is dreadfully smashed, but its Western regions, at least, are beginning to hum.
      European men are gallant, slick, some are handsome––but they don’t seem to be as dependable as the American boys.
      British food is "much better than we expected, and the people seem so robust.”
      English fashion––also, “better than we expected.”
Above text: Alvin Steinkopf,  AP Foreign Staff, published by The Seattle Times, 15 February 1950

Ruth A. Brown, (1894-1976)
Camp Director, Four Winds-Westward Ho Camp,
Deer Harbor, Orcas Island, WA.
Original photo dated 1935, 
from the archives of the S. P. H. S. 

Ruth Brown served as executive director of the Camp Fire Girls in Seattle from 1921 to 1926.
      In 1927 she organized the Four Winds Camp in Deer Harbor, Orcas Island, WA, which she owned and directed until she retired in 1966. In 1935 she organized Westward Ho for boys, which operated in connection with Four Winds.
     Both camps were given to the Four Winds Foundation in 1968 by Miss Brown, who served as honorary board chairman of the foundation and Mr. Edgar F. Kaiser as Chairman.  The beautiful camp, known for its sailing, kayaking, and canoeing education is the largest operating in the San Juan Islands. Situated on over 1,000 acres, there are riding trails for beginners and advanced. Four Winds Camp is still operating into the next century with creative, responsible staff. During camp sessions the technology world is put aside in order for the young people, 7 through 18 years of age, to enjoy each other and the artistic, comfortable surroundings. There are hiking trips to Mount Baker and schooner trips on the Sound. 
      The newspaper article above highlights the special opportunities Miss Brown provided, leading several young women on a cultural experience through Europe.

❖ CAPTAIN BARNEY JOHNSON ❖ TAKES YACHT TO SEATTLE ❖ 22 June 1937

   

WESTWARD HO (ex-WHITE WINGS II)
Home waters, Vancouver, B. C.
WESTWARD HO was designed by Edson B. Schock,
and built in 1927 by George Askew, for Walter Cline.
Cline traded her to Barney Johnson for the famous ALEXANDRA in 1930.
"I suspect it was Barney who changed her gaff rig.
He added the first genoa to be seen in these waters.
 He won a lot of races with her during the years he owned her.
It seems he borrowed her on occasion; he won the Beaver Cup with her in 1939."
Photo and quote courtesy of David Williams, Vancouver, B. C.

      

"At approximately 8:30 this morning, in the swirling narrows and under an overcast sky, Captain Barney Johnson, popular skipper of the WESTWARD HO, dipped his ensign and officially said goodbye for his WESTWARD HO to the Royal Vancouver Yacht club. Ushered out by Tom Ramsey's ARMITA, carrying Skipper Ramsay, Art Jefferd, and Fred Holland, the WESTWARD HO, under power, circled around in the swirling tide, while the representatives on the ARMITA gave three hasty cheers and blew loudly on a foghorn.

      The WESTWARD HO has been sold to a girls' school outside of Seattle. Johnson was delivering her this morning. She was built in Vancouver and has been the property of Barney Johnson for the past eight years during which time she has been the commodore's ship on two occasions. She has always been regarded as the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club's number one sailing vessel, sort of one of the pillars of the sailing craft.

      'She's a beautiful boat,' sadly murmured Johnson. 'I'll hate to lose her. But I have made up my mind. Come on, boys, have another drink with the sun, you have to have a mizzen now you have your topsail set. Can't sail on one wing, you know.'

      Another toast, a few hearty choruses of 'Blow the Man Down,' and the WESTWARD HO was on her way.

      Over the weekend she sailed her last race, the Ballenas Islands race for the Beaver Cup, and was an easy win.

      'We really sailed her on her last race,' said Barney. 'I'll hate to see her go... but maybe we can get her up here for the ladies' race with some of the girls handling her.'

      According to reports Barney Johnson will not be off the sea. The famous old salt plans to get a small boat and do some racing."

News article by Hal Straight 

The Vancouver Sun

Tuesday 22 June 1937.

From the archives of the

Saltwater People Historical Society

Below notes from Miles McCoy, West Sound, Orcas Island. 

McCoy was the skipper of WESTWARD HO in the summer of 1950 when he was 19-years old. The West Sound sailing scene hooked him on settling in the area.

WESTWARD HO (O. N. 236434)
West Sound, WA., then sailing with Camp Four Winds-Westward Ho campers.
"Turtleback" land formation in background.
Undated photo courtesy of Nick Exton, Orcas Island.

 "The yawl WESTWARD HO was associated with Four Winds-Westward Ho Camps from the late 1930s through the mid 1950s. The camp being named after the vessel; Westward-Ho camp became the boy's camp when Four Winds-Westward Ho became co-ed. The yawl served the camps for many years longer than any other vessel. Hundreds of children sailed and sang camp songs aboard while learning the ropes and the ways of the sea. After WW II ended, Jack and Bill Helsell prepared WESTWARD HO for the 1949 Trans Pacific Yacht Race. The race was a windy one with above average winds over a majority of the course.  [Miles McCoy was crewing.]

      While in Hawaii WESTWARD HO was met and sailed by a bevy of senior campers from Four Winds. They sailed several day sails in Molokai channel and learned about sailing in brisk conditions.

      Later in August after a pleasant voyage from Hawaii to the coast, WESTWARD HO arrived at the Orcas Island camp to a jolly welcome by some of the Hawaii contingent and camp staff. There was much music, singing, and regaling of sea stories.

      WESTWARD HO sailed for the camps for several more years before being sold in the 1950s to sail off to Hawaii and points south. She has not been spotted in the Pacific Northwest since."