Early morning, July 4, Camp Ockanickon, Pine Barrens, New Jersey, USA.
The faint sounds of a horse approaching could be heard as we escorted our prisoner, their leader, to what was now our headquarters.
As the horse galloped past the first cluster of cabins, its rider calling out at the top of his voice, “The British are coming, the British are coming,” loud speakers played “God Save The Queen, “ and the announcement was made that the British were already here, had taken over the headquarters building and were holding their leader captive.
Weary campers were suddenly roused and reacted to this call to arms. Like the original ragtag outfits that fought for independence in America, they armed themselves with whatever was at hand, brooms, hockey sticks, baseball bats…
Camp Ockanickon was celebrating Independence Day as they always did with the kids divided into teams of the red and blue to compete in various activities. There was significant anti British feeling amongst the campers, so much so that the English camp counsellors had asked the camp director if they could hold their own celebration on July the fourth.
They came to me, the only Aussie in the camp, to see if I had any ideas. My immediate thought was to take over the camp so plans were put in motion.
One of their number, Paul, was something of a musician so he put together the anthem. We asked the other international counsellors to help us out. The British then included Spanish, Norwegian, Indian and Australian recruits. As the sun rose over the camp we all snuck out of our cabins and made our way to headquarters where most of the admin staff were sleeping. Some of us went to the manager’s residence, woke him up and escorted him, still clad in pyjamas, to our stronghold.
Campers surrounded the building, banging on doors and windows. It had the makings of a full blown riot.
One of the myths that the campers were told was about the groundsman, a shadowy character by the name of Rick Hynes and how campers were known to disappear if they got too close to his workshop. Using the loudspeakers we warned that if any damage was done Rick Hynes would find those responsible. Everything went quiet.
We allowed the camp director to speak to the campers and he told them that we were negotiating a peaceful settlement.
After a brief period of negotiation it was agreed that, in recognition of the peaceful relationship that Britain and America now enjoyed, that we would relinquish control of the camp if we could raise the US flag on the main flagpole and fly a Union Jack on the other.
After the flag raising we, the international rebels and the camp managers, talked to the campers about the importance of reaching a negotiated peace settlement between opposing parties.
Out on the point on Lake Ockanickon the British flag billowed in the breeze. Just below it flew a cheeky little Aussie flag.
John Holschier
June 2024
The faint sounds of a horse approaching could be heard as we escorted our prisoner, their leader, to what was now our headquarters.
As the horse galloped past the first cluster of cabins, its rider calling out at the top of his voice, “The British are coming, the British are coming,” loud speakers played “God Save The Queen, “ and the announcement was made that the British were already here, had taken over the headquarters building and were holding their leader captive.
Weary campers were suddenly roused and reacted to this call to arms. Like the original ragtag outfits that fought for independence in America, they armed themselves with whatever was at hand, brooms, hockey sticks, baseball bats…
Camp Ockanickon was celebrating Independence Day as they always did with the kids divided into teams of the red and blue to compete in various activities. There was significant anti British feeling amongst the campers, so much so that the English camp counsellors had asked the camp director if they could hold their own celebration on July the fourth.
They came to me, the only Aussie in the camp, to see if I had any ideas. My immediate thought was to take over the camp so plans were put in motion.
One of their number, Paul, was something of a musician so he put together the anthem. We asked the other international counsellors to help us out. The British then included Spanish, Norwegian, Indian and Australian recruits. As the sun rose over the camp we all snuck out of our cabins and made our way to headquarters where most of the admin staff were sleeping. Some of us went to the manager’s residence, woke him up and escorted him, still clad in pyjamas, to our stronghold.
Campers surrounded the building, banging on doors and windows. It had the makings of a full blown riot.
One of the myths that the campers were told was about the groundsman, a shadowy character by the name of Rick Hynes and how campers were known to disappear if they got too close to his workshop. Using the loudspeakers we warned that if any damage was done Rick Hynes would find those responsible. Everything went quiet.
We allowed the camp director to speak to the campers and he told them that we were negotiating a peaceful settlement.
After a brief period of negotiation it was agreed that, in recognition of the peaceful relationship that Britain and America now enjoyed, that we would relinquish control of the camp if we could raise the US flag on the main flagpole and fly a Union Jack on the other.
After the flag raising we, the international rebels and the camp managers, talked to the campers about the importance of reaching a negotiated peace settlement between opposing parties.
Out on the point on Lake Ockanickon the British flag billowed in the breeze. Just below it flew a cheeky little Aussie flag.
John Holschier
June 2024
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