Back in 1945 and 1946, Mr. Andy Reed, the Director of Camp Fuller By The Sea YMCA Camp for Boys, was very interested in Indian lore and had Princess Redwing of the Narragansett Indian Tribe of Rhode Island, and Tarzan Brown (the marathon runner) come to camp and present the customs of the local New England tribes. Mr. Reed found out that I had an Indian heritage. My father’s great-grandmother married a member of the Mohawk Tribe in New Hampshire. Needless to say, back in the old days an interracial marriage was not common and that is why the maiden name of my father’s great-grandmother was used (Hanscomb) I had a background in Indian crafts, Indian dancing and etc., prior to being hired as a Counselor at Camp Fuller while I was a student at Cranston High School (since renamed Cranston High School East).

In the picture above, taken around 1946, I am on the left, dressed as Chief Little Beaver, Chief of the Camp Fuller Apaches. Beside me is Mr. Andy Reed, who served as the Director of Camp Fuller from 1933 – 1947. The man in the dark suit is the Honorable John O. Pastore, the then Governor of Rhode Island, a position he held from 1945 – 1950, after which time he was elected to the Senate from Rhode Island, serving from 1950 – 1976. The gentleman on the right of the picture in the white suit is Mr. Fred Bank, Insurance Executor and President of the Cranston Branch and the Rotary Club that donated the United Nations flagpoles (which are located between the Administration building and the Council Ring). (Click on the picture to see a larger version.)

Mr. Reed wanted an Honor Society at Fuller to match the one at the Boy Scout Camp. He asked me to adapt some of the admirable qualities of the Indians, along with the spirit, mind, and body symbol of the YMCA. Knowing the nostalgia in dealing with the Indians’ story of the Custer Fight and the folklore tales about Geronimo, I decided that the name of the Honor Society would be “Apache”. I wanted to show admiration and the highest esteem for Geronimo and Chief Apache John, who combined dealing with being brave, never running away from the challenges of manhood and showing the incredible quality of being at peace with mankind.

The very name APACHE means enemy and stands on the pages of all Indian History as a synonym of terror. The Apaches were hostile in many conflicts, and were favored with rare and gifted leadership. Due to Geronimo’s leadership, it took and required the skill, strategy and profoundest generalship of two of the greatest generals of the Civil War to subdue and capture the daring and reckless Geronimo.

Following Geronimo was Chief Apache John who surrendered to civilization (as Peace Maker) and attended the Great Indian Council in 1909. He participated with eminent Indian Chiefs from nearly every Indian Reservation in the United States. Books have been written about the stories of their lives as told through their own words. From these stories, the foundation and guidelines for the Camp Fuller Apache Honor Society were formulated.

Mr. Reed and I then set up the missions and criteria for the selection of Camp Fuller boys to become Apaches.

Selection Factors and Criteria

• Candidate had to be recommended by his counselor
• Had to be a swimmer – YMCA Shark or Red Cross Junior Life Saver
• Run the camp road up and back taking a ten-minute rest at Cassidy’s Store on the main road
• Row a boat alone from the camp beach to 440 Island, then to 880 Island, then to the Red Barn Cliff and then back to the beach
• Tip over in a canoe and then get back in the canoe with the canoe full of water
• Build a camp fire for council and cooking
• Be responsible for ringing the bell on time from wake up call to taps for two straight days
• Assist in the dishwashing room for a full day (all three meals)
• Lead the camp in singing Grace for a full day (all three meals) and being able to sing by himself in front of the entire camp at on of the meals
• Know all the words to the Camp Fuller camp song
• Spend one day with the camp nurse on inspection and give the results to the entire camp
• Be an advanced sailor or skipper
• Make an Indian head dress of head band
• Study an Indian lore book dealing with nature and give a report to his bunk (ten mates)
• Pass a test with the Camp Nature Director dealing with the birds, fish, etc, in the Salt Pond area
• Assist the Camp Director in the delivery of the mail to campers for a two day period
• Be approved by the three division leaders
• Camp out at Indian Rock with his tent group
• Pick enough blueberries so the camp cook could cook at least six blueberry pies for the Senior Division
• Harvest or catch some form of sea life off the Fuller shoreline (such as clams) and provide the catch to his tent group

Note: The nominee had to complete all twenty factors within a four week period.

The above twenty items were the requirements for an Apache to perform from 1945 to 1951. I was a Counselor in 1945 and 1946 and a Division leader for 1947 to 1951 while I was at Springfield College. I was known as Chief Little Beaver, Chief of the Camp Fuller Apaches.

From 1952 until 1956, different individuals were Chiefs, one being Steve Palmer, who later became the head of the National YMCA Council. I came back to Camp Fuller as the Director, Mr. Chuck, in 1956 through 1959. During this time, Bruce Perry was the Chief of the Apaches. In 1956, I hired Avie Avedesian as the Waterfront Director. He worked with Bruce Perry and the Apaches through the 1959 season. From that point forward, the Apaches were under the supervision of Avie until he left Camp Fuller.

I understand that the Board of the Providence YMCA voted to disband the Apaches because of improper actions during the initiation ceremonies of new Apache candidates. I am sure the decision was sound. The initiation ceremony back when the Apache Honor Society was formed took place as follows:

• On Visiting Day (Sunday), while the parents were present, the camp families would gather in a large circle in front of the dining hall and the Camp Director would give his word of welcome and then call for the Apache Chief to come forward with his Braves to select the candidates. When a camper was selected, a red line would be marked across his forehead, as a sign of wisdom and courage. From the moment the mark was placed on the camper’s forehead, he was not to speak to anyone except his parent for the rest of the day. The candidate had to maintain silence until the formal Initiation Ceremony was completed (24 hours).
• The formal Initiation Ceremony began after taps, when the entire camp was bedded down. Everyone listened to hear the Tom-Tom beating, which started shortly after all was quiet. The Chief and his Braves would stand in the middle of the division and call for the new candidates to come forward, dressed accordingly, and carrying only their sleeping bag.
• The Chief, Braves and candidates would then go to the Council Ring and the Chief would read stories dealing with Indian lore and the meaning of being selected to be an Apache at Camp Fuller. The Chief explained about the tradition that the honor held, along with being a young man about to enter adulthood, and to be aware of the spirit, mind and body symbol of the YMCA.
• After the Council Fire stories, the candidates were then each taken individually to a campout place on one of the islands near the camp, to spend the night alone. Each would have no provisions or tent, only his sleeping bag (in rain or clear weather). Of course, a counselor watched each candidate from a distance, and in all my years, no candidate ever knew that he was being watched.
• When the camp gathered for breakfast on the morning after the ceremony, each Apache candidate would be presented to the camp as a full Apache and a member of the Apache Honor Society of Camp Fuller

The tradition of the Apache Honor Society was to provide a strong foundation for boys, teaching patience, accountability and to provide a vision that would enhance their lives as they continued on their individual journeys and future family commitments. The Apache message was clear – Be brave, stand up to be a man and never run away from responsibilities.

To this day, I still receive calls from some of the boy (now old men) who remember the time they became an Apache at Camp Fuller.

In the photo to the left, Mr. Hanscomb is remembering Avie Avedesian at the July 22, 2006 dedication of the Administration Building in Avie's honor. Click here to read this article.