Ah ... the annual terror, the Snow Shark!
Every year, new students heard the stories … “snow sharks”, “rock worms”,
Was it the snow sharks that got him??
“tornado bags”, Texas horseflies”; and of course the “Genesee Ghost”.
Who out there hasn’t heard the stories? Send us your
memories of the St. John’s “myths and legends” you
remember – or perhaps you created a few yourself??
(Click on the picture, then click again for the full screen view. Also, to add your story, click on the title and scroll down to the Comment box.) We’d love to hear from you!
February 21, 2011 at 6:54 pm
I remember that once we stayed a couple of nights in a cottage near a frozen lake, don’t really know why but we were there… there was no restroom but only an ugly latrine about 50 feet away from the cottage, near the dark woods. One of the older guys related the story of “The goat man”, no body wanted to go to the latrine then on! I don’t remember the details of the story, but I was scared for a long time!
February 22, 2011 at 11:42 am
“The Goat Man”? I am pretty sure that was Sherwood Botsford. The man, the myth, the LEGEND! He might be sneaking up on you right now!
July 4, 2011 at 8:37 pm
Ok, Neil, you have to refresh my memory which of about 5 Whites you were.
I never told stories about the goat man, and I don’t think that I was considered that person by all but a few. (Chime in there guys, was I the goat man?)
But I did tell stories about snow sharks.
(The snow shark is actually a member of the weasel family. It estivates during the summer, and is only active when there is substantial snow pack. It’s saliva contains an anesthetic. It can burrow under the snow, come up under a sleeping deer, and bite it once, let the pain killer take effect then burrow in, eating its way in until the deer bleeds out. This is why you don’t lie down in the snow! They won’t attach you on your feet because the varnish the school uses has snowshark repellent in it.
July 4, 2011 at 8:52 pm
Tornado bags.
Jim Gerber was the best one at this, but I’ve sucked a few in. Works best if you have a few senior boys in on it.
Staff 1 to Staff 2: Been watching the weather?
2 to 1: “Yeah. Think we’ll get a twister?”
“Could be. Has that feel”
Staff to crew “I hope you all actually packed the tornado bag you were issued.”
“I wasn’t issued one sir!”
“Yes you were. Everyone is issued a standard tornado bag”
“No sir. I wasn’t.”
“Usually it’s given to you when you get your pack and cup and spoon. Maybe you have it and don’t know what it is.”
“What does it look like?”
“Well, it’s a bag about 7 feet long, made of nylon with a row of grommets on either side. You lay it out, and put tent pegs thorugh the grommet holes and crawl into the bag. This year’s are blue, I think”
“Hudson” I say, talking to my bowsman “do you have the skish tornado bag?”
“No sir! After that event on the Red Deer near Empress two years ago, I bought the new Fuji 5 from M.E.C. I almost got sucked up that year. 5 out of 8 tent pegs were pulled out. The new Fuji 5 has more elastic to keep the edges from being caught in the wind.”
“I don’t have anything like that! Can I share someone’s”
“If you share one, first of all the other boys are going to give you Meaningful Looks. and second, two people in a bag make a bigger lump for the wind to catch. Do you really expect someone to risk their life because you couldn’t follow instructions?
***
I’ve seen kids in tears over this. Is it reprehensible? Probably. Do I regret it? No. It’s part of my program of ‘critical thinking’
When going over it later, I would ask the boy, “Did you see anyone’s tornado bag”
“No”
“So you believed Hudson and I just because we spun a plausible story?”
“You are staff. You’re supposed to take care of us.”
“Wrong. I’m supposed to teach. Teach you to take care of yourself. And part of that is teaching you to think for yourself”