The Story of the Rope Swing

THE ROPE SWING
by Frank Bush

In the early years of Bond Camp, those of us who help leadership positions, were constantly trying to find new ways to make camp more attractive. Most of what we dealt with would come under the heading of spiritual and social activities. But, some was also under the heading of “fun.”

Most of us have had some experiences with “swings.” I remember a rope swing at a swimming hole when I was a kid. They are still popular as many episodes on American’s Funniest Videos will attest. They are not only fun, they are also dangerous.

We put in the rope swing you see in these pictures during the 1961 camp season. Since we had no trees close by, we dreamed up a way to support a rope by putting in two telephone poles with a connecting bar at the top. We built a platform high enough that when we hit the low point of the swing, we would miss the water.

It was fun . . . I can say that with certainty because I was one of the first ones to swing off the platform. The danger comes in when you realize that the centrifugal force of the swing make you heavier. I figured it was about 1 ½ G’s. So, if I weighed 150 lbs. my arms needed to be able to support about 225 lbs. Of course the “fun” part was when you reached the apex of the swing and could dive or jump into the water. We didn’t have any serious problems with the swing in 1961.

Mike Heston was our Life Guard at the time. As you can see from two of these pictures, He was not only skilled in using the swing, but also sought bigger thrills. Take note of the ladder on top of the platform. As we began to prepare for the 1962 camp season, Mike was hired to work a few weeks earlier to assist Pop Smith to get the buildings and grounds in shape. In his spare time, he also “played” on the rope swing. He added an extra rope and made it a trapeze.

Unbeknown to us, our lake also attracted kids from the neighboring farms and community. The caretaker had forbidden them to swim in the lake for safety reasons. This didn’t stop them because the swimming area was hidden from the caretaker’s house. On evening in May, one of the neighborhood boys tried out the swing and fell headfirst into the shallow part beneath the swing. The accident was fatal.

At an emergency meeting of the Camp Directors, it was decided that the rope swing was too dangerous and it was removed. So, the pictures you see here are all that remains of a “fun” idea that had tragic consequences.