About four in the afternoon the camp director, Mr. Billingsley, called all the thirty boys together, half were my age and the rest were younger. He announced that we were going to go to our cabins, get into our swimming suits and report to the pool for our swimming test. I knew I would have no problem passing since I had only been in the pool yesterday.
When I walked onto the pool deck I was surprised to see my diving coach. He smiled at me, “Surprised, I just saw you last Thursday.” I smiled and jumped in the water when he signaled to me. I quickly swam across the pool and swam back. As I pulled myself up he smiled, “Mark, you passed. I want you to be in my life guard training class.” I thought that would be fun.
At dinner that night Mr. Billingsley had the younger boys sit on one side of the room where Nathan told the boys what they would be doing. That group made up more than half of the boys leaving twelve boys between my age and fourteen. Our leader was a burly guy naked Zack. He was older, maybe twenty, with a close cut black beard and dark eyes. He spoke softly in a deep voice. He told us our daily routine would include horseback riding, shooting, swimming and volleyball or soccer. He added that starting the following Sunday we would drive to a camp for a four day campout where we would do everything ourselves including fixing our own meals. I didn’t think that was such a great idea since I had rarely cooked anything except a pizza in our microwave.
He explained that the older boys are staying in the cabins furthest from the latrine. He was our counselor but he told us he would not be sleeping in either cabin. He suggested we select a cabin leader who would organize the clean up. He asked if anyone would volunteer and about five hands including mine were raised. He asked each of the volunteers to introduce themselves before asking the boys in my cabin, the Swamp Fox, to identify themselves. As it turned out I was the only one from my cabin who volunteered. By default, I was the leader. In the case of the other cabin, he asked for a vote. Two fellows withdrew leaving two guys one tall and thin and the other shorter and pudgy to be voted on. As I expected the tall fellow was selected.
Mr. Billingsley dismissed the group and we were told to go get our tooth brushes and head to the latrine to get ready for bed. I walked back to our cabin with a fellow named Will from Chapel Hill. He was thirteen and taller than me by three inches. He had long brown hair that fell into his eyes. I grabbed my toilettes bag and towel and we walked to the latrine. Without even thinking I got ready to shower in the big open shower area. Will said, “You aren’t shy about being naked.”
I smiled thinking of my comfort with my body, “Yeah, I am totally comfortable being naked. There is nothing to be ashamed of. I don’t even care if guys see me with a hard on because that’s natural for guys our age.”
He didn’t say anything and turned away to brush his teeth. As the week went along he got more comfortable being naked with me and the other guys in the latrine. I would intentionally sit on the toilet leaving the flimsy, plywood door open. My nudity became expected by the other guys in my cabin. I would lie on my bed naked reading or writing my mother a letter. We got used to seeing whatever each other had. The biggest guy in our cabin, Lance, had a constant hard on. He quietly said to me, “I jack off at night and hopefully don’t make too much noise.” I had heard him when I was trying to sleep but I really didn’t know what he was doing. I smiled as if I agreed.
That night, even though the lights were off at ten, the moon light was streaming in. I could see Vance’s bunk across from mine. He was lying naked on top of the covers and moving his hand up and down on his dick. I assumed what he was doing was jacking off. I heard a loud grown and then quiet. I could see him wiping something off of his stomach. I was curious and decided to ask him what happened.
The next afternoon I was walking with him to the pool. Quietly I said, “Lance, is what you did last night jacking off?”
He looked startled, “Did you see me squirt?”
“No, but I heard you moan and then wipe yourself with your underpants.”
“You’ve never jacked off?”
“I didn’t know what it was until you told me.”
“Yeah, I really had to do it. I was so horny. Do you think other guys saw me?”
“I don’t know but it really doesn’t matter. Do you want to show them?”
He said, “I’d be too embarrassed.”
“But you walk around with a hard on all the time. I can call a meeting to discuss it with the guys.”
He hesitated before agreeing to let me tell the other guys. He said he would do it only at night. That night after lights were off I asked everyone to step over to my bunk. I asked, “Has anyone jacked off?” Two hands including Lance’s were raised. The other boy who raised his hand explained that his older brother showed him how. There was uneasy shuffling. I was waiting for Lance to say something but he didn’t.
Finally, I said, “Lance told me he would show you jacking off if you wanted to watch.”
Lance quickly said, “Only with the lights off.”
The littlest guy, Tony, with a significant dick for his age said, “You mean he’ll let us watch him masturbate?”
Without thinking I said, “Yes.”
Lance got on his bunk and pulled his underpants off. His dick was soft but as he stroked it Tony turned on a flashlight and pointed it directly to Lance’s middle. Lance lay back and I could see Tony and Rex, the boy who knew about masturbating, pull out their dicks and start stroking along with Lance. Two of the boys, including Will, initially turned away but didn’t leave the group. Lance rubbed a long time and nothing happened. With the flashlight illuminating Lance’s dick Tony squirted hand lotion on Lance’s dick. In a matter of a few minutes Lance groaned and a watery white liquid squirted onto his stomach. Tony applauded as I said, “Good show, Lance.” He smiled.
Starting that night and continuing every night the boys in the cabin including myself experimented with masturbation. Some were successful and some, like me, weren’t physically ready. No one laughed or joked about what we were doing. We agreed to keep what we were doing a secret. Lance suggested that we all do it at the same time. I didn’t object and the next night all six of us stood naked in a circle and worked on our dicks. Vance said, “Mark, can I touch yours. Maybe that’ll make it get hard.” I didn’t answer immediately and he reached over and took my dick in his hand. No other person had ever touched my dick except Bob when we were little kids. Lance was correct. I got hard. I felt a good sensation but couldn’t get the liquid to squirt out
On Sunday before we left for the campout Mr. Billingsley told us that we might see naked people as we drove to the campsite so we shouldn’t be alarmed. Nathan and Zack loaded the two rented vans with boys and gear for our trip to the remote area at Whispering Pines. Driving through the campground only older, naked men were visible. No one said anything.
Once we arrived everyone was busy unloading our gear, which we had been told to keep to a minimum. We unpacked the necessary items for camping. Nathan told us that we were going to be doing survival camping. However, a few things we would do were necessary to preserve the environment. He explained that we would use a portable latrine and bag our food refuse to take with us. He told us we would bath in the small pond near our site. Many of the boy’s skins had not had as much sun exposure so we erected two large, rectangular tarps to protect them from the intense summer sun. When that was done Zack called us together. He held up a piece of cloth and said that everyone will get a piece of cloth and a length of rope to fashion a loin cloth.
He took off his shorts and tee shirt to demonstrate how to put the loin cloth on. First, he tied the rope around his waist. Then he ran the cloth up through the front covering his dick. He pulled the cloth between his legs and with his hands behind his back pulled the cloth up leaving significant portions of his hips and thighs exposed. He then pulled a smaller colorful piece of cloth over his head and tied it behind his head to protect the top of his balding head.
I was the first one naked knowing that I would wear that loin cloth as little as possible because the cloth between your legs bunched, based on previous experience, and was uncomfortable. That began our four days of rustic camping. Most of our food was under or over cooked and consisted of potatoes, hamburger meat, zucchinis, apples and pears.
During the day there were demonstrations of native skills like archery, basket weaving, and cleaning and cooking fish that we caught in the pond. Within a day rarely did anyone wear their loin cloth. Most of us went without shoes as natives would have done. I liked most of what we did. I didn’t like going to the toilet because it smelled and I had to use leaves to wipe my butt. Our evenings were spent learning about the indigenous people from the area. We were taught by a native man who came over from the main campground where he lived all summer.
He told us his grandfather had married to a Cherokee woman so he was part native himself. What he told us about the Cherokee and other tribes from the area was sad. What early white settlers did to the native people sounded terrible. He demonstrated a native dance around our campfire where he wore an elaborate costume of many feathers and beads. The following morning he came back with feathers and leather straps and taught us how to make our own native head gear. We did cheat because we were allowed to use glue to hold the feathers in place.
The four days pasted quickly and I was sad to get dressed to return to camp. Nathan and Zack told us that in another week we would travel into western North Carolina for a week long hiking and camping trip. Once back at the campground I spent most of my time at the pool during the day. Mr. Jerome, my diving instructor, had four of us learn lifeguarding skills. He told us by the end of the week we would be eligible to earn our WSI(Water Safety Instructor) award if we passed the rigorous tests required. He seemed determined to see that all four of us qualified.
We received our certifications at dinner on Saturday night in front of the entire camp. That was the day before our the Swamp Fox cabin loaded into a camp van to travel three hours to the remote end of Congaree National Forest in South Carolina. Zack told us that we were hiking from place to place so would have to carry all our gear. The idea of hiking in the forest near a large lake was exciting. We fixed our own food most of the time but, on several occasions, during a hike we stopped at small road side cafes to eat.
On the third day we were in the forest and Zack told us to set up camp in a remote area of the wilderness. We were close to an inlet of the lake and there was little boat traffic so he told us we could swim. Since no one had swimming suits we stripped off our clothes. The water allowed us to clean ourselves after four strenuous days of hiking. When we were settled in Zack pulled out this bow and arrow and showed us how to shoot. I liked looking at Zack naked because he looked so natural.
The trip was a big success but we didn’t see Zack much our final week because he had taken the other cabin on the same wilderness trip we took. During our last week I learned to shoot a gun which I had never done before. One day we took a horseback ride through the woods. On Thursday we convinced Nathan to take us to the ocean. Will and I decided to wear our native costumes. The ocean was so vast and the beach stretched for as far we could see. We didn’t swim with the other guys because we didn’t want to ruin our feathers.
When camp ended rather than Mom and Dad driving up to pick me up Mr. Jerome, our swimming instructor, drove the four Florida boys home. He dropped two brothers off in Jacksonville before driving on to Orlando with me and Will. Unknown to me, but Mr. Jerome knew, that Will was coming to my house because his father, who he lived with, was on a business trip and wouldn’t return until the following Friday. I was excited because Will was my best friend at camp.
I was sad when camp ended and I knew I wanted to return next year. Mr. Billingsley spoke to us at the campfire the night before we left and told all of us what a great group we were. I had great memories of the month I spent in North Carolina. Mom and Dad were happy to have me home. They seemed equally happy that Will was going to be visiting for several days.
Beth had returned from her trip to France and Spain and couldn’t stop talking about what she saw and did. I couldn’t believe my eyes when she walked onto the pool deck without a top on when Will and I were swimming. Her breasts were full and round with distinctive colored tips. I tried not to act surprised but couldn’t help but wonder what happened to her on her trip.
Not wanting to embarrass her, when mom and I were alone, I said, “Mom, what happened that Beth was comfortable being topless.”
Mom smiled, “Don’t pay any attention but she saw girls topless on the beach in France and concluded it was alright. Your father and I are so happy because we want to go to Paradise Lakes for a week before school starts.”
Will and I enjoyed playing together until his father picked him up. The night before he was to leave we slept in the same bed and held each other and even kissed. I liked kissing. I had never kissed a boy before.
We promised each other we would get together after school started. That didn’t happen regularly because he lived almost ten miles away on the far side of Orlando. I resumed diving which meant getting up at six o’clock every morning for practice before school started. I also went out for the gymnastic team which meant practicing for diving in the morning and gymnastic in the afternoon. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any classes with Mr. Fletcher but saw him regularly. He was always friendly.