Of all of the charming, pastoral scenes and witty dialogues (between anthropomorphised animal characters) contained in Kenneth Grahame's 1908 children's classic
The Wind in the Willows, nothing endures with greater popular recognition than that early moment when Ratty advises Mole, "There is nothing...absolutely nothing...half so much worth doing as messing about in boats." In real life, Grahame was a miserable, well-paid banker writing about his dream, until that dream (of retiring to the Thames to mess about in boats) came true only after the prominent playwright A.A.Milne popularized Grahame's work. But enough of this.
Some Proctor kids are messing about in boats this summer. But we're not talking about yachts or fishing. At the kayaking Junior Olympics in Wausau, Wisconsin, senior Cam Webster stunned the field with his determination, quick learning and very strong showing among a field of known boaters. It was, in his dad's word's, kind of like "Rudy."
This page is going to caption photos of two boys who really capture Proctor Academy's essence, in very different ways. Cam is a boy who has grown into a leader, but it is his willingness to tackle completely new challenges that distinguishes him as a real winner.
For Cam to be excelling at kayaking makes perfect sense to me. This sport, which pits an individual against the powers of rapids is a great metaphor for all that Proctor aspires to accomplish, and then there's the fact that we have offered a first-class kayaking program for thirty-four years.
But kayaking carries so many Proctor themes: outdoor adventure, self-challenge, individuality.....
Now, we switch from Wausau to Marion, Massachusetts, where Alex Duane '08 is sailing Malarkey for the first time! What you need to know about Alex's boat is that he built it himself, in Proctor's boatshop, this year.
Alex, who has been featured before on this site, managing our recycling efforts, etc., contributes these comments: "The gudgeons (things that hold the rudder) are made from aluminum light fixtures. The rig is a meltingpot of classes. Malarkey has a Laser Pico jib, an International main (cut down,) a Penguin mast, and Optimist blades." Alex goes on to thank a whole slew of people who helped make this dream come true, citing Greg Allen in particular. Below, Malarkey scoots out into Buzzards Bay.
