Willard's three sons all attended Catholic schools through elementary and high school. The two oldest graduated from Marquette University in Milwaukee. Wintering in Illinois while running the camp made for many challenges and among them was education. Camp typically began opening in May so Willard would head north sometime in April as the ice was going out. He would round up the crew and start the business of readying the Camp for guests. Mary would stay behind a few weeks to close up the home down south, often finding renters to occupy the home during the summer months for a few extra dollars income.
Leaving in early May meant the school year was not finished. Mary made the rounds of teachers to collect assignments, tests and projects. Each year was a series of intense discussions with teachers and principals as to the importance of education and how the children should be allowed to complete the school year and when would they be returning in the fall because the school could not guarantee holding their spots until October like they did last year...
The Catholic church being what it is, prepaid tuition went a long way to securing spots in the following year's classes. Assignments were mailed to the school as they were completed and as long as the work was acceptable and the boys didn't fall behind, life went on.
Until one year in high school when the two older boys fell behind in their Latin studies. As Mary went about collecting school work, it was revealed the boys were quite in arrears and their teacher felt there was no way they could catch up. He was refusing to give the assignments and was firm in his belief the boys should attend summer school to complete the course work. Mary had exhausted all her usual appeals and was about to begin making arrangements for the boys to stay behind with relatives for the summer.
Willard was concerned with the expense of replacing two able-bodied guides and made one last attempt. He met with the young priest who taught the Latin class and suggested private tutoring at the Camp. The priest finally agreed on the condition that he personally oversee the lessons. There was always an extra space somewhere in camp so Willard agreed. He left with a list of assignments for the boys to complete.
As the family went about the chores of readying camp for the season by day, the evenings were filled with school work around the plank table in the main room of the Camp's largest cabin, known as the 'Chalet'. The boys worked into the night next to a roaring fire while Willard read and Mary worked on her reservation book, correspondance or played solitaire. Normally these were quiet evenings spent looking out at the mouth of Gohere Bay, dreaming of adventures to be played out over the summer. This year it was all Latin. The routine continued until June when Willard met the train in International Falls and collected the priest/Latin teacher who had left for the northwoods as soon as the last students were out of the school for the summer.
Once the chores of the day were complete and dinner cleared, dishes done, they all gathered in the chalet around the plank table. The fire roared to chase away the evening chill that still set in despite the warmth of the summer days. Father paced around the table as the boys collected their work in two neat piles, he collected the piles into one large stack of loose-leaf paper, the pages filled with hours of nervous translations, conjugations and writing exercises in the best ink scrawl the two teen boys could muster. He thumbed through the papers, making odd faces, wincing on occasion, tsk-ing at times. Finally he walked to the fireplace, turned to face the boys and dropped the entire stack into the flames. The boys nearly dove from their seats as they watched hours of work go up in smoke. Their jaws hung slack and their eyes moistened.
"That," began the young priest, "is the work you should have been doing all year." He began quizzing the boys about verbs and translations, syntax and grammar. Then he began a discussion in Latin. The boys were able to generally follow and add to the discussion. After about thirty minutes he announced, "That concludes your final exam. You have passed. Now I need to be off to bed, I expect my boat and guide will be ready at 5:30. I didn't come hear to waste all my time on your Latin lessons."
Willard loved to tell that story, especially the crest-fallen look on the boys' faces as they watched two months worth of work go into the fire. Willard would always get a serious look on his face just before he burst into his toothy grin.
The boys took turns guiding for the priest throughout his stay and they became friendly. Another of the life lessons learned on Gohere Bay.
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