From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove
Hello All,
Today I continued scanning my old slides from long long ago. In my box labeled "1" I found these old slides of a camping trip I did with my Seminary Class in the spring of 1980. I returned from an LDS mission to Birmingham, England the previous September and was immediately called to teach a rambunctious 9th grade seminary class, an early morning seminary class. They had already driven one teacher away so the Bishop called me in to get things under control.
The kids were great. What wasn't great was getting up at 5:30 A.M. to be ready for the 6:30 A.M. class considering I worked the swing shift and Magnetic Peripherals Incorporated building computer boards and didn't get home from work until 11:30 P.M.
As a seminary class we decided to go camping in the spring of 1980. The Black Hills still had pockets of snow here and there but overall it wasn't too cold.
Diving into another box of old slides. My goal is to digitize them all and get them out there so the people in them can enjoy the memories. Today I'm starting a set of photos taken in the spring of 1980. I was the 9th grade early morning seminary teacher for the Rapid City 2 Ward and here are my students from that school year (minus a few). We went camping in the Black Hills as one of our activities.
I had recently returned from an LDS mission. The bishop called me in to tell me that this group had already driven one teacher out. I told him I was up to the challenge, although taking the class meant very little sleep. I worked the swing shift at MPI making computer boards. I didn't get off work until 11:00 P.M. and had to be up at 5:30 A.M. for the class. They were a fantastic group of young teens. The biggest challenge was getting the girls out of the bathroom and into class. Seated: Rosie Miles, Shelley Burnett, Paula Thomas. Back Row LtoR: David Rich, Brad Purdy, John Christensen, Jeff Holyoak, and Don Christensen
John Christensen making the plunge into Devil's Bathtub on our way up to the Cleopatra Mine.
Jeff Holyoak was on breakfast detail. I know its Jeff by the color of his coat (in another picture). OK, the class was pretty good at scripture chasing but cooking over a campfire was a skill not mastered. Seminary Class Campout. Spring 1980. Rapid City 2nd Ward.
The up and at 'em gang on the campout.
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| Jeff Holyoak |
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| John Christensen |
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| The Sleeping Arrangements |
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| Don Christensen and David Rich |
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| David Rich |
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| A blurred Brad Purdy |
More photos from our seminary class campout in the beautiful Black Hills in 1980. Myself, David Rich, and Frank Thomas were the chaperones. Bro. Thomas enjoyed the comfort of his front seat instead of a tent. I'm sure it was warmer. Bro. Thomas passed away recently. He played a major role in establishing Mormonism in the Black Hills
My early morning seminary class camping trip. May 1980. Doing a bit of hiking in the beautiful Black Hills before supper. Left to Right: David Rich, Rosie Miles, Shelley Burnett, Don Christensen.
Paula Thomas enjoying the few, or feeling a need to get away from the rest of us. Seminary campout, spring of 1980.
We hiked up Squaw Creek in Spearfish Canyon passed the Devil's Bathtub and ended up at the Cleopatra Mine
Brad Purdy, Don Christensen and David Rich piling everything in the back of John Christensen's truck "Ulysses". Seminary campout, spring of 1980.
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Shelley, Rosie, My, John, Don, Brad, and Jeff.
Let's not forget Ulysses, John's truck. |
The campout is over. The hike is over. We're done for the day and getting ready to head home. It was a good campout. Spring 1980.
