"Shoreland" shines a light on Gulag schools like Hyde

[Anonymous]

On 2006-02-27 13:47:00, Anonymous wrote:

"I remember Henry and Mary.  The thing I have always been curious about was what went on after I left.  The Whole thing between Joe and Ed when the "book" and National Committment fizzled.  I heard a number of rumors. Like Larry Kennedy embezzing funds. Joe and Ed having sex with various students, all of which I enjoyed with a certain sagenfroid, being a disaffected former student. I have run into folks that are very pro one side or the other. Kind of like kids taking sides in a messy divorce. Joe is back and Ed is in Kennebunk plotting a coup perhaps.



anon





"

The amazing thing about all of this is that Hyde is supposedly a "character building" school and  yet the kids as well as the staff seem to be completely screwed up!  The school hires these former screwed up students to teach the newer screwed up kids! Gee Wiz, seems like former students have something very laughable to look back on in life!!

[Anonymous]

On 2006-02-28 07:00:00, Anonymous wrote:

The amazing thing about all of this is that Hyde is supposedly a "character building" school and  yet the kids as well as the staff seem to be completely screwed up!  The school hires these former screwed up students to teach the newer screwed up kids! Gee Wiz, seems like former students have something very laughable to look back on in life!!"

It's the same way throughout this entire twisted little teen "help" industry.  Has been since its inception.  Sad but true.

[Anonymous]

Hyde was an interesting place.  The experience for
me was on the whole positive. It took a number of years to get to the place that I saw it in that light. There was a bit of kool aid drinking when I was there. National Committment was pretty bazar.  I did a parody school newspaper when I was there. The  head line was "Eastern Block Commandos in Bath to Dash Nations Only Hope"   Joe walked by as I was tacking it up. He looked over my shoulder, read it, ,said "Hummm" and walked down the hall way.  I was pretty out in terms of my kool aid free diet. I was never punished for the National Committment parody. The "leadership" students were all on board. Hyde had to be spread to the nation to save it.  

I have fond memories of almost getting hit my a tanker ship in pennobscott bay in the fog while rowing a dory or being dropped off at parkers head and running back to campus.  When I was there there were a number of folk there that were not "screwed up" and were truly interested in helping people grow and deal with the issues they were going thru.  Larry Pray, Bud Warren, Jim Searles and Charlie Bond come to mind.  Paul hurd , henry milton, and Joe could be confrontational. Paul was famous for driving his index finger into kids chests. They mostly left me alone. I don't know why. There were a bunch of kids there at the time that were pretty well balanced, although I can not claim to be one of them.
 The staff at the time clearly did not know what they were doing with some of the wilder among us.  Phil in our summer school was a case in point.  _I_ could tell he was crazy.  I have been assured that they screen now. There is a line. It is not a bright line but there none the less, where chemistry takes over and attitude and choice fade. Telling some one with a bipolar disorder that schizophrania is a choice is like telling some one with diarhea that shitting is a choice.  Try it next time you are so afflicted.  I remember kids with real problem being told to make the choice. I don't think it worked for most of them.  I don't know if they do that any more. Hope not.  

Malcolm and his sister are strung together a little better then the old man in my estimation. One the whole I am glad to see the place still going.  

J&E survivor

[Anonymous]

Who are you?
I was there then!

[Anonymous]

Do you remember Jan Holland?  She died last year, of breast cancer.  I have a very happy memory of Jan in a tight rib knit shirt.  She used to call me a "very very sick young man"  

J&E

[Anonymous]

On 2006-02-28 11:43:00, Anonymous wrote:

"

  Hyde was an interesting place.  The experience for

me was on the whole positive. It took a number of years to get to the place that I saw it in that light. There was a bit of kool aid drinking when I was there. National Committment was pretty bazar.  I did a parody school newspaper when I was there. The  head line was "Eastern Block Commandos in Bath to Dash Nations Only Hope"   Joe walked by as I was tacking it up. He looked over my shoulder, read it, ,said "Hummm" and walked down the hall way.  I was pretty out in terms of my kool aid free diet. I was never punished for the National Committment parody. The "leadership" students were all on board. Hyde had to be spread to the nation to save it.  



I have fond memories of almost getting hit my a tanker ship in pennobscott bay in the fog while rowing a dory or being dropped off at parkers head and running back to campus.  When I was there there were a number of folk there that were not "screwed up" and were truly interested in helping people grow and deal with the issues they were going thru.  Larry Pray, Bud Warren, Jim Searles and Charlie Bond come to mind.  Paul hurd , henry milton, and Joe could be confrontational. Paul was famous for driving his index finger into kids chests. They mostly left me alone. I don't know why. There were a bunch of kids there at the time that were pretty well balanced, although I can not claim to be one of them.

 The staff at the time clearly did not know what they were doing with some of the wilder among us.  Phil in our summer school was a case in point.  _I_ could tell he was crazy.  I have been assured that they screen now. There is a line. It is not a bright line but there none the less, where chemistry takes over and attitude and choice fade. Telling some one with a bipolar disorder that schizophrania is a choice is like telling some one with diarhea that shitting is a choice.  Try it next time you are so afflicted.  I remember kids with real problem being told to make the choice. I don't think it worked for most of them.  I don't know if they do that any more. Hope not.  



Malcolm and his sister are strung together a little better then the old man in my estimation. One the whole I am glad to see the place still going.  



J&E survivor











"

Thanks so much for your post.  Nice to get different prospectives.  Sounds like you were at Hyde years ago.  Do you mind letting us know what years you were there.

[Anonymous]

75 - 77

Ford/Dole, Carter/Mondale,  The Bicentennial, Peter Frampton, Big hair, Bad cars, At least SNL was funny back then.

[Anonymous]

Yes SNL was a lot better at that time.  Seems as though Hyde has not changed a lot since then as far as unqualified staff.  You said you were told they screen now.  Believe me the screening has a lot to be desired.  They are pretty desperate for qualified teachers and don't pay much, so end up with the bottom of the barrel.  

I had beneficial experiences at Hyde as well as some pretty horrific ones.  Overall I feel my time at Hyde was a waste and harmful to my academics.  I don't blame my parents as they thought they were doing right by me.  There is no one who feels worse about it than them, but we have moved on.  I look at this site from time to time to see how things are back at the old school and to see what has changed.  It looks like very little has changed since the 80's.

Sounds like your experience was pretty decent.  Do you mind my asking what college you went to after graduating from Hyde and what you ended up doing in the proceeding five years after graduating?

[Anonymous]

I dropped out of college my freshman year. Worked odd jobs. Got a job in the electronics industry out of an interest in music. I worked at well know audio company. I went to night school got an associates in EE by 83. I graduated from a fair Engineering School in 96 with a BS in CS Magna cum.  I work for a large computer firm. Have a good job, attactive wife, beautiful home and two health well adjusted children. I am active in community affairs. I am athletic. Don't drink, don't do drugs. Smoke cigars occationally and lie to my heath care provider about it. I go to church  regularly

  The academics at Hyde were poor IMHO.  It was however a charater building experience.  Joe's idea was that the system allowed kids to prosper with bad character traits.  He felt that character was more important then knowledge.  He set out to form a system that valued charater over academic success.
 Unfortunatly there is the second order effect of people of gaming the charater system.  I have kept track of some of the star students in my era. Not all of them did well.  Some of the people that did not do well at at Hyde by the standards that Hyde applied did very well. I count my self in the later group.  Many of the thing that have helped me be sucessful I learned at Hyde.

 I met a guy at a Greatful Dead show in buffalo ny in 1980 named Jimmy Vita.  Jimmy said "Hyde. What a bunch of noise"  Jimmy spent his time moving wood piles and digging holes at hyde .  For him it was a bunch of noise.  It was not for me.

J&E survivor