Dorothy Brush "Random Thoughts" Published Nov. 12, 2003

Grandma meets the happy wanderers

About 25 years ago a small article in the paper caught my attention. It announced that American Youth Hostels, Inc. (AYH) was holding a leadership training course in southwest Michigan, about a hundred miles from my home. My writer's mind saw an interesting feature story and I wrote the national headquarters asking if I might audit the session. Letters flowed back and forth and finally they gave me an OK.

Applicants for the training were described as young in heart, a member in good standing in the community, in good physical health and between the ages of 21 to 35. I passed all those qualifications except age and I was far beyond the 35 year limit. I envisioned being a passive observer. How wrong I was! From the very first day the 17 leaders-in-training from around the country accepted me as part of the group.

From roll-out at 6 a.m. till lights out at 10 p.m. the fact-filled hours flew by. The intensive training covered menu planning, budgeting, first aid, public relations on the road, bicycle safety, problem trippers and trippers with problems, emergencies and hostelling customs. This group of future trip leaders would be assigned to road units made up of seven to nine active youngsters at least 15 years of age. Over the years the age of hostelers has expanded to include all age groups.

Bicycles are the prime mode of transport and a full day was devoted to ailments that might be encountered with the two-wheelers. Everyone got dirty and greasy as they worked on bikes. On the average day the travelers cover about 35 miles at eight miles an hour, so knowing what to do when a bike breaks down is important.

In addition to classes we were each assigned a household duty daily - everything from being the cook for the day, food buyer or cleaner of the john. Space was allotted each day for bicycling in preparation for the three-day trip which closed out the week. Following the evening meal it was time for exercise and fun. There was volleyball, tag games and tossing the frisbee, a hostelling favorite.

It was 1907 in Germany when a teacher, Richard Shirrman, turned his schoolroom into overnight lodging for wandering German scholars. That was the beginning of hostels. The idea caught on and spread from country to country. Today, internationally, more than 60 countries have over 4,000 hostels. Founder Shirrman believed the basic purpose of hostelling was service to others - to help trippers meet new people, make new friends, see new places and come to understand and appreciate the differing customs and traditions of people visited.

It was 1934 before hostelling came to the U.S. It began in Northfield, MA and New England became a strong proponent of the movement. WWII interrupted the program but by the mid-1950s AYH began to grow again. Today in this country there are more than 100 hostels in 33 states and the District of Columbia.

Demanding as the days had been I was sorry to wave farewell to the cyclists as they pedaled off on the final phase of their training. I had not allowed time to accompany them on this practice trip but it was heartening to hear them urging me to change my mind. I felt as though I had been splashing around in the fountain of youth. It is filed in my memory as Grandma meets the happy wanderers.

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Dorothy Copus Brush is a Fairfield Glade resident and Crossville Chronicle staffwriter whose column is published each Wednesday.