1923 - Fitchburg, MA. George Augustus Cutting (1893-1964) and his wife Anna (1895-1985) ran Mt. Elam Farm at the end of Mt. Elam Road. Their farm grew as the village did - providing wood, dairy, eggs, even trash collection. 

George Augustus was married once before, but lost all of his children in WWI, and the marriage dissolved sometime after. When he married “Nana” Anna, it promised a new beginning. While George and the kids tended the farm, Anna would visit schools & community groups to give talks on her proprietary cattle breeding methods. 

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Because of the farm’s  success, though modest, George and Anna were able to purchase a small plot of land down the road in Ashburnham, MA, in early 1923 from a good friend and fellow farmer. An undeveloped grassy patch that sloped casually down to the silty beaches of Billy Ward’s pond.

Deed-in-hand, they hired the man that sold them the land to build a 3-bedroom cabin:

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Over the years, the Camp became a classroom where George Augustus could pass down lessons, stories, tricks, and trades — Swimming, fishing, water skiing, and general carpentry were opportunities to sharpen your intelligence and test your courage.

Many generations of Cuttings have experienced the Camp. Here’s a description of my how my Dad, Robert Jr., spent his summers, as told by his cousin George Jr.:

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Since I was 6 years older than Robert, my grandfather had already put me through the various skills learning processes. So I got to watch Robert go through “the processes.”

Fishing class took place in an aluminum rowboat and took hours in full sun. I thought Robert was going to melt. But he learned how to bait his hook, row a boat, troll, unhook a fish, prepare fish for cooking and cook fish over an open fire. Most importantly he learned patience.

Swim class took place on the wharf. Grandpa simply picked him up and threw you into the water and waited. I thought Robert was going to drown. Sometimes he came up gurgling, but he quickly learned to swim several different strokes. Swim class taught him not to be afraid of water and how to survive in it.

Water Skiing class took place in a new Sport Haven ski boat with Grandpa at the helm. He would pull Robert every day until he finally got up and was able to easily circumvent the lake. Again there was a lot of gurgling going on. Ski class taught him that perseverance opens up new experiences.

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Eventually, but long before my father experienced the camp, George Augustus fell ill and passed - leaving the farm to Anna and the kids, now adults. Many of the kids had moved into the city - meaning the simplest thing to do was split up and sell the farm. 

Through this era of loss and resilience, HATETOQUIT materialized. Sometime after being drafted into WWII, but before leaving for the war, Charlie painted the original sign and hung it on the rooftop.

George and Phil Cutting helped me piece this family history together. During our conversations, I asked them for their understanding of HATETOQUIT’s origin. They both grew up going to the camp - so surely they must have the same understanding of its origin? 

George, who now looks after the Camp, feels that the phrase reflects a core personality trait of our family: “We seem to be very inwardly focused people who like to solve our own problems. HATETOQUIT was an expression of that intent.” We’ve never been a religious family, so this checks out. Who says agnostics can’t have a little Protestant work ethic?

Phil needed some time to reflect, or as he put it “check his old punch cards”. We emailed back and forth for a few weeks until he surfaced a memory of himself and his grandfather, a son of George Augustus, on the pond. He remembered reading the sign for the first time between paddles. “HATETOQUIT… Gramps, what does that mean?” 

He started off by saying that his father was a farmer and farmers worked from dawn to dusk. In contrast with George’s memory - The Camp was a respite from toiling in the fields. He went on to say that his father "Hated To Quit" the Camp and go back to farming.

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It really depends on who you ask.

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                     Love What You Do and Hate To Quit.

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                         Dedicated to Robert Cutting Jr. ♥ 

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