If I could choose but one text for a tent master, it would be: "Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes." Isa. 54:2. Years ago I wanted to be a minister. Inhibiting circumstances, mostly of my own making, closed the way, but I still wanted to be in the Lord's service. Hence I chose to be a doorkeeper, since I could not be a preacher. I resolved to be the best doorkeeper the Southern New England Conference ever had, and for about fifteen years I served as tent master of the big tent at camp meetings. With a background of some years as a sailor and master of ocean-going vessels, I tried to do my best. The following ideas have been gathered along the way as I sought to serve the Lord acceptably.
I found it necessary to put in twenty-four hours a day on the job. One's vacation comes after the tent has been taken down and put away. The responsibilities cannot be laid on someone else while you go off and spend the day on personal errands. I always slept in the big tent, for even a small tent pitched near the big tent would not do. I had a cot placed behind the platform, and a fully charged bashlight was always alongside my bed. Electric lights sometimes fail in a storm, and lights are needed in an emergency. It is well to inspect the switch box and see that an ample supply of proper fuses is ready for use. If there was an emergency in the offing I did not go to sleep at all.
When the evening meeting was over, it was time to straighten the chairs. Surely we do not need to admonish a tent master that he should never go to bed until the chairs have been arranged. A clear aisle means everything in a sudden storm. If the night was clear and the weather prospects fine, I would slack the tent by crossing the wall poles and lowering the body of the tent. Heavy dew shrinks the canvas just as rain does, and an overtight tent means straining and streching at the seams.
After the meetings are over and the tents are taken down, they should never be folded and put away until both the canvas and the ropes are absolutely dry. Otherwise they will mold or dry-rot later on. More damage is done in this way than in any other in the use of tents.* When the canvas is wet, keep it open as far as possible. Canvas which is rolled and piled when wet, especially if it has been waterproofed, will sometimes mildew overnight if the weather is hot. Open up the ropes and feel in the twists to see whether they are really dry.
Waterproofing a tent is a failure unless the best waterproofing is used. Poor waterproofing actually rots the canvas. I advise expert attention to this part of the care of the canvas if the tent is expected to last.
The tent should be aired at every possible opportunity, especially if it is pitched in a grove. Dropping the wall at night after the meeting is usually a good practice, as it prevents the inside of the canvas from absorbing the moisture in the night air and helps to keep the canvas in better condition.
The pole guy lines should be in good condition, for they are the life lines of the tent. Make sure that each guy line is properly fastened to the stake. Never should a guy line be hitched in such a way that it will jam--that may mean a parted guy line and a swaying pole as the result, with the chance of the tent pole's going down and pulling the tent with it. Do not let anyone else tamper with the guy lines. Boys like to take the slack in, but they may tie the line improperly, causing it to jam some night when you are in a hurry.
Look at the tackle and gear which holds the canvas in place. The pole tackle should never be more than hand-tight. The rope should be coiled at the foot of the poles in a storm, but can be kept neatly coiled and fastened to the poles during meeting when good weather prevails. the tackle blocks should allow the shives, or wheels, to revolve freely. If they do not, oil them before the tent is raised.
The quarter poles should never be pushed high while the top of the tent hangs down slack. That allows a bag shape to develop, which is dangerous in a sudden gale. Also the quarter poles should always have a guy line from the canvas at the quarter pole hole, so that you can tie the canvas down tightly to the quarter pole. Otherwise, in a lifting wind the canvas would lift off the pole and allow it to crash down on someone's head. Never allow a quarter pole to be used without this guy line's being in place., A life may depend on it.
Inspect the wall poles, guys, and stakes. Are they even? Are your stakes in solid ground ? If not, double-stake all guy lines, both wall and tent. If they pull out, they are not solid. Of course all the wiring should be properly fused, inspected, and hung. If possible, it is much better to have light poles in the tent rather than place arms on the tent poles. They sway in a gale, and light bulbs work loose and break. Having the lights on their own poles makes it easy to pull the poles up. Then they can be laid flat on the ground in a few minutes, and the tent can be quickly lowered in case of a storm. When the arms are bolted to a swaying pole in an electric storm, it may be dangerous to unbolt them, and you cannot lower the tent until the arms are down. This might mean the difference in time of losing or saving a tent.
Certain supplies should be placed under the platform in the back in an accessible place. There should be a heavy maul, saw, assorted nails, a good ax, pieces of electric wire, pieces of rope to use for splicing guy lines, and some pieces of canvas, with sewing material to mend tears and rents. Other things are needed which will suggest themselves, but these are the indispensables.
I once heard a tent master say that he never had to touch the ropes during a two-month evangelistic campaign. The tent he took care of was a large one having four or five poles. However, the tent under his care was ruined by lack of attention. It had baggy stretches in the spread of the canvas, a condition which made it almost impossible to hold it in shape in a storm. In good weather the guy lines should be inspected every day. The tent should be slacked clown every night in good weather and taken up in the morning when the sun has dried the dew off. There should be no worry when bad weather comes. Keep up to date with the weather. Read the weather reports if you are not weather wise.
Suppose at the time of Meeting, the stars are out, the weather is fine, and there are two thousand people listening to the speaker. The sermon is wonderful, but you are not hearing all of it. If it is hot, the wall is neatly rolled—always to the inside, so that water rolling off the tent will not bag the walls. Suddenly you feel a touch of wind, and clouds are swiftly blotting out the stars. Quietly you walk around the tent, loosening every other wall lashing and making sure that the wall will drop clear of all chairs. Each guy rope is inspected in order to make sure that it is secure. As the wind increases, you drop the wall.
Now the rain comes down! Prop up the quarter poles as tightly as you can after you have gone from pole to pole and pulled the canvas up—up—up—as tight as you can get it. If you have planned for this emergency, there will be none. Do not run, do not look worried, and do not talk, but work fast. The wind is blowing hard now, and if those pole guy ropes are tight, it will be half an hour before you have to slack then, as the rope tightens up with water.
Watch for bellied canvas. It will be no trouble to get at the quarter poles or center poles, because the way has always been kept clear to them. Now cross the wall poles, but not too much. For the next hour lower an inch at a time, first the wall poles, then the quarter poles. Then as the peak tightens, slack off the center. You should go over this again. It is a successful system that should be followed. The success of the plan depends on having the tent up tight and then slacking down inch by inch. Let nothing strain by being too tight. Let nothing blow away by being too loose. All ropes should be fastened with rolling hitches which will not join, and with the rope ends looped so that you can pull free with one try. Do not let anyone go ahead with this process but you.
If the gale becomes heavy, it may be necessary to get the people out even though they get soaked. There is danger in a' ripped tent, especially if the rip is on the side from which the wind blows. In all my years of experience with four and five pole tents, I never had a guy part or a rip in the tent while the tent was in use. In soft ground I always took the precaution of double-staking the main guys and some of the wall guys. The rope ends were never snarled, and the tackles were always free.
In one cloudburst which threatened to tear everything apart, there was one to two feet of water everywhere, because the water could not run away fast enough. The people stood on chairs and sang—a very good thing for people to do when they are in a tent under those circumstances. So long as they sing, there will be no panic. That is the task of the platform leader. Wade about the tent again and again, watching every movement. Keep the tent up and keep it tight.
Everything that is done, whether it be by the choir, by those in attendance, or by the tent master, should help the preacher to be more efficient and effective in what he does. The reward for such service is mentioned by David. He made a rule that those who stayed by the stuff should share equally with those who went out to fight.
*In arid countries where it seldom if ever rains, a certain amount of dust will accumulate on the canvas, and the tent should be thoroughly swept before it is stored away.
