I've been scanning slides that I took over five years while running Camp Selkirk. Camp Selkirk owned and operated by The Salvation Army helped hundreds of people over the years.
This blog is an attempt to document this wonderful camp of 124 acres - A Place of Adventure - that operated from 1948 until its' recent closure.
If you were one of those "Selkirkites" you might like to check in, post your thoughts and let others know of this blog.
25 comments:
First thing I remember about CS and the Waters was this guy we called Big Bird. Remember him? Tall, yellow rain coat and boots, beak, ...
Yeah - I remember him! I also remember the guy - you - who made fun of him from a dry spot in the auditorium.
My main memory of Camp Selkirk is loosing my real name. Thirteen years later, some people are still calling me Mable! And the verse in Hebrews about "spurring one another on" still makes me giggle. Spur, spur, Major Waters! And hi, Mum Waters!
Hi Lindsay! Do you remember what we were to spur one another on to?
Mum Waters says hello!
I'm all for this blog and am excited to see this up and running!
One memory I'll surely never forget from being on staff has to be the time Fred asked me to cut grass in the parking lot area. I proceeded to cut the entire parking lot from end to end with a push mower, when apparently I only needed to cut around the trees along the road coming into the property! It took two days to finish, but it could also put most golf greens to shame!!
Fred ran a great ship, and I certainly learned the value of a good days work and working as a team.
Just a few of the "projects" I recall working on:
1) Improvements to the camp fire pit area.
2) Clearing of diseased trees along the road behind Hoover House.
3) Clearing of paths and trails for what came to be the ropes course.
Surely I've forgotten a few from Summers '91 and '92?
Ah yes ... during the summer of '91 when Jen and Bruce were lifeguards, we did a bit of an overhaul down in the pool room. Those large cylinder drums that filtered sand out of the swimming pool were cut open, sand shoveled out, and then replacements were installed. It was quite a hot day too, I remember us diving into the pool once it was all done to cool down!
I just happened across this blog through a comment left on Glenn's.
I spent many years at Brownie/Guide/Music camps. Also two summers as staff/councellor in '87 & '88 and councellor only in '91 & '92.
Too many memories to pick just one, but some of the best summers of my life! And some of the greatest friends too.
It's weird to think that my kids will never have the Selkirk experience, especially now that we are only about 45min away. Although for me, Selkirk changed so much in the years after I stopped working there, that it wasn't really the same camp to me anyway.
I'm sure my kids will make their own memories wherever they go. They're not even camp age yet, so who knows where they will go by then!
I just hope the Army doesn't totally phase out the camping program. It's too valuable.
I was advised about this site by Lynn Baker. We worked at Selkirk together in the summer of 87 and I attended music camp there for several years. I have fond memories of Selkirk and friends I made there, many that I still keep in touch with today. My most distinct memories from 87 are of the huge spiders in Hoover House, sharing a room with Mona and Cindy, falling off a bench over by the fire pit and branding myself with a large purple and black bruise for the rest of the summer, using lots of bleach and vinegar when cleaning the windows in the dining hall, peeling potatoes with the machine in the potatoe house behind the dining hall and having to look at that potatoe goop, a great trip to Niagara Falls on a rainy day, those awful red jackets that we had with the big pointy collars...but it wasn't so bad when we all looked the same, I remember Sharon's great pies, I remember the Lewis's and their love and concern for the staff and I remember devotions by the campfire...I guess I remember a lot.
I was also a camper in the late 70's and into the 80's and a staff member under the Lewis's in '87 and '88, with my sister Lynn and Anita, who've posted here along with many others.
I have so many wonderful memories of Camp Selkirk. I don't remember spending much time there once you were the DY (nothing personal, I just got a job at home!) but I'm still thrilled to see this site.
I was on the divisional committe in 2003-2004 that looked at camping and was part of the decision that led to the closing of Camp Selkirk. An incredibly difficult thing to be part of. We were also at the closing of Camp Selkirk in August, 2004. My daughter was only 10 weeks old at the time, but at least I got her to Camp Selkirk once.
Sorry, I forgot to sign my name.
It's Sue Haskell Titcombe
I spent alot of time a camp.Music camp early seventies with Captain Johnson as DYS.Brownie camp even home sickness.FreshAir councellor mid seventies.Womens camp were i skated on the pool.Thats one thing my dad never did.I worked at camp as canteen/Laudary in 1990.It was sure sad to see the camp go.
Donna
It's so great to see this site. Good idea! Selkirk also holds a very special place in my heart and I was so saddened to hear of it's closure. I believe that my 3 years as a councellor there (92-94) really shaped the person I am today. I still talk about my time at camp ("One time...at band camp...") and have many many wonderful memories. I will definitely contribute to this page soon - keep those memories alive! Hope to hear from more staff members.
I have a very short employment history at Selkirk - 5 crazy weeks in 1993. I attended SMC in 92 and 93 as well. Selkirk had a way of leaving a lasting impression though! Great to see this site up - I'll have a look through the old photo album to see what gems I can dig up!
Krista Lavender
This is a great site. Fred I have a lot of memories of some of the antics that went on at camp. I also have a lot of pictures which I am going to have to go through. I mean pictures when you were here and pictures way before you were here. So look for some in the future.
Wow, I am enjoying reminiscing. I'm going to dig up pictures tonight just to post. Does anyone have pictures of the mud fight the year Capt. Waters seeded the field? That always makes me gigle.
Speaking of yellow raincoats Fred, I seem to recall a full out chase (of was it 6 girls?) accross the field between cabins with you in your rubber boots and raincoat. Add to the fact that it was most definitely after curfew and it's true we had been where we should not have been. I believe the chase for me and my companion (Carla) ended when we both slip slided through the mud, me bursting the water baloons hidden in my rain coat. And to think...you still hired us! :-)
LOL! Gwyneth! I was trying to remember the rest of that group - of course there was Michelle Thomson ("look out for the clothesline!"), and Sherri, and Cathy Speakman, and yours truly. Sorry Fred, but I'm SO glad we did that! And thank goodness Michelle was okay! Good times.
Hey, it's Greg Riman, Selkirkite. I grew up at CS for 5 wonderful summers while my mother, Janice cooked in the kitchen, and my father, George co-ordinated 9 years of JMC. Like a lot of you, I remember all the great and wonderful times my sister, AnneMarie (Riman) Pritchett, and I spent there. The food, girls (let's be honest), the music, and most importantly, the spiritual lessons. The most memorable was JMC '85, my last year at CS. Lee & Debbie graves were our Bible Directors, and the theme was, "Encounter of the Jesus Kind." For the Friday evening campfire, they made a cross with two old pieces of wood and Debbie had made a crown of thorns and placed them on the cross. When the invitation came to give our lives to Christ, I remember that a few went forward, both students and faculty. It was also snack time, so they quietly dismissed anyone that wanted to go. NOBODY moved!! It was awesome. Earlier in that week, our counsellors, Steve Brown, and Kevin Broughton, took us down to the lake, and told the story of Jesus calming the sea. What an impact that had on my life. Although we are now one big division, I was faculty at the closing music camp at Selkirk, and it was bittersweet. Especially on the Friday night when just the Selkirk affiliation got to spend an hour or so in the old Lodge reminiscing of the "olden days". I am going on my 9th straight year of being on faculty at Glenhuron, and I thank all our parents, and other faculty that had an impact on my life. As you can see, I'm still long-winded. If anyone has the music or Lyrics to the Selkirk Music Camp theme song, I would sure appreciate getting them from you. I believe it went something like this: (sing along now)
"Come and give a cheer for SMC,
It's the place we love to be (we love to be there)
With music in the air and joy is
everywhere,
We love you SMC.
With our leaders and our bands so great,
Serving God in constant faith,
There's music in the air and joy is everywhere,
We love you SMC! RAH!"
Wow, this site sure brings back a lot of memories... I spent a few summers at Selkirk working with the likes of Lynn and Susan, Rob Gaus, Craig Lewis... And I even brought that large TV for the boys staff :)
Yeah what was up with boy's staff and the "extra's". As I recall (not that I was ever inside or anything!:-) They had a tv, video games, Christmas lights, and even a refrigerator at one point!!!
Hello to All:
I am Joanne Bassett(Jamieson).
I was devestated to hear that Camp Selkirk was sold. To me, this is such a waste of a great camp. Especially with all the history of all of us that has had such a great time throughout the years.
I challenge others that went to this camp to post thier rememberance and thoughts of all the great times spent at Camp Selkirk.
I miss so many of you.....
Joanne Jamieson-Bassett
(jojobassett2528@yahoo.ca)
Joanne Bassett (Jamieson)
I went to music camp from the age of 10 until I was 16 when in that year I won the Honour Student Award in 1977.
John Avery and I used to play tricks on each other.
The first thing I did was wrap John's underwear in the flag so during the morning around the flag, when it would open, John Avery's underwear came flying out of the flag.
John got back at me my stealing my pschidelic underwear and put it on my cabin for all to see.
Of course, I had to get him back. In that year, the old pool was condemned so we had to swim in the lake. Well, I snuck up to John underwater and took his bathing suit right off him so quick he was not sure what was happening. John had to stay way out in the water until the end of the swimming when after everyone was gone, I gave it back to him.
I guess that was the last straw for John......The next morning the flag opened with my underwear hanging down below the flag flying in the breeze.
To this day we both still have a great laugh over our antics!
You have to have fun as well at music camps.
Joanne Jamieson-Bassett
(jojobassett2528@yahoo.ca)
Ahhhh! The memories. I started early with going to Camp Selkirk (yes, Greg, I too still sing that song every once in a while!). My dad, Martyn Cooper, was on faculty when I was young. I learned to play Eb horn in the trailer (we parked them beside the auditorium) while dad was teaching theory class. He gave me a sheet with the fingering on it and I learned to play the C scale! One of those years as a faculty kid I remember a huge hail storm and the Preece's trailer got some damage to it. Then I went to brownie camp, jr. music camp, sr. music camp, teen camps, guide camp, and any other camp I could get to! It was awesome, since we only lived 20 minutes from camp. I worked there the summer I turned 16 (1988 Anita, not 1987!!hehe) and roomed with Anita Pilgrim and Cindy Eden. Good old Hoover House! I have so many pictures that I still get out to reminisce (sp?!) over. Sharon and Krista experimenting with "Nair"! Shelley's "dark helmet" hair-do! Allison's crazy sayings that I think she and her mother came up with (don't think I'll write them on here, but do any of you remember them?!?!hehe). I can still picture who everyone roomed with from that summer.
Anyway, I could literally go on for hours with all the memories. I do agree with those of you who have stated their disappointment in Camp Selkirk closing. But since there's nothing we can do about it, I am SO grateful for the creator of this site! I feel so happy when I remember all the years I spent involved with camp. My last year of camp, I was 17, and it was 1989 at Sr. Music Camp. Then I was on JMC faculty in 1990. Good times, all the way!!
buzzybee@sympatico.ca - keep in touch!!!
I just happened to find this sight by googling Camp Selkirk and found this blog. I went to Music Camp at Camp Selkirk back in the 60s and then was on faculty in the early 70s. Have a lot of fond memories of those days. I remember when Jim Johnson was DYS. What great days those were. I remember people like Les Dix, Dave Brown, the Ritson clan and many more. Sure do miss those days and the people that were there.
I went to Music Camp at Selkirk in the 60s and was on faculty in the early 70s. As a matter of fact, the woman I have been married to for 35 years is because of Camp Selkirk. It was the year that Harley Squirrel and his wife from Rochester NY were the guest conductors. During the week, Mrs. Squirrel said she had the right girl for me in Rochester. Her girl's singing group came to Mt Hamilton that fall and that is when I met the girl who is now my wife. I have a lot of fond memories of Camp Selkirk. A lot of great people, the Johnsons, Les
Dix, Steve Brown, the Ritson clan and I could go on. I will always cherish the memories of Music Camp at Camp Selkirk
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