Merry Christmas staff and campers

It's what is referred to in a song "the most wonderful time of the year"... for many that is the beginning of the camping season! Got a memory from those days at camp?

Did anyone ever spend any time in the winter at good ol' Camp Selkirk?

Merry Christmas!

Spiders!

Remember the spiders? Well take a look on the right hand side of the blog...a little way down...they're back!

Remembering Dale Haskell

Dale Haskell of Cambridge Citadel was Promoted to Glory early today. Just two weeks after his wife Nancy. Dale’s health has been deteriorating the last few years and particularly the last few months, so this was not unexpected.

Dale has had serious health problems over the last 25+ years and went through it all with a positive attitude. Now his suffering is over.

As I mentioned below with Nancy, Dale was a big supporter of Camp Selkirk and music camp in particular. I don’t remember an actual conversation, but I know it was our Uncle Dale that encouraged my siblings and I to attend music camp, and we thank him for that.

I do remember Uncle Dale telling us that it didn’t matter what we got on our theory or bible test at the end of the week, or if we won an award or not. The most important part of music camp was having fun. And we certainly did have fun!

I remember Dale playing an elf to Glen Reynolds’ Santa during a Christmas theme day at Junior Music Camp in the ‘80’s. They rode around camp in a front end loader, throwing candy.

After Dale started kidney dialysis, he was still able to be a part of music camp faculty. He would leave camp three mornings a week, drive to Hamilton to do his dialysis at the hospital, then come back to camp in the afternoon. He wouldn’t miss music camp for anything!

Dale was also a music camp student in his youth. Dale and Nancy donated the Haskell Instrumental Award to Junior Music Camp, sometime the ‘80‘s.

We’ll miss you Uncle Dale!

Remembering Nancy Haskell

Nancy Haskell of Cambridge Citadel was Promoted to Glory on Sunday July 27.

Nancy and her husband Dale were huge supporters of Camp Selkirk. For several years, they had a license plate that read SMC 48 (for Selkirk Music Camp and 48, the year Camp Selkirk opened). Camp was one of their favourite places to be. They would even on occasion, drive by during the off season, just to see it again.

As mentioned here before, Nancy and Dale spent 30 or more years at Junior Music Camp. They have been counsellors, Dale taught theory and instrumental and Nancy was ready to help out wherever she was needed. My brother remembered she was one of the inspectors for cabin clean up in the 80’s, with Dora Dix.

For me as a child, it was comforting to have some aunts and uncles on music camp faculty. It made it easier to be away from home, with those familiar faces at camp.

Nancy also enjoyed time at Women’s Camp, catching up with friends she had known for years and making new ones as well. There were also the divisional picnics and a corps retreat or two.

Nancy will be greatly missed by husband Dale, son Rob, daughter Donna and granddaughter Tiffany, as well as extended family.

We’ll miss you Aunt Nancy!

Canada Day Celebrations

Remember Canada Day celebrations? Right on the lawn south of the auditorium we would gather from all around the division to picnic together and sing O Canada...and at one time, God save the Queen/King was included.

Our first summer as DY's the septic system failed...timing is everything...and in the middle of O Canada the sewage truck arrived to pump out the septic well. Beep, beep, beep...as it backed up to the well. "What a lovely smell" was the additional comment.

Happy Canada Day to you all!

Remembering Ena Kissack

Camp Selkirk has lost another former supporter. Ena Kissack of Cambridge was Promoted to Glory on Sunday May 11.

Ena, along with her husband John (affectionately known as Mr. & Mrs. K) were members of both Junior and Senior Music Camp faculties over the years.

Ena was the timbrel leader for many years at Junior Music camp in the 80’s. I believe she also sat in on and helped with the vocal class of many camps. And probably many more things I’m missing.

J9 shared her memories in this previous post.

Thank you Mr. & Mrs. K. for your many years of support to Camp Selkirk. You will be missed, Mrs. K!

OK, help me out here...

I know this is Senior Music Camp in the late '90's, likely either 1998 or 1999. You can probably pick out Curtis Metcalf out there on the rock, he was the guest that year.

Anyone remember?....

The Solo Competition

I was thinking about the Music Camp Solo Competitions today.

Given my lack of talent, and my fear of public performance (I could barely make it though my vocal test at the beginning and end of each camp), I never participated in the solo competition, but I remember sitting through many competition nights.

When I went to Junior Music camp in the early ‘80’s, I think the instrumental solo piece was pre-selected. I believe there was one piece for ‘A’ Band students and one for ‘B’ Band. I think the vocal students could choose their own song, from the Song Book or Songs of Faith book. (Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!)

Two selections that stick out in my mind are “The Blue Bells of Scotland” for instrumental, and “I Know He Cares For Me” was popular with the vocal students. They come to mind when I think of the solo competition.

What are your Solo Competition memories?

A voice from the past...and pictures too!

Jayme Campbell was a member of staff our first year but prior to that he was a camper (of course). Does anyone remember his big smile and energy around the kitchen? Jayme, now married and an engineer, has forwarded some photos for your viewing pleasure.

Can you identify anyone?

Praying for the Downer family

Most of you, if not all, know that Reg Downer was Promoted to Glory earlier this week and his funeral service, more correctly called a celebration of life was held today.

I know you'll be praying for his family!

Reg was a strong supporter of youth ministry and that included the camping ministry of Camp Selkirk. We remember the words of Scripture which say: "the Lord delights in the death of His saints".

Campfire Cheers

Do you remember Campfire Cheers? They were used to show appreciation (or disapproval in some cases) after a group performed a song, skit or other form of entertainment at a campfire.

Last week, my children were playing with an electronic toy. I’ve been listening to this toy for the past 3 or 4 years. It never triggered anything before, but the other day when it played the tune “London Bridge Is Falling Down”, it immediately brought to mind the campfire cheer that uses that tune to these words: “In the breadbox you must go, you must go, you must go, in the breadbox you must go, that was crummy.”

That was the only cheer I could remember. Does anyone remember more of them?

Where did the bell go?

The bell...silent now, but it was the signal for meals, emergencies, and...

Anything else?

Passing on camping stories

We were fortunate that we were at Camp Selkirk during the formative years of our boys' lives. They climbed the trees, rode on the trailer, followed George around, and of course wished that they were old enough to work at camp. I think some of the staff became "heroes" in a way...they seemed so much older and cooler to two little boys.

So once in a while we find ourselves telling stories, laughing about the things they did and of course wishing that more children had those kind of memories. As I reflect on all this I wonder - do you tell Selkirk stories to your kids? Do you remind them of the wonderful heritage that this place afforded them?

Every story needs to begin with..."Once upon a time there was a wonderful camp; Camp Selkirk..."

A long time since we've added anything

So here we are in 2008! Winter has set in here in Edmonton. No doubt some of you have less dramatic winters. Did you ever go to Selkirk in the winter? Walk through the snow leaving a private path for others to find? Did you see the snowmobile tracks running out to the back?

Winter along the shores of Lake Erie can be a bit tough - huge pieces of ice pushing up on the shore. There was a piece of an I beam concreted into the ground that the ice twisted like a pretzel. Winter can be tough.

Winter can be beautiful too - smooth drifts along the buildings and accenting Selkirk green!

What surprised me most was discovering that one of our neighbours cut down a pine tree to use at Christmas! At least he could have asked?!