A Place of Spiritual Beginnings

We've reminsced about Camp Selkirk quite a bit, especially since it's closure.  The point of having a camping ministry of course was never so we could feel good about our summers, or have somewhere for kids to create good memories alone!  The entire point of camping ministry was to place children and adults under the influence of the Gospel, so that they might make significant spiritual decisions.  We wanted them to be saved!

So here's the queston: did you make a spiritual decision at this camp?  How has this changed your life?  Have you been faithful to it?

Can you name the camps?

I am at Pine Lake Camp today - the Alberta Northern Territories Camp and today I'm doing something I never did at Camp Selkirk.  I'm blogging.  This is something we never could have imagined back in those days.  We used a typewriter (an ancient machine used to cast letters onto paper to create a written message) for the things we needed and thought ourselves lucky to have a photocopier!

Time changes lots of things including Salvation Army Camps.  So here's the question: can you name the divisional camps across Canada today?

Name someone who blessed you at Camp Selkirk

Camp Selkirk wasn't just about buildings or programs or music...it was about relationships.  Maybe someone blessed you along the way.

Read this then make a comment!

And so we go on...

Thanks Glenn and Sherrie for the photos...I see we still have visitors so we'll go on.  I'll revisit my photos again to see what else I've got.

Have you got any other photos?

Camp Selkirk in 2009

My husband and I started dating at Camp Selkirk in the summer of 1992. This past summer, we decided to go to Port Dover on my birthday and then dropped by our old stomping grounds to see how things look now. Since this blog is about to be taken down, I thought I'd post some pictures of how the camp looked recently. We didn't go onto the property but managed to get a couple of pictures anyway. The property looked really nice. We did go down to the beach, and that area has not been maintained at all.

251 Lakeshore!

The new sign!

The long driveway into the camp

View of the pump house from the second entrance

The "DC's Cottage" looks great
with a nice little garden

The picture was taken on the beach. Do you see Glenn waving
from a distance in the top right? Well, he's standing in
front of the tunnel. I was standing near the water. Yes,
the weeds have SERIOUSLY taken over!

There were SO MANY dead fish on the shore of Lake Erie.
I took nearly a dozen pictures of different dead fish so
here's a small sampling for your visual pleasure.

And check out the nasty seaweed!!! We could barely find rocks or sand anywhere on the shore. It was totally covered with this stuff and it smelled gross...

I can't leave you on that note... so, here's one pretty picture taken at the beach.

Is this the end?

Time to take this blog down? I've been wondering, and if you still pop in here from time to time you're invited to leave a comment.

I don't have time to keep this one going, and it seems (with the advent of Facebook) our traffic has dwindled away. Let's make December 31st our target for a decision.

Selkirk Clothing

We've commented on staff uniforms in previous posts, but I was thinking about all the other camp clothing recently.

There have many articles of Selkirk clothing over the years. T-shirts, sweatshirts and hats available for purchase from the canteen, staff uniforms and other staff clothing. The crest changed many times over the years as well.

The first Selkirk t-shirt I remember owning was light brown, would have been early 80's I think. My biggest Selkirk purchases would have been the summers of 1987/88. There were red staff polo shirts, blue staff polo shirts, and staff jackets. I think the grey hooded sweatshirts were in that time frame as well.

What were your favourite or least favourite items of Selkirk clothing or uniforms? Does anyone still own any Selkirk clothing? I'll admit, I was still wearing my Staff '88 jacket until last year. It's gone now though!

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..."