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!

Hostage taken to the flag pole

I am really at a loss to remember what started this. I know the women at Junior Music Camp were being teased about something...what was it? At any rate the teaser was Martin Vize. In revenge Martin was awoken by a group of women, tied up still in his sleeping bag and taken to the flag pole where he was secured for everyone to see as they awoke.
The name of Debbie Williams is attached to this in my memory, but I might be mistaken.
Are you out there Debbie? Remember this? Who else was in on this?
I have to add that Martin took this stride and was a very good sport about it.

First camp experience

I'm being a bit selfish this morning by posting a Camp Selkirk picture with a family connection. This is our eldest son Jason at the beginning of Junior Music Camp. I think he had been playing a very short time and he is waiting by Ernie Pitt to go "audition". That year the kids, maybe just the younger kids, but they had huge name tags. You can see his blowing in the wind.

At any rate - how young were you when you started at camp? What do you remember? What camp was it? Music, cub, guide, other?

Awaiting the terrifying audition

I was making way through across the grounds on the first day of Junior Music Camp checking on things were when I stumbled across these fine young men outside the auditorium awaiting their audition. They seemed in good spirits, glad to be at camp and when I picked up my camera to take a shot they all wanted to be in one shot!

The year was_____? And they are_________?