Scugog Special May 2022 (May 31, 2022)

New porch and siding!

"Where Magic Happens!"

It was a long time from May 2019 to last weekend. Our first trip to this camp was in 2007. It needed a lot of tender care. Over the years we have scraped and painted the cabins a few times. Shutters and screens have been replaced. Walls have been stripped out and replaced.

Stoops and doors are new. Buildings have been shingled.

We had a fundraiser to create a kitchen worthy of our chefs with a full basement. Our teams have been resourceful in making a difference. Special thanks to "Camp Boss" Susan Howson for pulling it all together.

'Back to Camp' - Kirste Spencer - a newbie

“What do you mean you are going to camp? For the whole weekend?” My sister was incredulous. “You haven’t slept in a bunk bed for 30 years! Are you crazy?”

I’d gulped and nodded back at her, determined to put on a brave face. When I’d been inducted into Rotary nine days earlier, it had seemed like a great idea to volunteer to go to Camp Scugog the next week.

Now, I wasn’t quite so sure. I was standing in a small, dark cabin, rain slapping the roof, and clutching an old sleeping bag that seemed to be missing a zipper. There was a big spider on the ceiling, not far above the bed.

Maybe I had been a bit over-hasty in my enthusiasm.

Fortunately, my fears faded significantly as the evening wore on. Dinner had been excellent, chords were being strummed on a guitar, and the members of this new club were embracing me in a warm welcome.

Saturday started with a clatter at 7:00, but the sun was shining brightly and I quickly fell into the rhythm of scraping and painting cabins, and exchanging laughs and banter with the other volunteers on my team.

Several hours later, I was seated under a Ukrainian flag, wrapped in a sari, enjoying a multi-course, multicultural meal. The evening ended in a conga line, which highlighted the talents of dancers many years younger than I, as well as a few very limber limbo-ers who remembered my grandfather from his days at Toronto Rotary!

By the end of the weekend, I was exhausted – and energized – by the work, the fellowship and the deep sense of accomplishment we all felt when we surveyed the results of our efforts.

“You’re a trooper,” my sister pronounced when I returned.

“No,” I responded. “I’m a camper.”

Cabin sprayed and scraped

And Painting team at work!

Jack Robertson came to paint!

Paint Prep team hard at work! Camp Director Dana Leahey on the left.

A former refugee camper made a generous donation - the new boathouse

And the basketball court - six nets can be raised and lowered. THANK YOU!

A Camp Tradition - The president's golf cart - shared with Kevin Power

And John Fortney - they even got to drive them!

Camp Director Dana asked Maureen Bird to build the kids a mud kitchen - ask for their recipe for stone soup!

Very necessary team of Rotaractor Ryan Fedurco and two-week Rotarian Angel Kabongo

6 docks got new boarding

The 'boutique' getting set up

Voice Editor Maureen Bird presented "Your Year in Voices" to Past Presidents

Kevin Power for 2019-20

and John Fortney 2020-21 whose year was entirely virtual. Not sure why matching "Canadian sport coats"?

Our Dance team!!

Evenings were music by Bert Steenburgh with euchre and other games

The theme - India, celebrating President Prince's birthplace; Britain and the Commonwealth, honouring Queen Elizabeth on her Platinum Jubilee, 70 years.

And Ukraine with all of us wishing them peace.

The chefs set up three food stations including perogies for Ukraine, peas and cottage pie for Britain and rice with spiced eggplant from India along with so much more.

Sunday morning was President's choice - Eggs Benedict on avocado toast.

No-one when home hungry!