I’ve been involved directly and indirectly with St. John Bosco camp since the 1970s. My mother was a camp nurse for a few summers in the late 70s. She would bring my brother, sisters and I to the camp for the summer while she worked. We stayed in a tent just outside the old nurse’s station. That would be my first time experiencing the great outdoors for that length of time.
My earliest memories of camp are many, however the ones that stand out the most when I was that young would be when I assisted with building the terrace to the waterfront and helping with the building of Mike’s Cabin – formally “Camp Cabin.” By the time I reached the age of 9 I was ready for Junior boys. I moved up the age ladder going through the years with intermediate boys, Canoe Skills, COTS, WOTS, ALE and finally camp counsellor.
I worked for a few years as camp counsellor and then as most do I got a full-time job and it was harder to take an entire summer off. Although I did come to visit from time to time, it was hard to adjust not being a part of that great Bosco lifestyle most of us had come accustom to. Then I made the decision to apply for camp director in the late 1990s.
I was fortunate enough to be hired on and the beginning of a never easy task of recruiting and promoting camp began. Being camp director was a very humbling experience and I give praise to all directors before and after me. After my year as director, I decided to go back to school and receive an education as a Medical Emergency Responder. Of course, after I was done with my education I needed to find work and I thought it would be perfect to work as Camp Nurse for the summer.
So that’s what I did. But alas needing full time employment was warranted and once again I needed to take my leave with the occasional returns during the May long weekends and occasional summer visits. I needed to fulfill my Bosco addiction even more, so I joined the Board of Directors for about 3 years until I had to leave because of a new adventure that was in store for my future.
Over the years, I married and now have 3 beautiful girls, one of which joined the Bosco phenomenon for her first time in summer 2018. She had a fantastic time at the Junior Girls camp and ensured me she will be returning. I took this opportunity to join the Board of Directors once more for the first time since 2001 and I hope to bring my lifetime of memories and life experiences to this spiritually-enriched culture called St. John Bosco Camp.