THE VTHE VTHE VTHE VTHE VOICE OF COICE OF COICE OF COICE OF COICE OF CAMP TAMP TAMP TAMP TAMP TAMAKWAMAKWAMAKWAMAKWAMAKWAAAAA ••••• ALALALALALGONQUIN PGONQUIN PGONQUIN PGONQUIN PGONQUIN PARKARKARKARKARK

THE BEST OF SUMMER 2006

• Chow time: What made the summer tastier• Getting fit proves a hit at Tamakwa• Official name for new camp landmark announced• The big M factor: Margot takes over from Marilyn• Happy 75th? Not quite yet but start preparing for big bash

• Going the distance: Tamakwa in the fast lane• An impressive bunch: The Bar Mitzvah class of ‘06• A man named Jeff: In praise of Mr. Personality Plus• How Tamakwa’s name came to be – and what it really means• Heard at Main Camp: Choosing the highlights of ‘06

Issue 5 Fall 2006

Fall 2006 South Tea Echo

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Editor and Project ManagerROBERT SARNER

Design/ProductionDAVE PILDUSH

PhotographyLIBBY SADICK VON NEUMANN

Senior Camp DirectorVIC NORRIS

Camp DirectorCRAIG PERLMUTTER

Associate DirectorDAVID STRINGER

The South Tea Echo is published by CampTamakwa. SUMMER ADDRESS: P.O. Box10008, Huntsville, Ontario, Canada P1H2H3. Tel: (705) 633-5561. MICHIGAN:1760 South Telegraph, Suite 300,Bloomfield Hills, MI. 48302-0183. Tel:(248) 335-6400.Fax: (248) 335-2540.TORONTO: 161 Eglinton Ave. East, Suite501, Toronto, Ontario, M4P 1J5. Tel:(416) 924-7433. Fax: (416) 924-5822.Email: howhow@tamakwa.com Website:www.tamakwa.com

A lasting memoryWe asked campers to cite their major highlights of the summer

MASON SPECTOR, 12,Ranger 5, Beverley Hills,California, 6th year at camp“During the first month onour canoe trip, there was abig thunderstorm andeverybody including thecounselors and trippergathered in the tent, toldscary stories and we stayedup all night. We had cabinbonding and got really closewith each other.”OLIVIA GORDON, 7, TB 2,Franklin, Michigan, 1st year“The biggest highlight forme was probably when wehad the All Day Program‘Scooby Doo’. There werea lot of fun things. I liked allthe cheers and everything Ilearned including how Fredfound Scooby Doo.”JOEY KAPLAN, 12, Ranger6, New York, 1st year“Being in the play Bye ByeBirdie. It was a lot of funtaking the old songs out andusing current pop songsinstead. I played Birdie’sbodyguard. The otherhighlight was the blackoutthat lasted for a day and ahalf. It was fun but it wasreally dark. You couldn’tsee anything at camp. Wehad to eat off paper plates,and we couldn’t take ashower except in the lake.At night, we had to useflashlights because it waspitch black except for themoonlight. That was coolbecause we got to tell scarystories but we were also inour cabins for much longerthan usual so it got reallyboring.”LILY SILVER, 11, Pioneer 4-5, Los Angeles, 3rd year

“Finishing a long portage onour four-day canoe trip wasa highlight for me because Ifinished something reallyhard. It gave me a greatsense of achievement. Itwas really long with lots ofmosquitoes.”

JEFFREY FENKELL, 16, CIT,Bloomfield Hills, Michigan,8th year“As a CIT, just hanging outwith the kids, teaching themnew things, seeing themsmiling and learning newthings is one of the mostrewarding experiences.Another great memory isfrom the canoe trip with mykids. One of the smallerkids, a boy namedMalerman, started off onthe trip really weak butdidn’t give up and held hisown on the 2,300 portage.After the trip, I saw himaround camp and he’dgrown so much physicallyand mentally because wehad given him so muchconfidence. He was nowone of the stronger guys.He often came up to thankme for giving him that littleextra push on the 2,300 andfor supporting him inmaking that jump off theJoe Lake cliffs. That was aturning point in hisTamakwa career.”

JOSH PODOLSKY, 12,Ranger-4, New York, 3rd year“Cookouts on Monday wereone of my favouritemoments. You get to hangout with your friends, cookyour own food. At TreasureIsland, you get to jump offa rock into the water.What’s better than that?”

ARI BALE, 9, Ranger-2,Toronto, 9th year“Colour War, the All-Dayand pulling shrecks…Those were fun times.Pulling shrecks is funbecause you get to do stuffthat’s a real joke. TheColour War theme in thefirst month was Indians,and the elements were fire,water, earth and air. A realfun time of that waswatching the water boil.”

GABY KAPLAN, 12, Pioneer,Ann Arbor, 4th year“Our 4-day canoe trip waslots of fun and I got tospend a lot of time with mycabin. It’s something youdon’t get to do in otherplaces. You really becomeclose with your friends andcounselors. The paddling ishard if you have to canoereally far away but it wascool to be out in the realwilderness and get to seeanimals that I don’t see inAnn Arbor.”AARON COHEN, (AKA TheWrench), 11, Ranger 3,Huntington Woods,Michigan, 3rd year“This year we did TamakwaStock in the new Pavilionwhich was a lot better thanthe Art Deco where weused to do it. We didperformances and it wasreally fun as I played guitarand sang there. I performed“Dani California” by RedHot Chili Peppers and “AllAlong The Watchtower”.Another highlight wasperforming in Bye ByeBirdie, and being able toplay Conrad Birdie in theplay. That was really fun.”

HARRISON SLAVNER, 9,Toronto, Ranger 1, 4th year“For me, seeing the Pavilionon the first day of thesummer was a highlight.It’s a really cool thing and Ithink people put a lot ofhard work into it so weshould just take advantageof it while it stands there.Another highlight was beingin a good cabin with all myfriends and making a lot ofnew friends.”

BEN ROBINSON, 12,Ranger-3, Bloomfield Hills,Michigan, 5th year“One of the highlights wasseeing Adam Ketai hit thetetherball so hard that itwent flying off into thehalf-court bleechers. Notthat much happened thissummer so that momentreally stands out for me.”

RACHEL KAUFMAN, 11, P-4-5, Providence, RhodeIsland, 3rd year“I was Crew for Bye ByeBirdie, backstage doingcurtains. It was really funas I got to see the play froma different angle instead ofas part of the audience inthe Rec Hall. Also, I brokemy foot when I fell downthe stairs of my cabin. Itwas actually a lot of fun asI got to go to the hospitalfor the whole day, I got acast and was on crutches,and I got to spend a lot oftime with my friends atcamp as we did more sit-down things.”

ERICA SACHSE, 14, JSG,Huntington Woods, 8th year“The most memorableexperience was the 13-daycanoe trip. I saw the mostamazing things. I reallybegan to appreciate theAlgonquin wildlife and thebeauty of the Park andbetter understand just howlucky I am to be here. Plus,I also got to bond with eightother girls and got to knowthem at a whole new leveland learn so much aboutthem. The staff were alsoamazing.”

JASON BLAU, 11, Ranger-3,Los Angeles, 3rd year“The Intercamp againstWalden was great. It’s funthat another camp comes toTamakwa. I enjoyed playingsoftball and soccer andrepresenting Tamakwa. Welost in softball but we tied insoccer. John Maiorano wasan excellent coach. He gavea great spirit with hischeering and encourage-ment.”- Interviews by Robert Sarner

On the horizonIt may seem distant but the 75th AnniversaryReunion is closer than most people realize

Time flies when you’rehaving fun. Well,we’ve certainly been

having fun, which mayexplain how time has flownso quickly to the point thatwe’re now contemplatingTamakwa’s 75th AnniversaryReunion. At first, it soundsfar away, since 2007 will beTamakwa’s 72nd season.Then, I recall just howmuch time and effort it tookto plan, organize and pulltogether Tamakwa’s 50th

Reunion back in 1983 andthe 60th in 1993.

At the 50th, some 700Tamakwans from distancesfar andnearconvergedon theHyattRegencyHotel inDearborn,Michiganfor aspectaculardinnerand reunion, complete withTamakwans of every yearand generation, oodles ofcamp memorabilia, and thespectacular 50-year videocollage by David Stringer.We even carefully removedall the year-end plaquesfrom 50 Tamakwa summersfrom our dining hall andtransported them (thanks toCharlie Kraft and his truck)to display along withcountless historicalTamakwa photos. (I havesince promised Ken Elder hewould never again be askedto dismantle the plaques!)

Also included in thereunion festivities were thefamed hot dog roast andmedley marathon, lovinglyhosted by David and DoreenHermelin and family. (TheDavid B. Hermelin MemorialHot Dog Roast has sincebecome a Tamakwa VisitingDay tradition.) Of coursethe medley is bestremembered by thecontroversial use of lighterfluid by some Tamakwanotables (who will remainunnoted) for the traditionalevent-ending water boiling

contest.I also remember

attending an alumnigathering of some of ourmore “mature” alumni at thehome of Ron and JudyTrunsky. For me, it wasakin to “storybookcharacters coming to life”with many Tamakwalegends and individuals whoI only knew by story,reputation, and names onplaques.

As kids today wouldsay, the 50th reunion wassimply “awesome”. It wasoverwhelming beingtogether with so many

Tamakwansof everydecadeandgeneration,reunitingto shareTamakwamemories,friendships,stories,and of

course the Tamakwa sing-song and closingceremonies, with such acrowd. Everyone seemed tohave that unmistakableTamakwa glow from thereunion experience. Theevent, while a labor of love,took the work of manydedicated Tamakwans,particularly Dave Bale andMarilyn Mendelson, Co-Chairpersons, DoreenHermelin and RichardGolden, and otherpreeminent and notableTamakwans such as RonCharfoos, Max and RenaBardenstein, Ada Bandaleneand Ed Sachse, to name afew.

Ten years later, the 60th

was just as memorable andjust as much hard work toplan a reunion distinct in itsown way. For the 60th, wewent to the source; havingit at Tamakwa right afterthe regular camp season hadended. This reunion lastedthree days and includedanother medley marathon(no lighter fluid this time),the video archives of thegreat camp movies, a greattalent show, and anincredibly moving firesideceremony on the Slope withtestimonials from alumnirepresenting every decadeof Tamakwa’s existence.Though separated bygenerations, the speakers’stories were remarkablyalike, as was their centralmessage: that this was theplace where they had thetimes of their lives.

Of course, over theyears, the greatestgratification of Tamakwa’sowners and directors hasbeen twofold. First, ofcourse, is each summerbeing gratified by the staffand campers still being ableto immerse themselves inand fully enjoy theTamakwa experience and itsrich traditions. The fun,

Continued on page 11

Colour War captains (l. to r.): Dakota Sherman, Rachel Schneider, Daniel Gold, Rory Diamond, Amanda Orley,JJ Bittker, Justin Kelman, Skye Optican, Alex Stringer, Michael Grundland, Sara Aronovitz, Jonah Raduns-SilversteinColour War captains (l. to r.): Dakota Sherman, Rachel Schneider, Daniel Gold, Rory Diamond, Amanda Orley,JJ Bittker, Justin Kelman, Skye Optican, Alex Stringer, Michael Grundland, Sara Aronovitz, Jonah Raduns-Silverstein

Fall 2006South Tea Echo

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The summerat a glance

A selective listing of the major events and main highlights at camp in 2006

Thurs., June 15 - Head Staff Arrive for Pre-Pre-Pre Camp.Sat., June 17 - Activity Leaders Arrive for Pre-Pre Camp.Tues., June 20 - Counselors, trippers and specialists arrive forPre-Camp.Wed., June 21 - Pre-Camp Colour War — The O.C.Thurs., June 22 - First Aid DayFri., June 23 - Staff ShowSat., June 24 - Trippers Trip departsSun., June 25 – Summer ’06 officially kicks off as July sessioncampers arrive; Cabin Night; Noon-Way.Mon., June 26 - White Cap tests; block schedule begins; BeaverCouncil nominations; Landsports Night; Staff ShowTues., June 27 - Beaver Council elections; Section NightWed., June 28 - Voyageur cookout; Individual choice begins; CabinNightThurs., June 29 - Adam van Koeverden (Olympic medalist) kayakdemonstration; Tamakwa ExchangeFri., June 30 - Services and Hobby Hubs

Sat., July 1 - Canada Day; Forester cookout; Tamakwa IdolTheme Day and finalsSun., July 2 - Section Night; Ranger BBQ; JT TriathlonMon., July 3 - Cabin cookouts and camp-wide campfire.Tues., July 4 - U.S. Independence Day; Tamakwa Book of WorldRecordsWed., July 5 - Voyageur Cookout; Tamakwa at Camp Walden forIntercamp; Pioneer BBQ; Cabin NightThurs., July 6 - Tamakwa Gold RushFri., July 7 - Services and Hobby HubsSat., July 8 - How How Prodcutions presents The Little MermaidSun., July 9 - JT 2-Week campers depart; JT BBQ; VoyageurBBQ; Section NightMon., July 10 - Cabin cookouts and camp-wide campfire.Tues., July 11 - Candyland all-day program — Globby, PrincessFrostine, Mr. Mint and JollyWed., July 12 - Voyageur cookout; Singer Amy Sky arrives;Cabin NightThurs., July 13 - Halloween NightFri., July 14 - Services and Hobby HubsSat., July 15 - Amy Sky Songwriters’ NightSun., July 16 - Camp Arowhon at Tamakwa for intercamp; 49erBBQ; Section NightMon., July 17 - Cabin cookouts and camp-wide campfire.Tues., July 18 – Manitou at Tamakwa for intercamp; Street SmartsWed., July 19 - Voyageur cookout; long trips return; Air BandsThurs., July 20 - Mini-Colour War “The Elements” — Cree,Objibway, Huron and MohawksFri., July 21 - Pack Out Day – Mini-Banquet: 80s theme by theSenior Girls; How How Prodcutions Presents AladdinSat., July 22 - July session campers depart; Visiting DaySun., July 23 - August session campers arrive; Cabin NightMon., July 24 - White Cap tests; The Soduku Challenge;TamagamaTues., July 25 - Beaver Council elections; Section NightLandsportsWed., July 26 - “Scooby Doo: Lost in Algonquin” all-day program— Fred, Thelma, Shaggy and DaphneThurs., July 27 - Treasure Swim; Casino TamakwaFri., July 28 - Camp Bar Mitzvahs of Shayn Diamond, JoshDiamond, Ari Shulman, Dylan Optican and Jon SchwartzSat., July 29 - Tamakwa-stockSun., July 30 - JT Triathlon; Voyageur and 49er BBQs; SectionNightMon., July 31 - Cabin cookouts and camp-wide campfire.

Tues., Aug. 1 – Walden at Tamakwa for intercamp; Gender WarsWed., Aug. 2 - Voyageur cookout; Pioneer Volleyball Tournament;Ranger BBQ; canoe races; Cabin NightThurs., Aug. 3 - Forester Inline Tournament; Treasure Swim;World’s Strongest TamakwanFri., Aug. 4 - Harvey Deutch Camper Triathlon; 49er Half-CourtTournament; Services and Hobby HubsSat., Aug. 5 - Voyageur Basketball Tournament; Staff triathlon;How How Productions Presents Bye Bye BirdieSun., Aug. 6 - Canoe races; Pioneer Half-Court Tournament; JT 2-Week campers depart; JT BBQ; Section NightMon., Aug. 7 - Cabin cookouts and camp-wide campfire.Tues., Aug. 8 - South Tea’s Survivor 4 (Winner: Ranger 1)Wed., Aug. 9 - Voyageur cookout; Forester Half-Court Tournament;Tamakwa at Camp Manitou for intercamp; Cabin NightThurs., Aug 10 - All-Day Surf and Sail; Treasure Swim; Voyageurinline tournament; CITs present Tamakwa Country Club — Hip HopThursday Club DanceFri., Aug. 11 - Surf and Sail Races; Services and Hobby HubsSat., Aug. 12 - Trailblazer Half-Court Tournament; Saturday NightLiveSun., Aug. 13 - 49er Unification; Pioneer BBQ; Section NightMon., Aug. 14 - Cabin cookouts and camp-wide campfire.Tues., Aug. 15 - Long trips return; How How Productions presentsChicagoWed., Aug. 16 - Colour War “Pyramid of the Gods” — Hathor, Ptah,Thoth and Isis; Deal or No DealThurs., Aug. 17 - Colour War continues; Staff BBQ in Main Camp.Fri., Aug. 18 - Pack-Out Day; CIT Banquet and services; The HighSeasSat., Aug. 19 - Camp ends as Tamakwans leave for homeThurs., Aug. 24 - Alumni Post Camp beginsSun., Aug. 27 - Alumni Post Camp ends

J U N E

J U L Y

A U G U S T

Fall 2006 South Tea Echo

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Hermelin Hot Dog Roast onVisiting Day• Sounds of music from

StringerandStringer

in thegolf cart

• One of the JT tiedye T-shirts• Mamat’s lost windsurfboard• One of the fish caught byMax Norris, MatthewTrunsky and AndrewTrunsky• Sounds of Mike Fenkell’slife story on the Slope• The hydro pole droppedfrom the helicopter• The all-too-often sound ofthe generators• The lampfromAladdin• Sound ofGuy’s “shorelunch”• Guy’s Red NASA cookinghat• One of Naomi Weiner’ssnakes• Paint on Daniel Gold• One Lipschutz package• A lice pick• One tikitorch fromCW break• One of thenew fitness balls• One schlect wet item ofclothing from the never-

Sweating it outThe inaugural year of Tamakwa’s fitness program proves

a smashing success BY MARGOT PERLMUTTER

Some people claim thatthroughoutTamakwa’s 71 years

of existence, not much haschanged. The energy,enthusiasm and lovingfamily atmosphere are thesame today as they were in1936 and continue toprovide an idealenvironment for campersand staff of all ages to growand develop. While theessence of Tamakwaremains the same, thelandscape and activitiesmost certainly have not. Oldbuildings have beenreplaced by newer ones,cabins have sproutedthroughout camp and ofcourse, new programs haveemerged. Tamakwa isalways on the lookout forexciting new activities tofurther enrich the campexperience.

In recent years, theTamakwa powers that behad discussed starting anew fitness program andwhat it would entail. In thefall of 2005, Craig met JodiSolomon who quicklydemonstrated that herprevious summer campfitness experiencescombined with herinfectious energy made herthe ideal person to leadTamakwans towardstronger biceps and rockhard abs.

After a fewpreliminary meetings withJodi to help sculpt fitnessinto a true activity,preliminary supplies werepurchased and a roughoutline of activities was

established. With theconstruction of the newPavilion and its grasssurroundings (yes, realgrass right in the middle ofmain camp), a fitnesslocation was established,and with the start of 1st

period on the first day ofcamp in late June, a newTamakwa activity was bornwith fitness off andrunning.

“After we got pasteveryone thinking thatfitness was dance, theprogram really took off,”says Jodi. “It was wellreceived by both campersand staff with a lot ofenergy and determination.”

While many skepticsfelt that fitness would onlyappeal to girls’ camp, Jodiquickly showed all of boys’camp, even our cool seniormen, that fitness was thehot place to be.

Unfortunately for Jodi,it was evident at thebeginning that while boysand girls, both campers andstaff, were all excited abouthaving fitness at camp, theyweren’t exactly thrilled withthe idea of sweatingthrough each period. Mosthad hoped that a “six pack”of abs or increasedflexibility would justmagically appear – no onehad realized how hard theyneeded to work or howdetermined our newestfitness instructor would be.

Yet, determined shewas. Jodi incorporated amultitude of activities intothe fitness program, withperiods ranging from

Curators of the Tamakwa Museum worked overtime inrecent months to install thelatest collection in its newhome deep within the innerchamber of the Colour WarGreat Pyramid. Visitorsshould enter on the side ofthe Sphinx.

The items will be ondisplay only until all of theworkers are freed byPharoah. As a result, youdefinitely have until nextsummer’s collection isfound. This year’s displayincludes:• Lucas’sHawaiianshirt• One red2006 CEshirt• Oneyellow staffshirt• One Exit sign in the DiningHall and Rec Hall• Danielle Madgy’s walkingcast• Evan Cole’s screech• Winona Kellie’s pinkpajamas• Josh Moss’ goalie pads• Fiddes’ 15,000,000-candlepower flashlight• Richard’sricepickerhat• Bailey’sand W’sskirts• Josh Freed’s shoes• Greenleaf portage sign• Matt Wood’s bongos anddidgeridoo• Ari Bale’s and Evan Cole’sCW preview• The bus map toManitou…not!• Brenna’s Paris Hilton

costume• One pairof Crocs• BennettMagy’srenditionof

Bohemian Rhapsody• Staff lounge computer• One name suggestion formfor the new Pavilion• New piece of sod aroundthe Pavilion• The suits worn by Kyle,Mark and Daniel for theTemagami departure• One tart of a million madein the Tamakwa bakery• The 100-person plus“veggie” list• One of the five 2006 BarMitzvah jackets• One of the 1,000 kosherhot dogs from the David

ending Lost and Found•Tamakwa’sfirstsatellitephone• Levi and Jared’shedge trimmers• Rachel Kaufman’spurple cast• One of Levi’s songssung in TamakwaIdol•The juggler’s balls• The missing 30lb dumbbell• HannahLevite’s pinkHalloweenOutfit• Shoggy’shernia• One ofTamakwa’sfour pianoplayers• The cageless hockeyhelmet of Dustin Wachler• One of Spoon’s staff dutygrids• One of the ever-changing day offschedules• One of Ken’shomemadeexercise steps• A sailor’s hatfrom the CITbanquet• The bill for thelast Super Snack• A piece oforange RootsTamakwa gear

stretching, Pilates, “abs ofsteel”, fitness ball, stepclass (steps made by noneother than our very ownKen Elder), and of course,weight training. Fitnessquickly became a popularactivity and at any givenperiod you would heargrunts and moans comingfrom the Pavilion as Jodipushed campers and stafftoward reaching their goaland completing yet onemore set of push-ups.

“The Bayview boysreally added something tothe program,” says Jodi.“They made my job easierand a lot more fun withtheir enthusiasm andhumour.”

At the beginning ofsecond month, Jodi injuredher ankle (on her way tobreakfast, not whileteaching) and had to returnhome for a week to betterheal her ankle. In trueTamakwa fashion, HaleyPascal stepped up to theplate and kept the fitnessprogram running. (A specialthank you to Haley for allher help during Jodi’sabsence.)

A huge How-How isalso in order for allTamakwans for every pushup, sit up, downward dogand drop of sweatcompleted at camp’s newestactivity. We hope that allyour hard work has stayedwith you during the longwinter months – if it hasn’t,don’t worry because theTamakwa fitness program ishere to stay and will beready to get you sweatingagain in 2007.

Made to lastThe summer 2006 is now on view at The Tamakwa Museum,

like you won’t see it anywhere else

Made to lastThe summer 2006 is now on view at The Tamakwa Museum,

like you won’t see it anywhere else

Can you place a face?Maybe quite a few for that matter. Help us identify everyperson in this vintage photo for a future issue of the SouthTea Echo. We would especially like to hear from anyonewho is in this picture. Please write echo@tamakwa.com

Fall 2006South Tea Echo

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Why is this night differentfrom all others?

Celebrating a Bat Mitzvah at Tamakwa is like nowhere elseBY DYLAN OPTICAN

In 1999, when I had myBat Mitzvah at the age of13, I let the ceremony

and night fly by withouttaking even a moment torealize how special it was.Lucky for me, I was able tohave a second Bat Mitzvah,and I wasn’t about to makethe same mistake twice.True, my Tamakwa BatMitzvah didn’t involve asynagogue, an Anne Taylorsuit, or reading from theTorah, but I still felt anoverwhelming sense ofaccomplishment, happinessand family.

Last summer was my13th year on the magicalshores of South Tea alongwith four other trueTamakwans: Josh Diamond,Shayn Diamond, JonSchwartz and Ari Shulman.Starting camp just daysafter my 7th birthday (myparents wasted no time) andnever missing a summersince, I was the youngest tocelebrate my Bat Mitzvah in2006. Bar Mitzvah night hasalways been my favoriteevening activity. Maybebecause it involves moreback tickles than physicalactivity or maybe becausethe entire camp family getsto spend hours under thestarry night in our campsanctuary, the Slope; buteither way, I love it! Thistime, my favorite eveningactivity just got better —the night was going to be allabout me (and the otherfour staff celebrating theirBar Mitzvah, but this is myarticle).

I couldn’t wait for myfriends’ speech and I knewit would be good when Isaw the five of them walkup to the podium/bemah inmatching T-shirts with mypicture on the front. Thesefive girls, although I onlysee them two months ayear, are my best friends.From Toronto to Michiganand Los Angeles, we havekept in touch over the yearsand know each other’sdeepest secrets and mostembarrassing moments.

My father spoke as anon-Tamakwan onlookerand I think this line summedup his thoughts perfectly:“The true essence of thisplace is frankly somethingthat as mere parents and

non-Tamakwans we’ll neverfully understand, justobserve…I believe thatDylan is who she is fromTamakwa.” And althoughmy dad will never fully “getit”, his speech made perfectsense.

All five of us are trulylucky to have been at campfor 13 summers and it wasa great night for all of us tobe surrounded by ourfamilies, closest campfriends and the entireTamakwa family on theSlope.

Our feelings as welooked up at the Slope andtried to recap our 13 yearsat Tamakwa cannot bedescribed in words. Our

minds racedthroughmemories oflong trips, hoursat variousactivities(especially thosewe’ve workedat mostrecently),mornings, cabinclean-ups, RestHours,countless meals,twilights, latenights andcookouts withour campers,and so much

more that filled 13magnificent summers at ourfavorite place on earth withour best friends in theworld.

This night was just likewhat a real Bat Mitzvahshould be. Wearingcomfortable jeans, flip-flopsand a T-shirt, on the pristinesoil of Algonquin Park andwith our fellowTamakwans, who weconsider as close as family,that’s what everycelebration should be like.While appreciating our campBat Mitzvah, we realizedthat this night was just asspecial, if not more, thanany other celebration in ourlives so far.

Chow timeAll it takes is the introduction of a new dish – like 2006’s ChickenCaesar Finger Wraps – to instill hope in the Tamakwa population

BY ARI DIAMOND

W hen you walkinto the kitchen atCamp Tamakwa,

you are invariablywelcomed with somethingfar different than what youcame looking for. “Whatare you doing in here?”comes the immediategreeting. Or, failing that,it’s a more direct “Getout!” The stern voicebelongs to Guy Tetreault,master of the premises inhis role as Chief Chef.

To those unfamiliarwith Tamakwa, suchbehaviour might sound rudeand inconsiderate. Not sofor Tamakwans who find itcomical and for whom Guyis quite a character. Forthem, his manner – to saynothing of his food – adds

to the nature of camp.This past summer,

Guy and the rest of hiscrew who make up WestPark Catering, had anothersuccessful season feedingsome 300 anxious,screaming, foreverfamished campers and 110staff three times a day. It’sa routine Guy, 46,knows well, havingfirst started in theTamakwa kitchen20 years ago.

By now, campveterans know themenu well and thissummerTamakwans saw alot of Guy’s signature mealslike roast beef, grilledcheese, Sheppard’s pie,chicken burgers, andhamburgers. But not all wastried and true. Innovationcame in the form ofChicken Caesar FingerWraps, which left manywanting more.

“It added a great newtaste to camp,” said stafferMatt Orenstein aftersavouring Tamakwa’s latestgastronomic delight. “I justcouldn’t believe it when Iheard it.”

Others were equallyimpressed, eagerlyanticipating the next noveltyfrom the kitchen. “Do youthink maybe next year Guywill start making steak forus?” asked fellow stafferDaniel Berman astonishedover the upgrade incooking.

The meal was onlypresented once this summerduring Tamakwa’s camp-wide Colour War programat the end of the summerbut many campers arehoping it will becomeregular fare in 2007. “If wecan have Chicken CaesarFinger Wraps more oftennext year, it could have a

real impact on camp,” saidBrandon Herman, a camperin Ranger 3. “I won’t needto bring candy.”

Chicken Ceasar FingerWraps were not the only bighit at camp this summer. Itis always tough to outdo thelegendary Chicken Balls.What used to be called the

“Chinese” dinner”at Tamakwa hasnow been dubbedChicken Balls. Aserver’s nightmare,Chicken Balls hasbeen a consistentcrowd pleaser foryears.

“Thesignature move for aChicken Ball night is to justdump the tray onto emptyplates and re-fill it as soonas possible,” says DustinWachler. “It’s just sofrustrating when you canonly get a few traysbecause they really areincredible. Serving ChickenBalls is not fun as campersand staff go crazy oncethey realize what awaitsthem at the table. Youwould think they’d had noteaten anything in the pastweek.”

Also contributing tothe success in the DiningHall this summer was thenew system for veggies,who traditionally have beenon the short end of the stickwhen it comes to meatlesscuisine at Tamakwa. Thisyear was certainly animprovement, leading theveggies to hope forcontinuing progress.

All in all, it was a verysuccessful summer in theTamakwa dinning hall. Evenif some things didn’tchange – such as Guy’strademark greetingwhenever somewhereventured back into thekitchen.

You name it, she can do it……And probably has already. Benchmark summer nears

for Ms. Versatility BY ROBERT SARNER

I f ever there were to be an award forthe most versatile, most dedicatedstaff member at Tamakwa, Libby

von Neumann would win it handsdown. In her 29 consecutivesummers on staff, she has performed amyriad of roles.

Her staff career began in 1978 asa Junior Counselor, after being acamper the previous five summers.Since then, she’s also been a SeniorCounselor, tripper, Girls Camp Director,Head of Tripping, 49er Section Head,Pioneer Section Head, Special EventsCoordinator, CIT Director,Administration Assistant, and Gopher, inaddition to fulfilling myriad other dutiesincluding boat driver, maintenanceassistant, and being the campphotographer. She even helped run thekitchen one summer. In all herpositions, she has always demonstratedher passion for Tamakwa, her devotionto the fun and safety of campers, and

her life-long love for Algonquin Park.“Ever since my first year at Tamakwa as aPioneer in 1973, every summer at Tamakwahas been and felt different,” says Libby.“Doing all the different jobs I’ve done overthe years has kept that feeling alive.”

Next summer, Libby will mark her 30th

year on staff but you’d never know it fromthe youthful attitude and exuberance that shestill brings to her work at camp. Togetherwith her husband, Ric von Neumann, Libbycontributes a lot to camp. And unlike almostall other staff members, Libby’s involvementwith Tamakwa is year-round. She, Ric, LenGiblin and Ken Elder, work throughout thefall, winter and spring on Tamakwa’sinfrastructure, improving it for the upcomingsummer.

Libby is the ultimate all-purpose staffmember. She’s a major asset all year long.Who knows what she’ll be called on to donext summer? Whatever it is, you can besure she’ll be doing it with her usual aplomband bonhomie.

Tamakwa’s 2006 BM contingent (left to right): Dylan Optican, ShaynDiamond, Josh Diamond, Jon Schwartz and Ari Shulman

2006 West Park Catering team with Head Chef Guy Tetreault (wearing yellow)

Richard Ellis and Mike Gallant (sous chef)

Fall 2006 South Tea Echo

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Fall 2006South Tea Echo

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Fall 2006 South Tea Echo

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And the winner is… Loon LodgeNew Tamakwa landmark is christened following

a torrent of suggested names BY VIC NORRIS

The big M factor at campPassing the torch from one generation to the next

as Margot takes over from Marilyn BY ROBERT SARNER

C all it a passing of thetorch of sorts. Atransition from one

generation to the next. Abenchmark moment in theevolution of Tamakwa.

That’s a bit how it feltin the camp office thissummer as MarilynMendelson spent her lastseason at camp whileMargot Perlmutter spent herfirst in her new role helpingto run the camp office aspart of the Tamakwaadministration.

“I don’t really have aformal title yet as I amreally just a woman intraining at the moment,”said Margot in August,sitting at her desk in thefront room of the office. “Iwatch, listen and learn fromMarilyn and try to absorb asmuch as I can. The officeteam as a whole helps tokeep camp running frombehind the scenes. Yes, weanswer phones, organizemail, buy and give out tuck,we patch up boo-boos forcampers and try to put outfires whenever needed butmostly, we simply try to dowhatever is neededthroughout the summer tokeep this place running andmake the campers happy.”

Of course, in her newposition, Margot’s workdoes not end when thesummer does. In the city,she works closely in theToronto office with herhusband, Craig, who justhappens to be the co-ownerand Camp Director ofTamakwa. Together, theyare responsible for thecountless tasks that go intopreparing for the nextseason of camp fromregistration to hiring toordering supplies andeverything else imaginableconnected to camp.

It may be a newposition for Margot atTamakwa but she’sanything but a stranger tothe place. It was exactly 20years ago that she firstcame to Tamakwa as an 11-year-old camper. Beingfrom Montreal and havingalways attended camp inQuebec until then, Margot

arrived at Tamakwa in 1986knowing nobody. She alsodidn’t know how Tamakwawould figure so prominentlyin her future.

Margot wasimmediately taken by theplace and ended up comingback the next sevensummers until 1994 andagain in 1997. It was in herfirst summer that she metCraig who her parents hadsuggested she look up atcamp as his parents werefriends with Margot’sfamily. As she was aPioneer and he was a Seniorboy, not much happenedthat first summer but theyremained friends on and offfor many years.

During Margot’s lastyear at Tamakwa in 1997,she went to Toronto on aday off and interviewed foran advertising companycalled Media Experts. Shegot the job, moved toToronto the week she gothome from camp andremained there for eightyears as a Director ofMedia Planning.

In 2001, Craig movedback to Toronto fromMichigan and soon he andMargot began dating,eventually getting married in2003. In recent years,Margot did her advertisingwork during the summerfrom camp while visitingCraig.

“Being a visitor and analumni at camp is a difficultposition,” says Margot, 31.“While I loved being able tovisit throughout thesummer, I didn’t love beinga visitor, unable to help. Itwas hard not being out andabout and getting involvedin the day-to-day camp life.Craig and I would oftenchat about how I couldmake Tamakwa a part ofmy life yet still maintain mycareer in advertising.”

Then, in the fall of2005, when Margot heardthat Marilyn was going toretire, she decided to makethe leap into camp full-time.Margot feels lucky at howthings have worked out forher.

“There are thousandsof alumni out there whodream about coming backto Tamakwa for a week, amonth or even a summer,and somehow, I have beenfortunate enough to nowmake this my life,” saysMargot. “I would also belying if I said I wasn’tscared and nervous aboutthe enormous task that liesahead. Marilyn has done anoutstanding job of keepingthis place running at fullspeed for the past 35 yearsand I can only hope that Iam somehow able to do thesame.”

There’s every reasonto believe she will.

In the previous issue ofThe South Tea Echo inthe fall of 2005, I

reported that Tamakwa hadjust erected two majorstructures that changed theface of camp. Ascontroversial and as gutwrenching as it was, theprocess includeddemolishing the first-everstructure built at Tamakwain 1936. It just could not bepreserved any longer. It hadoriginally housed OmerStringer and his crewduring the cold wintermonths when they began toclear land and erectbuildings for camp’s firstsummer in 1937. Thus,Tamakwa’s famed log cabinwas dismantled and the landcleared.

At the 11th hour, ourchief engineer, Ken Elder,proclaimed the site of thelog cabin – historically, theresidence of the campphysician and his/her familyand a connecting infirmary– was one of the mostscenic and beautiful settingsfor a unique structure thatcould be enjoyed by all ofcamp on a daily basis. As aresult, the site for the newstate-of-the-art medicalcenter was moved to thearea between the path to theswings and the camp radiostation, overlookingbeautiful Tetherball Valley.

The new medicalcenter was built with onestructure encompassing abeautiful physician’sresidence, nurses’ quarters,a clinic with triage room,medication dispensaryroom, exam rooms, andthree private infirmaryrooms, all winterized forvarious off-season uses.

In short order,ignoring architecturaldrawings, Ken Elder, LenGiblin, Ric and LibbySadick-von Neumann,undertook the challenge ofbuilding an outdoor scenicrec hall to which we gavethe interim name TamakwaPavilion. Phase 1 of thePavilion was completed intime for the summer of2006, the venue for manyoutdoor programs,productions, shows,movies, and outdoor dining,all of which could beenjoyed day or evening,silver or golden days.

However, the Pavilion

name was alwaysconsidered merely aprovisional one. It was notTamakwa enough. Notcampy enough. Just too“structural” sounding. Wewanted a real Tamawkaname. To that end, weinvited all campers andstaff, and even visitors onVisiting Day, to suggest afitting name for this newTamakwa landmark.

Literally, hundreds ofsuggestions were made. Wehave now gone over all thesubmissions and in the boxbelow are some of therunner-ups along with theirrespective authors.Beaver Pavilion – Dorothy and JulieStahlUnca Lou’s Lair – Lynn and SkipSigelThe House – Max NorrisThe Otter Slide – The FarbersThe Beaver - Connor SchramTea Box - Danny AronovitzKronk Corner – Anna AronovitzThe Algonquin – The Lax familyThe Beth (as in Beth Tamakwa) –RobHandler Hall – Brian Hermelin,Cindy Curtis Hughey, Judy GlassmanEtkinThe Kenny – Jonah SigelUnca Lou’s Lodge – The Farbers(again)Pine View – Anthony SigelBeaver Lodge – Max NorrisStringervillion – Bennett MagyLou’s Lodge – Josh Diamond, TheWaterfront CabinFirst Tamakwa Place (FTP) – AriDiamondLegacy Lodge – The Farbers (again)Star Lite Amphitheatre –Kestenberg FamilyWakondatorium – The FolbeFamily, Lauren DiamondThe Forum – The CaminetskysOmer Stringer Center – JoelyPulver and Gabi StoneHow How House – Weitz FamilyRed Roof Inn – Laura Grossman

All great, creativenames, to be sure. But inthe end, our choice for theages is... Loon Lodge. Asluck would have it, LoonLodge was suggested byDiane Bald. A designer andarchitect and wife of famedalumni Michael Budman ofRoots, with deep “roots” oftheir own in AlgonquinPark, Diane’s suggestedname is most fitting. Itevokes one of the mostpleasing, memorable soundsof an Algonquin summer:the call of the loon.

The loon is the birdthat most impresses those

familiar with AlgonquinPark. Just about every lakein the park has one or morepairs of loons. Their largesize and incomparably wild,stirring cries can be heardfrom miles away. Loons area daily sighting on SouthTea Lake.

The shrill of the uniquecalls of the loon reverberatethroughout camp and TeaLake from twilight tosunrise. This sound of theloon remains with Tamakwaalumni for the rest of theirlives. Not for nothing, theloon is part of the logo ofThe South Tea Echo.

The sight and sound ofa loon flapping along thewater to slow down to land,and to speed up to fly, issomething to behold. Theirwings are just long enoughto permit them to fly, buttheir underwater perfectionhave enabled the loon toadapt to a life of huntingfish deep below the clearwaters of Algonquin’s lakes.

Over the years, theloon has become a symbolof pristine Algonquin Park.It is envisioned that abeautiful mural of a loonwill soon adorn the LoonLodge entryway.

Many thanks to allthose who submitted namesand particularly to Diane forsuch a wonderful,appropriate name for thisnew Tamakwa landmark.

Postscript: This articlewould be incompletewithout mentioning we alsoreceived slews ofsubmissions bearing thename “Metrick Center”,presumably named afterAndrew Metrick, acounselor at Tamakwa in2006. Sorry Andrew, whileyou were a great counselor,your corporate-soundingname wasn’t fitting for thislandmark, aestheticTamakwa structure. Thus,the voluminous Metricksubmissions, while thenumber one vote getter, justdidn’t cut it. Don’t feelbadly, however. You were ingood company with thenames such as Unca Lou,Omer, Ken, etc.

Finally, we appreciatethat Diane made hersuggestion of Loon Lodgerather than defer to herhusband Michael Budman’sproposed name “RootsLodge!”

The 2006 office team: Sue Binder, Margot Perlmutter, Ashley Mueller, Marilyn Mendelson

Fall 2006South Tea Echo

9

A man named JeffTamakwa would be a much poorer place

without Mr. Personality PlusBY ROBERT SARNER

F or a camp to shine, itneeds characters.Individuals who ooze

with personality. Larger thanlife figures who have acommanding presence, agreat sense of humour, anda passion for what they do.People who love camp, lovethe shtick and, above all,love interacting with thekids and staff. In short,people who enhance thecamp experience.

Tamakwa is fortunatefor having always attractedits fair share of characters,and bringing out the best inthem. In recent years, muchto the benefit of camp, JeffAvigian has been one of theleading characters atTamakwa.

It’s easy to understandwhy. Given his warmth,irrepressible energy andsense of decency, Jeff is atrue people person. Top it alloff with his caustic, shoot-from-the-hip humour in hisunmistakable Massachusettsaccent, and you get an ideaof what Jeff contributes tocamp.

Jeff had never heard ofTamakwa nor even been toa summer camp until 2002when he met ProgramDirector Les Hartsman bychance at a casino in theBahamas where both wereon vacation. A few monthslater, Jeff began hisTamakwa career as LandSports Director. He fit in

immediately and quicklybecame one of the mostpopular staff members.

“I had a pretty easytime adjusting becauseeverybody made me feelwelcome,” says Jeff, 35,who comes from Salem,just north of Boston. “Itwasn’t like I was segregatedfor being an American or forbeing non-Jewish. I reallyappreciated the way I wasaccepted when I first camehere.”

As a hardcore BostonRed Sox fan, his biggestadjustment at camp was notbeing able to watch his teamduring the summer. Jeff,who coaches sports teamsin Boston and loves playingsports, (especially baseball),says the greatest shock incoming to Tamakwa fromthe US was discovering justhow passionate Canadiansare about hockey.

“I mean, it’s the middleof July and Craig is makingan announcement in theDining Hall about [NHLplayer] Eric Lindros. I justcould not believe it.”

Before Tamakwa, Jeffspent most of his teenagesummers playing orworking at a golf courseand then once he got out ofcollege, he spent mostsummers going to the beachnear his home. Now, he’salmost a fixture at camp.

“If I didn’t like thecampers, I wouldn’t be at

Tamakwa,” says Jeff, whoworks as a high schoolmath teacher in Danverse,Mass. “I spend 10 monthsof the year in the cityworking with kids. If Ididn’t like kids, I wouldn’tbe doing either job.”

Jeff seems in hiselement at Tamakwa wherehe is anything but inhibited.“What I like about Tamakwais that it’s a place where Ican act like a kid. It’simportant not to be afraid tomake a fool of yourself.I’ve never thought tomyself, ‘Well, I should notdo this or I shouldn’t saythat because of what peoplewill think of me.’ Myattitude is just do what youwant to do withoutworrying about what otherpeople are thinking of you.”

He doesn’t have toworry as far as Tamakwa isconcerned, seeing howpopular he is.

“Sometimes I dothings or say things that Iknow are going to get a riseout of people, either a laughor just to stir the pot,” saysJeff. “I enjoy stirring the potjust a little. As long as theyenjoy it, that’s what’simportant.”

When pressed, Jeffadmits that somewhereinside of him is a frustratedstand-up comedian trying toget out to perform, such aswhen he hosted theSaturday Night Liveproduction at camp.

“About six or sevenyears ago, I actually thoughtseriously about becoming acomedian,” says Jeff. “Iwent to a few ‘open mic’nights in Boston andperformed. I got a fewlaughs but nothingmaterialized.”

After spending his firsttwo summers at Tamakwaas Land Sports Director, hebecame Voyageur Sectionhead in 2004 and 2005before his most recentposting. “Last summer(2006) as CIT Director wasa real eye-opener,” saysJeff. “It’s the first time Ireally understood how hardthe CITs work. Without adoubt, they are the hardestworking people at camp andI don’t think they receivethe credit they deserve.”

Jeff says it’s unlikelyhe’ll be back next summerbut then again he said prettymuch the same thing in2005 and yet returned forhis fifth Tamakwa summerin 2006.

“I promised myselfafter 2005 that I would notcome back,” Jeffacknowledges. “I was justgetting too old. It wasgetting too tough. There’sno down time for me.Literally, the day I get out ofschool, I have to leave thenext day for camp. Thenwhen I get back fromcamp, I have to return toschool the next day. If campwere shorter or mysummers were longer, thenmaybe I would come back.”

It’s safe to say thatmost Tamakwans arehoping Jeff finds a way tobe back at camp in 2007. Itwouldn’t be the samewithout him.

Tamakwa on wheelsA tribute to those tireless workhorses that make camp life

that much easier for select staff. BY ROBERT SARNER

Something aboutsummer camp andcars just don’t quite

go together. Fortunately atTamakwa, due to its water-accessible only location,campers and staff neverhave to see a car on theshores of South Tea. That’snot to say there are no 4-wheel vehicles cruisingthrough camp, just not thenoisy, gas-guzzling, airpolluting kind.

Last summer, certainTamakwa staff could beseen whizzing around campon golf carts whileperforming various duties.By now, these vehicles arepart of a hollowed tradition,with a pride of place atTamakwa. Sometimesthey’re deployed to schleppsome supplies somewhereor simply for a staffmember to go from Point Ato Point B faster than itwould take to walk whentime is of the essence.

Tamakwa’srelationship with golf cartsdates back nearly half acentury. In the late 1950s,Lou Handler’s sister Estaneeded help getting arounddue to the leg braces shewore because of polio. Ared gas-powered, tiller-steergolf cart proved an idealsolution for Esta. It gotabout 200 miles to thegallon but its thin tires wereprone to flat tires on theunpaved, sometimes rockysurface, an affliction thatthe current fleet also suffersfrom.

Today, Tamakwa ishome to half a dozen carts,featuring different modelsfor different purposes. Thefleet includes three for useby Maintenance DirectorKen Elder, one for SeniorDirector Vic Norris, one forDavid Stringerto transportaround audio-visualequipment,and a moresubstantial onefor use fortransportationstaff and moreheftymaintenanceand technicalmatters. Allthe vehicleswerepurchasedsecond hand,

and are between five andten years old.

All of the carts havefour wheels and all arebattery powered except forDavid Stringer’s red cartand the Carry All, both ofwhich run on gas. Vic’svehicle, with its headlightsand rear seat, is consideredthe Rolls Royce of the fleet.It can go a long way andcarry a big load.

The carts performcountless functions inaddition to getting seniorstaff to places quickly.From hauling drinking waterto the ball field toschlepping things for an all-day program or to the RecHall for a play or carryingsmall loads of material andequipment for maintenance,the vehicles are trueworkhorses during thesummer. They get to rest upduring the winter when thecarts hibernate in the DiningHall.

Veteran Tamakwan andcart driver David Stringer isthe resident expert on thevehicles.

“We had a lot oftrouble with the cartsinitially,” says David. “Itwas a challenge keepingtheir little tires inflated withall the nails around camp.But now flat tires are undercontrol since we startedusing a miracle goop in thetires that automatically sealsleaks.”

David enjoys telling thestory from the early 1980swhen Vic got a white golfcart that he had fitted with aCB radio. “One day, Viclearned about golf cartbreaks the hard way,”recalls David. “You canactually get going fasterdown a hill than the breakscan handle. Vic discovered

this during flag raising withthe whole camp watchingas he inadvertently drovethe cart into the lake. Werescued it, and it actuallylasted a few more years.”

One of the trademarkgolf cart images of recentsummers has been Davidand his son Alex sitting inhis cart making musictogether.

“We use the golf cartbecause it’s comfortable forsitting. It’s like having alittle couch,” says David.“When Alex and I practiceour instruments, we usuallysit there as it’s alwaysparked near the radio stationwhere we lock ourinstruments away and it’s anice place to sit and play.”

Despite hismisadventure on a cart 25years ago, Vic is a masterof maneuvering his vehicleon the sometimes-inhospitable camp terrain.

“My earliest memoryof golf carts at camp wasthe bright red 3-wheeledcart used by Esta alongwith her dog Foo Foositting in the front seat,”says Vic. “Over the years,David Stringer has becomethe captain of the fleet.While the fleet includes sixvehicles, they aren’t usedthat often, go largelyunnoticed and are quiet.

No one can keep a cartrunning longer than Davidand Ken Elder, that’s forsure. I know driving myown cart into the lake themorning of Visiting Day inthe early 80s is the mostfamous Tamakwa golf cartstory. Unfortunately,absolutely no one accountsfor the hundreds of timesI’ve gone downTransportation Hill withoutincident.”

Tamakwa golf cart pioneerEsta Kraft with son Charlie and

husband Mike Kraft standing

Tamakwa golf cart pioneerEsta Kraft with son Charlie and

husband Mike Kraft standing

Fall 2006 South Tea Echo

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What’s in a name?Good question when it comes to how and why Unca Lou

chose to call his camp ‘Tamakwa’ BY ROBERT SARNER

What’s in a name?Good question when it comes to how and why Unca Lou

chose to call his camp ‘Tamakwa’ BY ROBERT SARNER

DAVID STRINGERSon of Omer Stringer, Davidspent his first summer atTamakwa in 1950 when he was2 years old. Since then, he’sspent every summer thereexcept one. He is theAssociate Director of Tamakwaand in the off season lives inToronto.“No one living knows theorigin of the nameTamakwa. When Lou cameup with it, it might havebeen just a fun thing orserious thing. It might havecome out of a book. A lot ofthe books about summer

camp lore at that time werewritten by people whodidn’t know anything aboutnative culture. It might havecome out one of thosebooks. I’m pretty sure‘Tamakwa’ doesn’t mean‘beaver cutting wood’.There’s an off chance itmight mean ‘beaver’ insome native Indian dialect. Ireally don’t know.”HOWARD PERLMUTTERFather of current CampDirector Craig, Howard spenthis first summer at Tamakwa in1955 as a tripper. Since 1980,he has played a key role in

Tamakwa’s administration.“I don’t have the slightestidea how Lou came up withthe name. I never asked norhave I heard of the originbut I think the wordTamakwa has a good lilt toit. Certainly, if it means‘beaver cutting wood’, thereare lots beavers and beaverdams on South Tea Lake soperhaps the local folklorehad something to do with it.I would love to find out ifthat’s what it means andwhy Lou chose it.

When I negotiated thepurchase of camp in 1980with Vic and Dave, weconsulted our lawyers bothin Toronto and Detroit todetermine if the nameTamakwa was registered inboth Canada and the UnitedStates. We were surprisedto learn that it had neverbeen registered. As soon aswe bought the camp, weregistered the name, both inCanada and the US.” Since1980, he’s played a role inits administration.

MAX BARDENSTEINFirst came to Tamakwa in 1947when he worked as LandSports Director. Returned in1949 as a section head and in1950 and 1951, he was Co-Head Counselor. Now a retiredorthopedic surgeon, he andhis wife Rena live in Detroit.“There was some storyabout how Lou chose thename and the fact is I onceknew the answer. One ofLou’s friends in Detroit inthe 1930s – Irwin Shaw –who worked at the localFresh Air Camp once toldme the story but it was solong ago that I no longerhave any recollection.”

RONNIE WEISSSpent 26 summers at Tamakwa,starting as a camper in 1952and finishing his career asProgram Director in 1977. Heand his family live in Detroit.“I think that Tamakwa is anAlgonquin Indian word thatin English means ‘beavereating wood.’ This is just aguess because no one seemsto know for sure. Likenobody seems to know ifSam McGee was real or

not. My guess is that whenLou and Omer [Stringer]paddled along the shores ofSouth Tea Lake looking fora site for the camp, theymust have seen a beavereating wood.

For them, that wasprobably just the epitome ofall nature and what it was allabout up in Algonquin Park.Somehow Lou probablytracked down an Indiantranslation for that, found itand named the campTamakwa. It’s probably themost meaningful name inmy life given how importantthe camp is to me and whatI am.”LOU ROSENFirst came to camp in 1941 asa counselor. He returned as asection head in 1946 – 1947and 1952 – 1960. His wife Lilalso worked at camp duringthe 1950s. In 1965, Lou wasthe CIT and Program Director.Today, they live in Florida.“It’s something of adilemma. I wish I knew butapart from knowing whatthe word is supposed tomean, I don’t even recallever knowing how Louchose Tamakwa as thename.”EDIE STRINGER90 years old, lives in TorontoEdie was married to OmerStringer for 40 years until hepassed away in 1988. Today,she lives in Toronto. Her sonDavid and grandson Alex arevery much part of thecontemporary Tamakwa scene.“All I seem to remember isthat Lou was tossing aroundvarious names beforechoosing Tamakwa. Louwanted an Indian name. It’spossible that Tony Bernard,a native Indian who wasthere at the beginninghelping Lou and Omer setup the South Tea site for thecamp, may have had someinfluence on Lou.”MARILYN MENDLESONRecently retired after being acentral pillar at Tamakwa forthe past 35 years. She firstcame to Tamakwa in 1969 as asecretary before becoming CITDirector and then AssistantCamp Director. In the early1980s, she received years off

for good behaviour andreturned in 1986. Today, shelives in Detroit.“I have no idea at all howLou chose the name. Myguess is that he probablypicked up a book, cameacross the word and said,‘That’ll work’. And thatsomehow after that thename took hold.”

KAL BANDALENEKal followed his wife Ada,Unca Lou’s assistant andincredible camp personality,to camp in 1957. Kal and Adathen spent another 20 yearstogether at Tamakwa asdirectors.“I don’t know the definitiveanswer. But based on what Iremember, Omer Stringerwas probably the source ofthe name. Having grown upin Algonquin Park, Omerknew the Algonquin dialectand at some point early onin his relationship with Lou,he related the word to himin some reference that theAlgonquin natives used forbeavers working or cuttingwood.

Lou never reallyspelled out exactly themoment and the way hedecided to use the wordTamakwa as the camp’sname but putting two andtwo together and based onknowing Lou so well, this ismy educated guess.”DAVID BALEA camper and counselor atTamakwa in the 1960s and 70s,David was Co-owner and Co-Director from 1980 until 2004.Formerly from Detroit, Davidnow lives in Toronto with hisfamily. His children Ari, 10, andYafa, 8, are current campers.“Lou was many things butabove all he was a naturalistintimately knowledgeableabout Algonquin Park. Ihave to believe that when henamed Tamakwa, he had inmind that beavers andbeaver ecology are apredominant element inAlgonquin Park and TeaLake in particular.

About half way downthe western shore there’salways been a large, ratheractive beaver lodge. It’sbeen there as long as I’vebeen at camp. Lou used toteach us the “Indian Jstroke” (a silent variation ofthe J-stroke) just so wecould paddle close enoughand not scare off thebeavers.

And then of coursethere is the nearby BeaverDam, which used to be aconstant destination forcookouts and dayexcursions. If you followthe babbling brook thatempties into that cove alongthe western shore and walkup along the creek, it leadsto an enormous beaver dam.

Knowing Lou, hesurely had in mind thecamp’s immediateenvironment and researchedthe actual word Tamakwa,which is probably fromeither the Ojibway orAlgonquin languages (bothindigenous to the OttawaValley area).

I do know that‘Ahmek’ in the samelanguage means ‘beaver’. Iimagine Tamakwa is aderivative of that. Of

course, Ahmek is also thename of Taylor Statten’sboys camp on Canoe Lakewhich predated Tamakwaand from which Lou drew alot of inspiration and ritualsthat became Tamakwa-ismslater on.”JOHN FANNINGBegan his Tamakwa career in1959 as a canoe tripper. Whilethere, he met Elaine Bowman,the camp secretary. They latermarried and remained activeTamakwans in various rolesuntil 1978. They are now bothretired and live in Toronto.“It was late September1936. Lou and Omer hadbeen scouring Algonquin fornearly a month now for asuitable site for Lou’s campproject. It was frustrating.They had examined so manysites and each had its owndrawbacks.

Just at sunset thatmemorable day they paddledaround the point on SouthTea and spotted the baywhere Tamakwa nowstands. “That lookspromising,” said Lou, everthe optimist.

“It does,” agreedOmer. “But we’re going toget caught by darkness.Let’s camp some place andcheck it in the morning.”

Then they noticed onthe right-hand shore, (at aspot that later became 49erPoint), a thin trail of smokerising from a campfire intothe gathering gloom. “Let’ssee who’s there,” saidOmer. “Maybe we can sharethat spot.”

As they slid their canoegently onto the shore, an oldIndian rose from the fireand came down to greetthem. He knew what theywanted and beckoned themashore.

An hour later, withdinner over, the tent up andtheir sleeping bags spreadout over Omer’s boughbeds, all three men lit theirpipes and settled in by thefire in the growingdarkness. It was a chillyAlgonquin evening, thesilence broken only by thecrackling of the fire and theoccasional haunting call of aloon.

Then, there was anunexpected, at firstunfamiliar sound that camefrom the direction of thebay that Lou and Omerintended to examine in themorning. It was a sort ofrhythmic grinding soundbroken at intervals by a fewseconds of silence. Itechoed across the bay.

“What’s that, Omer?”asked Lou.

Omer listened carefullyfor a moment. “I think it’s abeaver at work,” he replied.The old Indian nodded.“Tamakwa!” he exclaimed.

And the rest, as theysay, is history.”JIM WIENNERWas one of the original groupof campers who attendedTamakwa in 1937 andcontinued for several moresummers until early 1940s.Today he lives in Florida.“I don’t have the foggiestidea of how Lou choseTamakwa as the name buthe certainly came up with awinner. It’s a great name,

What’s in a name?Good question when it comes to how and why Unca Lou

chose to call his camp ‘Tamakwa’ BY ROBERT SARNER

Sometimes such is the strong, timeless appeal of aname that no one even questions how it came to be.It just is. Sometimes a name is so intrinsically

associated with a place that it becomes inseparable from it.Sometimes a name seems just preordained, as if it werecreated for the place it denotes, as if it existed forever orthat some divine power was behind its designation.

Tamakwa is such a name. Just looking at the word,let alone pronouncing it, immediately conjures up a slew ofpositive images and associations.

For years, I’ve been coming to Tamakwa, writingabout its past and present for the camp website and theSouth Tea Echo, sending my children there and then lastsummer it dawned on me: I had never once heard how andwhy Lou Handler chose the word Tamakwa to name hiscamp in 1936. I was puzzled. I had heard so much aboutLou and his inspiring ways but never a word about such abasic aspect about his most lasting creation.

Sure, like most Tamakwans, I’d long been told thename Tamakwa supposedly meant “beaver cutting wood”in some half-forgotten native Indian language. But thatdidn’t really answer my question.

I figured that finding the answer would be a prettystraightforward exercise. Seeing how the camp has soadmirably preserved Lou’s legacy and many of hiscustoms, I figured all I had to do was to consult any oneof the many veteran Tamakwans who know so muchabout the camp’s history. I thought my question would bea no-brainer, easily answered.

I started with the usual suspects but the answer wassurprisingly elusive. Little did I realize at first that it wouldbe a long, lonely pursuit. The more I asked, the more Iwanted to know. The more people who could not answerthe question, the more determined I was to find out.

It also prompted my curiosity about what Tamakwareally meant, and whether “beaver cutting wood” was thetrue translation. I decided to contact various native Indiansources. A real eye opener awaited me. It proved more ofan odyssey than I expected at the outset.

In the end, one of the last Tamakwans I spoke toseemed to have an explanation about how the name waschosen for camp. But even he admitted he did not hear itdirectly from Lou although his source was prettyunimpeachable.

Here then are the answers, presented in the order Ireceived them. I welcome any other Tamakwans whomight know the answer to email me at echo@tamakwa.comso I can include it in the next issue of the South Tea Echo.

Fall 2006South Tea Echo

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exhilaration, friendships,and the experiences childrencontinue to have from thetime they step out of thepointers onto the shores ofSouth Tea until thetraditionally gloomy silverdeparture day, remains aswonderful and timeless asever.

And then there isencountering Tamakwanson a daily basis throughoutthe years who typicallyinsist when they recognizeme from their youthfulcamp days or learn that Iam one of Tamakwa’sowners, that their Tamakwasummers “were the bestdays of their life.”

People continuallycomment that their closestfriends and most enduringrelationships are thoseformed during their goldendays at Tamakwa. And ofcourse, we like to think thatin addition to camp beingfun, generations ofTamakwans acquired notjust camp skills during theircamper and staff days, butwhere they acquired thetools to accomplishcountless milestones andthe foundation for theirgrowth and development asindividuals.

And so with this 5th

issue of the South TeaEcho, we shall officiallycommence the planning ofTamakwa’s 75th Reunion.Hopefully, the Tamakwaspirit will bring peopletogether to plan and reunitefor this benchmark event,and again enjoy anotherfabulous Tamakwa memory.

To this end, we needto begin assembling the 75th

Anniversary TamakwaReunion committee and alsodo some fact-finding vis-à-vis a 75th Anniversaryquestionnaire. To that end,we are sending out aquestionnaire with this issueof The South Tea Echo andask that you mail or fax itback to either of ouroffices. Also, it’s availableon our website in theAlumni Section and atwww.tamakwa.com/75thquestionnaire.html.Your input is essential tomake the reunion one of thegreat Tamakwa events of alltime. Needless to say, it willrequire the efforts of notonly a planning committee,but numerous others aswell.

Finally, I would beremiss if I did not thank oureditor Robert Sarner onbehalf of all Tamakwanseverywhere, for anotherwonderful issue of TheSouth Tea Echo, anaccumulation of memories,stories, and photos from2006, Tamakwa’s 71st

summer. We are fortunateto have within the Tamakwafamily a professionaljournalist who, along withhis wife Galya and childrenAviv, Shani and Etai, havebecome such wonderfulfriends and a beloved andimportant Tamakwa family.Vic NorrisSenior Director

On the horizonContinued from page 2 To eat a bagel again with Zim

You haven’t experienced the full Tamakwa experience withoutattending Post Camp BY STEVE GOULD

T he first time I steppedon the pointer was in

late June 1983. Istepped on it again lastAugust for the first time in14 years and 23 years aftermy initial pointer voyage. Ican’t tell who was drivingthe pointer in 1983, but itwas Sue Binder in 2006…and she wouldn’t let medrive!

Unlike manyTamakwans, I started myTamakwa voyage at a laterage. My first summer atcamp was when I was 15. Ientered the Tamakwa clubas a Senior ‘Man’. At leastthat’s what we calledourselves. The summer was1983 and David Bowie andThe Police were playing allsummer long with a littleSqueeze mixed in.

Flash forward to 2006.I still have David Bowie,The Police and Squeezeplaying. Now they are onmy iPod. For me, it hadbeen 14 years since I laststepped foot on the shoresof South Tea and yet, here Iwas back at CampTamakwa. It felt reallygood.

I had friends there togreet me, some even singingWe Welcome You (ThanksLisa and Mia) What a wayto enter camp! And Craigbeing the kind soul that heis, even put me back inBayview for the weekend!(By the way, Craig, when Ireturn for Post Camp again,I want a Main Camp cabin.)

In 1983, we were thefirst residents of Bayview,then the most modern cabinto date with the best viewand facilities to boot. Toobad for us that we sawmore of Ken Elder that yearthan anyone else in camp ashe continued to work onfinishing the Biffys. We hadBeaver Dock for bathing,the trees outside the cabinfor peeing, and we had totrudge along the‘treacherous’ path to go‘number 2’. But honestly,no one seemed to mind.(That path seemed evenmore treacherous when Ireturned to it this past PostCamp.) Funny thing is thatin 2006, 23 years later, the

Biffy barely worked inBayview and the showersthat were once there weregone. Bayview had comefull circle.

When we got there,the counselor quarters hadbeen spoken for, and havinglived a whole summer upthere in 1987, I was happyto let Fluffy et al inhabit thespace. I was even happierabout that decision once Iheard Joel Awerbucksnoring that first night. So,I picked the same bed Islept in 23 years ago forPost Camp. It probably wasthe same mattress, too. Onthe other side of Bayviewwere some younger folk Ihad never had the pleasureof spending time with atcamp…until Post Campthat is. Double D, what aguy, he can freestyle withthe best of them.

That’s the beauty ofPost Camp. You minglewith all generations and getsomething out of it nomatter who you are talkingto. I spent time talking withLarry Levite, Midge, Libby,Sue Binder, You KnowBain? and Double D…Tamakwa through the ages.

It was Friday whenwe arrived and being on thePost Camp committee gaveme the opportunity toorganize the Friday nightservice. I have to say that Ihave never been part of aservice quite like that one. Istarted the night with aheartfelt homage to PostCamp. The servicecontinued with humourfrom “Haus” – I rememberlaughing although I’m notsure why – a terrific ode toFriday Night Dinnersthrough the ages atTamakwa from Zim andthen the ageless words ofwisdom from the ElderStatesman himself, LarryLevite; words tolive by.

One story Iwas happy toshare this pastPost Camp wasabout one of thebest canoe trips Iever had withanother PostCamp attendee,

Jon Zimmerman. Zim cameto camp in 1986 as a SCand returned in 1987 as aTripper. The Senior Boys of1987 were lucky enough tohave him as their tripper forthe first canoe trip of thesummer and the first trip ofZim’s Tripping career. Wehad a 5-day ‘experience’that clogged our systemsfor the rest of the firstmonth. Zim packed bagels,cheese and PB & J. We hadnothing else to eat otherthan those items after thefirst day.

I have witnessed manythings on the shores ofSouth Tea… the entirecamp inventing a cheercalled “I Want Hot Cocoa”;becoming a ‘Bacon Eater’;going out on Storm Rescuemissions; waking up to aBear Trap right beside mycabin; a lunchtime beartrying to get into Cheers;night rides on the Golf Cartto the Ball Field; driving thenight pointers full afterTown Night through thethickest fog ever (manythanks to Corey Ray fornavigating)! I evenwitnessed Craig’s first yearon Head Staff, and look athim now.

Camper, CIT, ForesterJC and SC, Senior Boy SC,Ranger SC and finally fouryears as CIT director, Ihave lived through everypart of Tamakwa. Now Ican add Post Camp to thatlist.

The amazing thingabout Tamakwa is that nomatter when your journeybegins, it will continueforever. Great friends andgreat memories are madeevery summer and with myfirst return to Post Campthis past summer, all thosefriends and memories wererekindled, including eatingbagels with Zim.

and despite the passage ofso much time, it has notaged.”RON TRUNSKYBetween 1942 and 1952, Ronspent five summers as acamper and four as acounselor. From 1961 - 1963,he was the camp doctor.Today, he is a psychiatrist inWest Bloomfield, Michigan.“I can’t say with 100percent certainty that this isthe definitive explanation asI didn’t hear it directly fromLou but I do think this is themost likely answer. I heardit from Omer (Stringer) in1947 during a canoe trip wetook out that summer fromcamp. I remember that wewere sitting around thecampfire one evening and Iwas asking Omer about thehistory of Tamakwa.

Omer explained how in1936 he and Lou hadbecome good friends whilethey both worked at CampArowhon and how Lou hadasked him for help inlooking for a suitable site inAlgonquin Park for hiscamp project. Omer tookLou to various locations andeventually they paddled pastthe sand cliffs on South TeaLake where the Slope istoday and Lou was taken bythe site.

During that time, Omertold Lou that the animal thatmost impressed him in thePark was not the moose,nor the deer or the wolf butrather the beaver. He tookLou to the beaver dams atOtter Slides to show himhow industrious the beaverwas. Omer told Lou abouthow hard working thebeaver was and said headmired the animal for its

native Indian languages andHistory ProgramCoordinator at the NativeCanadian Centre of Toronto.“The word ‘makwa’coupled with the prefix ‘ta’almost certainly means‘where the bear resides’ or‘bear den’. The odds are abillion to one that ‘makwa’could mean another animalapart from a bear in any ofthe other indigenouslanguages of NorthAmerica.”

She suggested it waspossible that Lou took somecreative and well-meaninglicense when coming upwith the camp’s name andperceived meaning.

“In the 20th century, itwas quite common forpeople to pay homage toindigenous people bycreating an indigenous-sounding name withoutnecessarily staying true tothe original meaning andspelling of the original wordor expression.”

Harold Perry,Honourary Chief of theArdoch Algonquin FirstNations Tribe, also said‘makwa’ means ‘bear’.“There’s no way you canget ‘beaver’ out of‘makwa.’,” says Mr. Perry.“There are many examplesof ‘makwa’ meaning ‘bear’.Just look at the MakwaCommunity Centre at theGolden Lake Reserve nearAlgonquin Park and you’llsee the bear is the symbol.In our language, the wordfor beaver is ‘ahmek’.”

Tony Carufel, ateacher at the Ojibwaylanguage teacher inWisconsin and Madeline

tenacity and resource-fulness. And from that, Iunderstood that Lou wasinspired to call his camp“working beaver” or“Tamakwa.” He actually hadthe symbol before the name.Maybe they asked a localIndian to translate ‘workingbeaver’ into an Indianlanguage and came up withTamakwa. I’m not surewhat Indian language theword comes from.”

* * * * *The last answer is the

closest I could come tosolving the riddle. Or so Ithought. And even then,some shadow of doubtremains. But then the plotthickened and even Ron’sexplanation looked less likelyafter I turned to variousaboriginal sources to see ifTamakwa meant ‘Beaver’ or‘Beaver cutting wood’.

“It’s indisputable that‘makwa’ is the word for‘bear’ in any indigenouslanguage connected to theAlgonquin languageterritory,” says MonicaBodirsky, an expert on

Wemigwans, ResearchAssistant at the WikemikongHeritage Organization inMantoulin Island in Ontario,both also confirmedseparately that ‘makwa’means ‘bear’ and that ‘ta’‘makwa’ means ‘where thebear resides’.

My quest was takingme in new, unexpectedplaces. I was discoveringthere was a lot more thanmeets the eye when I lookedat the camp’s logo. And itwould seem that themystery might persistforever. Unless of coursethere are any veteranTamakans out there whoknow how Lou chose thename and can comeforward with the answer.

While they’re at it,maybe they could alsoexplain why Tamakwa wasfor all these years believedto mean ‘beaver cuttingwood’.

Then again, maybe noone knows and Lou took theanswers with him to hisgrave. I asked Wakonda buthis lips are sealed.

Post Camp alumni (left to right): David Bain, Lee Krelstein and Jonah Sigel

Post Camp alumni (left to right):Jessica Park, Molly Linden, Lisa Kantor

August “12-and-under” Intercamp co-ed soccer team

Fall 2006 South Tea Echo

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Rising to theoccasion

Amid great anticipation, Tamakwa athletes dothe green and white proud in sportcompetitions against other camps

BY CRAIG PERLMUTTER

Schedules are beingprinted, signs arebeing made, lines are

being drawn on the field,equipment is gettingorganized, new balls emergefrom the sports shed,cheering at breakfast is at ahigh decibel level, the officeis being surrounded by staffand campers muttering “Didthey call yet?” or “Maybethey’re lost” or “Did I missthe bell?” or “Who’s drivingthe boats?”… This is theanticipation of another bigday at Camp Tamakwa…Intercamp Day.

Last summer’sintercamp days werehighlights for many camperand CIT athletes as well asstaff coaches and referees.We had two fantastic dayswith Camp Manitou forolder campers (and CITs)and two great days withCamp Walden for youngercampers. We have builtsuch camaraderie with ourintercamp “rivals” that it’shard to really call thosedays “competition”. Theteams respect each otherand are gracious in defeatand in victory.

With Tamakwa’s oldercampers competing againstManitou, the latest crazewas a set of two highlyanticipated boys’ and girls’volleyball matches on bothdays. With “franchisecamper/athletes” like JakeSachse and Marissa Sieckon our side, the spotlightwas bright on the volleyballcourt. There were four verytight games all summer withvictories shared 50/50between Tamakwa andManitou. The girls shouldhave won on our homecourt, but rumour has it ourvery own referee Trav Tranmissed a call to send us offthe court with a loss after along week of gruesomepractices with hardcorecoach Shayn Diamond. Wealso split two highlycontested roller hockeygames as the home courtadvantage proved to bequite valuable. Basketballwas highly competitive aswell with home teams againtaking their respectivegames. Our Voyageurbasketball team dominatedmore than any other

summer. Great work boys!Tamakwa’s younger

athletes did very well inboth full days of gameswith Walden and we weremost successful inbasketball and roller hockey.Our farm team was calledup to play softball as manyof the veterans were onlong canoe trips but theyheld their own in goodfashion.

When our bus finallypulled into the right camp,our kids played hard andswept everything besidesboys hockey, which is anincredible feat and all of ourathletes should be veryproud of themselves. Aftera $500 McDonald’s tab theday before, they definitelyhad a lot of energy to workoff!

Both days ofcompetition with Waldenwere fantastic, but the busride home always proves tobe the hardest part, as it’salmost a 3-hour journey.

In keeping withtradition, there wereintercamp days with CampArowhon. We always lovesharing our camps witheach other since we’re justa war canoe ride away. It’snot easy to paddle toanother camp on a day ofcompetition but our kidsand staff representedTamakwa very well.

In addition, for thefirst time in recent history,Tamakwa’s staff basketballteam, typically muchsmaller than the Arowhonstaff, actually won highlyanticipated games, both atArowhon and on our homecourt. Solid work everyone!

The best part ofintercamp for those whotravel for a day to anothercamp is always getting backonto the pointer androunding the bend. It’s agreat feeling to head back tocamp to see theTransportation Dock filledwith campers and staffwanting to welcomeeveryone back home and tosee how our teams fared.Thanks to Shoggy, his staffand over 100 athletes fromboys’ camp and girls’ campfor another amazingsummer of intercampgames.

Out of camp, out of this worldNothing beats a long canoe trip when it comes to getting the ultimate Algonquin Park

experience far from everything except the breathtaking wilderness.BY ROBERT SARNER

I t’s just one of thosethings. If you’ve neverdone it before, you can

never really understand theeuphoria of those who have.There are canoe trips, andthen there are long canoetrips. The longer the trip,the more intense, the moregratifying the experience.That was clearly the feelingexpressed by Voyageur boyswho went on their first-ever13-day canoe trip this pastsummer.

In early July, sixcampers, two counselorsand one tripper left camp inthree canoes destined forthe depths of AlgonquinPark. It would be one of thetop highlights of thesummer for all concerned,in no small part becausethey had to overcome someextremely challengingweather.

“This year, our canoetrips faced some toughweather, more than inrecent years,” says CanoeTrip Director Len Giblin.“We had a few storms rollthrough the Park but ourtrippers, staff and campersdid a fantastic job of dealingwith the elements. Theycarried on through everycanoe trip safely, havingincredible moments.”

It all adds to theexperience. It’s somethingto hear the campersexpound on what it meantto them. “The trip wasamazing,” says ConnorSakwa, a veteran of foursummers at Tamakwa. “We

all worked well together.There was no fighting. Wegot through the trip easily.The hardest part wasprobably the Joe Lakeportage on the way back tocamp because it was on ourfinal day and we were reallysad the trip was ending.”

The weather made forsome unforgettablemoments. “The mostmemorable experience wasduring a huge storm whenwe were on Big TroutLake,” adds Connor. “Wewere trying to get to ourcampsite and there were 4-foot high white caps hittingus from the side. It felt likewe were in the middle ofthe ocean. We thought thecanoes might capsize but itwas so much fun that wedidn’t really care.”

Those who went feltfortunate for theopportunity. “One of thegreat things of the trip wereall the amazing views youget being on the differentlakes,” says Scott Shlafer.“You also see a lot of coolanimals. We saw a bunch ofmoose. The other things Iliked about the trip was thefood, the fact you get a lotstronger, and just being ableto hang out with myfriends. On a trip like this,you get to know themdifferently. On trips, whenyou’re together, you findout what people are reallyall about. You learn how toreally work together. That’svery important.”

Although the days

included hours of paddlingand many portages (up to2,300 meters in length,sometimes on difficultterrain), none of thecampers complained aboutthe physical demands.

“I thought the trip wasamazing,” says BenSherman. “I loved it. All thekids were great and nice.They could all carry thepacks while the staffcarried the canoes. I justthought it was really funhow you could be out in thewilderness for 13 days andtravel so far in AlgonquinPark.”

While some thingshave changed at Tamakwaover the years, the benefitsderived from going on acanoe trip have not.

“It’s gratifying to seewhat the kids get from thetrips,” says Len Giblin.“Sure, if you’re on Day 10of a 13-day trip and you’reout there on Big Trout and

the waves are huge, it canbe a little scary for kids. Butthat’s part of it. Itcontributes to the sense ofaccomplishment when youget back, when you’ve gonethrough that. It’s all part ofthe adversity you deal with.Not every part of a trip isperfect. And that’s what it’sabout. It’s two weeks justgoing out there and dealingwith what you’ve got todeal with, and you get backand that’s what it’s about,that feeling ofaccomplishment, – that wedealt with it, we gotthrough this and we did ittogether, and that groupthing of doing it togethercreates those bonds andthose great memories oflong trips.”

Next summer, you canbe sure these kids will beamong the first to sign upfor the 15-day trip. Theywouldn’t want to miss it foranything.

August boys 15-day canoe trip: Tripper Mike McCarthy, CounselorsAndrew Sherman and Jon Franchi, Campers Harry Snider, Jake Moss,

Rory Diamond, Max Levine-Poch, Alex Stringer, Matthew Weisberg