Algonquin Provincial Park Camping Trip - Aug. 19-22, 2010
A generation ago, Glen Kawaguchi started the Algonquin Park canoe trip. Many people have fond memories of going on this trip and continue to talk about it to this day. For this reason, the summer trip to the wilderness has been resurrected. With supervision from Joanne Kataoka, Ray Nakano, Grace Taguchi, and Kim Wakabayashi, 11 youth set off for Algonquin Provincial Park on Aug. 19th. Of course there was the obligatory stop for lunch at the famous Webber’s hamburger shop north of Orillia. Thank goodness Webber’s has railway cars for dining because it was pouring rain and the sound of thunder was rumbling overhead. By the time we reached Whitefish Group Campground, the rain had abated and we were able to set up the tents and have dinner.
The sun came out on Friday morning and it was a perfect day for canoeing and kayaking. We paddled up the Madawaska River and portaged over a dam to Pog Lake. From there, we crossed Lake of Two Rivers and continued to High Falls. Everyone enjoyed lunch and a swim at the falls before we had to head back to our campsite. Since the night sky was clear, we were able to see many stars and eat s’mores around the campfire.
We awoke to the sound of rain on Saturday morning. We spent a considerable amount of time discussing how to set up additional tarps to keep everyone out of the rain. Using tree climbing, rock throwing and brute force, the gigantic tarp was hauled overhead just in time for the rain to stop. So, off we went for a walk on the Spruce Bog Walk where we saw a variety of vegetation and fungi. Next we went to the Visitor Centre and had lunch in the parking lot/picnic area. There was a boisterous game of cards in the evening under the tarp. Thanks go to Ray for bringing prizes for the winners.
Sunday morning brought more rain for the trip home. Even though there was rain, everyone had fun and learned how to prepare meals and clean up in an outdoor setting. For some people, it was a new experience to sleep in a tent. Now that we have had a little experience, we will be looking towards next years trip. We are hoping to do a wilderness-kayaking trip to Massasauga Provincial Park next year. We will leave the cars behind and venture off into the park with our kayaks and provisions. Thanks to all who helped make this trip possible and the Youth Dept. for subsidizing a portion of the trip.
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Camp Lumbini 2010 Oneness can be defined as the quality or state of being one. The term oneness reflects Camp Lumbini not only this year, but also every year. Despite campers being divided into teams competing against one another, each team serves a vital part in helping run camp. Every morning one group conducts service while at each meal, everybody takes turns either doing dishes or cleaning cabin 3. Although campers are always necessary to have Camp Lumbini, counsellors provide supervision and help organize activities especially the camp director Chris Uchida and the head counsellor Koji Goto. Finally, without the volunteer cooks Joanne Kataoka, Sandra Goto and Grace Taguchi, the campers and counsellors would have gone without food. The sub-theme of this year’s camp was the World Cup. Each group adopted a country’s name and competed against each other. Each team competed in the Camp Lumbini Olympics and participated in classic Camp Lumbini activities such as dodgeball, beach volleyball, janken relay race and team skits and cheers. This year, Team Spain was victorious by a narrow margin of half a point. Not all activities at Camp Lumbini are competitive. This year, Camp Lumbini welcomed Michael Hayashi sensei. Both Hayashi sensei and Rev. Fujii ran Buddhism 101 which allowed the campers to reflect on 1) oneness, 2) the state of consumerism which the western world has adopted and 3) our ancestors and the vastness of our family trees. Buddhism 101, however, was not the only non-competitive activity. This year, the Elmvale Drive-in celebrated its 50th anniversary playing Despicable Me. This year also saw the return of activities that have been successful in years past. Camp Lumbini once again had smaller outings to a mini golf course as well as 5-pin bowling. The mid-week outing was once again a canoe and kayak trip down the Nottawasaga River. The success of Camp Lumbini 2010 can be attributed to the efforts of all the people who attended. Without each and every one, camp would never be as successful as it is. During the week, campers and counsellors develop lasting friendships, fond memories and a sense of bonding and oneness. Every year, it is a pleasure for the counsellors and cooks to run camp. We look forward to welcoming seven new junior counsellors into the ranks next year and we always hope for new campers to attend Camp Lumbini. Stephen Taguchi Changes to the distribution of the Guiding LightIt was announced in the last few issues of the Guiding Light - we need to know if you still want to receive a paper copy of the monthly Guiding Light. You may not have noticed the article or just forgot to respond. It is still not too late! Please call the office at (416) 534-4302 if you want your subscription re-instated. You can also send an e-mail to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with “GL Mailing List request” in the subject line.
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