Quin-Mo-Lac's Alumni Newsletter

Quin-Mo-Lac's 74th season is almost here and we are so excited to get underway. Our summer camps are almost full with a few weeks reaching capacity in record time. Our property team has been hard at work with updates on the Director's House and the renovation of Shorten Williams. Our Personnel Committee is almost finished lining up the team that will usher our campers safely through the summer. The Program Committee have put their creativity and talent towards establishing our summer theme, "Building Bridges" and preparing for our first staff training event. Our Finance Committee have been making sure our bills our paid and the future of Quin-Mo-Lac is secure. And, finally, our Alumni Committee is seeking new ways to bring the community together and to celebrate the Quin-Mo-Lac legacy.

My journey to Camp Quin-Mo-Lac began as a nervous Seals camper. I had never been to an overnight camp before, and was notorious for never trying anything new (proven by my parents’ failed attempts to enroll me in ballet, soccer, and gymnastics). My first week had no shortage of homesickness, sitting out of activities, and picky eating. However, the friendships I made with my cabin mates supported me through the week, and encouraged me to return the next year.

My second year is when I recognized a leadership quality in myself that I never knew existed. My counsellors affectionately referred to me as one of them, and I began to dream about how my journey at Quin-Mo-Lac might continue. As I grew older through the Counsellor-In-Training program and my counselling years, so did my confidence, and my place in the Quin-Mo-Lac family. The purpose I found in the camp experience, friendship, and leadership, was instrumental to my personal growth. Returning after a break into the Assistant Director role, my camp journey became much less focused on my own growth, and more about the joy in the work itself: connecting with campers, helping staff learn, building community, and fostering a safe environment for adventure.

If it were not for camp, I would not be continuing my education in early childhood studies. I would not be hoping to stay in an outdoor education career stream. I would not be a crafter, a climber, or a mediocre ukulele player. I would not be who I am. And so I enter this new role with the goal of maintaining the values and functions of the camp experience for everyone from the campers to the directors, as I know the value at each stage. I will mark my success as an interim director in these ways: I will look to the past, and see how well I’ve maintained tradition, and people’s longstanding relationships with the camp; I will look to the present and note who felt safe, who had fun, and who learned something new; I will look to the future, and hope that the small mark I’ve made has guaranteed the success of the program. Then I will look back to the past once more, and tell homesick Nicole that we did something to be proud of.

We all get a little bit more weathered over the years and Quin-Mo-Lac is no exception. Shorten-Williams was a well-loved multipurpose space tucked under the songs and footsteps of the bustling dining hall. Most recently it has been the home of the summer office for the Director & Assistant Directors, the Nature room, the archives and a staff costume cupboard that is raided every day. The large meeting space has been used for staff training, CIT Bronze classes, U.C.W. gatherings, special day stations, an escape from extreme weather and a place for the staff to gather when they have a break. After many years of use and a COVID shutdown, Shorten Williams was showing its age and badly in need of a renovation. Our dedicated Property Committee put their heads together, made a plan and recruited QML alumnus, Ed Irwin, to spearhead the project. After months of hard work the space is taking shape and we hope to have it ready for a triumphant return this summer.

What memories of Shorten-Williams do you have? I remember nervously meeting my fellow counsellors for the first time in the large open space and hearing Wendell's booming voice saying 'Hey gang'! I remember bringing campers into the cool space on a hot day to play some quiet games. I remember the mad dash to the costume cupboard to find the best components for a wizard/mermaid costume. I remember a place where community and happiness happens, just like every other space at camp.

To complete the renovation in time for the 2024 season we need your help to bring this space fully back to life. We are launching a "Building Back Quin-Mo-Lac" campaign specifically to raise funds for this project. You can join the campaign by launching your own fundraiser to be shared on your social media accounts or you can make a donation of your own to the project. (Should more donations arrive at camp than is needed for the Shorten Williams project, they will be set aside for other building projects on the horizon).

by Molly Mackenzie

Building Bridges is the theme for the summer of 2024 and your QML Alumni Committee are determined to do just that. The past few years have introduced some challenges for coming together in person as an alumni group. Throughout the isolation of COVID, our camp community found unique and creative ways to keep our alumni strong and active supporters of Quin-Mo-Lac. This spring we are hoping to put Zoom meetings and online auctions behind us and bring alumni together again.

The “Community Connect Project” is a chance to bring pockets of alumni together wherever they may be. It’s a great way to meet new people who share a part of same legacy and to build new camp memories without having to travel. Let’s see how many communities we can pull together this spring & summer.

If you would like to launch a community connect event in your city or town here is what you need to do. Think of a cool idea of something fun to do and find a place where folks can come together for the event. Get in touch with camp to help you spread the word. Keep it simple and don’t forget that the QML story began over 74 years ago and continues today. In other words, be prepared for a wide range of ages and some enthusiastic participants. Any community can launch their own event and we will help you spread the word. Stay tuned to social media for more details of when the gatherings are coming to your city and share the news with any QML you know. We will update everyone on all the great community connect gatherings in our fall newsletter.

Kingston and Peterborough are up first and challenge Toronto & Ottawa to see who will be next?

• Peterborough Alumni – Thursday, May 9th at 6:30 pm. Please join us at the Riverview Park Disk Golf (1420 Water Street) for an evening of disc golf, ice cream and/or bracelet making (for those craftier alumni). Throw on your favourite QML gear and bring your own disk, or borrow a disc from the Public Library. When you arrive, find Kailee at the QML tent to sign in and get your ice cream (first come first serve). If you have any questions, please contact Kailee.

• Kingston Alumni – On Friday, May 17th, we are calling out all alumni to drop into the Merchant Taphouse at 7:30 pm. Come together for an evening of laughs, QML Trivia and making some new memories together. Please feel free to reach out to Shannon with any questions.

Looking forward to everyone coming together so let’s keep this moving from city to town to hamlet!

• Toronto Alumni – Contact Molly to help pick a “when and where” for a future GTA event in June.

It may sound like the plot line from an old special day, but I promise, this tale is perfectly true. Before returning to work at camp I would stumble across fellow QML alumnus in the strangest ways. A glimpse of a camp shirt in a busy airport, a familiar face at a hockey tournament, a chance encounter on a canoe route or a timely meeting in a shopping mail… these have all happened over the years. Since returning to work at camp, I meet or learn about new alumni every week and I never grow tired of hearing each and everyone one of their stories of QML days gone by.

This spring, however, brought the strangest encounter so far. We received a call from a former camper, Ryan Pugh (circa 1985), seeking permission to do some metal detecting at camp. He was excited to return to a place that held special memories for him and have the opportunity to put his equipment and skill to work in a new setting. Besides the potential to uncover trinkets and treasures that have been lost over the years, Ryan and his buddy routinely uncover and remove waste that has been left behind like rusty nails and pokey scrap metal. Curious to see what they would discover, I encouraged Ryan to visit the site and before the blackflies, the school groups and the campers arrived. They wasted no time and eagerly arrived at camp within a few days. Braving all kinds of weather, the guys uncovered coins, rings, car keys, pendants and a few other treasures. They even discovered a number of spoons that had gone missing from the dining hall!

While there will likely be more searches in the future, we thought you’d like to see some of the items that have turned up so far. Ryan has also made a YouTube video of his first day of hunting at camp. This true-to-life treasure hunter has given us all a little thrill this spring.

If you know a former QML alumni, please help them connect with us by encouraging them to complete the Alumni Survey on our website. After 74 years of camping, Quin-Mo-Lac’s Alumni community has many more treasured memories to uncover.

(by Beth McKinney)

Check out this hearty crew of volunteers who came for our Spring Clean Up this weekend. Despite having rain in the forecast, our team of dedicated helpers worked hard to get as much done as possible before the "heavy dew" began to fall. Camp is looking better than ever and we loved seeing so many happy faces. The ladies of our fall Women's Rejuvenation Event, also joined the fun and spent the weekend getting the Director's House ready for occupancy. We are so grateful for everyone's contribution and appreciate all the help.

Our summer team is almost complete and we can't wait to see everyone come together for the first time this weekend. There are a few spots left open on our summer staff, and we would love it if you could help us spread the word.

• Lifeguard (1) - individual must be 18 years of age and possess a current N.L.S. certification. (Camp will assist with the cost of the L.S.I. if there is genuine interest)
• Staff Counsellors (3) - individual must be turning 18 before the end of 2024 and enjoy working with children. Must hold a current Emergency or Standard First Aid certification.
• Volunteer Counsellors - must be 16 or 17 by the end of 2024 and have a genuine interest in the outdoors and working with children

Quin-Mo-Lac's Alumni Committee and our precamp staff will once again host an Open House at camp on June 8th from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

The camp's pool will be open, and some activity areas will be set up for you to try. Its the perfect chance for nervous parents and excited campers to get a sneak peek at where they will be staying this summer, meet the staff and try out an activity or two. Mark your calendars and we hope to see you there.

Every year, while we carry on with our busy lives, there are those in our camp family who are struggling with illness, aging, the loss of loved ones and other challenges. We are all too aware that we need to celebrate the gifts we have been given and make the most of whatever time we've been granted. With this in mind, we want to take a few minutes to recognize the passing of some folks who gave of themselves to help make Quin-Mo-Lac what it is today. Whether their contributions were behind the scenes or up front for all to see, recent or many years ago, their impact on the camp community will resonate for years to come.

Thank you and Shalom,

• Stacy Bell (QML Alumni 1994 - 98) - Full of energy and an enduring love of camp, Stacy was a enthusiastic counsellor & cook at QML in the 90's. Whether dressed up in some crazy costume, hiding a prize in a "secret muffin", or or being "Lone Hand Mitchell" in a game of euchre, Stacy's camp spirit lives on in those who knew him well.
• Nancy Sherwin (QML Alumni 1982 - 85) - Nancy Sherwin started her QML journey as an 'infant' when her parents became involved as some of the founding members of the camp community. She spent many years as a volunteer and staff counsellor before becoming a CIT Director in 1985. As a passionate supporter who made frequent visits with her family over the years, Nancy was always quick with a smile and full of laughter and song.
• Glenn McLeod (Adult Volunteer) - A talented fellow with a chainsaw or toolbelt, Glenn was always ready to lend a hand at camp. His knowledge and guidance in the forestry industry, also helped to have the Quin-Mo-Lac property classified as a managed forest for tax saving.
• Rev. David Spivey (Chaplain, Cartoonist & Clown) - David Spivey's love and commitment to Quin-Mo-Lac grew out of his gift for ministry with youth. Worshipping and finding God in nature was what defined camp for him. A kind and gentle man, with a quiet sense of humour, David loved using clowning to coach people in faith. His creative & iconic cartoons about life at Quin-Mo-Lac are still treasured throughout the community.

A heartfelt thank you is also shared to those of you who have made donations to the camp in memory of a loved one.

Hidden within each issue, there will be at least one photograph that contains a camouflaged image of one of Quin-Mo-Lac's beloved ralph cans. If you spot it, send an email to us at kids@campqml.org to tell us where you spotted the image.

Congratulations to Travis Dukelow, Laura Hallman and Lois McLeod for being the first to find the hidden gems in our last issue. Seriously folks, you have to be fast to be first!

The QML Alumni Newsletter is meant to bring together everyone who holds a special place for Quin-Mo-Lac in their hearts. Each camp journey is important and we would love to share yours. If you have a funny story, a special memory, a query about the camp’s history or even just a spark of an idea to share… we want to hear from you. Submissions can be sent to us at kids@campqml.org. A free gift will be sent to those who take the time to send us a story, so please be sure to update your mailing address with us. Pictures are always welcome too!