Memorial Day Work Weekend 2016

Memorial Day Work Weekend 2016 was a success! Clearwater Camp awoke from her winter slumber and is in much better shape entering this summer thanks to the help of 23 volunteers. Projects included clearing the riding ring of leaves, moving 30 new mattresses to island cabins, cleaning and prepping the cabins and browns for summer residents, power washing the main tennis court, cleaning and preparing the ceramics and arts and crafts activity areas, painting the deck windows, scrubbing the pontoon seats and Adirondack chairs, removal of stumps, trees and brush, rejuvenation of Halyard Hall for our camp store, measuring the swim area for new ropes/buoys, distribution of fire extinguishers, as well as painting the waterski rack. Yes, all this happened in three days!

Asked about the success of Memorial Day Work Weekend, Polly Larned, mother of Alumni Susie Tweed said, “It was awesome. The food was great, the camaraderie was wonderful, and it’s just nice being here with my daughter and sharing time together, as well as seeing old friends.” Susie went on to say “since this has been a tradition for six years now, the group knows what they are doing, we get to task, and it’s amazing what can be accomplished. The refreshing dip in the lake is always a highlight, and now that the slide and the diving board are up by the time we get here, makes it even more fun!”

Undeterred by the rainy days, Work Weekend volunteers immediately set out to work. Thanks to the delicious food prepared by Ruben and Breezy Melero, the volunteers probably would not have been so determined to accomplish these tasks. According to Mia Tornatore, Junior Advisory Council member, what keeps her coming back to work weekend is “seeing camp, the people, and now it’s going to also be the food if Reuben and Breezy keep cooking. And just being able to be up here, otherwise I wouldn’t have the opportunity to spend a weekend at camp.”

Many attributed the work weekend success to the camaraderie. It wasn’t all work! We made sure to enjoy a campfire while singing Clearwater songs, take a pontoon boat ride out on Lady Tom, and to reflect during Sunday Service. This year’s theme was “In Wildness Is the Preservation of the World.” Jess Platt, work weekend leader extraordinaire remarked, “what would camp look like if all of our activities didn’t get the kids out of their comfort zone, what would camp be if we weren’t getting kids on sail boats that were a little nervous to skipper on their own, to get up on water skis, or go horseback riding for the first time?”

Clearwater would like to sing the Cheer song and “Put on the soft, soft, sh-sh, pedal” to the following work weekend participants extraordinaire: Jess Platt, John Neil Thompson, Nick Stanley, Keith Kranenburg, Bill Otto, Melinda Pearce, Ellen King, Liz Baker, Ruth Igoe, Dar Loiselle, Marcia Brosnan, Susie Tweed, Polly Larned, Kate Dignan, Mary Willerscheidt, Breezy Melero, Ruben Melero, Mia Tornatore, Angie Maciorowski, Julia Baird, Maren Meyers, Taya Beattie and Claire Jenks.