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The Joys of Summer Camp at Tamaracouta ...
Contributed by Lesley Fascia
Camp Tamaracouta prides itself on being the
oldest continually operating Scout camp in the world, welcoming members for 87
years. The first thing that I got to see when I first arrived was the Cabin
where I would be allowed to store my personal affects for the work week before
any of the kids would arrived. It looked like this, except I was not privileged
enough to get one with a name, no, I was just lucky number 8. The employees
cabins were all situated right near each other, so that is where, after hours
when the kids were asleep, I would run away to.
After seeing my home away from home, there was a meeting in the mess hall
for all members. The workweek was the best because not only did I get to sleep
in a real bed instead of on the ground 
in my tent but I also go to eat in the mess hall with the rest of the
staff. This meant the kitchen staff cooked for me, instead of me cooking for 30
kids! Besides the fact that it was 40 degrees all of work week and that we had
to cut the grass, set up tents, carry the sail boats from the shed to the lake
... and so so much more long and strenuous work ... it was great!
Finally the day came when I was going to get my kiddies! Boy was I excited to really start my job ... well when the first week was over I was SO tired that I decided that the next week I would go to bed earlier and remember not to scream as much. While there, I learned how to swim, canoe (forwards and backwards, with and without paddles), kayak, sail, build a raft, joust, swing, dive, mountain bike, shoot, sing, cook, build gadgets, study ecology first hand, feed mosquitoes, get muddy, build a fire with one or fewer matches, clean up, stay dry, tie knots, write songs, act, haul water, keep food raccoon-proof, how to annoy children, and how to maintain an excellent campsite.
Life was great at TSR, we played games and games and more games every day. There was never a dull moment, not even when we were just sitting around waiting to eat lunch. In the picture to the left you see a visiting scout leader telling the kids riddles and jokes, while I cook!
Activities took place at all hours of the day. There was rock climbing to
be
done, the ecology center to visit, arrows and guns to be shot, tug of war to be played and there was always the beach with it's kayaking, canoeing and swimming. Nighttime was dedicated to talent shows, songs and skits around a fire, some war games and of course sleep. Which as a staff member I got very little of.
By let us not forget the spiritual part of our camp. Every Sunday morning a non-denominational service was held in the chapel. Songs were sung, quotes were quoted and little stories told. Sometimes the TSR staff would perform little skits for the kids, ones of course with a theme in mind. In the picture below I am making a prayer for Mother Nature only a couple of hours before I am about to be named squire. What's a squire you ask? Well ...
The Knights of Tamara are an honor society at Tamaracouta Scout Reserve founded in 1933, and operates during the summer camp period. Candidates for membership, being active and respected members of their Troop, are recommended by other Knights and by the Troop leaders. Once nominated, they become known as Squires, and spend part of their week at camp participating in special ceremonies (known as vigils). Squires are identified by a purple ring painted on their faces every morning at 7:15. They become "Knights" later in the week in a secret ceremony. I was privileged to be nominated to be a knight on my last year of camp. It was a hectic week full of responsibilities, namely finding myself a rock and caring my name out in it, doing a 3 hour work vigil and an over night vigil, on top of my daily chores as composite councilor.
