I Wake to the Sound of Bells

By: Matthew Mannion, age 12

I wake to the sound of bells, only it is not church bells that I hear. I am at summer camp and this is the call of the POLAR BEARS! Everyone ready to take a dip!

Kilcoo is a boys camp that started in 1932 by Charles F. Plewman. Kilcoo Camp is located in Minden, Ontario. I have been going to Kilcoo since 2005. My dad first went to Kilcoo in 1963 and 40 years later my older brother Trevor started his camping career at the same boy’s camp.

Being at a boy’s camp for a month comes with it challenges and rewards. The camp Director, “Lub”, has a long history with Kilcoo. His father John was one of the original campers in 1938 at the age of eight, and later became the camp director and owner in 1955. John, “Chief” Latimer and Mrs. “Chief” ran Kilcoo for 25 years. Today Lub carries on the family tradition.

So what makes this camp so special? The every day events, the traditions, the fun and games, but most importantly it is the people.

On the first day of camp when we get there everyone goes crazy when the buses come in from Toronto and they set off dynamite.

Later that day we have to do a swim test. Unlike our swim test here at school, it is a tough swim with 10 laps and 5 minutes of treading water, fully clothed!

We have some great traditions, like our beach ball bingo the night before visitors day, or Chapel point each Sunday morning, or the amazing water gun fight we use to get rid of the parents on visitors day. Twice each month we have a show called KIL-A-BALOO. Each cabin makes up skits and performs for the entire camp. It is really funny to watch. But one of the best events is cartoon breakfast. On these mornings we get to eat sugary cereal and watch cartoons until noon.

Kilcoo is known for its Bushpede event each year. This one day event splits the camp into two teams and we compete against each other in contests and races all day. At the end of the day the camp gathers at Grand Council where Lub announces the winning team.

Kilcoo is a camp, not a sports resort for kids. We kayak, take biking, swimming, wind surfing, canoeing, wood craft, handy craft, ropes course, sailing rock climbing and archery- just to mention a few things.

My camp is broken up into age groups and this past summer I was a nor’wester. My cabin had seven others boys in it and a counselor and a leader in training. We had a great time together.

Each year we go on a canoe trip. This year my group was gone for 5 days in the woods, where we had to carry our own food, canoes, and packs, portage six times and sleep in tents. I don’t think I have ever been so dirty in my life. And I was glad to get back to camp to a hot shower.

Would you like to spend a month at Kilcoo? Maybe if you’re lucky you can!

Welcome

Since 1932, when Kilcoo was founded by Charles F. Plewman, thousands of boys and young men from Canada and around the world have shared a certain magic on the shores of Gull Lake in the Highlands of Haliburton. Kilcoo helps to build self confidence, social responsibility and appreciation of others, but the magic really takes place when the sum of all the experiences and friendships come together to create a most special time and feeling in our campers' lives. So please, browse through our web site, and hopefully you will catch a glimpse of what the magic of Kilcoo Camp is all about.