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2008 Reunion

My family and I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the following Alumni who joined us for the 2008 reunion. You are the reason the weekend was such a huge success and a particular shout out to all the guys from the 40's and 50's who made the trek back to Gull Lake after so many years... It truly was a magical experience, with great representation from every generation. A big thanks must go to Paul Chamberlain and the reunion committee for all the organization that preceded the weekend. We look forward to seeing everyone again in 2011(the second weekend after Labour Day). I also know there were a lot of guys that couldn't make it but really wanted too... it just reminds me how important it is to stay in touch with our Kilcoo friends.

Rip Ram Razzle Scram,
David "Lub" Latimer

P.S. Photos of the reunion will be posted soon - Stay tuned!

MIKE ADAMSON 1979-1997
PAUL AMOS 1955-1962
TONY ARMSTRONG 1969-1980
ALLAN BEAN to 2007
MAURICE BENT 1948-1956
STEPHEN BENT 1976-1987
WARREN BENT 1976-1988
CAMERON BINKLEY 1970-1983
DAVE BLANDFORD 1975-1985
BILL BOBIER 1960-1973
ANDREW BRADY
BILL BRAITHWAITE 1949-1951
ADAM BRANSCOMBE to 1998
LIAM BROWN 1991-2004
ROB BURKETT
STEVE CAIRNS 1984-1999
DOUG CALDWELL 1959-1976
ANDREW CAMPBELL
IAN CAMPBELL 1966-1978
JOHN CARRUTHERS 1969-1983
JOHN CARTER 1961-1965
PAUL CHAMBERLAIN 1956-1967
BRENDAN CHAPMAN 1990-2007
JOHN CLARKE 1958-1965
KEN CLARKE 1961-1974
JIM COOK 1975-1985
MIKE COOK 1984-1998
IAN CURRIE
PETER CURRIE 1975-1987
TIM CURRIE 1968-1980
PAUL CUTBUSH 1986-1987
BOB DAMERON 1966-1978
CHARLIE DEEKS 1991-2001
JOHN DEMPSTER
BRAD DENN
MARK DENNYS 1974-1979
ROB DENNYS
KEVIN DEVINE 1980-1992
HARRY DUNLAP 1993-2007
ALAN EATON 1968-1975
TOM EBY 1949-1959
TIM ERNST
PETER ETHERINGTON 1989-2002
PETER ETHERINGTON SR. 1968-1972
PAUL FERGUS 1965-1980
JULIEN FERGUS 1996-2008
JEFF FISHER 1972-1975
RYAN FOSTER 1985-1997
HUGH GAGE 1949-1957
JEFF GECKLER 1952-1960
JAMIE GERSON 1969-1979
LUKE GIBSON
MATT GIBSON 1982-1994
DAVID GRAHAM 1970-1984
JOHN GRANT 1968-1980
SCOTT GRAY
TERENCE GREEN
JAY HADDAD
BRUCE HAINES 46-48;52-54
DAVE HAMER 1960-1974
HAL HANNAFORD 1967-1984
PAUL HARLOCK 1977-1987
JOHN HARRISON 1964-1977
SCOTT HARRISON 1979-2002
PAUL HARRISON 1959-1964
BARRY HOFFMAN 1961-1970
PETER HOLMAN 1962-1963
JIM HOWE 1953-1960
BILL JACK 1974-1986
MIKE JACK 1982-1997
CAM JOHNSTON 1994-2003
KEN JONES 1964-1978
JOHN KENNEDY 1954-1960
RANDY KLINE 1964-1977
DAVID LATIMER
MIKE LATIMER
JOHN LEA 1960-1964
ALLAN LEAL 1968-1974
DAVE LINTON 1949-1961
STAN LITCH 1957-1959
JEFF LLOYD to 1977
JIM LUDWIG 1981-1991
RAY LYONS 1967-1979
BRUCE MACDONALD 1968-1975
JAMIE MACINTOSH 1969-1983
ROB MACKAY
SANDY MACKAY 1995-2005
BRUCE MANSBRIDGE 1975-1979
JEFF MARTIN 1977-1983
ROB MCADAM 1966-1975
JAMIE MCALPINE 1953-1969
SCOTT MCBURNEY 1973-1984
SEAN MCCURLEY 1987-1998
GORD MCGIVERIN 1960-1972
MIKE MCKENZIE
RYAN MCLAUGHLIN
TIM MCMARTIN
HARRY MCMURTRY 1971-1988
TOM MCMURTRY 1976-1980
JUSTIN MEDVED 1987-1999
BILL MEEKER
JON MILLMAN 1988-2001
SEAN MITCHELL 1986-1999
CARY MOLINARO
TED MORGAN 1983-1993
BRAD MOYLE
WALLY OAKES 1972-1984
PETER OYLER 1960-1966
TERRY PATTERSON 1962-1966
JIM PAULUCCI 1958-1962
TOM REED 1954-1983
BRYAN REINBLATT 1983-1993
TOM RICHMOND 1958-1970
PAUL ROMANO 1973-1981
MARC RUSSELL
JOHN RYDER 1968-1977
ROB SAVAGE
PADDY SCACE 1997-2006
GEOFF SCOTT
JEFF SETTERINGTON
MICHAEL SHERWOOD 1971-1985
JIM SHILLINGTON 1961-1964
BOB SLINGERLAND 1961-1982
PETE SMITH
TIM STANLEY 1971-1978
KEVIN STEWART 1985-1999
PAUL STEWART 1967-1969
NIGEL TAN 1992-2007
DOUG TAYLOR 1952-1953
RICHARD THOMPSON 1981-1990
PATRICK TINGLEY 1987-
DAVID TURNBULL
TIM USHER-JONES 1995-2005
DEREK VENDRAMIN 1996-2008
GRANT WARDLAW 1970-1985
KEVIN WAY 1985-2006
PAUL WEALE 1970-1979
MURRAY WICKWIRE 1975-1990
MARK WILLOUGHBY 1982-1991
DON WILSON 1957-1967
GEORGE WRIGHT 1987-2002
TOM YARMON 1955-1967
Reunion Testimonials

David,

Julien and I had a blast this weekend.

It was extra special having my son with me.

I understand that I raised an outstanding boat race anchor guy as well!!!!

You guys did an amazing job of organizing everything.

I am a little stiff today but not in a good way, ha ha, (I can barely walk)

John Kennedy destroyed me in tennis 2 days in a row (6-0, 6-2)

I thought that I could at least out run him on the court but that was not the case.

Our tennis was even more exciting with baseballs flying on to the court just missing John as we played.

Julien turned to me after the sing song Saturday night and said; "Thanks Dad, for letting me come to Kilcoo and giving me this amazing experience all these years"

I know that Chief and you coach the kids to thank their parents however this was a great un-coached moment that made me feel pretty happy.

How How guys.

Thanks for a great weekend.

Paul Fergus 1965-80

Saturday afternoon, as Doug Taylor, whom I had not seen in 55 years, and I were walking the entire camp site, we came up to the Indian council ring. I reminded Doug that Chief used to sit on top of the rock, that there was a small fire in the crevass below him, that I had trained Gary Atkins to light the central fire with a flaming arrow, and that Jack Graham used to sing the Wakonda song, which ended "Mourn ye not for my departure." As I was singing that last part, two men came into the ring. We introduced ourselves, and one of the guys was Jeff Setterington. I asked about his dad, Al, whom I had known and very much liked those many years ago. Jeff told me that his dad(Al's younger brother Paul) had died in January. He also said that his own son was now a Kilcoo camper. I literally could not speak to Jeff for several minutes. I don't know whether it's age or what, but I was deeply moved then, as I am now in writing this. After the shock had subsided somewhat, we talked about his dad for a few minutes, then Doug and I moved on to chapel point. I sat amid the silence of the trees and the hush of the water - and began to think of legacies, of tradition, of passing the rite of Kilcoo in all its wonder from one generation to another. The same day, later in the afternoon, I was on the porch of Camp Awakening talking to Mo Bent, when his two sons came by. I asked Mo who they were, and he said, "they're my guys." It was not what he said, it was how he said it. In those three words I felt a quiet love, a strong pride, and honor. Once again that day I felt the bond that Kilcoo passes on to younger generations, from the fathers and grandfathers to the sons and grandsons.

Just like John Kennedy, I'm a sucker for "Maker of Men." But this particular time, at the end of the slide show, the song, the experiences from Saturday during the day all came together in a rather strange way. I cannot put in words all the Kilcoo memories that flashed in front of me: memories of Kennisis, Miners Bay, Dangerous Dan McGrew, of Cameron Lake, of cabin mates and counsellors, all friends, some now gone. We were all together again, as if it were yesterday. I could not ask for more.

Hugh Gage 1949-57

It's Friday September 12th, 2008 and you have just finished another busy week of work and family activities. Then later that same night you drive through the gates of Kilcoo and everything seems to slow/calm down and a smile comes across your face. You approach the familiar sights and smells - lights, noise and smell of nourishment from the lodge, the flag pole against the backdrop of Gull Lake and the sweet aromas of KYBOs! You know happy times await you for the weekend:

All this and more came true for me at Kilcoo. And it makes it that much more special knowing the my son(s) are and will be experiencing these same things ... Thank you Kilcoo!

Jamie Gerson 1969-79

In a way, I think the reunions are like a mini version of our summers at camp. All the things that Chief taught us apply to the reunion as much as they did to camp. Take advantage of every moment - don't waste a second. I don't think I could have crammed more fun into one short weekend than I did this past reunion. Right from the start, we were into it with the golf - I was lucky enough to squeeze into a foursome at the last moment with three of my favourite guys from camp - Paul Weale, Tim Stanley, and Bob Dameron. We had a great afternoon and it carried right on into the evening program and euchre into the wee hours of the morning with the entire crew in the old Nature Lore building. The next day was jammed full with frisbee golf , then off to lose at baseball (50's/60's just edged out the 70's), and then a trip to the go-karts! I have not been go-karting since 1981! It was a panic, and the best thing was we all came back in one piece.

One of the best parts of the weekend was a paddle that six of us took (all solo) out to Ruth's Island. I have never been out there and it didn't take much to get a group together to go out. Paddling back to camp from Long Island brought back many memories from past canoe trips and lonely vigils and indian names. The last thing I did after chapel was to go out to Chapel Point with another group to just sit and chat - it was very peaceful as always out there and a great way to wind up our time at camp. We all slowed down to observe Chief's plaque and to comment on the lone pine tree that for so many has come to represent one of the lasting images of Kilcoo.

Bill Meeker 1970's

We all get immersed in time commitments with work and family and the years slide by at an accelerating pace. It was great at the reunion to have a weekend to reach back in time and enjoy the friendships and memories of Kilcoo (and past Kilcoo reunions) once again and to add a few new ones. The paddle with friends over to Ruth's island, up the narrows and past Long Island and subsequent trip to the go kart track were mentally and physically refreshing. I missed Friday night's activities due to a late flight back to Toronto but understand it was enjoyed by all.

The Kilcoo bond is unique - there are many fine camps and other types of organizations but I am not aware of one in which so many "Alumni" from over such a cross section of decades maintain friendships or pick up so easily on friendships from past years. I have shared Kilooo staff reunions with individuals who were my counsellors & CITs /LIT's as well as my campers from when I was on staff, who subsequently became staff themselves.

Both my first year as a camper and my first year as a counsellor I was in cabin three. The first year my two sons attended Kilcoo my youngest was in cabin 1 with three cabin mates who were sons of my contemporaries from camp. That year my oldest son was in cabin 3. It was gratifying that the culture of Kilcoo and quality of individuals on staff were there to provide an experience for them every bit equal to that which I enjoyed as a camper.

Ray Lyons 1967-79

I enjoyed the weekend reunion very much, and am so glad I made the decision to attend, even though there were only about three that I remember who were part of my era - Maurice Bent, Hugh Gage, and Bruce Haines. In fact I was quite startled about how I felt.

First, I realized that thoughts of Kilcoo and particularly of those I met at Kilcoo have been with me frequently since 1952-1953 although I did not seem to be aware of that.

Second, as I looked out from Camp Awakening I felt as though I had been there just yesterday instead of 55 years ago. Although the camp has changed a great deal with many new buildings it was still the camp I remembered. I took the opportunity to walk about all the areas that were part of Kilcoo when I was there- from Chapel Point to the Senior waterfront to the Dining Hall, to the Indian Council and to where Braeside and the stables were.

I particularly enjoyed visiting with my fellow alumni who I remember fondly from my days at camp. Over the weekend Hugh and I spent about 6 hours over the three days just chatting. And when it was time to say good-bye we hugged but did not say one word. I have thought of a good camp friend, Dan Frohman. I had lost touch with him in 1976 or so but because of efforts made with the alumni I am now in contact with him again.

The reunion was wonderful, and from it I have a message particularly for the younger alumni - keep in touch with each other, and let each know how important your friendships from camp are to you. The friendships from camp are special. In my day, when one returned home after camp it was very difficult to keep in touch as there were not the opportunities to communicate so easily as there are today. Although Dan understands and he feels the same as I do, others I knew have no idea how important my memories of them are to me. I often think of the lost opportunities for me to keep in touch and the pleasures from the friendships that were lost. So, again to the younger alumni - make the effort and keep in touch with each other.

Doug Taylor 1952-53

Without a doubt my fondest memories center around my days at camp, the many canoe trips, numerous memorable experiences, and especially the bond I feel with many people with whom I shared those days. I have been most fortunate to have been able to extend my involvement with Kilcoo into the present and this has enabled me to see first hand how so much has changed, but how so much remains the same; and the aspects of Kilcoo that remain the same are the values, the spirit, and the manner by which people of a wide range of ages continue to relate to their camping memories. For me the most satisfying element of the 2008 reunion was witnessing the enjoyment written on the faces of all those in attendance as they spent a weekend with Kilcoo friends. Without a doubt we will make the reunion in 2011 just as successful. See you there!

Paul Chamberlain 1956-67