Tumpline October 2014
Published: Thu, 10/23/14
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Manuan Canoe Trip Part VII 1936Canoe tripping has been an important part of the Nominingue experience since 1925. Although many of the routes are no longer available and some elements of the experience have changed, the essence of the canoe trip remains the same - learning to work together as a team; enduring difficulties caused by inclement weather; travelling through the Canadian wilderness and meeting the challenges that each new day brings. Bill Stobo, Duncan Duclos, Herb Owen, John Hay, Stewart Hamilton, F.M. Van Wagner Canoes weighed 80 lbs when well-dried and over 90 lbs wet. Total weight of packs and all equipment was 350 lbs. A double blanket was carried for each person, each weighing up to 8 lbs. Travelled 60 lakes in 14 days. Saturday August 22nd Up at 6:45. After breakfast, we had more talk with the rangers about the territory that they patrol. Owen's canoe had been leaking a good deal all during the trip. Our canoe glue did not stick well so the rangers tried some of their wax, but it also came off after a short while. It was 9:00 before we started on our way. There were two short portages as our route led us through two small un-named lakes. At one of these portages, Stewart broke his paddle and time was taken out while we spliced it. There is a 2 ½ mile carry to Mitchinamecus, which runs through a low swampy country heavily wooded, with small black spruce. After a six or eight mile paddle down Big Mitch, Dawes' Place was reached in time for lunch. The caretaker welcomed us and allowed us to make a fire outside the guide's cabin on Little Mitch. Before lunch was finished, it began to rain and the caretaker urged us to spend the night there. He said that they were going down the lake the next day to gather blueberries and would take us all in the big freight canoe. As this seemed more attractive than paddling all afternoon and making camp in the rain, we decided to stay. We spent a very pleasant afternoon visiting with the caretaker and the guides. A stove was set up in our cabin, and supper and breakfast were cooked inside. The caretaker and his wife, son and daughter spend the winter there, but Paul Villeneuve, Mr. Dawes' guide, and Georges Tremblay move up early in the spring and stay until late fall. Everyone was in bed early. Herb and I slept in the little cabin north of the main cottage, while the others had comfortable beds in the guides' cabin. Sunday August 23rd It was cold and damp when we woke up at 6:30. Breakfast was prepared and eaten as quickly as possible, as we had agreed to be ready to go by 8:00 AM. Packing was an easy task at this stage, so we were all at the wharf and ready to go at the appointed hour. The canoes, with our packs, were tied on behind while the caretaker's son, the two guides and our party took our places in the large freight canoe. The outboard was started and we were on our way down Little Mitchinamecus. It was still cold and raining slightly when, two hours later, we again took up paddling and, after covering a mile and a half, reached the portage. Here, we found another well-arranged camp site, left a few days earlier by the Hamilton party. After a short pause, we continued on our way. The first portage of a quarter mile brought us to a small round lake. The next one to Cat or Otter Lake was 1 ¾ miles and, because of the rain, was wet and slippery. After paddling down Cat lake to the portage, we were ready for lunch. After looking about, we decided the place was unsuitable, so we went on to Little Cat, another mile and a half. The party found this portage very tiring. Conditions were anything but pleasant, the trail was wet, the humidity was at saturation point, and we were hungry! A ration of chocolate gave the needed energy to reach Little Cat where we lunched on the rocks at the far side of the lake at 1:30 PM. We had had a pretty hard morning with at least 3 ½ miles of portaging. On our way again at 3:00 PM, there was a 200 yard carry to a small black lake, then 1 ½ miles through swamp to the next little lake and finally ¾ miles to Little Dog. We had been told that we would find a camp site here, but as none was to be seen, we turned back along the trail a few hundred yards to an old lumber shack, where we camped for the night. It was not a very attractive place, but we were tired enough to be willing to camp almost anywhere. Good bough beds were made inside, the boys sleeping in the big bunk and the counsellors on the log floor. For my bed, I used a few boughs, the tent and my raincoat, which did very well for awhile, for I was tired enough to sleep anywhere, but before morning the logs were feeling quite uncomfortable! Rates for 2015 / Tarifs pour la saison 2015Length/Longueur Dates Session/Séjour Rates/Tarif* 7-15 year olds 7 à 15 ans 54 days/jours June 27 - August 19 / 27 juin au 19 août JA54 $5085 43 days/jours June 27 - August 8 / 27 juin au 8 août JA43 $4395 26 days/jours June 27 - July 22 / 27 juin au 22 juillet J26 $3330 15 days/jours June 27 - July 11 / 27 juin au 11 juillet J15 $2080 19 days/jours July 4 - July 22 / 4 juillet au 22 juillet J19 $2630 40 days/jours July 11- August 19 / 11 juillet au 19 août JA40 $4205 12 days/jours July 11 - July 22 / 11 juillet au 22 juillet J12 $1660 26 days/jours July 25 - August 19 / 25 juillet au 19 août A26 $3330 15 days/jours July 25 - August 8 / 25 juillet au 8 août A15 $2080 19 days/jours August 1 - August 19 / 1 août au 19 août A19 $2630 12 days/jours August 8 - August 19 / 8 août au 19 août A12 $1660 7-9 year olds only 7 à 9 ans seulement 8 days/jours June 27 - July 4 / 27 juin au 4 juillet 1J8 $1045 8 days/jours July 4 - July 11 / 4 juillet au 11 juillet 2J8 $1045 8 days/jours July 25 - August 1 / 25 juillet au 1 août 1A8 $1045 8 days/jours August 1 - August 8 / 1 août au 8 août 2A8 $1045 16 year olds Leader-in-Training Program 26 days/jours June 27 - July 22 / 27 juin au 22 juillet LITJ $3685 26 days/jours July 25 - August 19 / 25 juillet au 19 août LITA $3685 * Regular rates - tarif régulier * Quebec retail taxes not included - les taxes provincials et fédérales sont en surplus Rebates for 2015 - Rabais sur les tarifs 2015The cost of summer camp makes a summer at Nominingue at luxury. We try to help reduce your costs somewhat by offering some rebates or fee reductions. Here is a list of our rebates for 2015: - Early bird rate: a special discount is offered for all campers registered prior to December 15, 2014 - $50 on an 8-day session; $100 on a 12-day, 15-day session or 19-day session; and $150 for a 26-day, 40-day, 43-day or 54-day session. - Family camp credit: all campers who attended family camp in 2014 receive a rebate on 2015 boys' camp equal to 10% of their family camp fee. - Brother Discount: First son pays full price, second son receives a 10% discount; third son receives a 15% discount. - Referral rebate: a family who refers another camper receives a $75 rebate. This rebate is also offered to the family who is referred and whose son attends Nominingue in 2015. Nous sommes conscients que d'offrir un séjour à votre fils au Camp Nominingue coûte cher. Nous essayons de vous proposer quelques moyens de réduire vos coûts. Voici une liste des rabais offerts en 2015: - Inscription avant le 15 décembre, 2014 - 50$ pour les séjours de 8 jours;100$ pour les séjours de 12, 15 ou 19 jours; 150$ pour les séjours de 26, 40, 43 ou 54 jours. - Si vous avez participé au camp familial en 2014, vous bénéficierez d'un rabais pour le camp de garçons 2015 correspondant à 10% des frais encourus pour votre fils au camp familial. - Pour frères: 10% de rabais sur l'inscription de votre deuxième garçon; 15% de rabais sur l'inscription de votre troisième garçon. - Toute famille qui a incité une nouvelle famille à envoyer leur fils au Camp Nominingue! Ce rabais de 75$ est offert aux deux familles! New Boys Jim Tilleyfrom Lessons from Summer Camp Jim Tilley earned a doctorate in physics from Harvard and worked on Wall Street for twenty years. The first two collections of his poetry were published by Red Hen Press - In Confidence in 2011 and Cruising at Sixty to Seventy in 2014. During the summer of 2013, he returned to Camp Nominingue for the first time since the 1960s. A result of that return visit is his forthcoming collection, Lessons from Summer Camp, from which this poem is taken. Lessons from Summer Camp will be published in Spring 2016. "New Boys" Blankets draped over arms, blind-folded with bandannas, the new boys queued up behind the Dining Hall at the start of the path to the Council Ring, youngest in front, oldest at the rear. Each held the hand of the boy ahead of him, the first the hand of a Counselor. Counselors distributed themselves along the line to keep the boys from straying off the path or stumbling over an exposed root. When the Big Chief, the Counselors without new boys in their charge, and the old boys had been seated, the new boys were led into the Council Ring and guided to the first tier of bench seats around the fire pit. All in place, still standing, they were allowed to remove their blindfolds. Tent by tent, Counselors presented the new Braves to the Big Chief and asked that they be accepted into the tribe. Once admitted, the new boys, no longer new, wrapped their blankets around their shoulders and took their seats, never again having to be initiated -- "not quite never" they'd learn when they became college freshmen, were hazed by fraternities, and admitted into exclusive clubs. They'd start their first jobs and later change allegiances, start again. They, too, would learn that initiation to a strange place, no matter how welcoming it might appear, always brings a little fear, like being blind at first, not knowing quite where you're going, or why. The Treasure of Nominingue Sam FeferIt was a long time ago that a mysterious poem appeared that was written at Nominingue. We don't know who, specifically, wrote this poem, but our sources indicate that an individual named Peter Van Wagner, commonly known in the small but affectionate community of Nominingue as "big Chief", was the poet. As for the treasure, we don't know exactly what the treasure it talks about is, but it seems it could only be used "three times at most." Not long ago, three campers found the poem and one of these campers undertook the journey to find the treasure. His search was fruitless. The names of these campers are being with-held for unknown reasons by the CIA...In any case, here is a copy of that poem...word for word... I task thee, a search for a treasure The contents of which, will surely bring pleasure. Our story begins in the rock quarry spot Journey the trail where the ponies may trot. This journey will challenge your wit and your might When the road forks, you must stay to the right. On this quiet path, where life seems bereft Take the first trail that leads off to your left. Go deep in the woods where the trees appear dead The path that you seek is marked off in red. Beyond the dead forest lies a bumble-berry trail Follow it to its end and you're too close to fail. Shortly on your left will stand three birches X marks the spot and the end of your searches. Surely you wish to know what lies in store Search under the X where you're to find more. No compass nor map does this journey require Stay on the paths and find your desire. Alas you've succeeded! Congrats all around! Use it three times at most, then return what you've found. First year campers are begged not to try to undertake this journey, as many who have tried have not yet returned. We have yet to discover what this mysterious treasure is, but we are still searching... Roger the Dip Thomas Jean-BrownThomas Jean-Brown, a camper at Nominingue for the last six summers, loves cartooning. He has agreed to create regular camp-related cartoons for the Tumpline. He has also created a website to share his work: http://thomasjeanbrown.wix.com/roger.
Thomas Jean-Brown, un campeur à Nominingue depuis six ans, adore dessiné et créé des bandes-dessinées. Il a accepté le défi de créer des bandes-dessinées avec un thème « Nominingue » pour le Tumpline. D'autres de ses oeuvres sont disponibles sur son site internet à http://thomasjeanbrown.wix.com/roger. Alumni Association News / Nouvelles de l'association des anciensCedars Dragon Boat Race & Festival The Camp Nominingue Alumni Association entered a team in the Cedars Dragon Boat Race & Festival, on Saturday September 20th. 9 intrepid alumni were joined by three friends and four members of another team. In our first race, we placed 2nd with a time of 59.64 seconds. In our second race, although we finished third, we lowered our time by almost 3 seconds finishing in 56.81 seconds. This gave us the sixth overall best time and pushed us into the B Final. In our third race, we left the competition in our wake, winning the B Final gold medal. We raised over $6000 in support of the Cedars Cancer Institute. The following alumni participated in the Cedars Dragon Boat festival: Ignacio Gallo John Christou Andrew Cleland Shawn Weiland Mike Shatilla Vincent Leclerc Grant McKenna Ted Kalil Sam Grover A great time was had by all. We plan to paddle again in 2015. We hope to have a group of 20 alumni in our boat next fall! Please share with us news that you would like to include in the Tumpline that you think might be of interest to other Nominingue alumni. SVP envoyez nous des nouvelles que vous aimeriez inclure dans une prochaine édition du Tumpline. Alumni Socials Each spring and fall, we try to hold at least one Alumni Social in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. Ottawa Thursday November 6, 8 PM Royal Oak 1217 Wellington St. W. Montreal Saturday, November 8, 7 PM La Station des Sports 2051 Ste-Catherine O. Dates and locations of future get-togethers will be posted on Facebook on the Nominingue Socials Group page at http://www.facebook.com/groups/NominingueSocials/. To get involved with CN Alumni Association, please contact John Christou at john@prospectorfilms.ca. Tumpline Submissions - Soumissions pour cette lettre de nouvellesWe are looking for submissions for our newsletters from campers, staff and parents... from this summer, as well as from recent and less recent alumni. These submissions may be general memories of camp experiences or specific memories about a canoe trip, about a favourite program or a funny experience. Please send your submissions to grant@nominingue.com. You may submit your stories and memories in English, French or Spanish. Nous sommes à la recherche de textes de campeurs, parents et de moniteurs de l'été 2014... et de souvenirs de nos anciens campeurs et moniteurs des années récentes et moins récentes. Vos textes peuvent décrire vos expériences en générale ou une excursion de canot, un programme favori ou une expérience drôle. SVP envoyez votre texte par courriel à grant@nominingue.com. Votre texte peut être écrit en français, en anglais ou en espagnol. | |
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Camp Nominingue | Tel. 450-267-2555 | Toll-free 866-910-1551 (Canada & US) | |
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This e-mail is destined to all campers, parents and counsellors, current and alumni. If you would prefer not to receive occasional messages from us, please unsubscribe using the link below this message. Ce courriel est destiné à tous les campeurs, parents et moniteurs, actuels et anciens. Si vous voulez vous désinscrire de cette liste d'envoi, svp cliquez en bas de la page. Winter address: 112, rue Lippée, Les Coteaux, QC J7X 1J4 | |
