CAMP READ ASSOCIATION

Staff Housing Renovation (by Tim Haag)

The “Double-Wide”, as it is affectionately known, is a structure used for staff housing at Read. It is located near Boland Lodge.  Having undergone some renovations and upgrades in recent years, it needed wood trim to finish off the project.

Tom Dietz and Tim Haag were drafted to begin the project during the week before Eager Beaver Weekend. Kris O’Connor had arranged for a trailer of pine boards as well as necessary tools to be on site. Tom and Tim spent two days trimming out the main ceiling beam, vertical support beams and some of the door molding. Dave Morris replaced Tom on Eager Beaver Weekend and he and Tim continued with the door moldings, the trim around the sliding glass double doors, and an extension jamb for one of the windows. The following week, Barb Haag joined Tim and they completed the window trim in the main room. 

There is still more to do: the bedrooms both need door, window, baseboard and closet trim, and the main room needs chair rail along one wall as well as baseboard molding.  Then…it all will need staining or painting.  Our goal is to complete this project soon after the summer camp season. This is an ambitious project, but as we have experienced many times before, “Many hands make light work!”

Campsite Set Up (by Jonathan Hall)

A combination of present, recent, and past camp staff along with other volunteers
joined together to form productive teams to set up tents, clean mattresses, and wrestle cots.

Demonstrating that the Scout and Camp Read spirit has not changed over generations of camp staff, much progress was made in getting troop sites ready for this summer.

To borrow a phrase former Camp Ranger Bob Newton used to describe getting things done: “We’re gaining”, the gains made Eager Beaver weekend were made possible by “we” working together.

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Technology Upgrades (by Bill Daley)

When you think about Camp Read, the first thing that comes to mind wouldn’t be technology. In this modern era, technology is interwoven into our everyday lives and most people want and need to be connected to the outside world. There are many challenges in bringing reliable and sufficient internet capabilities to the many buildings and other areas in camp that need it.

Tom Chlupsa, a dedicated volunteer, is the driving force behind all the technology at Camp
Read. I have had the pleasure of working with Tom on many occasions and seeing some of the
innovative ways he has met the challenges of providing this technology. Over the course of the Eager Beaver weekend, Tom and I had installed network video cameras and recorders to the Waubeeka and Buckskin Trading posts and installed wireless network links to provide fast and reliable internet to Summit Staff area. In previous years, we had upgraded the wireless network in the Buckskin Dining Hall, Trading Post and “Staff City”.

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While a lot of this work remains “behind the scenes”, the impact on life at Camp Read is
tremendous. It helps attract Campers, Staff and Adult leaders to camp and makes staying at
camp for long periods possible. One prime example is over the summer one of the adult leaders had a very important position in the community and needed to make a public statement on a timely basis. With the network infrastructure in place, he was able to have an interview remotely without having to leave Camp.

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Fishing Docks (by Mike McCabe)

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The 2023 Eager Beaver Weekend saw the installation of the Camp Read Association fishing
docks at Waubeeka and a little bit later Buckskin. Now a year on, it was time to check how the
docks had wintered and to get them ready for the new camp season. Everything is in great
shape and the able team of Greg Pitonza, Shain Krutz, Bill Daley and Mike McCabe joined
forces to get the job done. And yes, they got wet. The ramps have been reattached, the tie
down chains adjusted and some rulers added (A Scout is Trustworthy, but fishermen are prone
to exaggeration) as well as fishing tools for Scouts to use.

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