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What’s Happening at Camp Takajo: August 2, 2015

By August 1, 2015 January 4th, 2019 Tak Talk
Camp Takajo for Boys in Maine 08_01_2015_M_JR_Green_Smiles_005

 

I have always lived by the basic premise that if you surround yourself with good people, good things will happen. I feel blessed that my administrative team is committed to the safety and well-being of your children and continuing the traditions that began at Camp Takajo in 1947.

Each morning, before Warren plays reveille, I meet in my office with my key staff. Warrior group leader Hank Fortin started at Camp Takajo in 1971. I remember “Hammering Hank,” as he was called back then, as a big, burly college athlete who taught senior baseball. Over the years I have had the distinct honor of watching Hank’s life unfold. He married his amazing partner, Jane, raised two children, and now shares the joy of being a grandfather. Hank and Jane are committed to the campers and staff in Warrior Camp. Their attention to detail is unparalleled. Their example of love and commitment is unequaled.

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Neil Minsky has spent the last twenty-seven summers at Camp Takajo. I remember Neil when he first arrived as a camper back in the mid-1980’s. As a kid, Neil was always fun-loving and had a passion for camp.  A man of integrity and a resolute moral compass, Neil has committed himself to managing the growth and development of our Junior campers.

Senior Group Leader Paddy Mohan decided on a whim about thirty years ago to come to America from his home in Ireland to teach ceramics at a boys’ camp in Naples, Maine. Little did he know then, he would make Takajo his second home. Having raised two boys of his own, Paddy understands the mind of an adolescent. He has the unique ability to reach teenagers in a kind, compassionate manner, creating many teachable moments for our oldest boys in camp.

I still remember the first time I called Bob Lewis, back in 1988, when I was looking for someone to run our waterfront. It was my first year as owner, and I was given Bob’s name by a colleague who had suggested Bob may be available for the summer. Bob was a dormitory manager at a college in upstate New York and during the interview process, he had to end the call abruptly to end a dispute on the dorm floor. Bob called me back, and I knew he had the “right stuff” to work at Takajo. Twenty-seven years later, Bob remains at the helm of our waterfront, as well as serving as our staffing director (responsible for hiring the entire staff during the offseason).

Warren Davis was my bunk counselor when I was fourteen years old. He led the trip to Canada for my age group that summer, and my bunkmates and I thought it would be fun to tie Warren up with bed sheets so that we could go out, unescorted, through the town of Quebec City. Needless to say, we knew enough to untie Warren and not go around a strange city unescorted, but all these years later, we still laugh about our times together back in the late 1970’s. Warren is like a big brother to me and the first guy I turn to when I need a helping hand.

It is an enormous responsibility to take care of the lives of so many children, but when you surround yourself with these hard-working individuals, along with committed and talented individuals like Dan Aubuchon as tennis director, Jeff Cunjak as athletic director, Meghan Eagleson as pioneering director, and Stacy Tell as the head of hobbies, it makes the journey so much easier.