PL Web News Archives

Carl, (right) His son Dick Barnes (center) and Director Bryan in the PL store at PL's 50th anniversary celebration, June 10, 2006

Read the article about Pilgrim Lodge from the August 18, 2007, Bangor Daily News

The letter arrived Nov. 8, 2007
Pilgrim Lodge is now accredited by the American Camp Association

and there was much rejoicing! 

Tragic News:

We are devastated to report the death of Pilgrim Lodge camper Dorothy Dawn "Dee-Dee" Palmer of Andover, Maine from an automobile accident on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2007

Our prayers go out to Dee-Dee's family and friends at this deeply heartbreaking time.

Dee-Dee was a Pilgrim Lodge camper from 2002-2005.  She attended Middler Spirit in 2004 & 2005 and attended the trip to General Synod in Connecticut this past June.

Obituary        News Story of the Accident        Commentary by a sports writer

	Health Center Gets a Makeover 6/2007
Nurse Marge inaugurates the new health center		Dr. Roger Condit (right) with his wife Karyl (center) and Camp Director Bryan

It began last fall with a meeting of camp nurses at PL. The conversation eventually turned from policies and procedures to the physical plant.  The notes were later picked up by the group of four nurses and two doctors that were charged with preparing PL for the "Health and Wellness" standards set out by the American Camp Association. Next came the handy work of Maintenance Supervisor Steve Jones who took the committees ideas and turned them into reality. What began as the "Nurse's Cabin" is now worthy of the title "Health Center."

The front room has a new entrance to what is now the dispensary.  The reviews are in: the nurses, and the campers love the new set up and the systems that are in place.  The cherry on top was the addition of two new signs, one outside and one in. The family of  Dr. Roger Condit, OMC member, counselor and  member of the Health and Wellness Review committee asked if there was anything they could give to PL in honor of Roger's birthday.  Roger and his wife Karyl were present for the mounting of the signs this summer.  Currently the maintenance staff is retrofitting two donated accessibility ramps to the south side of the building. Thank you nurses, H&W committee, Steve and to the Condit Family!

 

The PL Fleet Expands

Our happy little family of trucks has a new little one!  Thanks to the generosity of Allie and John Rimkunas we now own the cutest little truck in the world: PL3 (its a magic number) is a Ford Ranger.  Look closely and you'll note that PL2 (fondly known as "the Red Truck") is in fact not the PL2 you remember.  The former PL2, which served God and camp well, has gone on to a quiet retirement of fishing and light duty.  The new PL2 is a Ford 150 donated this spring by Dean and Patricia Roberts of Cumberland.  Our two new vehicular servants of God join the proud PL1, donated by the First Congregational Church of Camden in 2001.    Thank you for the incredible gifts that help make PL possible! 6/2007

Rev. Jack Steeves keeps Our Staff Clean and Lemony Fresh!

When Rev. Ian "Jack" Steeves finishes an interim ministry, the congregation is so grateful the church wants to do something wonderful.  We already have a wood splitter given in honor of Jack's time in Winthrop.  This spring when the  First Parish Congregational UCC of Yarmouth wanted to find a way to honor Jack's two and half years with them they called and asked what PL needed that might honor Jack as well.  Jack has often been considered an adjunct staff member coming to help out whenever he can.  As such he has endeared himself to staff members across many seasons.  The project chosen was to install a new washer and dryer in the Balbrook staff cabin.  The staff no longer lugs it laundry half way across camp to compete with the kitchen and nurse.  Thank you Yarmouth! 5/2007

Janos Meysar, a PL maintenance staff member for four summers asked Gabriella Barta, in her second year with the kitchen staff, for her hand in marriage.  It was sunset on June 28, 2007 at Balbrook Beach (near the staff cabins). She said yes! Both Gabriella and Janos are Hungarians from the Ukraine, no, wait, maybe there Ukrainians from Hungary.  It matters not because they're in love.  Click here for a for a series of engagement photos of the happy couple. Both of these young people are hard working, good natured and have become treasures at Pilgrim Lodge. We'd like to point out that there is a strong tradition of married couples serving together at PL so if you see them, let them know we want them to come back for years to come.  Wedding plans are in the works for some time in the second half of 2008 in the Ukraine (near the Carpathian mountains).  We'll keep you posted.

For three four years now the men of West Parish Congregational UCC in Bethel have spent the long winter hours in community and screening.  Each fall Dean Walker and his companions come to PL to measure and assess the screening situation.  They don't just re-screen the existing frames they build new ones. And this year they decided several cabins needed not just new screens, but new doors as well.  Imagine our delight and surprise when we began installing them to find a familiar, newly reinterpreted logo.  The PL logo in layered wood.  Thank you to the Boys Screening League of Bethel for giving PL a little more pizaz and still keeping with the simple beauty we love.  5/27

 2007 Food Wastah' Stats

Find the PL photos embedded in the United Church of Christ 50th Anniversary Photo Mosaic Run your mouse over the mosaic and photos from around the UCC will pop up.   6/2007

"Tech use increasing at camps"  8/2006

Staff members represent Pilgrim Lodge at interfaith rally in response to attack on Lewiston Mosque 7/2006

Members of the Pilgrim Lodge staff, Jack, Janna, Sam, Sarah, Miriam, Deborah and Eric, represented the camp staff at a rally on  July 12 in Kennedy Park in Lewiston in response to the  hateful and unacceptable act of desecrating a mosque, demonstrating that it did not represent the community.  As was said many times at the rally: an attack on one house of worship is an attack on all. 

Rocky Ackryod, former PL staff member and Dean of Sr. High Manitou has taken on the project of building a beehive style brick oven on the island.  Using an existing base, he and volunteers have expanded the base and poured the  bottom of oven and are planning on building the upper portion during the summer.  If you'd like to help with this project email PL@pilgirmlodge.org and we'll get word to Rocky.  Click here for more photos. 6/2006

        

Introducing Karen

When you call Pilgrim Lodge the voice you hear is Karen's, our new Office Administrator.  Karen lives in Litchfield with her husband and three children.  She is in the process of building a home on our very own Lake Cobbosseecontee.  She is a Maine native and likes outdoor activities, such as swimming, waterskiing, kayaking, and cross country skiing.  Welcome to the family Karen! 11/2005

Article on "The Choking Game" from the Portland Press Herald  10/2005

Bench at Pilgrim Lodge dedicated to the memory of Kathryn MacGregor

click the image below for more photos

Kathy MacGregor was a member of the Woodfords Congregational Church and loved Pilgrim Lodge so much that she asked all donations made in her memory be given to this ministry.  Kathy passed away in April.  It is a testimony to this remarkable woman who touched so many that over $7,500 has been donated in her memory.  Some of those funds were used to purchase the new edition of our camp songbook, some were used in our ongoing cabin shower project.  The outdoor ministries committee felt it was fitting to remember Kathy with a quiet spot for reflection, prayer and discussion.  Click on the picture above to see other angles of the granite bench dedicated on September 10th during the Woodfords church family retreat.  Kathy's children were campers and CIT's this summer at Pilgrim Lodge.  Thank you Kathryn.  9/2005

Bryan's Pilgrimage to Turkey 11/2004

Photos from Jonathan Doughty and Anne Wilder's Wedding

Photos from Karen Tate and Will Grey's Wedding

Pilgrim Lodge Maintenance Staff Jay and Eric prepare to re-hang a Pilgrim Lodge treasure.

David and Dotty Kay Stillman refurbish Pilgrim Lodge Mosaic

It has been on the wall for almost thirty years.  The message "Give us this day our daily bread" appropriately displayed in the dining room over the kitchen.  It was made by a group of fifth and sixth graders, the first group of campers in the 1975 season, led by David and Dotty Kay Stillman.   The original design came from a cross stitch pattern enlarged onto ply wood. The design was made by applying over 5000 small wooden dowels each painted one of 15 colors using cotton swabs for paint brushes.  The original piece represents 30 hours of preparation by Dotty Kay and 80 hours of work by enthusiastic campers.  It was installed in the dining room in hopes that the message would remind us of Jesus' words and to give thanks for our food while at the same time remembering the hungry of our world.   In recent years the glue had dried and large portions of the dowels had fallen away.  Over this past winter, David and Dotty Kay carefully replaced the missing dowels and then painstakingly repainted each one.  The piece was re-hung early this summer.

Happy Pram       

Of the six Pilgrim Lodge Prams, three have now been refurbished by the Carpenter's Boat Shop in Pemaquid.  Happy, joins Grumpy and Sneezy in the water with an amazing make over.  The work was done by Jay and Melissa Glendinning.  The Glendinning's have taken one pram each winter for the past three years.  Each is painted a different color.  Not only the boats, but the rigging and the oars get the royal treatment.  We are so very fortunate to benefit from this generous work.  The boat shop also worked on our one remaining dory, which has been used by campers and staff all summer.

NEW IN THE HISTORY SECTION:
THE HISTORY OF PL THROUGH ITS POSTCARDS

Toward the end of the summer, a new deck was added to the camp office to help make the entry into the office safer.  The entry previously was up an uneven, rocky hill that often tripped people.  In addition, the walk is the start of the path that leads to the craft cabin.  Jose German Lopez (Hármon), a PL maintenance staff member from San Pedro Sula, Honduras, built the deck.  Benches were built in to facilitate a small discussion group area.  Thanks German!

German also built (see the story just above) an entire new set of stairs to lead to the waterfront.  This project was long overdue and German did an excellent job.  The stairway makes the rocky hill a safe approach and reduces erosion, a big problem near the waterfront.  German left his mark on PL this summer.  Thanks to German and maintenance supervisor Jay Hall for a great job. 

The boat dock has been patched back together year after year.  This summer the Sr. High Camp "Turn Around" rebuilt the old dock under the supervision of counselor Jim Morgan and with the help of lifeguard Joel Doyon.  Many thanks to our Senior High campers for giving their time and work on this project. 

MISSING BUILDING AT PILGRIM LODGE!

Just kidding. We know exactly where it is.  We could not store anything in this building as it was formerly over the well.  Its new location is towards the back of the parking lot opposite the boat house.  So this formerly unused building is now being used to house rental group equipment.  The good news is the rental groups (Positively Social and GMT) moved the building for us!  Thanks guys!

New Cloning Interest Group

OK OK! we are once again kidding.  This is our new water system!  The cistern (which, incidentally, is a misnomer; it is a reservoir) began springing leaks last year. After a season of patching (and with encouragement from the state) we decided it was best to go to a closed system.  So the photo you see is actually of the old nature cabin behind cabin six.  The new system is pressurized and feeds the entire camp, including the building on the new property ("Balbrook"). Pretty impressive huh?  In fact, we are kidding you still: This photo has been computer enhanced.  Click on the photo to see the real deal.  

NEW HOOD IN THE KITCHEN

And just in time for the heat.  The new hood features a fire suppression system and is up to all health and safety codes.  It is nine feet long and covers both the stove and the grill.  The grill was also given a new metal table.

The Kennebec Valley Association annual meeting. May 2002

Article by Rev. John H. Thomas, UCC General Minister & President, 
about his experience with UCC Outdoor Ministries February 2002

Tribute to Paul O'Neil  February 2002

Eric C. Smith leaves Pilgrim Lodge January 2002

Camden Church donates new truck to PL October 2001

New Pilgrim Lodge Office Open for Business June 2001

Beverage area donated to Pilgrim Lodge  June 2001

New Artifacts from Balbrook Lodge Found June 2001

PILGRIM LODGE YARD SALE went well  June 2001

Carpenter's Boat Shop to Sneezy:  "God Bless You"   April 2001

The burning, rebuilding and dedication of cabin 5 Oct 1999-April 2001

PL's Assistant to the Director, Eric C. Smith receives major award from USM April 2001

PL Chimneys replaced with woodstoves June 2000

Read the article about Senior High Week from "Capital Weekly" by PL camper Jaime Winchenbach August 2000

The installation of the Director of Outdoor Ministries May 2000

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