MEMORIES
OF SUMMERS PAST
By George
Warman (69-71)
These
are few thoughts and the outcome from a person who spent several summers working
at HSR (Haliburton Scout Reserve). I have met many people who went to HSR;
camped there but not many that worked there. Therefore, the Alumnus from HSR may
be small in number but well known in their small circle.
Before
HSR, though sports, I learned the value of teamwork. While being an official,
you learned how to listen and then explain to people. In both case cases, this
knowledge proved invaluable while working at HSR.
I
started working for HSR while going to Durham College in 1969. My first
experience at HSR was working under
Bill Bacon (66-70) and Roddy Ioi
(65-70). As being an Assistant Scout Leader along with Dave Reeves
(68–72), you learned leadership and responsibility while looking after 28
campers in the Composite Camp program.
During
the summer of 1970, I had the opportunity to work under J.C. Moore on
Maintenance (a MOK) with whom I learnt a different style of leadership and
accepted more responsibility as the summer went on.
During
pre-camp for the 1971 season, I drove a 5-ton truck for the Boy Scouts. Again,
more responsibility but of a different nature. I was unable to complete the
summer at HSR as I started to work for Metro Toronto as a Construction Surveyor.
From
1971 until 1976, I was involved in the construction of trunk line water mains,
which range from the smallest size being 30inches to mains of 120-inch diameter,
which feed the reservoirs.
From
1976 to 2001, I held the position of Maintenance patrolman for the
Transportation Department, Metro Toronto. During the winter months, I drove the
main streets of the city calling out the salters and snowploughs when necessary.
After the snow stopped falling, I had to have the proper equipment deployed to
clean up after any snowfall so that the motorist could safely drive to and from
their homes.
During
the summers, I also patrolled the main streets of Toronto, this time
investigating complaints phoned into the City regarding the roads, picking up
dead animals and debris, which would interfere with the flow of traffic. If the
road was unsafe or impassable for some reason, I had the authority to close the
road to though traffic until the situation was rectified.
It was a
type of a job where the recognition was not there if everything went smoothly
but you would soon hear about it if something were not right. The
experiences I had at HSR I feel shaped me to handle the future I was able to
carve out for myself.
To
close, I would like to give to you some of the sage advice I received during my
years at HSR.
-
From
Roddy Ioi - "Rakes are for raking and shovels are for shovelling"
-
From
Murray Crimless - "1 will cut your water. I will cut your hydro."
-
From
J. C. Moore - "When they are good, these are my boys. When they are not, I
don't know them"
-
From
Warner Clarke - "I’m not just anybody’s fool, I’m a high school graduate"
Earlier
this spring, I was hospitalized for complications of diabetes. I was feeling so
sorry for myself having lost my right leg below the knee and not being able to
do the activities I use to be able to do. One day, an older gentleman was placed
in the bed beside me. He had been a victim of a stroke and slept most of the
first week. We started to talk but then I was moved to another room but we
continued to talk.
I found
out that he had been a senior executive with the Oshawa District Boy Scouts and
we found we knew several people in common. As we talked I mentioned HSR and his
eyes lit up. He talked about meeting in Toronto where the Toronto executive were
there and how J. C. Moore and him were going to build a swimming pool with a tar
paper lining. Needless to say, we spent many hours trading stories and trying to
remember names.
All the
time, these old memories seem to bring life back into the gentleman. As I was
preparing to leave hospital and return home after three months there, I met the
gentleman as he was leaving on a day pass. He was excited about going home for
the day and seemed to be looking forward to experiencing life again.
When I
said goodbye to him, he said it was nice to meet someone who still had the
values of scouting and the respect needed to work with people. As they were
leaving, his wife mouthed thank you to me and gave me a big smile.
In
looking back, it is kind of funny how events that happen many years ago can come
back and have such a pivotal effect in the future.
Thank
you for letting me reminisce about my time at HSR. I can only hope that the
staff that followed over the years came out of it the same memories, education
and experiences that I did. |
