The 44th annual Kiwanis Woodcutter’s Ball was a huge success! The weather was great which allowed many projects to be completed throughout the day. The traditional continental breakfast was served and work projects were underway by 9:00. Once again, we experienced great attendance with 76 Kiwanians, Scouts, Scouters, Camp Staff, and dedicated supporters of Canyon Camp. Each gave of their time, talents, and resources to accomplish an amazing amount of work. The list below is a summary of the completed work projects.
Thank you again to the Kiwanis Club of Monroe for the support of Canyon Camp and to the youth it serves. Please note that several Kiwanis members were able to join in and assist with work projects. We are always appreciative of the help provided by the Monroe Kiwanians. It is great that our membership can see firsthand the results of their effort and support. It is always great to have some time at camp to share in work as well as fellowship with the membership of the Kiwanis Club of Monroe. Please share our appreciation with the club.
Looking forward to the 48th Annual Kiwanis Work Weekend… the first weekend of May, 2023! It will be a great way to kick off our theme for next year… “Canyon Camp, The Place to be in 2023.”
With Great Appreciation,
Lee Binkley
Member of the Monroe Kiwanis Club & Canyon Camp Staff
1. Window air conditioners at the office/trading post building and the Founder’s Lodge were covered for the winter.
2. The “raccoon screen guards” on the dining hall were removed from the exterior and placed inside of the building for the winter.
3. The dining hall winter shutters were brought up to the building from storage and installed.
4. The chapel benches were removed and moved to the dining hall for the winter and plastic markers were placed on the chapel bench posts for the winter.
5. Pop machines at the trading post were emptied and shut down for the winter.
6. The accessibility ramp to the office porch was given an additional coat of stain/varnish.
7. Ash barrels were emptied and placed at the two winter cabins for cleaning wood stoves.
8. A hole was hand dug to access a water line leak behind the dining hall.
9. Archery equipment was moved from the summer archery shed to the shower house and Rawleigh Cabin for winter storage.
10. Split, dried firewood was hauled to the Founder’s Lodge and Jamboree Cabin for winter camping units.
11. Old handwashing station tables, which were located at port-a-potties, were dismantled to save the plastic tops.
12. In the four days prior to the work day many damaged trees were professionally dropped. A crew was assigned to debranching and cutting the trees into chunk wood.
13. Two crews ran spitters to prepare split wood for the 2023-2024 winter season.
14. Two crews hauled the branches from tree cutting and trimming to the burn pit.
15. A crew was assigned to prepare the outdoor portions of the dining hall for winter. They stored mops and mop buckets and cleaned all gutters of leaf and seed debris.
16. Paint, cleaning supplies, pressure washers, and cases of pump soap dispensers were moved to heated areas of the dining hall and filter room for winter.
17. The Lookout Trail Project was continued with much success and accomplishment. The project started last fall. It entails three sections connected with switchbacks. The trail was continued at the Order of the Arrow spring conclave, as well as the weekly Ordeal projects throughout the summer. Twenty-four additional railroad ties were moved and trenched into place. The ties for the first switchback were cut and fit this summer. They were pegged into place with steel rebar. A great deal of hand shoveling was done to work on the back fill and leveling process. Creek rock was transferred up the first course with 5-gallon pails. The project will be continued and hopefully completed in 2023. A special thanks to Troop 206, Machesney Park, IL, and Venture Crew 10 from Winnebago, IL for strong legs and arms to assist with this project.
18. Storage facilities and location for platform tents, dining flys, and other canvas has changed. A crew moved approximately 150 pieces from temporary storage to cargo containers at Daniel Boone campsite.
19. Fourteen new tent platforms were built at the Kiwanis Work Weekend this past May. Those platforms were put into service and heavily used this past summer. This past weekend a crew propped up the 14 platforms that had been taken out of service and refurbished them in a 3-step process. Treated 2”x4” s were placed as needed for decking support, 2”x4” s were screwed together to place under each platform for new foundation runners, and 1”x6” s were screwed into place as decking. Nine of the 14 are completely finished. We exhausted the supply of 1”x6” decking boards. An additional 50 boards will be needed to complete the project. This will likely not get completed until our spring work weekend.
20. With property line changes, a new east/west trail was blazed and marked in the area north of the barn to the trailer /equipment storage area. A very difficult project as Buckthorn and many other species had a very firm grip throughout the area.
21. An old cabin behind the barn had been demolished this past spring. A large crew tackled the job of hand picking and loading the debris onto a flatbed trailer. The debris was then taken to the foundation of the old farm house which was razed at the same time. Now this can be burned and site work can continue, for construction to start this fall, on our new maintenance/storage facility.
22. A small 8’x12 yard barn used for bike storage and program materials has been in the process of refurbishment over the past two years. The final step was accomplished as a portion of this floor was replaced.
23. Summer planters at the health lodge portion were cleaned and stored for winter.
24. The auto belay systems were removed from the climbing tower and prepared for their annual trip to California for testing and recertification.
25. Main area picnic table were leaned/stacked against trees for the winter.
A tremendous amount was accomplished!!! A great work crew !!!