Western Mustangs and Silver Otters

Dianne and Catherine had no sooner said "goodbye" to our final session of campers when it was time to welcome the University of Western Ontario Kinesiology students to Camp Ak-O-Mak.  This group of Co-Eds attended camp for a week of intensive canoe instruction earning a partial credit along the way.  Now that is our kind of classroom!

 Sunny days prevailed so the lake remained unseasonably warm, a welcomed bonus to the brave Early Bird swimmers who ventured to Orange Rock each morning.  Two of those Early Birders included Sydney H. an Ak-O-Mak alumna now attending Western and Catherine's 11 year old daughter, Marion.  It is always wonderful to see how the bonds made at camp extend beyond age as these gals buddied up each morning to swim triangles side by side.

As everyone knows, one week at camp seems to fly by and before we knew it all 50 of us started the process of pulling in the heavy docks on Western's last day.  We are very grateful for the annual participation of our strong Kinesiology students!  It is literally "all hands on deck!"…and with a "one, two, three, LIFT!"  we are able to raise and stack even the heaviest canoe docks.  Thank you once again to our friends in purple and white!

As Western pulled away from camp in their enormous Mustangs Team coach, preparations were well under way to receive our last visitors of the season, the ever-hardy Silver Otter Swim Club (of William Ross MacDonald Swimming).  Coached by Mike Finch and supported by a fun-loving parent group, this troupe of boys and girls ranging in age from 8-20 filled the Main House with laughter and song for one last weekend!  It was wonderful to see not only the team spirit of this group, but genuine caring and mentoring of the young ones by their older peers.  Well done, Otters!