Stan worked for the Y in Regina teaching gymnastics & later taught school around Maple Creek. At age 25, he spent one or two summers working at CCH where he was Sr. Boys Section Director. (Interesting fact: Stan’s younger son Richard was a CIT in 1964 and worked several summers at camp including stints as Pioneer Section Director and Director of Wilderness I in the 1960’s & 70’s)
1937 Bowfort Lake
1937 CCH Senior Staff. (L to R) Frank Hall, Director; Miss White, Nurse; Stan Harding, Sr. Camp; Ray Gilham, Jr. Camp (from Chilliwack); Doug Whittle, Mgr (from U.B.C.); George Page, Intermed. Camp
1937 Counsellors in front of Tipi. Bill McFarlane and Rory McLennan
1937 Painted Tipi
1937 Cutting Wood Near the Lodge. Ray Gilham and Ernie Burchell
1937 Camp Chief Hector, George Page and Norm Cragg in Yamnuska Chimney.
Checking the tipi flaps. Photo by Stan Harding
You might note that Stan Harding’s photos from 1937 show the senior staff. Stan’s notes with the photos list Frank Hall as the Camp Director. But, according to accepted history, Norm Cragg was the Camp Director for a single year in 1937 with Frank’s last year as 1936.
So what’s the deal?
See comments below from Richard Harding, Stan’s son and Gerry Cragg, Norm Cragg’s nephew.
Richard writes…..
To my knowledge, Dad was only there the one year, (in 1937) but I could be wrong. In 10 years from now, I may have the idle time to go through the family history stuff more thoroughly and piece together a more accurate history. Whatever, that is my Dad’s handwriting on the date.
Gerry joins the conversation….
Thanks for the picture of my uncle Norm. He was the reason I went to camp, and in many ways influenced my life – although I spent very little time with him.
I am almost positive that he was the Camp Director in 1937. He was born in 1916, and graduated from U of T. The age fits, and I am sure that was the year. After that, he stayed with the YMCA and was active in the YMCA overseas program (War services). Following that he worked for the Vancouver YMCA and was director of their resident camp for a couple of years. He left, got his Masters degree and worked for the Canadian Government. He took a posting in Hong Kong for several years, and when he returned he was quite senior in the Liberal Government (Pearson) and was a key member of Mark Lalonds team in crafting the National Health care program. Unfortunately he died young of a brain tumour. I am actually positive that 1937 was the year.
Richard says: “Thanks for this. I’m thinking that it must have been my Dad was there 2 summers, ’36 and ’37, and that you were right and he had pictures from both years that he muddled. Again, give me 10 years to get through his papers and I should be able to know for sure!!