Camp Weekend CAMP REPORT 2006
by Bob Swoger 52-59
My wife Annette and I started up to camp at the morning figuring under 7 hours to get there. From Streamwood we followed the directions given on the Alumni web site and headed north using I-90, the Northwest Toll Road into Wisconsin. We wound up in a three-hour backup. The last tollbooth had a speed limit of only 5 mph! Had we known this, we might have found some alternate route and saved our tolls, gas and wasted time. Once free of the Illinois Toll Road, the rest of the trip to camp went just fine. Others experienced the same delay. For us, our 7-hour trip took nearly 11 hours.

We arrived in Loretta shortly before sunset and dined at the Evergreen Restaurant last year recommended by both Ray Borgia and Kevin Riley. The white fish and chips dinner with salad bar was great. After dinner, we headed on to camp.


At least eight Alumni had gone up Thursday to work all day Friday. Starting on Friday was a first for the Alumni Camp Weekend. Joe Hack and his crew consisting of Tom Morgan, Genaro Silveyra and Andy Magana had already painted six cabins. Russ McKay, Kevin Riley and Ken Smith had readied the archery range and the lean-tos. The guys looked a bit tired and were relaxing around the campfire.

Also around the campfire were Pat Kyle, Ray Borgia, Jack Olson, Ike Lewis, John Rosenberry, Paul Rosado, Bob and Rose McClain.

Work begins early at Glenwood’s Camp Getschow. I set my alarm for 5:30 am so I might be over to the dining hall for 6 am coffee. John Rosenberry sent all those present to the lakefront behind Hen House cabin.

Bob McClain’s tree trimming crew had come in sometime before and cut out the dense foliage that blocked the view of the lake from the front of the cabins.

A group of alumni and camp workers cleaned up the debris and put it into the camp pickup truck.

Jack Olson, Kevin Riley, and Jarvis Richards loaded the truck and drove the debris away to a dumping site far away from the campus.

The cleanup took less than two hours. After everything was cleaned up and raked, all headed to the dining room for breakfast

Rose McClain, Nadia Corsello and alumnus Sergio Rodriquez prepared meals this year. Sergio will be heading down to West Palm Beach to attend culinary school this fall.

Milk, coffee, orange juice, scrambled eggs, toast, sausage, pancakes, rolls, cold cereal - all available to help workers start the day.

After breakfast, John Rosenberry assigned Jarvis Richards, Hank Brady and Ike Lewis to painting the trim on the six cabins painted the day before by Joe Hack’s crew.

The rest of us, about 18 alumni and camp workers, assembled at the lakefront to clean up the swimming area. Seems that each spring finds a beach and swimming area full of smelly dead vegetation, aquatic bugs, larvae, muscles - some alive - some dead.

Workers in swimsuits go out into the water and rake the debris up to the beach.

Workers in plain clothes rake the debris into piles and move it to the truck in wheelbarrows to be hauled away to the dump.

When finished, there was nothing left but clean wet sand.

Two alumni workers used gas weed whackers to cut away the tall grass from the area where the campers sit and sun themselves when not in the water.

Leaving the beachfront, we looked in on Bonnie and Tom who ready the Gym for the campers.

Each year they clean up the gym and put down a layer of polyurethane on the floor. This year a water-based product was tried rather than the oil based product used in the past. It was hoped that it might spread easier but Tom reported it went down about the same. The real test will be to see if it is more lasting when examined next year.

Next, we found Kim Holstein filling all the flower boxes around the lodge. The lodge roof looked great and the logs and trim had been freshly painted. The flowers made the whole picture look like a new home for the campers about to visit for the summer.

Just before dinner, we were all called out to the front of the Dinning Hall for the annual group picture. This was the first year the professional photographer was not present. Instead, every available camera was used to take the picture.

After the last camera was snapped, Mark Holstein held the group together to make a special dedication. Indeed, to the surprise of Ray and Manuela, the camp dinning hall will henceforth be known as the Ray “Sarge” Borgia Dining Hall.


Ray and Manuela were indeed touched by the gesture. Handshakes, hugs and best wishes followed.

Following dinner, Bob McClain, Joe Hack and Jack Olson pulled a fast one on straw boss John Rosenberry pronouncing him the new camp mascot of the Alumni Association.
Related Links
John Rosenberry's 2006 Report   Photos of Alumni Pre-Camp 1999-2006   Camp Glenwood 49-78 film clip   Camp Glenwood 49-78 Download