2010
April 2010
Hi, I just saw your site, NICE! I was a camper at Camp Junipero Serra in 1969... It was one of the best summers of my life. I was digging through some old stuff and I found a postcard I sent home to my brothers... If you would like a scan of it, I will send one to you. Thanks for the site, it brought back so many memories... The Baden Powell hike, the Mine Gulch backpack and camp... Canoes... Giant Pancakes for breakfast... and the camp fires, songs and skits... what I time I had. Best Regards,
Jeff Rhoads
Orange, CA
Kerry Michale Wood Story of Camp Junipero Serra
2009
2008
2007
Junipero Serra banners from Chris Keller
May 30, 2007
Chris Miller
I was a camper at Camp Junipero Serra and loved it. At least 6 summers. Mike Shadow ran the store. Mr. Seavers was the director with his big orange tabby cat. I had the fortune of one summer, about 64, that Bob Shadow was my counselor. He was a character to say the least . I still have my camp picture with him in it 2 times. If you were there you would know how he did it.
We went to Mt. Baden Powell and back and set a record time. I can't say how we did it cause we went off the trail.
I am surprised it has been so long since any one has talked on the Internet about this camp that had so many kids went to during the 50's and 60's.
I spent at least five or six 2 week sessions there and the last one in 1968 as a C.I.T. Councilor In Training. It seems to me that my best memories were in summers having fun and camping as I still do today. I am now 55. I still have memories of that camping all of the time. The tents that were 2x4 frames with canvas on cement slabs. The clean house inspections the counselors did that were hilarious, and the awards night that they gave all the campers the awards that the counselor picked were like the Oscar awards for the campers. I was awarded 2 handicraft awards and 2 best camper awards. I also was a chess champion that Father Wilfrid helped me with. I still have all the plaques. I hope that more campers that went there share their moments they had on the web. As I remember in the counselors cabin, I thought there was all the camp pictures of each session on all the walls. There were a lot of campers that went there.
Thanks again,
Chris Miller
MILLZ56 at aol.com
p.s. What about the Friday night
fights and popcorn by the fire pit. Mr. Seaver always said: "All you campers
out here -- think about all the people here. You will never be all together
again." It was a very solemn moment around the campfire.
Are you sure it was Mr. Seavers? Because Bob Shadow, Mikes
younger brother (he wore his hair in a flat top) did it in 64 or 65 and
he was moving pretty fast in the back row. I don't think Seavers could
have done it physically. Bob stood at the left of the photo in the rear
and then waited till the camera moved a little and then hauled ass to the
other side. There was a blur in the center where you could see him running
in the background crouched over while running. I don't know why I have
been thinking about that Camp lately. A lot. Weird.
I still can't beleive that someone
tore it all down and out. There were a lot of buildings that could have
been used for something. Mess hall, 3 or 4 little cabins for the younger
campers, the Priests cabin. Counsellors cabin and the infermory. The shower
cabins, handicraft hall. Some of those old buildings would have been useful
for something. Oh well , gone now.
Thanks for the email...
Chris Miller
Note: Mr. Seavers appeared in the same camp photos twice
back in the 1950s when he was
a bit younger.
JL
2001
Terry Halloran
Married priest George Sherman
died September 27, 2001
Eulogy, St. John Vianney Chapel,
October 10, 2001:
Sherm, I'm your admiring friend Terry Halloran. 48 years ago we were both students here at the junior seminary. Later, our years at St. John's Seminary in Camarillo overlapped, 1956 to 1960. Whenever the student body gathered for musical entertainment, you played the drums -- with skill and enthusiasm.
Camp Junipero Serra
We worked together two summers
at Camp Junipero Serra. Some of the other counselors were Don Carlos, Bill
DuBay, Hal DeLisle, Joe Buchanan, Walt Kelly, Dick Hammer and Phil Berryman.
You ran the Indian Lore program. Campers learned to clothe and paint themselves
like Native American braves. You taught them to dance toe-heel to the beat
of hand-crafted drums.