by Greg Keresztury, Director of Operations
If you are familiar with Douglass Lodge, you know that it is one of the most scenic places on camp. The lodge is tucked away in the center of Ockanickon, sitting along a narrow section of the lake. The central “common room” in the lodge has a back wall of long windows, so folks inside the lodge can enjoy the peaceful, serene view the lake provides.
During the summer, Douglass Lodge serves as the infirmary for Camp Ockanickon, our sleepaway camp for boys. During the non-summer months, Douglass Lodge is one of our most popular choices for groups who come to camp. Its central location in the heart of Ockanickon makes it convenient for groups who are interested in outdoor education, recreation or team-building programs. The lovely view doesn’t hurt either!
Each year, our organization invests several hundred thousand dollars into capital improvement projects. “Capital” projects, as they’re known, are intended to improve camp and our organization for all who we serve. These projects could be related to making facility upgrades to better serve our customers and ensure that we are meeting our high internal safety standards; replacing old equipment that has outlived its useful life; or purchasing new “toys” or big-ticket items to better help us deliver quality, safe, youth-development programming. For example, our new docks at Cherokee Beach (purchased and installed prior to the 2017 summer) were designed to be safer (fewer splinters) and to help us provide a better experience for our campers and members.
However, sometimes we reinvest in our property not only to improve the camper experience, but to ensure we’re being good stewards of both the property and our facilities. This not only preserves what we have today for generations to come, but honors those who came before us, and laid the foundation for what we have today.
To honor those who came before us, and to ensure the property meets the needs of those coming both in 2018 and future years, we have reinvested in Douglass Lodge this spring. We are replacing the weathered siding and adding gutters, downspouts, and guards to better protect the building from wear and tear associated with heavy rain storms. We are proud of the history Douglass Lodge has, and are even more proud to showcase a cleaner, fresher building moving forward.
Photo: Joe (top ladder) and Chris Cutry of Cutry Construction of Medford at work on the exterior of Douglass Lodge.
