Camp Korah, the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board's popular outdoor education facility, gets to spend up to $50,000 for stuff it needs.
Huron Superior Catholic District School Board Trustee John Caputo introduced a motion last week to release $50,000 from the board's reserve funds to buy needed equipment and to expand, sustain and improve programming.
Back in October, Camp Korah facilitator Steve Baum told the board that the camp was in high demand but had lost its wheels and also needed a third teacher.
Staff indicated they wanted that teacher to be female.
They also indicated that they needed to build some sleeping bunks and a garage.
"A rescue/work vehicle is a must at Camp Korah," said Baum (shown at right with Honda Esquire's Frank Paolucci and board superintendent Germain Dalcourt).
As reported earlier by SooToday.com, the facility had the use of a red Honda ATV [also shown] for one year, but Honda elected not to renew the lease.
Staff and students Camp Korah must look after 180 acres and each other in that rough, wooded property, travelling on foot.
And they've having a pretty hard time getting around, Baum said.
Board trustees congratulated Baum on the thoroughness of his proposal two 16-person sleep bunkies.
"I've never seen a proposal with the number of boxes of nails a project would need," said Trustee Regis O'Connor.
Baum couldn't take all the credit for the work, however, and quickly thanked the helpful folks at Soo Mill & Lumber Company Ltd. for printing out a detailed estimate for materials needed to build his dream bunks.
"In order to accommodate additional classes, a classroom is required," said Baum. "A portable could be an easy, short-term solution but a long-term, more attractive solution is the construction of bunkies."
He said that more district schools would like to use Camp Korah but the time students would have to spend on a bus to get there is daunting.
"For some of them, they have to get on a bus at 5 a.m. and don't get home until late," he said. "Bunkies would also allow us to offer weekend, summer and other over night programming."
Baum also said that storage space is at a premium at Camp Korah and existing facilities are broken and falling apart.
He would like to see a large garage constructed at the site by construction students at St. Mary's College or the Phoenix students with materials paid for by the board.
And then there is the matter of the needed girl.
"We are getting more female students out there and we don't really have anyone for them to talk to about, you know, female concerns," Baum told the board.
Baum's dream girl for Camp Korah would be a qualified teacher who's willing to learn her way around the place, is good in the woods and maybe knows a thing or two about construction.
Oh, and she needs to be willing to guide female students, especially in matters of female concerns.
In October, the board said it would consider Baum's requests for funding when it does its budget in the spring.
But Director of Education John Stadnyk left the board with a warning.
"Camp Korah is one among other programs we run that is not funded in the same way our schools are," he said. "If you want to provide these things you'll have to make it a priority."
Last week, Trustee Caputo said he'd thought about the situation after the October meeting and when he learned that the board's reserve fund was in pretty good shape, he decided to bring forward a motion to give Camp Korah what it needs to thrive.
"I wanted to preserve and enhance this jewel that we have in Camp Korah," Caputo said. "It's vital in our outdoor program that saves a lot of kids from dropping out of school and I appreciate the effort that staff is putting forth out there."
The school board issued the following news release:
************************* The Board of Trustees of the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board has approved funds for upgrades to an integral and unique component of its education system.
At its monthly meeting on Wednesday, December 5, 2007, the Board approved allocating up to $50,000.00 dollars from the reserve fund for improvements to its Camp Korah site on Goulais Avenue in the Northwest area of Sault Ste. Marie.
The majority of the funding is to be directed at replacing a large storage building at a cost of $22,500.00. A tender will be issued for an All-Terrain Vehicle and trailer which will be used for the maintenance and grooming of the extensive trail system in place on the 180 acre site.
“Camp Korah is an unparalleled asset for this Board and it’s great to see the Trustees realize just how important it is to keep it in peak operating form. These two items will allow our staff to better utilize the site and enhance the education of our students when it comes to the environment.” said H-SCDSB Director of Education John Stadnyk.
“We had an ATV on loan from Esquire Honda for last year and we realized the need to not have to rely on the generosity of local businesses for such an arrangement.” said H-SCDSB Superintendent Germain Dalcourt.
“This purchase will give us certainty regarding all-season transportation at our Camp Korah site.” added Dalcourt.
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