In the 1940’s I worked at Sunshine Camp as a volunteer from Girl Guides and then as an employed member of staff.
Sunshine Camp was a camp for children aged 8-12, whose families were not financially able to give their children a holiday. As soon as school closed in June, 30 boys would be bussed to camp on Tuesday morning by Mr. Moore – the same man who drove visitors to the Sanatorium from Rawlins Cross on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons. 13 days later Mr. Moore returned to camp to bring the boys home. The next day, after the camp had been house cleaned and beds changed, he delivered 30 girls to camp. And so it continued all summer, 3 camps of boys and 3 camps of girls.
I think the children were selected by the Nursing Service of Department of Health and examined by a Doctor.
The staff at camp consisted of a nurse supplied by Dept. of Health and Welfare (as it was then), a recreation leader and two volunteer Boy Scouts or Girl Guides. There were three maids who lived in the neighbourhood. They cooked and did the housework.
Upon arrival at camp each child was given a bath and had his/her head inspected for lice and heads were treated if necessary. They all received camp clothes and sneakers – on loan while at camp. The sneakers cost 99 cents a pair in those days! Unfortunately some sneakers did not fit very well or were worn out before the season ended.
All the children were weighed on admission and in 13 days most gained several pounds.
There was a dormitory with 30 beds. The dining room was near the kitchen and had 3 long tables – room for 10 at each. The playroom had a big fire place, fuelled by wood that the campers gathered. The staff had their own bedroom and dinning room and a small office/sitting room.
The nurse was in charge and I was responsible for the program with the help of the volunteer Guides or Scouts. I was paid $10 a week. If the weather was fine, we played on the playground or swam in the Milley Memorial Pool in the river that runs between Gull Pond and Healy’s Pond. If the weather was wet or cold we stayed in doors because no warm shirts or sweaters were provided. We played lots of Bingo, sang all kinds of songs, had a race day, played ball games, went on walks around the neighbourhood and had a picnic supper out somewhere in the woods once during the 13 day camp.
On Sundays a bus was provided by a generous Rotarian to take the RC children to mass at Holy Rosary in Portugal Cove, or the RC Cathedral, as it was then, in St. John’s.
I met many interesting children during my years at Sunshine Camp. A few were rascals. The way I handled them was to keep them busy and give them some responsibility.
Many grew up to be leading citizens in St. John’s; they were all my friends and some still are.
Sometime in the late 40’s a wing was added to the camp to accommodate 10 special needs children for the summer. Some these children were in casts or on long term bed rest and many were patients from the Orthopaedic Hospital. Two more nurses were added to the staff to care for these children. They joined the rest of us in camp in some activities if they were able.
I commend the St. John’s Rotary Club for building Sunshine Camp and maintaining it for so long. There are many old people in St. John’s and elsewhere, including heaven, who have very happy memories of our days in Sunshine Camp. Thank you Rotarians