5,325 Pounds of Shingles

Wow.

This past weekend, in just two (very long) working days, a hearty crew of dedicated volunteers worked and worked and worked until the job was done. The Rec Hall roof, last shingled in the early 80s (35+ years ago), was due to be fully stripped and re-shingled. Overdue, really; this past winter, the shingles turned a corner, allowing water to seep through in many places.

Because there were already two layers of shingles on, the job included removing 5+ tons of asphalt before we could install anything new. In addition, water damage demanded significant remediation.

The Rec Hall roof with all new shingles, accomplished in two-days

When the idea of doing this project with volunteers first bubbled up, it felt like a pretty wild one. What about weather? And the water damage? Who will carry all those shingles? Do we have the tools? Will anyone show up? They did, and they made it happen.

Some quick numbers:

24: number of volunteers
320: hours of work given
10.5: hours in each working “day”
2,500: square feet of roof (25 square)
5,325: pounds of shingles that went up
11,000: pounds of shingles (and other debris) that came down, every ounce of which was painstakingly picked up and put into the dumpster

*The final ridge cap shingles going on, ~6PM Sunday evening*

In spite of losing Friday to rain, a day where we planned to strip and prep, the crew got it done. Actually, more than got it done. Going into the weekend, I was going to be thrilled if we did just the North side where the majority of the integrity issues existed. I wasn’t sure we’d have the personpower to even think about the south side...

It says something about the impact of this place that people are willing to work this long and hard (on Mother’s Day, no less) to ensure that our volunteers and You n Me campers have a safe, dry place to sleep, and that all campers have a safe, dry place to gather, for this summer and beyond.

The demographics of the team also say something; in Phil and Dave, we were supported by individuals with 50+ years of passion for this place. In Nate and Mara and Max and Rose and Laura and Katie and Sam, we were supported by seven people under 30, all of whom were campers here for most of their lives. As is so often the case for me, these two exhausting days were made even more inspiring and meaningful because six of those young adults were “my camper” at some point, as a counselor 10+ years ago (when they were 9 or 13 or 15 years old) or volunteer director. “Inter-generationality” at its finest.

I owe this group of people an enormous debt of gratitude, and I hope you’ll join me in thanking them. To Allen, Carol, Dad, Dave, Don, Gary, John, Katie, Laura, Mara, Matt, Max, Mom, Nate, Peg, Phil, Rita, Robin, Rose, Sam, Steve, and Sue, thank you. Your remarkable dedication and drive is a shining example of what makes Wanakee special. Thank you for believing in the power of this place and moving our ministry forward.

Grace and Peace,

James B. Tresner, Executive Director