Pilgrim Lodge, 8 October 2004

(PL Wire) - West Gardiner, ME:  Today was a historic day at Pilgrim Lodge, a ministry of the Maine Conference United Church ~ Of Christ.  Today three members of the summer's maintenance crew dismantled the famed Boat Dock which has sat on the waterfront at Pilgrim Lodge for many, many, many, many moons.  Steve Jones, Don Isham, and Rev. Jack Steeves dismantled the dock, laying to rest once and for all a long saga of maintenance repair (and disrepair) on the PL waterfront.

While the Boat Dock was long due for retirement, it was still held near and dear to the hearts of many PL campers, deans, and staff.  Itinerant staff member Ben Bigney remembers fondly the first time he encountered the Boat Dock: "It was my only summer here as a camper.  On Sunday afternoon I went down to the waterfront to take my swim test and there it was, that old red Boat Dock, sitting there next to the Red Swim Dock.  I didn't actually notice it that much, and I think the only time I walked on it was to get into a canoe and paddle to the ledges.  We came back and it was still there, waiting for us, doing its duty, happy in providing us with that time out on the lake."  Bigney looked nostalgic as he continued on, at great length, about his seven days as a camper and, at even greater length, his first summers on staff.  A full transcript is available somewhere.

Portions of the Boat Dock have been taken to the West Gardiner Transfer Station, where it will be watched over by staff there.  The rest of it will be used for kindling - an appropriate way to lay to rest those many days (and a few nights) of boating fun.  While Rev. Bryan S. Breault, Director of Outdoor Ministries, was unavailable for comment, it was his wish that the Boat Dock be retired in a respectful manner so that a new, sturdy, and safe dock could be used starting the summer of 2005.  The Boat Dock's long time companion, the former Red Swim Dock, made way for the current Gray H Dock in the summer of 1995.  We hope that the two have found each other once again at that great waterfront in the sky.

 -- Greg Plodmili