Hey, Campers!
Are you ready to boldly go where no camper has gone before? If there happen to be any trekkies reading this post, you’re in luck! Today I’m talking about the captain of the USS Enterprise, James T. Kirk himself—William Shatner, ladies and gentlemen!
It may be hard to envision it, but Mr. Shatner himself wasn’t always out there exploring the final frontier—when he was your age, he was exploring the twenty acres of private forest where Camp Massad is located, just north of Winnipeg, in Winnipeg Beach, Manitoba, Canada.
There at Camp Massad, William enjoyed the ginormous outdoor pool, the paved tennis courts, basketball courts, the outdoor stage, jungle gym, acres upon acres of private forest, and the beauty of the nearby Lake Winnipeg.
More than just an actor, William Shatner is also a musician, a singer, an author, a film director, a spokesman, and a comedian. Of course, it was his acting on Star Trek from 1966 to 1969 that turned him into a cultural icon for his role as James T. Kirk. He became famous the world over!
Originally, Shatner was cast as the James T. Kirk of the second pilot for Star Trek which wasn’t called Star Trek. It was called “Where No Man Has Gone Before,”—not nearly as catchy as Star Trek! After that, William was contracted to play Kirk for Star Trek.
He also did voice work for the animated series of Star Trek from 1973 to 1974 and he was in seven of the feature films of Star Trek that came out between 1979 and 1994. In the early nineties he hosted the Rescue 911 reality-based television series.
He later starred in the television series the The Practice as well as the spin-off of The Practice, Boston Legal as Denny Crane. He won two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for his portrayal. Maybe you’ll win an Emmy or two after your through with summer camp!
Till next time, Campers. Live long and prosper. And, as always, thanks for reading!
- John