SAFE & SECURE

Looking after security at Cleves is like being a glorified babysitter 90% of the time. Other than patrolling the property a couple times a night the security guard’s job has really morphed into being an expensive hall sitter for the most part! In the last 20 years the behaviour of the staff at night has changed a lot. Even though the goal is still to have fun and party hard, this generation has decided that partying goes hand in hand with being destructive. In the last several years I have had chairs thrown through windows in the staff house, doors kicked in and numerous locks broken. I find it so sad that they think this is ok. What happened to going to the club, walking around with a pitcher of Long Island Iced Teas with a straw in it (allegedly) and heading home to bed. I would love to be able to have a season where night security does not weigh heavily on my mind all season but that is never going to happen. When I come into work in the morning via my Dad’s office if I see a Night Report with a staple in the corner I know it is going to be a bad day!!

To work nighttime security one has to have a certain type of personality. They can be a really odd bunch. About 10 years ago when we were still using an actual security company to handle the property, they sent over 2 women one night. They would be in their mid-forties and I don’t think would be able to keep up with anybody trying to get away from them. One night Mom and Dad and I were heading back up from the club to go home and for some reason we decided to go onto the Main Hotel Veranda. The guards were sitting on the veranda drinking coffee. As many of you know my Dad is probably the nicest guy one will ever meet but he also has a WICKED sense of humour. As we approached them he leans over to me and says ‘this is going to be great’ (These women had no idea who he was) ‘Good evening ladies’ ‘Hi sir how are you?’ ‘We are great. Are you having a busy night?’ ‘No it’s pretty quiet and it’s a good thing because my feet are killing me and there is now way we can walk around this property’..... we walk away and Dad turns to me and says ‘I don’t know about you but I feel so safe and secure right now!’ Those women were never seen again!!

If you worked at Cleves any time in the mid to late 80s you obviously remember the Security Guards of the time Dirk and Robin. Dirk was from the Netherlands and was about 6 foot 5, Robin his sidekick was a local guy from Bracebridge. These 2 guys epitomized teamwork. Dirk was the ‘physically intimidating’ force and Robin was the sly, sneaky one. One night in 1986 when the cottagers came to Cleves in droves my entire family had gone to the Club one night to see a show and we were all standing on the small entrance porch outside the Snack Bar after it ended. Dirk and Robin were at the end of the dock when they got a call saying that there was a crisis in the Main parking lot and they were needed up there right away. Robin gracefully took off and started running up the dock, past our family and up the hill to investigate. Dirk was quick to follow and started running right behind. I would say that by the time he got to the Ski School his entire 6 foot 5 frame started to lose control and he looked more like a helicopter with arms and legs flailing. Just before he got to where we were standing he did a giant face plant, skidded about 10 feet with walkie talkie and flashlight sliding up the dock. He quickly regained his composure and continued up the hill after Robin. Dad turned to us and simply said ‘Oopsie Daisy’!! So funny...

Back then we were pretty strict about guys going into the girls staff house and vice versa after 11:00 pm and the security guards spent a lot of time kicking people out of each side every night. One night we were all partying in room 24 on the guy’s side (it’s is always amazing to me how that room always ends up being the party room) and it was well after midnight. Somebody came in and yelled ‘HERE COMES DIRK’ I of course being a Cornell was having a fit about being written up on the Night Report so I dove head first into the closet. Dirk opened the door and said in his intimidating Arnold Schwarzenegger voice, ‘The party’s over and Sandy I know you are in there!!!’ BUSTED!!