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Is It Camelot Or Camel Lot?

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 11, 2009

As mentioned before in this column, Brookdale, Freedom Plaza's parent company, suggests general themes for activity programming. Tying together their multitude of facilities across the county in this fashion lends unity and provides mutual assistance through networking when needed.

The Brookdale theme for the year 2009 is "Dream, Dare and Discover," and the specific motif for February is "Camelot." Though these ideas may seem rather nebulous, they do offer leeway for each facility to be creative and individual.

It is doubtful that any group of residents, in any Brookdale center nationwide, will be more individual than Freedom Plaza when the theme, "Camelot" is mentioned. Their thoughts may not turn immediately to King Arthur's mythical kingdom, but may take twist in another direction. All who have been residents for at least four years will immediately translate "Camelot" into "Camel Lot": two words describing a medieval retirement center deriving its name from a salesman hawking used camels in its courtyard.

"Camel Lot," of course, was a Freedom Frolics version of "Camelot" and a parody of Freedom Plaza. It was peopled with characters such as Sir Dancalot, Social Director; Sir Bragalot, Marketing Director; Sir Chocolot, Food Services Director and Sir Fixalot, Maintenance Director. The court jester, Rigoletto, who served also as Camel Lot's comptroller, knew only one trick: juggling books, and Queen Guinevere taught her Ladies in Waiting - a.k.a. Casserole Crusaders - the art of weaving by sharing the contents of her hip flask. King Arthur, as CEO of Camel Lot, had his group of "Yes" men: his yeomen who answered "Yo!" to any question he asked.

"Camel Lot" was a zany place and the fact that the executive director of Freedom Plaza not only approved the script, but laughed all the way through the show (even at the comptroller juggling the books) proved that he, and the company he represented, were great sports. Camel Lot was a tremendous success, as well, for its sponsors, the Freedom Plaza Scholarship Fund.

Now, let's hope that the up-coming Freedom Frolics "Mother Hubbard's Cupboard" or "fractured fairytales and naughty-but-nice nursery rhymes" (from the same pen as "Camel Lot") will meet with equal success on all fronts.

Peggy Burgess is a creative consultant for Freedom Plaza.

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