METAMORA -There are always chores to do at a ranch, and the D-Bar-A Boy Scout Ranch isn't any different.

On Saturday, May 11, a lot of those tasks were taken off the to-do list. On that day, the ranch sponsored its annual Mix-Fix, an open house for volunteers who want to help perform repairs and maintenance on the 1,700-acre facility.

This year, nearly 350 volunteers responded, and about 200 of them were from building trades unions. The workers re-glazed about 250 windows, installed 15 new pre-hung doors, repaired about 150 door and window screens, and applied about 100 gallons of red barn paint and another 100 gallons of interior cabin stain. All in all, it was a very productive day.

"Mix-Fix refers to mixing fellowship with work," said D-Bar-A ranger supervisor Dave Morosky, one of only three-full time workers at the camp. "There's just no way we could keep this place as nice as it is without all the help we receive. Having professional, qualified people doing the work makes a big difference."

Owned by the Detroit Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the D-Bar-A Scout Ranch has more than 100 buildings, including 28 cabins that can sleep 750 at a time. Construction started on the camp in 1946, and was completed in 1950. The Mix-Fix has been held every year since, a springtime effort to get the camp ready for Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Webelos, Venturers, Explorers and other groups. All told, some 45,000 campers use the facilities.

"There's always maintenance around here," Morosky said. "Kids can be pretty rough on the place." Morosky said the Mix-Fix consistently draws more than 300 volunteers - and most of them come back year after year.

This was the first year for apprentice glazier Jeff Perkins of Local 357, who spent much of the time hanging doors. "The work was rewarding," he said. "I wasn't in the scouts, but at the end of the day, it felt good to do something nice for the kids."

MIX-FIX VOLUNTEERS painted the barns red, and did a number of other helpful deeds at the D-Bar-A Scout Ranch.