The 96-year-old Oamaru man was among the instigators who bought the camp near Herbert in 1938, has served on its board of management since then, and yesterday celebrated its 75th anniversary by planting a commemorative tree.
Mr Gemmell recalled it was wet weather that led to the purchase of the camp, owned by the Presbyterian Church but run by a local board since it was bought.
''We had pitched the tents the week before the annual Easter Bible camp, like we always did,'' he said. That was down by the Waianakarua River on a reserve.
Then it poured for a week.
Someone had heard about an empty old wooden house nearby and got permission to camp in it.
''It turned out the owner [John Rodman] was going to sell it and some surrounding land, and he agreed to offer it to us for a camp site if we could find 300 in a few weeks,'' Mr Gemmell said.
In those days, that was a lot of money.
However, 20 ''young people'', who were keen to see a camp established, each contributed 5, enough for a 100 deposit, within a week.
The rest was raised by way of a loan from a building society, those same young people promising to pay a shilling a week to pay it off.
Now, 75 years later, the camp has accommodation for up to 100 people, a large community hall-dining room and kitchen, ablution blocks and other facilities.
A four-bedroom lodge with its own kitchen sits close to the site of the original house, which burnt down in 1960.
''We got 498 insurance which, with a lot of volunteer labour, went to building the lodge,'' he said.
The management board has eight members, chaired by Bart Gilmore, of Weston. Mr Gemmell has served on the board since 1938, still attending its meetings and, despite now being blind, still playing an active role.
He was its chairman for 50 years until 2003.
''Can you name anyone else still on the same committee after 75 years?'' he asked at the anniversary yesterday.
Mr Gemmell has written a well-illustrated book on the history of the camp.
Much of it draws on his still sharp memory of all the events that have occurred at what he calls ''a very special place''.
