Hi Folks,
ANNOUNCEMENTS: This will be the last post of the Directors’ Journal for the summer. Can’t believe it. The summers always go so fast, and before we know it, the kids are heading home. Some things for you to be aware of:
1. YOUR KIDS ARE COMING HOME ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 11TH! That’s this coming Friday. Yes, sometimes people get a little confused.
2. Soon after the boys leave, we will mail home any clothing or otherwise valuable items we have found left behind. If we have any valuable stuff without names, we’ll send an email with our Missing Items Bureau. We ask that you notify us right away if something belongs to your camper, and we’ll send it to you. Within a few days, we donate everything left to a local charity.
3. Shortly after your boys return, you’ll receive a letter from one of the counselors in the cabin. We hope it gives you good insight into how the summer went for your son. If you’d like to make a gesture of appreciation for your son’s counselors, we recommend a gift to Camp for All Kids.
4. After the dust has settled a bit, we’ll send you an email asking you to fill out a survey about camp. There is a survey for parents and a separate one for campers. We value your input, so we urge you to submit it as soon as possible.
5. And….enrollment for the 2018 summer is already open! We have received several applications already. You can apply by clicking here. Thanks!
Today is our last day of full activities. How did that happen? The morning started off beautiful, and the whole day was actually pretty darn nice. We had a great morning of activities and then after lunch, some dark clouds moved in our way. They had no impact at all until about half way through 4th period. Some thunder roared in from the north, and….we had to close down the waterfront. No big deal, except there were 10 guys waiting for their ski run…their LAST ski run of the summer. One of the younger guys tried to convince me it wasn’t thunder, it was his stomach rumbling since he’s hungry for dinner. How do you not feel bad for guys looking forward to that one final run? I did…I felt bad. So…we devised a plan. So long as we got no more thunder, after our 30 minute waiting period we’d let me ski. That would involve running into free period, but we were able to (easily) convince a few ski staff guys to stick around to make sure those boys got their runs in. I remember being a camper and being in love with water skiing. Most kids only get to do that at camp, so missing out on any run, particularly the last one, would be a bummer. We took care of ‘em.
Today is also the day our last trips returned to camp. Five of ‘em. Boys returned from the Brule River, the Flambeau River, Sylvania, the North Shore of Lake Superior, and the Apostle Islands. We have a tremendous amount of trust in our trip leading staff. They’re just incredible young men and women. Still…it’s nice when the last trips return safe and sound.
Tonight was scheduled to be our last Capture the Flag game, and wee devised some clever adjustments to enhance the game. I think I was more excited about it than the kids, but we were pretty concerned about the weather . All day long we’ve tracked a weather pattern that was sending some stuff our way…very, very slowly. At dinner it seemed the storm front was right on us, but we stayed dry. We made the call and went with our outdoor plan and started the Capture the Flag game. And what a game it was! Truly, tonight turned out to be one of the most fun and entertaining Cap Flag games ever! The clouds started to drop some very light dew on us partway through, but we kept on playing and managed to finish the whole game. Afterwards we celebrated an awesome session of friendly Blue & White competition with a big ice cream party for the whole camp. And then two of our assistant directors were summarily marched to the lake and thrown in. It happens.
Yesterday was Cruiser Day…the last one of the summer. We hate saying stuff like that, but it’s true. It’s certainly starting on a positive note. This morning some members of our Camp Council drove the few miles to the local area food pantry, and donated cases of food that were the results of our Community Day proceeds. We’re proud of the boys for agreeing to sacrifice just a small amount to help so many hungry people in our area.
It was an absolutely beautiful day in the Northwoods. The Juniors were in camp and had a fun day together. After dinner they played a village-wide game of “Minute to Win It,” and they had a blast. The Intermediates were on a bus, and their day included some water sliding and some bowling. And the Seniors had vans. A few cabins went to Madeline Island, a few hit up Lake Superior, and one group kept it local and mellow.
On Monday the great weather continued. We had clinics in the morning, and we ran the Timberloop Classic 3 Mile Fun Run. Boys estimate the time it will take them to run 3 miles, and then off they go. We have water stations along the way, and timers…all very official. The race winners were the kids from each village who crossed the line closest to their estimated times. In addition to the race, we also had a wide array of other clinics going on. In the afternoon we had a normal schedule of activities and a free period, and then Monday night we had Blue & White games.
And last Sunday was also our last Lazy Breakfast of the summer. And it, too, was pretty chill. Breakfast was served at a leisurely pace, which seemed to fit the mood. It was a spectacular day, and after breakfast we had a nice morning of activities and a free period. That night we played our second ever rendition of Element Zero, a fun new game we introduced this summer. It’s somewhat of a Capture the Flag hybrid, but different at the same time. The important thing is there was lots of running around, and lots of fun.
Before we sign off from this particular Journal, we want to take a moment to express our deepest thanks and appreciation for the trust you have placed in us this summer. We have LOVED having your kids with us. All of us up here have worked extremely hard every day and night to provide them with a summer of fun, friendship, adventure, and growth. It is your boys who make that effort worth our while, and we cannot than you enough for sharing them with us. We’re gonna miss them after they leave.
Have a great remainder of the summer, and look for our BRAND NEW WEBSITE to launch in the coming days. We’ll let you know when it’s ready. You’re gonna love it, and you’ll even be able to access it on your mobile devices. Guess who’s finally joining the 21st Century?
Benches up,
Mike & Leslie