Camp Woodland Blog
Singing as a Gateway to Belonging at Camp
Each day we are at camp brings a deeper sense of place and pace, allowing us all to settle even more into our time here and to become more relaxed and comfortable together…and this happens–not only because we aren’t glued to our phones–but because we like to sing. Woodland girls actually LOVE to sing. And, we sing A LOT! Rumor has it that Song Contest has already been on the radar of some people BEFORE coming to camp!
Part of Camp Culture
I think it is safe to say that there aren’t many places in the world where a relatively big group of people with wildly varying levels of singing ability can come together and make “music.” It might not be music in the traditional sense of harmony, consistent rhythm or even basic unified starting notes, but it is something rare and unique. In fact, if Mrs. J was still with us, she would probably cringe at what our singing has morphed into over the years. When we sing together at camp, it can be familiar words, “This land is your land…,” shared silliness, “I’ll build a bungalow big enough for two,” or part of our culture, “Dip, dip and swing.”
It is the cultural component that makes shared songs an important part of the fabric of camp. We have add-on songs (Green grow the rushes O), “repeat-after-me” songs (The Princess Pat), songs sung in a round (One bottle of pop), spelling songs (L-o-ll-i-p-o-p, it’s a lick on a stick guaranteed to make you sick) and universal songs (If I had a hammer…). We have songs that started out as skits (Herbie the worm…), songs that came from other camps or places (You can tell a girl from Woodland…), and songs that kids just like to sing because they know (almost) all of the words (The Nonsense Song). There are songs/chants about announcements (Announcements, announcements, a-now-ince-ments…woo!) and about having Sunday/Olympic spirit (yes we do!)…and many more.
Singing Builds Community
Community is built and reinforced each evening when the songbooks are passed out at the end of dinner and requests are taken. We dismiss to evening activity with two Woodland songs “W, that’s the way it begins…” (more spelling!) and “We are from Woodland, Woodland are we…” Some songs add a bit of “percussion” and include banging on the table at just the right time (Boom, boom ain’t it great to be crazy…), up and down movement (Johnny has a head like a ping pong ball…), or acting out the words (Have you ever gone fishing?…). These are all invitations to be part of something that is loud and a little (or a lot of) silly, and the beautiful thing is that you never need to know exactly what you are doing to join in. It is a doorway that opens into a sense of belonging–and it is an essential part of camp.
Familiar Rhythm to a Camp Day
From the moment we get up until the time we put our head on our pillow at night, songs are part of the familiar rhythm that keep the “beat” of our camp day. Each morning a variety of popular songs can be heard throughout the cabin area as counselors become DJs and motivate campers to jump out of bed, get dressed, and start cabin clean-up. Some cabins choose to play/sing the same songs every day, while others prefer to “shuffle” tunes. We sing “grace” at the start of every meal; sometimes with just our cabin group and others with the entire camp community. This adds to the routine of the day and is a time to pause for a moment before sitting down to fuel our bodies whether it is a more serious melody (Johnny Appleseed) or on the playful side (a song sung to the Superman theme).
Alive, Alert, Awake, Enthusiastic
Our day would not be complete without JoAnne pepping us up with “I’m alive, alert, awake, enthusiastic” to get the energy going at some opportune moment – often at morning assembly (jazz hands included!). Sometimes the tennis, gymnastics, and/or swim counselors do the honor during first hour activities as part of warmup exercises. While that might not fall into the “song” category, it definitely has a “catchy” vibe to it.
Before-During-After Activities
Woodland girls sing during activities – on sailboats and in canoes, while being creative in the arts & crafts room or changing clothes for riding, and during swim lessons (just to name a few). We sing between activities as we are running or skipping to the next exciting period and picking up friends along the way. It would not be uncommon to belt out in the van as we head to Towering Pines for a sail race, to Cathy’s for winning Clean Freaks, or to the Ropes Course in Rhinelander.
Sending Sweet Dreams
One of my favorite Woodland traditions is having the CIT’s (or next oldest campers at the end of the summer) walk around from cabin to cabin and sing one of several “goodnight” songs. “I see the moon and the moon sees me…” is one that JoAnne and I text back and forth at random times throughout the year. There is something comforting about putting yourself (via your mind) at the deck on the way to the beach to see the moon leave its shimmering trail on Sand Lake.
Weekly Campfire
Singing is also a big part of Wednesday night campfire. Half of the cabins lead a familiar or new song when the emcees call them up to the “stage,” while the others contribute with a skit. Sometimes our musicians will play an instrument that is accompanied by someone singing vocals. CIT’s also present the week’s happenings by reading entries from the CIT log that is introduced by singing, “Log, log, log, log.” JoAnne starts the traditional friendship “squeeze” that is passed along to campers whose hands are joined right over left as we sing (and sway) to “Each campfire lights anew” and “Linger.” When we gather for one last time at the waterfront after banquet, “One Little Candle…” is the song that guides us down the dock to make a wish until we can be together again.
Coed Show
During this time of the summer, the CIT’s from both camps are hard at work putting together the highly anticipated “Coed Show.” Multiple numbers undergo a transformation of words to fit each year’s selected theme. It takes a good two and a half weeks to get the full production (songs, choreography, lines, props, coordinated t-shirts) audience ready.
The first week involves learning the line-up of songs by singing through them repetitively in the Woodland Rec Hall. The group then gathers at the TP Rec Hall to learn dance moves and staging (meanwhile the gals and guys are separately finding any free chance they have to perfect their own individual numbers) during the second week. The final week is putting it all together for two productions (campers, then parents). Coed Show alumni are always invited to join in the traditional slideshow songs including, “At the Beginning…”
While singing may not be a preferred activity at home, at camp it provides an automatic social group with an end goal for our oldest teenagers. The beauty is that no one is left out or wondering what their friends are doing because they are all together and bonding over having the important role of telling the story of the summer. Coed Show provides an opportunity for the CIT’s to belong to something special and unique. They earn “celebrity” status and the “cool factor” youth crave at this age in the healthiest of ways.
Camp Songs at Home
Of all of the grand take-aways of camp, we don’t expect your camper to come home and teach you all of the words and nuanced delivery of “Kitchen, kitchen listen while we sing to you” (though you undoubtedly deserve it!). We like to periodically sing a special song to the cooks/kitchen staff at camp as it makes their day. We know your kids most likely won’t make you run around your dining room table on your birthday, but it will be hard to sing “happy birthday” to anyone without thinking about following it up with, “Round the circle you must go, you must go, you must go ‘round the circle you must go on your birthday…” It will only be in that moment you are listening to music in the car as a family, and your camper/s will say, “OHHHHHH, that’s a song we sing at camp…but we don’t sing it THAT way.”
Belonging and More Singing Ahead
The feeling of belonging created by weaving together the opportunities to sing throughout the day is what helps your campers overcome missing home moments, the uncertainty of knowing what comes next, and wondering about being part of something bigger than themselves.
We are SOOOOOOOO excited for more days of singing ahead! And, when it is finally time to make the trip home, don’t be surprised if you hear some humming from the backseat or at random times throughout the school year. It’s one way the spirit of camp and the feeling of belonging never go away.
“And come September, we will remember, our camping days and friendships true…”
p.s. Any CW alums out there who sang your way through this blog?! We sure hope so!
Reference: SWC
Camp is a Much Needed “Haven”
Now that we are well into our 4th week of camp, it is a great time to take a brief pause and reflect on what Camp Woodland sets out to do each summer. What are our goals? What is our overall purpose? We’re certainly striving to “have fun” (a LOT of fun!), but it’s more than that. Beyond all the different activities, the great food, and our classic Northwoods camp environment, what is Woodland really providing? On a deeper level, what is camp doing for all the girls and staff members who spend their summer here?
A really good response to this question is summarized in the sign that greets you when you enter a new(ish) business in the North Carolina town in which I live. The “Haven” is located on the main street leading into the community of Southport. On any given day or night when I pass by as I am walking Gus and Gumbo, I see people of all ages hanging out; sometimes listening to live music in the back, playing corn hole or other “yard” game, enjoying a refreshing treat of Italian gelato or adult beverage, or grabbing a bite to eat from a food truck parked in the side driveway. This place in it’s short 15 month history is truly living up to its name.
If we go back to the question posed at the beginning of this blog, we might answer by saying, “What we’re doing here is creating a haven for girls.” That then leads to some follow-up questions, but what sort of haven, and why is that important?
The answer lies in the definition of the word “haven” itself as shown on the sign from the actual “Haven.” Haven means:
- a place of safety, shelter and refuge
- a port or harbor in a storm, a roadstead (I had to look this one up! A roadstead is a sheltered stretch of water near the shore in which ships can ride at anchor.)
- a place offering comfort and friendship
- an oasis or peaceful retreat
- community for good friends, new friends, old friends, and friends of friends
Without hesitation, our goal is to make Woodland a safe harbor for girls, a place of refuge from the “storms” of modern and everyday life. We are here to create an intentional community that’s different and separate from the all too many damaging forces impacting youth (especially girls!) today.
The good news is that girls flourish once these harmful forces are removed. We are really seeing the positive effects of being immersed into the camp experience for almost a month now. Campers are growing in astounding ways. They grow as individuals and together as a cabin group. These special “families” are a place of comfort and friendship in a “close to home” kind of way while the entire camp community offers comfort and friendship in a more “global” sense.
It is not a stretch to say that camp is an oasis/peaceful retreat. Campers tell us time and time again that they look forward to camp all year long. Our girls soak up and store every possible sight, sound, smell, taste, and feeling from their time in the Northwoods to draw upon later when they need a reprieve from the busyness and stresses often found during the rest of the year.
It goes without saying that we have a community of good friends at Woodland (it doesn’t take too long to figure that out when scanning the plethora of photos on SmugMug!). We welcome and embrace old and new friends and friends of friends. We even have several very special 4-legged friends. Chanel, Coco, and Juno are part of our community, too. I am always amazed at how people who are very different from each other cross paths at camp and become the closest of friends. Had they been in the familiar setting of home or school, they might not have even given each other a chance.
Each of the “haven” sub-definitions are big part of our WHY. Next, we will look a little more closely at HOW Camp Woodland is a haven.
1. Haven from Indoor Living: Life at Woodland is lived intimately with Nature; we are outdoors almost all the time. Many of us spend the greater part of 10 months inside, so it is refreshing to see campers (and staff) learning to embrace nature’s wonder and beauty in large doses. There’s a deep restorative power to this.
2. Haven from a Rushed Life: The pace of life at Woodland is deliberately slower and more mindful. Time is intentionally built into the day to allow campers to savor each moment and engage more deeply with everything and everyone around them. Eating 3 meals/day together and hanging out at rest hour and before bed as a cabin group gives campers multiple opportunities to nuture relationships in a way that is hard to replicate anywhere else.
3. Haven from Inactivity and Modern Convenience: In a world that often prioritizes convenience and sedentary lifestyles, Woodland encourages physical activity, adventure, and hands-on experiences. It’s a place where campers move and play, discovering the joys of doing.
4. Haven from Information Overload: In a world saturated with information, Woodland provides a break from the constant barrage of news and novelty. This allows campers to pay attention to their immediate experiences, fostering connections, creativity and presence.
5. Haven from Competition: Woodland is a non-competitive environment where girls can explore their interests and abilities without the pressure of outperforming others. Keeping score is the last thing on our minds (with the one exception of Olympics next week!). Instead the focus is on personal exploration, kind cooperation, and collective success.
6. Haven from Judgment: Woodland celebrates brave attempts, silly creativity, and an openness to try things. Here, girls explore for the fun of it and are unconcerned with what others will say about the outcome. The kindness of this community lifts everyone up.
7. Haven from Technology: This one is HUGE. Woodland is a tech-free environment that dispels the distraction inherent to digital media and its flickering screens. Camp returns us to real-world activities, the nuance of face-to-face interactions and the complexities of truly feeling things. This allows everyone here to be more human and explore what that means.
8. Haven from Exclusivity: Woodland is committed to creating a community of belonging. Our core value of respect encourages campers to spread kindness and show empathy to one another. We strive to be curious, not judgmental. Meeting so many people at camp helps us appreciate and celebrate diverse backgrounds and perspectives. We are a place where it is “cool to be you.”
9. Haven from Social Pressures: Woodland provides a break from the pressures to conform to certain social expectations. Here, girls can explore their interests freely, while being supported by an enthusiastic community that values them for who they really are.
10. Haven from “I Can’t”: At Woodland we strive to omit these words from our vocabulary for the 6 weeks we are at camp. We celebrate incremental progress and embrace success over time (vs instant gratification). Persistence and grit go a long way in the skills we are developing in activities and with building relationships. When the word “yet” is inserted after an “I Can’t” proclamation, the opportunity to grow is imminent.
When seen as a haven in all these ways, it is within reach to grasp that Woodland is a special experience, and how it’s so important for your girls. We all know that ordinary life is chock full of pressures and challenges. Just ask any teenager; they’ll tell you. Camp provides relief from all that. It’s a sanctuary of freedom where girls thrive. Yes, it’s also a lot of fun and girls love it, and it’s wonderful in this important way as well. We are so looking forward to being together in this much needed “haven” for a few more weeks!
Reference: RBC
The Big Bad Wolf and Sand Lake
One of my favorite kid’s books is the “True Story of the 3 Little Pigs” by Jon Scieszka. The cool part about this version is that it is told from the perspective of the big, bad wolf because according to him, he was “framed” in the original story. Instead of the wolf huffing and puffing to blow down the houses of the three pigs, he was really just after a cup of sugar for his granny’s birthday cake while suffering a terrible cold. The unfortunate timing of his sneezes is what really knocked down the houses belonging to each pig.
You may recall a few blogs ago, the “True Story of the Lake Gnomes” that was written by Peggy Forester in 1973. Her story gives the history of how Sand Lake really got its brownish color (the coffee factory behind Hilltop was actually moved to the bottom of the lake). So, just over 50 years later, campers had the chance to come up with their own version of how they think Sand Lake got its unique color for a “Dewey Day” activity. As always, Woodland girls do not disappoint with putting their creative heads together to come up with a new ending to a classic tale!
Silver Birch had one of the winning entries, and this is how they told their version of the story (using a French accent):
One day a very talented artist named Lizzy heard about a beautiful lake (Sand Lake) in the Northwoods of Wisconsin and came all the way from France to paint it. She was amazed by how clear and wonderful it was, so she got to work. She used red (Amelia), orange (Lu), yellow (Luci), green (Eleanor) and lots and lots of blue (Audrey). From all the painting, Lizzy got tired so she went to get a coffee. The wind came in (Liza) and all the paint fell into the water. The colors started mixing and the lake turned brown. When the talented painter Lizzy returned, she was shocked by the change of color but loved it even more. She got back to work painting and finished her masterpiece. When she brought it home to France, she won many, many awards. The painting became even more famous than the Mona Lisa!
Sunrise also tied for their rendition of Sand Lake’s color augmentation:
The Woodland counselors were so sleepy and needed a lot of coffee, especially the Sunrise counselors. When they would drink their coffee while teaching swimming lessons, sometimes it would fall into Sand Lake making it turn brown. This also explains why the Sunrise campers have so much energy – they swim in Sand Lake that has been filled with the counselors’ coffee! I’m not sure that is the REAL reason Sunrise has so much energy (just saying!).
A few more creative takes on how Sand Lake wound up with its brown color:
Sunnyside: tourists mistakenly sprayed tanning oil instead of sunscreen and turned the lake brown (short & sweet!)
Aquarius: a giant named Aquarius took on a project to paint Camp Woodland and while trying to fix all of the imperfections (slanted floors, bathroom door that wouldn’t close, shower missing it’s top, etc.), the lake turned brown from the mixing of the colors. The giant was very upset and was afraid the campers wouldn’t want to swim in Sand Lake because of its ugly color. It was decided that the new color of the lake was perfect just way it is, and as a result, campers enjoy the lake and leave after a swim with a little of the giant’s paint on them.
Tamarack: a long time ago before Camp Woodland was even around, hikers stumbled onto a lake that was separated into the various colors of the rainbow. When trying out each color, the red water ended up being too hot, the orange was way too deep, the yellow was too sandy, the green was much too shallow, the blue much too cold, and the purple was extremely rocky. The hikers then came up with a plan and the girls each got in a boat and started rowing around the lake. Slowly, the colors started to mix into a beautiful brown lake that was “just right” (symbolic of how our differences can combine into something that is much more than the individuals at the start).
*For a chance to rewrite a tiny piece of Camp Woodland’s history, send your explanation/version of how Sand Lake got its brownish color to kimdaycock@gmail.com.
We LOVE our Woodland Staff!
Seeing all of the action at camp, all the happy kids here, it’s easy to forget that there are about 30-35 people on the Woodland staff at any one time. There are MANY people working to make camp possible. While July 12 has been officially named as #CampCounselor Day by the American Camp Association, we appreciate our staff EVERY day!
There are the cabin counselors: the college-age gals who live in the cabins with the campers, eat meals with the campers, and spend most of their day relating to them. These are the ones who most directly help set the tone at camp. They’re kind, silly, and enthusiastic. Many have been campers themselves when they were younger, and now have returned to Woodland to get their “camp fix” and have their turn at making an impact on the leaders of tomorrow. A few have recently come from abroad to spend their summer at camp. And others are friends of people somehow related to Woodland and its history. Regardless, they all work out their schedule and somehow manage to drop what they are doing during the school year to be in Northern Wisconsin for close to 8 weeks.
Cabin counselors are also activity instructors during the day. They are assigned to one or more activities where they guide, lead and instruct the campers as they do something. You can imagine this means the cabin counselors have a wide range of skills and talents. One might be certified to teach archery, and another to be a lifeguard. Some are landsports enthusiasts— tennis, gymnastics, riding or riflery, for example. Others have real talent directing drama or dance, developing cool art projects, or tying complex friendship bracelet patterns. Some teach the Zoo classes while others work with campers to learn to swim, sail or canoe. Every activity at camp has counselors directly involved at every turn.
Another area of staffing is our activity directors. These leaders have special knowledge or skills pertaining to an activity, and therefore can be in charge. Each instructional activity has at least one person in this role. The riding directors not only teach mounted riding lessons but also care for our 12 horses daily. Other directors include a Program Director who schedules all campers and staff for daily and evening activities, our CIT directors who run the leadership training program for the oldest campers, and a canoe trip director who takes each cabin group on an overnight experience. We also have adult leadership who are closely involved with the campers and staff of each age group.
The other areas of staffing are equally critical for camp to operate. These are the maintenance staff, van drivers, motor boat operators, photographers and videographers, and office staff (both on-site and remote). We should also recognize the fantastic team that can be found in our Health Center caring for and keeping us well physically and mentally, and perhaps most importantly, the kitchen crew that keeps us well fed with a-mazing meals and snacks.
Together, along with JoAnne and the Jordan family, all of these people help keep camp going. They help us stay healthy, active, and engaged with everything camp life presents. It’s a great group of dedicated people who love camp, enjoy being with kids and seeing them have fun. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; it’s the people that make Camp Woodland!
p.s. It’s never too early to start talking to those folks in your network (family, friends, neighbors, church community, co-workers, etc.) with college-age connections about the exciting opportunities a summer at camp provides!
Self-Discovery is a Benefit of Camp
We often hear from campers during the school year that, “I always can’t wait to get back to camp.” “Camp is my Happy Place.” “I look forward to camp all year long.” These are common refrains.
It doesn’t seem right to explain these feelings of happiness at camp by pointing to the variety of activities (sailing, riding, archery, dance, to name a few), the great food (taco bar, chicken tenders, Saturday donuts, or Dan’s lasagne), the beautiful campus we enjoy (Climax Forest, Sand Lake, Vespers Hill) or any particular “perk” like that. If not these, then why do Woodland girls love camp so intensely and often with such loyalty?
There is a phrase we often hear at the closing Inspiration Hour where campers and staff members talk about what camp means to them. The phrase is, “Camp is the place where I’ve learned the most about myself.” There is something special about Woodland that leads to self-awareness, to a better understanding of “who you really are.” What is it about camp that encourages this?” How is camp different from other places in ways that make it well suited for this kind of self-discovery? That may be the question of the century!
For one, the pace of camp life really helps. There’s simply more time for self-reflection, more opportunities to try new things and explore (and Open New Doors!), more opportunities to relax and connect with the people around them. We know how busy lives can be during the school year, “up at 7am and back home at 7pm.” Having stretches of free time at camp is a wonderful thing. That freedom makes a HUGE difference!
At camp there are also “fewer distractions” mostly because campers do not have their phones. This is a big deal! One reason campers love camp, ironically, is because they give up something they use everyday, all day, at home. If every spare moment is consumed by retreating from the real world into the algorithmically curated virtual world of social media and the internet, then what’s left? If a smartphone is always with us, ready to provide instant gratification (distraction), won’t we skip over important details around us and fail to pay attention to what we might discover? With no phones at camp, girls are relishing the expansion of awareness being tech-free provides them. And, part of what they’re noticing is their true selves.
When asking older campers why they keep coming back to camp, they often tell you, “It’s the people.” This translates to mean, “the people at camp are friendly, kind people who make me feel good. They accept me, include me, and don’t judge me.” This sense of belonging, being a part of a community that cares about you no matter what, is a powerful force. It inspires a sort of personal confidence to let the real you shine, to drop those ideas of who you “should” be. It’s very common, after all, for most of us to fall victim to pressures of conformity, to create versions of ourselves that align with assumed ideals of personality, ability and beauty. But if that’s all we do, how will we discover what’s unique about each of us? If we’re just posing most of the time, doing our best to hide any hint of “imperfection,” (thinking this will help people “like” us), who are we really?
We think campers understand this too at some level. Maybe not explicitly, but they know that at Woodland it is OK to discard these social facades and explore other, deeper aspects of who they are. The people here at camp, the whole supportive community, makes this possible. When you realize that people at camp don’t really care what you look like, you can let you hair down, literally and figuratively. That’s the gift that can lead to greater self-awareness, much greater self-confidence, and greater contentment in the long run.
Taken together, these three characteristics of camp life— time for reflection, ditching phone-based distractions, and a community of supportive people —help explain why girls feel they learn about themselves at camp. Since this kind of self-discovery is really difficult back at school, they yearn for these opportunities and so cherish their time at camp. They “can’t wait to get back,” and feel good like this again. Maybe we can say these girls love camp because it’s fun, but also because it helps them grow.
If you want to help your girls grow like this at home, help them by carving out some time when they can slow down, be fully disengaged from their smartphones, and be with people who truly care about them. That’s certainly not easy, but not impossible either. How about a phone-free sleepover with friends, spent playing games instead of watching a movie? Family time one Saturday morning, spent outside? Those are just a couple of ideas that are also not necessarily easy, but may give you some encouragement to try. Our kids really do want these sorts of experiences but are hampered by forces beyond their control. They need our help. Fortunately, there is camp, but can’t we do more? Yes, we can!
Reference: RBC