July, 2012 - Camp Woodland

Video Blog of the week – Gymnastics Show Tonight!!!

Posted by admin on July 7, 2012

Today is the last day of the first two week signup at camp! Tonight the girls get to show off their amazing skills by putting on a gymnastics, dance, and drama shows in front of the entire camp. I am lucky enough to get to watch the girls practice almost everyday since the gymnastics mats are right by the office. Click the link below for a little sneak preview of both Elena and Cayley practicing no handed back flips with just a little assistance from our amazing nurse. Nurse Lauren was a college gymnast and worked as a counselor at a gymnastics camp for many years. We are so very lucky to have such a special nurse!

Gymnastics Sneak Preview

One…two…three…stroke!

Posted by admin on July 7, 2012

One…two…three…stoke!

As you all know, having new experiences and cabin unity are two main cornerstones here at Camp Woodland. What better way to discover yourself and face new experiences than to go out into the wilderness with only sleeping bags, tents, food, and a roll of toilet paper. The canoe trips are a special night for the campers. They get to paddle across the lake and spend the night with their cabin away from camp.

So far this summer we have had two very exciting canoeing trips! The Sunrise cabin consists of campers ages 8-9 also had their canoe trip challenge, where several of the girls discovered a new activity that they just can’t wait to explore more…CANOEING! Everyone got a chance bow (front) and stern (back) in their canoe. Even though this trip was much shorter, it was still equally rewarding. We packed up our sleeping bags, tents…and yes, a roll of toilet paper, and headed off into the abyss, known as the boat landing. The girls enjoyed setting up their own tents (with some assisted instruction), cooking dinner and breakfast over the fire, having an evening swim, singing around the campfire with guitar accompaniment, and building many memories that will no doubt be shared during their future canoe trips.

The CITs went on a long, exciting paddle beginning at Chain Lake, through Echo Lake, to Stone Lake, and finally through the channel ending at Sand Lake, where we were all ready to set up camp. When we made it to the campsite we quickly started a fire and setup tents with little to no problem. Then, it was dinnertime, which of course was cooked over the campfire. The rest of the night was spent around the campfire, telling stories, singing camp songs, and the most desired aspect of the canoe trips…roasting s’mores!

Thank you Katie for taking the cabins out this summer!!!

Happy Belated 4th Of July!!

Posted by admin on July 6, 2012

4^th of July- Ooooh, Aahh, Wonderful!!!

Ok, ok, I know you are dying to find out about what happened at camp for the 4^th of July! Here we go!………..

The past few days have been extremely hot in Northern Wisconsin. Luckily, not as hot as Chicago or the East Coast. However, the girls have been super troopers and drank plenty have water, took breaks during activities, and enjoyed swimming in the lake!

Every summer Camp Woodland and Towering Pines celebrate the 4^th of July together sharing skits and songs around the campfire. During the day it was in the low nineties and it was huuuu-mid! But out of nowhere, right before we had to head over to Towering Pines, a fantastic gust of wind blew through camp. The temperature dropped, and we found ourselves wanting to wear jeans and long sleeve shirts!!! It was a “4^th of July” miracle indeed!!! Between the breeze and the cooler temperatures the campfire and fireworks were a huge hit!!

We had a few Emcee’s to host the fireworks this Year! Towering Pines has two new emcees’: The Nokomis Ninja and his sidekick, Yellow Belt. They were very entertaining as Yellow Belt is a ninja but is afraid of people. Luckily, the Nokomis Ninja is his mentor and is helps him through the rigors of campfire! A few other Emcees that made it to the party were TP Trojan, Fairy God Mother, Luanne, and Georgie the cricket!

Yes, yes, yes, there was a lot going on at Camp Fire! After the boys and girls performed their skit and song, the sun magically disappeared, the glow sticks emerged, and there was an amazing cadence of fireworks. Jeff Jordan set off over 30 spectacular fireworks. It is probably one of the best fireworks displays in the Northwoods!

The girls really enjoyed seeing their brothers at Towering Pines as well. The girls tell me that during the year they are not as close to their siblings as when they are at camp. They tell me that the magic of camp makes them closer! You gotta love that camp magic J

Alumni Perspective – 2nd week of Camp!

Posted by admin on July 4, 2012

Alice Lurain went to camp as camper/counselor in the 80’s though the late 90’s. Alice is a successful Chemistry teacher at a private school in New York City.

Read below about her camp memories of the 2nd week of Camp!

All told, I spent 10 summers at Woodland – 7 as a camper and 3 as a counselor. While the first week of camp was always a whirlwind of nervous excitement – finding out which cabin I was in, catching up with old friends and meeting new ones, basking in the sense of freedom that came from being far from parental control, far from the daily academic and social pressures of school life, and in such a glorious place – the second week of camp was when the fun really started. By the end of the second week, it felt as though we had been there for years and my cabinmates felt like the lifetime friends that many of them still are. Week two was the time when we all settled comfortably into the routine of camp life.

Although my last Woodland morning was well over a decade ago, I can still remember it like it was yesterday – waking to the morning bell in the cool North Woods air, shuffling to and from breakfast snuggled in sweatpants and sweatshirts, finding my name on the job wheel (and cursing that it was my turn to sweep), racing to clean the cabin for inspection, watching the flag being raised at morning assembly, running across the still dewy grass to the stable to tack up my horse or down to the waterfront for an icy swim in Sand Lake.

I remember that rest hour felt like an eternity as I waited eagerly to jump from my bunk and sprint down the steps to water ski or sail. By week two, my “letters home” usually went something like, “Dear Mom and Dad, I am writing this because I have to. Camp is great. I never want to leave. Love, Alice.” I remember arriving at dinner with the glow of the day upon us and begging Alice D to eat faster so that we could get dessert (see last alumni post). Week two was when even the new campers started to know the songs that we “sang” in the dining hall with joyous enthusiasm that more than made up for our lack of musicality.

Week two was the time when you learned who in your cabin was a hilarious ham when performing skits, who had a knack for creative lyrics for songs, who was a killer “spit” card player, who was good at uncapsizing a canoe, and who could whistle the Star Spangled Banner after eating a Saltine cracker to give your team the edge in 4^th of July games. We went to bed each night, after our counselors read aloud from Danielle Steele or V.C. Andrews, already feeling the excitement of the next new day ahead.

Last night, I sat on my roof deck in New York City watching a fireworks display in some far-off New Jersey town, and I could almost hear the collective chorus of campers and counselors around the TP-Woodland 4^thof July campfire on the shores of Lake Nokomis – “Ooh…aah…wonderful!”

Week #2 Has Begun!

Posted by admin on July 2, 2012

Week #2 started today and the girls are doing amazing in their activities. They have been passing levels left and right in both archery and riflery. It’s amazing how far the kids can get in their skill development by the end of the summer when they get to practice everyday for an hour a day! Don’t worry I will start reporting on the skill development for the girls in Sailing, swimming, horseback riding, and gymnastics soon!

Last week the girls learned an amazing about about each other within their cabins. This week the girls will learn how much fun it is to be part of a team (within their cabin). Through a series of games and group challenges, during “cabin nite” they develop trust in themselves and their fellow campers. They learn how to work with others towards a common goal, contribute their own special talents, and celebrate in the cabin’s success.

P.s. The girls are designing and assembling an amazing quilt for Mrs. J in Arts and Crafts. I will post a photo when it is finished 🙂

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Monthly Archives:July 2012

Video Blog of the week – Gymnastics Show Tonight!!!

One…two…three…stroke!

Happy Belated 4th Of July!!

Alumni Perspective – 2nd week of Camp!

Week #2 Has Begun!

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