Monthly Archives:July 2013

…The Riflery range that is!  It is my favorite place at Camp Woodland by a long shot J and was my #1 favorite activity for at least 6 summers as a camper.  The Riflery program is one of the most competitive and rewarding program at camp, which makes it an incredible fun learning experience – and only gets better with time! There are 14 levels to pass and a hard road to becoming an EXPERT. Yes, but as you work your way up to more points and different shooting positions the excitement and satisfactions becomes uncontrollable!

Be warned: this skill improving and concentration level-improving activity creates an addiction.  The symptoms include:

• Obsessions over safety rules
• Improvement of eye-sight
• Strengthening of arm and back muscles and a general development of good and empowering attitude towards obstacles and life in general!

There are 14 steps to take up the ladder towards expertise and consists of 4 positions:

• Prone (lying down)
• Kneeling
• Sitting
• standing

We start with Prone (lying down) starting at 20pts (out of 50), going up to 25, 30, 35, and 40 points with each level.  From there you go up to sitting, kneeling, and finally standing – an achievement in itself even if you don’t make it all the way to the end.  That moment when you can get off the floor and be confident enough to hold your own rifle is nothing short of magical.  I think it is the measurable improvement of skill, which is quite evident here at the range that makes this one of the most popular and loved activities in Woodland.  That and the Towering Pines Camp exchange (a chance for the boys and girls to interact in spirit of sportsmanship!) Did I mention we beat them this year too? In the spirit of this summer’s theme – All We Can Be – is fun-loving, safe, and strong at the same time.

Ps. On a bit of a personal note, I am in love with this place, and wouldn’t dream of spending my summer’s anywhere but up here! The range is just the place to be in 1-3!

Way to go Sunnyside for your amazing performance! Below is the video (need to go to blog site to see the video) and the words to the song!

Here are the words
Bags packed, heading out
County D I see it now
Meet me at the end of the Woodland road
See my friends I know what’s next
These six weeks will be the best
Be all we can be in activities!
Today I sailed Atty
And watched the arrows fly
I’m gonna get canteen
Making new friends I’m about to break loose
Hey kids, here we go, summertime so let’s go
Put your hands up this is fun in the North woods
Learning lines for drama
Dance away your problems
Serving tennis balls
This is fun in the north woods
Hey, hey, yeah, I gotta get to farm zoo
Hey, hey yeah, you know we love to canoe
Hey there, Woodland girls
Summertime, so let’s go
Put your hands up, this is fun in the north woods
Sunday fun, in the sun
Got a fair at TP
Get your Woodland wear for the TP boys!
Candy is a no-go
Counselors took away our phones
But we love all the Jordan family!
Today I’ll make some crafts
And lock and load my gun
I wanna ride Rashad
Trying new things I’m about to break loose
Hey there, woodland girls
Summertime so let’s go
Put your hands up, this is fun in the north woods
Maddie’s in the water
Mojo’s in her rocker
Blow joanne a kiss, ‘cause we’re loving the jordans
Hey, hey, yeah, our dreams are gonna come true
Hey, hey, yeah, lee and kim we love you
Hey there, kitchen staff
We love you all so much
Fill your plate up, thank you dan for lasagna!
Let’s go! Come on shake those jazz hands
Let’s go! Let me see your sock tan
Let’s go! Come on show your bug bites!
Hold on! There’s a leech on my foot (salt salt salt salt salt salt salt salt!)
Hey Chet, thanks so much
Now our toilets finally flush
Runnin’ to see Amy
‘cause I gotta get a health check
waterfront to riding
swim away to cathy’s
show the camp a flip
‘cause today I have gymnastics
hey, hey, yeah this week we’re getting clean freaks
hey, hey, yeah, today I’m going tubing
hey, camp here we go
susan loves to drive that boat
put your hands up
we’re in love with camp woodland

First Sail Race!

• Ana Pau G. won her sail race with Hannah and Amelia crewing
• Sofia DLF won her sail race with Paula P, Claire S, and Mera crewing

Wakeboarding and Waterskiing

• Ana P. Torre got up on the wakeboard and went around the lake for the first time!
• Regina P also got up on the wakeboard and went around the lake for the first time!
• Abri B got up on the knee board for the first time

Swimming

• Passed Level 3 – Irene, Libby, Lorenza, and Aubrie
• Passed Level 4 – Clair S, Barbara
• Passed Level 5 – Parker H.
• Passed Level 6 (No more swim lessons!!) – Adri, Paula P., Jenna, Sofia G, Ana Pau G, and Claire P.

Congratulations to all the Girls who passed levels!

We spend a lot of our lives at camp. We grow here during a summer, of course; we learn about ourselves, we learn to love each other, we learn how to be our best selves. At times, these platitudes can seem overused and insincere; we hear them so often that they begin to lose their meaning. But every so often – when the sunshine hits the pine trees just right,  when we close the campfire circle holding hands, when we’re laughing so hard with our cabin mates that we can hardly see straight – it hits us anew how big camp is in our lives. How much of who we all are is made up of this forest-scented Northwoods air and sparkling blue lake water. How much of the good in who we are and what we see in the world comes from Woodland.

It is these times that add the real value to receiving a “five year” pendant. Yes, it means five years of activities and birthdays and banquets and gold rushes. It means that we’ve hopped too many tables to count, that we’ve braved hundreds of cold Sand Lake mornings, that we could spigot shower in our sleep. But more than that, it means that we’ve been here long enough to become a part of Woodland, forever. For Woodland to be a part of us. Five years? that’s five cabin groups we’ve loved so hard we can’t imagine leaving them after six weeks. that’s fifteen sessions of hard working and rewarding activities, five years of passed levels and shows and gained skills. Five years of this big messy loving family we all call Camp. Five years of home.

Congratulations to all of our campers that will be receiving a five year pendant at our annual Camp Birthday Bash tonight.  Also, congratulations to Camp Woodland for being part  of  the Jordan Family for the last 44 years!  We love you Camp Woodland and the Jordan Family.

One of the things I have enjoyed about watching The Container Store maintain its position on the Fortune 100’s list of Best Places to Work is the philosophy by Kip Tindell, CEO, on employee appreciation. He believes that “if we take care of our employees better than anyone else, then they in turn will take better care of the customers better than anyone else.” If we adapt this way of thinking at camp, it translates to:

HAPPY STAFF = HAPPY CAMPERS!

 To show the Woodland counselors how much we value their efforts and the AMAZING job they are doing with the campers this summer, we decided to plan a few surprises this week as a way to say THANK YOU. On Monday, we sent the CIT’s with 15 minutes left during rest hour to the cabins with the instruction that they were to tell the counselors to come down to the picnic benches for a meeting.

By the look on some of their faces, many staff thought that they were “in trouble”, but in actuality, they were far from it! The golf cart, disguised as the Cathy’s Ice Cream Mobile, came down the Woodland road and stopped to offer each staff member a tasty ice cream treat. Cathy’s Ice Cream also donated bags of candy for each counselor. All were grateful for the sentiment and the small token of our appreciation for the MANY things they do.

But, wait – it doesn’t stop here! At assembly on Tuesday morning, the announcement was made that it was “Give Counselors a Hug” Day. All campers sang, “We love you counselors, oh, yes we do. We love you counselors, and we’ll be true. When you’re not with us, we’re blue. Oh, Counselors, WE LOVE YOU!” The counselors were asked to stand in front of their cabin group and close their eyes. Campers lightly touched their counselors to say thank you for: making them smile, making them laugh MORE (when they are already laughing), listening to them, teaching them how to do something they never thought they could do, being patient, knowing what is important to each girl, offering comfort when they are sad or homesick, and MUCH, MUCH, MORE!

We have a WONDERFUL group of counselors and staff this year, and we can’t THANK them enough for all they do!!! Woodland Counselors, WE LOVE YOU!

PS. Thanks Kim Aycock for writing this blog post!!