Monthly Archives:July 2022

Seeing all the action at camp, all the happy busy kids here, it’s easy to forget that there are about 30 people on the Woodland staff at any one time. There are many people working to make camp possible. There are the cabin counselors, the young women who live in the cabins with the campers, eat their meals with the campers, spend most of their day relating to them. These are the folks who most directly help set the tone at camp. They’re kind, silly, and enthusiastic. Most 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.

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. New to camp this year, we also have adult advisors 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 yummy 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!

The end of last week marked the start of regular activities, a time when camp settles into a routine and is a good kind of busy. Campers were presented with the different options after having the opportunity to try the various instructional offerings earlier in the week, and after much thought, individuals decide on their first set of six activities.

This practice of having the girls select their own activities has long been a part of Camp Woodland. We believe that getting to choose on their own, away from parents, is a really good experience for the girls. It’s empowering for them to make this decision, to make it based entirely on their own desires and interests. It might mean focusing on target sports and other land activities, or perhaps spending extra time at the waterfront sailing, skiing and canoeing. Or it might mean taking a break from tennis since that’s a regular thing at home.

Parents are sometimes surprised to learn what their child selects, and they may even wish their camper would branch out more, or be inspired to try something different. Some of that variety happens on its own as the various options are limited, and peers often encourage each other to do things together. But the girls really appreciate this independence. This coming weekend, all the girls will select a new set of activities (or some may remain the same), giving them a chance to switch things up if desired.

With the campers schedules set, they were off…. off to shoot arrows, to create in arts and crafts, and to spend time with the animals at Farm Zoo. They were stretching and tumbling in gymnastics class outside the Rec Hall and getting the “hang” of the parallel bars. They began learning lines in drama and 8-counts in dance. They were swimming in the lake and riding horses in the ring, smacking tetherballs, making moorings after a sail, and scoring targets in riflery. They were busy!

I should add that despite this busyness, our regular daily schedule also includes several periods of “free time” when girls can just hang out. They can do puzzles, write letters, or close their eyes at Rest Hour. They can also read on the deck on the way to the waterfront or cozy up to an inviting tree, build sand castles at the beach, or just sit and chat with a friend at a favorite spot in the shade at Rec Swim. Here too, campers decide for themselves how to spend this free time. Unable to default to technology or passive entertainment, it’s interesting to see them be more creative and active than they might be otherwise. They have plenty of friends to do things with, so their “free time” can seem busy as well.

Evenings are busy too, but it is a different kind of busy. We had a “ball” last week while playing all kinds of various games with balls (9-square for one) and the occasional hula hoop. I would venture to say that this is a “simple” kind of busy. While not too taxing or involved, it is a great way to interact and enjoy each other’s company without the pressure of serious competition or performance. It is a time to smile, laugh, and just enjoy the present moment.

Yes camp is busy, but it’s a good kind of busy. It’s self-directed and fun, filled with extraordinary opportunities to experience new things, and includes built-in companionship and support. It’s a “busy” that helps a girl grow.

adapted from a RBC blog