Author: Lee Albrecht Biear

This week’s blog post is a real treat!  Bobby B and Courtney G found a fun article about 31 Signs you were a summer camp kid. In the spirit of Camp Woodland, they tailored it to include signs you grew up at Camp Woodland!  We are so lucky Courtney and Bobby will both be at camp this sumer after a 2 year absence.  We can’t wait to see more of their creativity this summer!  Here’s the list:

1.  If you know where it begins, and the second letter in…
2. You still wear your Woodland Wear on a regular basis.
3. You could never have enough friendship bracelets, and always looked forward to #FriendshipBraceletFriday.
4. There was nothing better than receiving a cologne-soaked letter from a boy at TP, typically detailing their 6 activities and a statement of how excited they were to meet you at TP fair.
5. Your first “marriage” was to a TP boy at the annual camp fairs!
6. You crossed your fingers hoping for letters and care packages from home, ideally with treats to share with your cabin mates.
7. Receiving a letter or a package was the single most exciting thing that could happen during rest hour (and to this day you still enjoy receiving hand written letters from your best camp friends).
8. You’ve lost your voice after camp Olympics.
9.  None of your friends from school understood (and still don’t understand) the bonds you created with your camp friends.
10.  Training to be a CIT or counselor taught you skills that you still use today – like how to clean a toilet (when your roommates don’t know how to) or dealing with all different sorts of people.
11.  You continuously plan camp reunions with your friends from every corner of the world.
12.  You looked forward to getting a new crazy creek chair (It’s a campfire thing!)
13. You never went to picnic or cookout without your crazy creek, and if you did happen to forget, you always had that one friend that would unclip the sides and lay it out flat just to share with you.
14.  Hand written letters will never be outdated and you still know the camp address by heart.
15. The Jordans and all of camp have become your second family.
16.  You know all the lyrics and moves to your favorite camp songs, especially how to make the ugliest faces and hands during “Three Chartreuse Buzzards.”
17. You’re a million and one times better off than all your friends during freshman year of college when it comes to homesickness.
18.  You relate sororities and Greek life to the appreciation for crazy traditions and close connections that were instilled in you at Woodland.
19. You’ve mastered the changing technique you learned in the boat house before and after swim lessons.
20.  Canteen was the best reward after a long day filled with activities.
21.  You remember hating swimming lessons, but the minute the lifeguard whistle goes off for rec swim you were always the first one to dive in.
22.  You think every leech in Sand Lake is a lake gnome from the destroyed coffee factory.
23. You refer to happiness as warm fuzzies, and sadness as cold pricklies.
24.  Every time you see fireworks you say “ooh, ahh, wonderful!”
25.  You’ve never had better ice cream than the homemade stuff on fair days.
26.  You have all the lyrics memorized to “At the Beginning” from co-ed show, and you catch yourself singing the camp-ified lyrics to country songs instead of the real lyrics.
27.  You woke up every fourth of July to Paul Revere and his horsemen shouting, “The British are coming, the British are coming!”
28.  Your 5-year pendant is more valuable than any diamond necklace.
29. The more badges on your Woodland jacket, the better.
30. T-A-C-O Bar!  Enough said.
31. When you smell “that smell” you’re instantly transported from wherever you may be in the world and taken to Camp Woodland. Whether it’s a quick whiff of pine trees or the scent of sand lake, you recognize it instantly and appreciate Woodland for everything it has been and continues to be in your life in that moment…..And it starts to get you thinking about the upcoming summer!

I think we can all agree, this list is almost the same if you went to Camp Woodland in the  70’s, 90’s, or 2013!  We have a united bond that will always make us a Woodland Girl!

The Big Banana! Sunday Recreational Swim Tradition!

Today is the start of the 100 day countdown!  We believe this going to be one of our best summers yet!  Keep a close on the mail because the Annual Spring Camp Woodland & Towering Pines newsletter is hot off the presses.  You will be able to find out some of the new activities we have in store too!

To start our summer theme “Dare To Explore in 1-4!” off right, we thought a camp video is in order.  We were able to re-connect with Meg Caswell, Woodland Alumni circa 1980s. We had so much fun talking about one of her favorite activities, wind-surfing.  She told me that Mrs. Jordan really made her feel special about her quick advancement in wind-surfing  and even got an advanced windsurfing counselor from Towering Pines to teach her more techniques.  Meg told me, “looking back Mrs. Jordan didn’t have to go out of the way to make sure I got the most out of windsurfing”.  She said it is still one of her fondest memories of her camp experience.

Check out Meg’s story below or click on this link!

To learn more about Meg and her career, check out her website at www.megcaswell.com

Meg & Lee in Virginia

We are surveying our camp counselors, staff, and alumni on their favorite places at Camp Woodland.  Camp Woodland is special to each and everyone of us for completely different reasons, which we love!  I have to admit my favorite place is the arts & Craft deck in the afternoon.  The breeze that comes off the lake gives me such wonderful memories.  It is something I will never forget!

Over the next few weeks we will be compiling everyone’s favorite places at camp and publish it as part of our official Camp Woodland Map!  We can’t wait to hear what everyone has to say…..

Our first entry comes all the way from Spain, where Natalia O, veteran counselor, is studying for a semester:

1. The Cabins. Or should I say Cottages? This  seemingly lifeless buildings become our homes and safe-places for six weeks. They are almost sacred, definitely not to be messed with. Each group of girls makes them so much their own every summer, they become a different place every time you walk in there, they are hard to recognize even if you have lived there before. Jungles and beauty parlors, castles and secret-keepers, cabins are the ultimate all- girls club.

2.  The Riflery Range. There is nothing like learning a fun sport in a safe and secure environment! The serenity of being the furthest  into the woods, far from the hype of the rest of the activities.. Surrounded by nothing but trees (maybe some bugs) and working hard to improve your skills in the company of friends. That’s what the northwoods is all about.

3. The field. No greener grass can be found in all of County D. Running up, or down, or all around this famous Woodland Field, the very home of the camp motto “Everybody plays, everybody wins”, is the best way to get from one activity to another! To breath the fresh summer air or just to  realize how great life at camp is every morning.

4. The beach. This is one of Woodland’s biggest perks! Few places up north can say they have a beach this spectacular, and have such an awesome view as well. Everything is going on at that marvelous beach, from chi gong to beach volleyball; some good tanning sessions as well as Olympic competitions, that beach never seizes to amaze.

5. The tables at the dining hall. We all love the Dining Hall because, you know, food. But my love goes out to the tables themselves. This is where the magic happens! Where manners are properly taught; where cabins bond more than any other time of the day, and where we sing glorious Woodland songs!

6. The Woodland sign. It is the best and only welcome home sign you want to be seeing every summer! Once you spot it, you can be sure it’s all fun from here. It’s a pretty sweet Kodak moment too!

7. Outside the Rec Hall. The Rec Hall itself is an all-time favorite too but, why outside? Well, first because of the amazing sound system we have and second, because all the Dance and Gymnastics shows take place here and boy, the Olympic Games have nothing on us Woodland girls! Unbelievable talent and charisma has been shown throughout the decades and there is nothing like having your friends cheering you on

8.  Office Entrance. This is a very special place at Camp. Here we meet and greet all arriving campers so there are a lot of emotions floating around usually! And packages/ mail arrives so happiness is always here. Something is always going on and it’s exciting.

9. Canteen. Because you know, CANDY ! Right on the beach, nothing like an ice cold drink with a lake view like no other, it just makes you happy to be alive!

10.  The Archery Range. Wether we want to feel like Katniss or just have some delicious picnic food, this area is ideal for many activities. Evening games with your cabin or the usual everyday Archery schedule, the Archery Range is one of the sunniest and happiest places to be at Woodland.

Date: Sunday, March 9, 2014
Time: 1:00-4pm CST
Where: Northfield, IL
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Thank you everyone who took part in I Heart Camp Day!  We had so much fun seeing you change your profile pictures and remarking about all the fun and love your family has at Camp Woodland for Girls and Towering Pines Camp for Boys.  We truly appreciate that you value residential camp and keep referring us to so many other great families from all over the world.  Over the next few weeks we will be sharing videos and posts from current families and alumni about the value of their camp experience. Don’t be shy-share them with your friends and family today and let them know why camp is so special to your family.

Our first Alumni story is from Kelsey Fisher, 2nd generation camper.  Her dad is featured this week in the TP blog.  Kelsey went to camp when she was 11 years old and attended for 5 years from the late 1990’s to early 2000’s. She was asked a few questions about life at camp and how it impacted the world she lives in now. Fun read!

Kelsey:

Tell us a little bit about your life today

Well for my life now, I graduated from Ohio University in 2010 with a BS in Communications focusing on video production. During my senior year I was able to get an internship on season 1 of “Cougar Town”. After gaining that experience, I decided that after graduation I would move out to Southern California and work in the television industry. So far so good. I’ve worked on a pilot of CBS in the casting office, and season 1- 3 of “The Exes” for TV Land as an associate producer.

The life experiences living in Los Angeles for the past 2 years has made me really grow up. I’ve had to learn what it’s like to be an adult and make real adult decisions but I’ve been able to do it with bubbly personality like every Woodland girl has!

How did the Jordan’s impact your life?

The Jordan’s are such a great family and I think the best family to own a camps for young kids. There was a comfort and understanding that they gave to every camper. When Sara and I were very homesick, they knew exactly what to say to make us feel better. There was even a time when one of the metal pieces of my braces was loose and needed to come off. I was very nervous going to a new doctor without my parents around, but Mrs. Jordan knew that I was  scared and she let me call my parents! The Jordan’s brought the touch of home to camp while knowing that the real homes of the campers was always needed to be there.

What was it like going to camp as a 2nd generation camper (your father being in the first generation at Towering Pines)?

Knowing that my Dad went to TP was a comfort. Dad would tell Sara and I about the different experiences he had. When Mom and Dad were driving Sara and I down the dirt road onto the Woodland campus, Dad seemed like he was just as comfortable up in the Northern woods and had a family experience with the Jordan’s.

What did you learn at camp that you may not have learned if you stayed at home?

Camp taught me to self reliant and adventurous. Yes, Ohio is in the Midwest but I would have never been able to try as many things as I did when I was a camper. To think that in the morning I could wake up in the woods surrounded by different, interesting people that I would otherwise have never met before to then do 6 activities throughout the day. Swimming, sailing, horseback riding on trails, to arts and crafts then onto riflery? What kid could ask for anything else?

I feel I really started to become myself at camp. Going through the teenage years there over the summer, I had structure to my life but structure in the sense of being forced to live outside of my element. My parents are always supportive and allowed me to escape to the woods to run free at camp. Sara was right there with me and I believe camp is what made Sara and I more then sisters, we became friends.

Thanks Kelsey for the update!!

February 1, 2014 is National I Heart Camp Day!  Help us spread the word on the importance of summer camp. Remember all those funny pictures we took of you with the “I heart Camp ” Poster.  Well, on February 1, 2014 Camp Woodland campers, parents, and staff are encouraged to post their ” I heart Camp” photo as their Facebook Profile.  Don’t have Facebook?

Here are a few ideas to show the world (or just your friends) how much camp means to you!

• Instagram your photo!  #Woodland4Girls #Iheartcamp
• Print it out and paste on your favorite school tablet
• Post it on your Pinterest Site
• Make it a screen saver on your computer

Click the link to retrieve your daughter’s photos: I heart Camp Woodland Photos Link

Need your son’s photo too? Click the link to your son’s (Towering Pines) photos: I heart TP Photos link

All you have to do is:  1– find your picture,  2– download it by clicking the download tab on the bottom right of the photo, 3-Post it this Saturday, Feburary 1!

* We took these photos at the end of the summer.  We apologize if your daughter could not be part of this project and hope to do the photos throughout the entire next summer!