Category: Camp News

As a recent college graduate who is currently applying to grad school, I have found myself reflecting on my four summers as a Woodland counselor through a totally new lens. Any returning counselor will tell you that there is something so unique and special about working at camp. Whether it’s having the opportunity to spend time in such a beautiful natural environment, challenging yourself to meet new people and try new things, or becoming the type of leader you looked up to as a camper, being a counselor is a priceless experience. 

However, being a camp counselor is often hard to write about in resumes and applications despite it being such valuable work experience. It is challenging to explain camp to those who have never experienced it first hand as on the surface it appears to be a “fun” job but not a “serious” or “real” one. In a time when so much emphasis is placed on internships, shadowing experiences, and summer classes, it is important to remember the many lessons and skills that are gained by being a counselor. To list a few:

Leadership: Counselors are responsible for the health and safety of a cabin group of 6-10 campers, teaching activities in one or more areas, and possibly directing an activity while managing several other staff members. You ensure that groups can work together cohesively to provide a positive camp experience for everyone. 

Teamwork: Working with a co-counselor in the cabin, and the rest of the staff at camp, you became an expert team player. Being able to take into account points that differ from your own and learning how to trust your camp sisters is a skill that will be very beneficial to just about any career (and life in general!).

Communication: Effective communication is essential for conveying instructions to campers and for providing updates and feedback to fellow counselors to be sure everyone is on the same page is critical. Communication is what keeps camp running safely and efficiently! Not to mention, sharing a written report during the summer on each camper in your cabin group to show adjustment to group living and personal growth using specific examples is key to realizing the value of camp for caregivers.

Problem Solving: Camp can be unpredictable at times, so problem solving is essential for responding to unexpected situations and changes. The weather is one of the biggest drivers of change at camp as it can go from sunny to rainy in a matter of minutes. Thinking on your feet and being able to switch gears to gather your group and carry on without missing a beat is practiced on a daily basis! Additionally, counselors often encounter conflicts among others, so the ability to find solutions in a positive and constructive manner is another incredibly important skill gained from camp.

Decision Making: With leadership comes decision making. Whether it is organizing plans for daily activities, cabin nights, campfire skits, or just adapting to Woodland “dew” (AKA a rainy day), counselors become very comfortable making decisions individually and as a group.

Creativity: Song Contest, Camper Council, Inspiration Hour, campfire leaders, two-week plans, cabin posters, and more! Counselors have so many opportunities to show their creativity at camp. If changing the words to a song and coming up with dance moves for the highly anticipated Song Contest, facilitating a theme-night of games for the entire camp with your cabin group, and planning engaging lessons for a 60 minute activity period that meets 6 days a week (and with varying ages and skill levels!) doesn’t involve creativity, I don’t know what does! 

Empathy and Patience: Leadership involves understanding and connecting with others’ needs, emotions, and challenges. It is being patient with both campers and fellow staff and offering support in the kindest of ways. These are skills which are cultivated constantly as a Woodland counselor and will spill over into relationships with others at school, home or work.

To former counselors, future counselors, and parents of prospective counselors, working at Woodland is such a rewarding job. Counselors have a profound impact on others and at the same time, have the opportunity for so much personal growth. I know my experience as a counselor will benefit me both professionally and personally for many years to come!

If you know of someone who loves working with people and is looking for a rewarding summer job opportunity for 2024, send them HERE!

by Colette Vavrus

Some of you know that I have taught and tutored math over the years at various levels. Don’t worry – this is not a blog about the quadratic formula or any other math memory that you might have suppressed at some point in your school career! 

My mathematical brain takes over at times when I least expect it, and so it occurred to me that there are opposing terms at work during the camp season that are worth diving into. We often think of subtracting with a negative connotation – I know I’m not a fan of the debits that are taken away from my bank account balance when paying bills or visiting the ATM (and I’m guessing you aren’t either!). 

At camp subtracting is actually a GOOD thing. We spend less time on our devices (or no time at all if attending camp as a camper), less time in a vehicle or taking public transportation to and from school/work/home, and less time (and money spent!) going out to eat or swinging through the drive-thru because we don’t have time to cook. We also spend less time doing homework or the things we have to do and there is less excess all around (no trips to our favorite stores or online Amazon shopping sprees for 6+ weeks). 

We can’t forget about less comparison or judgment and fewer overall distractions. Being fairly isolated in the Northwoods of Wisconsin means that we are less urban (the closest Walmart is about 30 min away!). It is also safe to say that busy, hectic schedules often are the reason for less down time and fewer hours of sleep. I could go on and on (but I won’t!). The point is that all of these things SUBTRACT from the limited number of minutes in the day or from the quality of how our time is spent in general. I’m sure you are familiar with the expression, “less is more”. It perfectly ties in with what camp is all about (and where the “math” part comes in!). 

Because at camp we are spending less time doing what is necessary at home to get through a typical day, there is actually MORE time to do the things that actually ADD to our days. This looks like more in-depth conversations because we are hanging out with friends face-to-face, more walking, skipping, or running to our next favorite camp activity (which leads to more exercise), and more opportunities for balanced meals and being at the dinner table as a cabin family three times a day. 

We also see addition at work because there is more choice in following our interests and passions by signing up for activities that we enjoy vs those that are required. We come to terms with making do with what we have (and not wanting more), and we learn to share with others (sometimes in giving and sometimes in receiving). I love how dressing up in costumes for various special events lends itself to a mass exchange of colored t-shirts and other items between campers and counselors, depending on what team you happen to be on!

We typically have more curiosity and empathy at camp for others because we see people for who they really are and not what we want/need them to be. There is more authenticity as the members of our community don’t feel the need to be “fake”. There is comfort and relief in knowing that it is OK to be the true version of you. We often hear that campers are their best selves at camp due to the ability to be their actual self and not some imitation self. 

We are able to put away most of the world’s distractions and focus on being truly present. There is also time to S-L-O-W way the heck D-O-W-N and enjoy life’s little moments. Seeing a freshly spun spider web on your way to breakfast, a unique pine cone on the path down to the beach, or deer bounding across the field as you make your way to evening assembly are some of nature’s “distractions” that we welcome and enjoy every single day! We also tend to get more and better sleep at camp because of how active and full our days tend to be. Turning in on average at 9:30 pm and waking up at 7:30 am makes for 10 full hours of precious rest that our bodies need and crave. Most of us are still growing! 

At camp less is more. WAY more. The addition that happens through the camp experience is actually done by subtracting. Taking away those things for a while that get in the way of real relationships, real enjoyment, and real FUN. Excited for the adventures still to come with your camper/s!

I was an anxious kid. Life, for me, meant constantly fighting an incessant stream of questions like what if that plagued my mind. But there was an escape–spending the summer at Camp Woodland. At camp I took six activities, the same every year: swimming lessons, free swim, riflery, archery, tennis, and horseback riding. The familiarity of my camp routine distracted me from facing anything unknown. There was a simplicity in my regimen that I clung to for most of my early summers. I never wanted to try any new activities for fear of embarrassment and failure. So, I stuck to what I knew. My activities were like old friends. I knew them blind. That worked perfectly for three summers, until my fourth year, when I was placed in a more advanced horseback riding hour and my little world flipped on its head.

I had ridden horses for three summers by then, but the prospect of being in the advanced hour, surrounded by older, skilled riders, made me so anxious I felt sick. I had caught glimpses of the pasture during these sessions and seen blurs of beige and brown, clouds of kicked-up dust, and what seemed like impossibly fast speeds. I was certain that the second I mounted any horse going that fast I would be flung off and land somewhere in the trees.

My first day in riding left me in tears. I already felt miles behind my peers. I trooped, defeated, back to the cabin, and I was in no mood to unpack the day with my friends, so I sat on the porch in the sinking sunlight alone. The door creaked open and my live-in CIT, a girl named Arantxa, sat beside me. She introduced herself, but said nothing. I was grateful for the silence. Her presence was comforting enough, as if she was letting me though she was there for me. She would wait until I was ready to talk.

Day after day, I wandered out to the porch. When I felt like crying after being reminded again and again I was the worst in my class, I found some semblance of solace on the rickety cabin steps. Arantxa came out and sat with me every day. Eventually, I began to tell her about riding and my debilitating fear each time I walked into the barn. I confessed I wanted to quit. She frowned. “The fear you have,” she said, “is not something to run from. You have to accept your fear. Live with it. Free it, and it will make you better. Don’t quit riding because you’re scared. Just keep going.”

Those words kept me enrolled in riding for the next six weeks. She was right, I was afraid–that never went away. But Arantxa helped me befriend my fear. I made peace with it, and understood that its very existence was proof that I was growing. Growth, I learned, was not what resulted from natural skill or prowess. It was earned from that uncomfortable in-between, that space where what if still pestered me. But this time I was armed with the tools to twist what if into something powerful. Something hopeful. Instead of asking, what if I fail? I found myself asking, what if I succeed?

We had a horse show on the last day of camp to demonstrate all of our acquired skills. I mounted my horse, welcoming the flutter of anxious butterflies in my gut. Scanning the crowd, I saw my friends beaming at me. But something else caught my attention: Arantxa, breathless from running to escape her CIT duties, stood at the fence with a handmade sign drawn just for me. She waved and smiled, and warm pride bloomed inside my chest. As I rode around the arena, I felt like a blur of beige and black, fast and flying, ready to take on the world. I knew then that I could conquer any activity, any obstacle, and any challenge in my way.

This blog was originally written by Molly K as an influential figure essay for a college-prep English class assignment. We are excited to have Molly join our staff team in 2023!

I don’t know why this particular line from one of Jimmy Buffet’s many tunes struck me as I was driving in my car recently listening to Sirius XM radio. You are probably wondering how this even remotely relates to camp?! As I see it, from those on the outside looking in, camp is hard to understand. For those on the inside, camp is really hard to explain. Unfortunately, I have never been to a Kiss Concert. I’m pretty sure that my lack of attendance would make it extremely difficult for me to describe the bright lights, pyrotechnics, and leather jacket rock-n-roll experience with any sort of accuracy or legitimacy! And, even if you are a Kiss Concert aficionado, how do you explain it to someone who has never been?!

Now Hiring 2023 Staff for the CWTP Summer “Concert” Series

This is the time of year when camps are gearing up to hire staff. Camps Woodland and Towering Pines are no exception. For those who have worked at camp before, camp is usually a relatively easy sell. For the most part, former staff already know what to expect (like having been to a Kiss Concert at least once). They just get it. 

For those who are making the transition from longtime camper to first year counselors, it is familiar in some ways, yet unknown in others. Being a camper is like watching a Kiss Concert from the nosebleed section; you’re there and have an idea of what it’s like, yet you can’t really see the stage until you have a ticket that gets you closer to the front row (being on staff).

The people who really have a hard time understanding what working at camp is like are those staff who have never been to camp before, let alone to a small, family owned, Northwoods camp. This is why we need YOU. You’ve actually been to that “Kiss Concert” because you are connected to Woodland/Towering Pines in some way.

In the next several weeks, you will most likely be crossing paths with college age students (at family gatherings, while hanging out with friends and neighbors, at church or community events, etc.) who would be a great addition to the Woodland/Towering Pines camp family. We would love for you to encourage/suggest a summer working at camp to the emerging leaders you already know or will meet while gathering at various celebrations this holiday season!

A few talking points to share (even if you are an avid Camp Woodland or TP “concert goer” – you may need a little help with some of the important details!): 

• Leadership Development: What you water, grows. A summer working at Woodland/Towering Pines provides an opportunity for both personal and professional growth. Think of the power that comes from knowing what you ‘re good at, what’s most important, what keeps you engaged/motivated, what you want to avoid, how you like to work, and the growth opportunities that can be found in the midst of challenges.
• Transferable Skills: A job at Woodland/Towering Pines provides the perfect ecosystem to practice and develop skills that lay the foundation for future jobs, careers, and life. Did you know that as a rule of thumb, 60% of the best jobs 10 years from now have NOT YET been invented? (Thank you, Thomas Frey.) And, the average person in today’s world changes jobs 12 times?! It is rare that someone gains aptitude in skills such as problem solving, teamwork, communication, and initiative by reading about it or taking a class. Rather, it is through an experience like working at camp, where this “stuff” has a chance to take hold. Minimal experience working with kids is needed on the front end (just a desire to work with people of ALL ages). However, a vast foundation of transferable skills applicable to an ever-changing landscape will be at-the-ready on the back end for whatever comes “next”.
• Healthy Environment: Camps Woodland and Towering Pines promote overall wellness for campers AND staff. Working at camp provides opportunities for a healthy lifestyle in all wellness dimensions (physical, emotional, financial, career, creative, intellectual, social, spiritual, and environmental). A summer at camp for staff offers home-cooked meals that fuel active days, an appropriate level of stress that helps individuals stretch and grow, a paycheck to put towards present or future expenses, skills that are applicable to just about any occupation, occasions to wear costumes and make-up games, skits, songs, etc., a built-in peer group with opportunities to connect, a better idea of what gives meaning and purpose, a chance to live simply, be outside with forests and lakes as neighbors and go mostly “unplugged” from technology.
• Caring Community: Very few work environments have support systems in place that do everything in their power to foster success every step along the way. With the many touch points throughout the hiring process, pre-camp/ongoing training, and a “deep bench” of senior staff and leaders who are there to mentor and coach, the framework is in place to help each staff member strive to be their best. Oh, and did I mention the campers who look up to and are the biggest cheerleaders for staff? 
• Impact on the Next Generation: Today more than ever, children need a place to belong (and not just fit in) in order to spread their wings and try new things (in an environment where making a mistake is OK). Being a role model in a community that creates opportunities for kids to unleash their innate curiosity, creativity, and sense of adventure forms a direct link to the inevitable growth that occurs. Kids will undoubtedly take the lessons learned and memories made with them throughout the rest of their lives.
• FUN! Mentioned last, but certainly not least! Fun is a big part of everything we do. Not fake or forced, just simple and real. The BEST kind of fun!

Have a staff member you would like to refer to the Camp Woodland or Towering Pines Summer “Concert” Series (June 16-August 9, 2023)? Have them complete this SHORT FORM, and we will do the rest! Know a former staff member who wants to come back? Share THIS RETURN STAFF FORM, and we will reach out from there.  

P.s. In case you are really wanting to see a Kiss Concert in person, I’m pretty sure that they are on their “end of the road” tour in ‘22-’23. You might be able to catch them at your favorite location abroad. I can tell with complete certainty that you won’t see me there because I will be at camp where we have our own light shows (bright, starry skies uninhibited by a city’s “glow”, pyrotechnics (weekly campfires, fireworks for the 4th of July, and the burning of the Olympic flame), and face painting on random occasions. I’m sure we can incorporate leather in there somewhere…we’re creative that way!

If you have ever spent a summer at Woodland, you know that the food is beyond good, it is exceptional. First timers tell us that they had no idea how wonderful the meals would be. For a total of 22 years since 1990, the person we can attribute this amazing dining experience to is none other than our very own, Dan Montgomery. 

Dan was working for a sorority at the University of Illinois in Champagne, IL, when he responded to an ad placed in the school paper for a cook at a camp in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Both Anne and Jeff Jordan met Dan on campus for an interview as Jeff was a student there at the time. It didn’t take too much convincing that spending the summer in Wisconsin was a good idea. So, Dan along with his 3 kids, who were twelve and under, made their way north to what would be the first of many summers at Woodland and Towering Pines. 

Dan has worked in a variety of food service roles and started at a very young age. His parents ran a Burger Chef when he was growing up in Florida, and he could be found polishing the pipes under the sink, emptying trash, or doing a number of odd jobs when he was 7-8 yrs old. 

Dan studied culinary under a German chef at a hotel restaurant and banquet facility. When things slowed down and times were tough, Dan took over running the place because he had a knack for turning businesses around. He had a keen eye for seeing what could be better and simplifying processes. Dan was good at utilizing the strengths of people for the betterment of the team. It is not surprising that Dan’s next move was to run four major restaurants and a banquet hall with a seating capacity for up to 6000 people at a Holiday Inn Convention Center. 

It became evident that after working 20 hour days; however, Dan was ready for something with a more “reasonable” schedule. Thus, he came to manage the Hendrick House that had 400 rooms in its twin towers and 33 fraternity and sorority houses at the University of Illinois. He also mentored interns at Eastern Illinois University and taught them various recipes and techniques. Dan shared that the “key to being a good chef is knowing how to use seasonings. Bringing everything together is a feeling that you gain from observation and experience. Over time the ability to check for acidity or salt becomes natural.” I’m struggling to see how this new adventure was “more reasonable” as it appears to be way more hours than before!

Dan loved the challenge of coming up with new dishes under a budget. He has a “million” ways to prepare chicken and does this by changing up toppings and sauces. Another trick for this “kitchen magician” is that Dan can make a side out of just about anything. He is also known for his attention to detail and cleanliness and has been known to hide $100 bills under equipment to see if his workers were doing the same.

If it is possible to imagine, Dan shared with me that at some point in time he became “bored”. This is when he started to dabble in baking. Imagine the smell of artisan breads and fresh homemade cookies coming from the open oven door. We most definitely enjoy Dan’s homemade cookies throughout the summer. Dan also makes the annual birthday cake from scratch to celebrate another trip around the sun for Camp Woodland. I always look forward to the homemade frosting that is at least a mile high! 

At another time, Dan dove full force into the gingerbread house business. One of his most elaborate displays included 9 different houses to make up part of a town. He created a church with stained glass windows and a tower, then added a barbershop, bank, and post office to complete his make believe (and edible!) village. There was a river through town that glistened from blue corn syrup and included a covered bridge. Gumdrops could be found on chimneys with cotton candy smoke, roads made of licorice, and Andes mints used as shingles. This masterpiece was showcased on Thanksgiving morning and then was “opened” on Christmas morning to discover candy completely filling the inside much to the surprise of the recipients. 

Another adventure took Dan to manage a seafood restaurant/department within a grocery store (Schnuck’s) in St. Louis. While there, Dan showed customers how to make recipes with seafood. He was then recruited to Niemann Foods where he was the chef for the seafood department where he had a budget and equipment unlike he had ever seen before. With virtually no limits, Dan could really put his creativity to work to come up with some extraordinary dishes!

When I asked Dan what his favorite meal of all time is to cook, he responded with, “shrimp, sausage, and chicken gumbo.” Per Dan’s usual, the first time a new recipe is tried, he makes it as the recipe is intended. After that, any future iterations are nothing like the initial dish. Dan “makes it his own” with seasonings and other twists. Dan’s favorite camp meal to make is actually the favorite meal the campers and staff enjoy too. He loves putting together his infamous lasagne and knows the importance of getting it right each and every time! 

Another pearl of wisdom Dan shared is to “never push something out of the window that you wouldn’t serve to your grandmother.” I would have to agree with that statement 110%. While kids are not grandmothers, they can be pretty tough customers. When a 9 year old camper orders fettuccine alfredo at a restaurant following a summer at Woodland, you know the food has to pass the taste test (check!) AND be kid friendly enough to encourage exploration of “fancy” dishes (double check!). 

Thank you, Dan and team, for giving us another summer of fuel for busy camp days, sustenance to keep us healthy, and a dining experience that brings our community together for three meals a day throughout the entire camp season.

We look forward to year #23 in 2023!

p.s. If you need anyone to be a guinea pig the next time you are “bored,” you know where to find me.