Category: Create Your Own Scene in ’17

This week we are heading down to the waterfront to take a look at sailing, one of Camp Woodland’s “anchor” programs.  Sailing is offered five periods every day, with 2 back-to-back hours of sail race for the more advanced girls.  Sailing is an experience where campers learn valuable problem solving and creative thinking techniques along with life skills for the future. We offer basic through advanced levels of sailing, focusing on the fundamentals while having a great time on the water.

Here are some of the most important things campers learn in the Camp Woodland sailing program:

• Water Safety: Before we start sailing at camp, we teach important water safety tips like how to properly wear and secure a life jacket, what to do to maintain control of the sailboat, and how to remain calm when we encounter challenges on the water. Learning about various cloud formations and weather patterns is another added benefit to learning how to sail!

• Rigging the Boat: Campers also learn about all the different wires, ropes and lines that support the rig and control the sails. We teach them how to get the boat ready to sail and how to control the boat while you’re sailing. Understanding how the sailboat works helps campers be more confident and makes sailing more fun.  The Woodland fleet consists of X-boats, Sunfish, Hobies, and windsurfers.  Over the course of the summer, campers have the opportunity to try their hand at sailing the various classes of boats.

• Finding the Wind: Some sailboats have special instruments that help measure the wind speed and find the direction of the wind, but there are other ways to know where the wind is going and how strong it is. Campers learn to be creative when finding the wind by watching for waves and paying attention to which way the telltale (piece of string attached to the sail)  moves when a breeze comes. We call upon Zulu, Woodland’s very own wind god, to give us many good sailing days on Sand Lake!

• Basic Boat Handling: Campers gain practice steering and maneuvering the boat when sailing.  This means learning how to turn, speed up, slow down the boat, and avoid obstacles in the water.  Having a sense of direction and spatial awareness through sailing experience will be beneficial down the road, especially when learning how to drive.  Woodland’s extremely competent sailing instructors take the helm at the beginning of the summer, and soon after, campers take command of their boat and crew.  What a great confidence booster!

• De-rigging and Boat Care: It is just as important to know how to take down the rigging when you are done having fun on the water. Campers are taught to put all the rigging equipment and parts away properly, and to work as a team to make sure the boats stay clean and are well cared-for. We are all responsible for maintaining the boats so they are ready for the next group to enjoy them as well.  Wouldn’t it be nice if  kids kept their bedroom at home in shipshape order, too?!

References: blogs by L Johnson, a sailing camp director in Nashville, TN and 5 Reasons Kids Should Sail

Woodland celebrates 48 summers and 5 & 10 year campers!

Now that we are into the final two weeks of the summer, we are  transitioning from “Accelerate to Celebrate” in the group development process.  The girls have been at camp for a month now, and they are seeing the results of their efforts and persistence in activities.  This is evident in the numerous announcements made by counselors at our daily evening assembly celebrating campers’ many achievements.

Woodland girls are passing levels in archery, riflery, and swimming, gaining proficiency on the kneeboard, wakeboard or skis during Rec Swim, trotting and/or cantering in riding, sailing off a mooring or canoeing solo,…you name it…campers are doing it and we are celebrating it!  We were dazzled by gymnastics, drama, and dance performances this past weekend as the middle two weeks of activities came to a close.

The theme for the 5th week of camp is “Sportsmanship” as we take a break from our regular routine for the Woodland Olympics.  The camp is divided into teams and charged with selecting a team name and colors.  There will be an entire day dedicated to individual and team events that give girls a chance to shine in ways that differ from our normal slate of activities.

The morning will be a variety of track, field, and waterfront races and relays according to age group.  Individual competitions are held for archery, riflery, sailing, riding and gymnastics.  Tug-of-war, soccer, and the ladder jump are popular team events.  Campers with artistic and creative talents are enlisted for designing a flag and skit that are presented at the Olympic campfire.  The best part of the Olympics is the endless cheering that occurs regardless if a camper is in the lead or trying her best and in last place in a particular event!

Camp is a BLAST during the last two weeks because of the effort poured into the weeks preceding it. Friendships are closer, confidence is stronger, and experiences are unforgettable. New abilities and perfected skills, honed over an extended period of time, become manifest. Campers can’t help but to stand a little taller!  We are looking forward to celebrating both individual and group success in the days to come.  There is still MORE SUMMER TO GO!

I had the privilege of spending the entire morning on my first Monday at camp with one of our new campers who was battling an uneasy stomach (lucky for me, not so fortunate for her!).  In the course of our lengthy conversation while at the Health Center, I decided to ask her how she ended up at camp since this is her first summer at Woodland.  The story that unfolded in those next few minutes blew me away and has been on my mind ever since!

My new friend described an experience her Mother had while traveling on a business trip several years ago that is the reason she ended up at Camp Woodland THIS summer!  This camper’s Mom was in Mexico at a meeting a few years back and couldn’t help but notice a gentleman sitting around the conference table and how he was so well spoken.  He clearly made an impact on her in comparison to his counterparts at the same meeting.

The Mom was so impressed that she proceeded to ask the young man after the event where he learned to have such an ease and command of the English language.  His response was, “I became comfortable with English during my time at summer camp in the United States.”  After a series of questions, she found out that the camp he was referring to was Towering Pines in Northern Wisconsin AND that there was a sister camp, Camp Woodland for Girls.

Fast forward to a few months ago, and this same woman picked up the phone and called JoAnne to enroll her daughter for her first of hopefully many summers at Woodland!  AND, this camper actually asked me at some point after she was feeling better if it was possible to extend her stay of the 4 weeks she originally signed up for to the full 6-week term!

This story is a HUGE reminder of how we never know how something that may seem so trivial at the time may turn into something much grander than ever imagined or realized!  Towering Pines added a camper or two in recent years because someone noticed a camp sweatshirt that a current camper was wearing at a hockey game and asked about it.  Another family contacted JoAnne this winter to inquire about camp for their kids based on an interaction they had while on vacation with an alum who was also staying at the same resort.  This former camper/staff member didn’t even realize that she was mentioning camp constantly in conversation because of her love of sailing (an activity she learned that at camp!).

The power you have as camp alumni is far greater than you will ever know.  We are grateful for the times you slip camp into a conversation when talking with family/friends/colleagues/neighbors, wear or use something with the camp name or logo, like or share a picture or post on social media, visit camp during the summer season, host a camp show during the winter, or send your own children to Towering Pines and Woodland.  Camp was here for you then, is still here now, and our hope is that camp will be here for generations to come!

p.s.  If you are the alum or you know the alum who was at the business meeting in Mexico, please let us know!  A big THANK YOU is in order!

p.s. #2  We are looking forward to celebrating Woodland’s 50th summer in 2019 and would love to have you reconnect with us!

After establishing our rhythm in the early part of the summer, we can push a little harder on the gas pedal and see what adventures await us during weeks 3 and 4. Some campers have decided to challenge themselves with a new activity (or two) while others strive for greater mastery in favorite activities.  We see campers testing their balance and focus by giving log rolling a try at the waterfront while playing soccer with brooms gives a “twist” to an old favorite!

It is SO EXCITING to hear the many announcements of campers passing levels at evening assembly: staying up on skis in choppy water, making a mooring for the first time, learning to canter, mastering a skill in gymnastics, or earning a qualifier in archery. Campers start to EXPLODE with accomplishments during the middle 2 weeks of camp – it is fun to watch them BURST with confidence like never before!

Having been together for a while, cabin groups usually discover that not everyone agrees all of the time. We embrace this opportunity for the real work of camp to begin! A number of cabins are taking a canoe trip for a fun bonding experience and a change of routine this week. There is something about paddling to a destination, cooking over a fire, and sleeping in a tent that provides an opportunity for campers to connect in a way that is different from being at “home” in the cabin. We also offer two ropes course excursions at this point in the summer for the oldest campers so that they are able to further challenge their leadership skills and foster teamwork and trust as key elements for unity as a group.

Song Contest and Gold Rush are highlights of this 2-week period.  With the support of the counselors, groups come together and appreciate each other’s unique gifts and strengths while preparing for Song Contest. I am always amazed at what cabins can do when they put their heads together, change the words to a song, add in some creative dance moves, and practice for an all-camp performance. Behind the smiling faces during show time is the teamwork, negotiation, compromise, and problem-solving that went into accomplishing a common goal.  Hilltop girls had their act together on Saturday night and dazzled the judges with their performance to earn the coveted 1st place award for this event.

During Gold Rush, campers stay together as a cabin group and work to figure out the location of the Mother Lode.  Meanwhile, CIT’s dressed in red vests interrupt their progress by having the girls sing a Woodland song, do a fun challenge, spend time in “jail”, or be cooled off by a blast of water from their ever-ready squirt guns.  Campers find “fools gold” and turn it in to the assayers office for money to buy Red-Eye (bug juice) or clues.  Clues are general at first and then turn specific over the course of the afternoon so that cabins are able to hone in on the biggest prize of all.  The Treetops girls made sense of all the riddles and hints that led them to find the big gold rock under the beach house near the buddy board!

This week we are taking aim at the Target Sports program at Camp Woodland.  Both Archery and Riflery are popular activities at camp – there are 11 total classes offered for  2nd sign-up!  If we head up to the range, these individual sports provide opportunities for many skills beyond shooting either a bow and gun to be practiced and developed.

Archery is about focus and consistency.  Archers pick a point down range and focus their aim and then work to have consistent bow placement and pull in addition to having a consistent stance.  Campers practice patience, concentration, tenacity, persistence, goal setting and how to overcome frustration when the arrow doesn’t quite stick where they would like it to go!  Instructors Caroline, Alexis, and Sofia S with the help of CIT assists Sofia G and Valentina coach campers to make small adjustments that often make a big difference in accuracy.  There is a lot of self-talk in target sports and listening to that “little voice” in your head that is saying, “you got this!”

Campers set goals to pass levels that increase in difficulty based on overall distance from the target and number of points needed.  Beginner archers start out by working for their White Yoeman (shooting at 10 yards for 80 total points).  Next are White Bowman (10 yards for 120 points) and White Archer (10 yards for 180 points).  As proficiency is achieved, beginner archers move on to farther distances with the ultimate goal of becoming of one of Woodland’s famous “Golden Archers” (50 yards).

Success at the riflery range relies on the ability of the shooter to simultaneously focus on the target and her position.  Campers learn to hold their breath as they take aim and shoot.  They also work on using the strap to stabilize and provide correct placement of the gun.  In time and with the help of Instructors Daphne and Aranxta and CIT assists Amelia, Estefi, and Barbie, campers find the right position that prevents their elbows from giving a steady aim.  Campers also learn how to score their own targets so that they can keep track of their progress.

At Woodland, there are 14 levels in the riflery program that provide a graduated challenge of distance and accuracy at four different positions.  Campers begin learning to shoot in a prone position and then progress to sitting, kneeling, and finally standing.  To pass the first level (Pro-marksman) campers must score 20 points from the prone position.  Accuracy increases by 5 points at each level until 40 points is reached for the various positions before advancing.  The final rank in Woodland’s riflery program is Expert, where a camper works to shoot a score of 40 from 5 shots, standing.  It takes a lot of patience and persistence over the course of multiple years to reach this goal!