Category: Leadership Development

It goes without saying that parents want what is best for their kids, right?  Since we are on the subject of “Back to School”, you may be interested to know that kids today need to be more than “book smart” in order to be successful once they leave home and are off to college.  Just because a child excels at academics or has talent in another area (sports, music, art, etc.), doesn’t mean that she will automatically rise to the top after entering the “real world” of higher education or the work force.

Todd Kestin (Huffington Post Blog – August 20, 2013) asks, “where does a person learn confidence, independence, responsibility, how to find and navigate meaningful relationships, the importance of putting attention on others, and how to surround oneself with people who bring the most value to your life?!  According to Kestin, the answer may surprise you (it does not surprise us, of course!).   These characteristics (and more!) are learned through the SUMMER CAMP EXPERIENCE!  What is learned at summer camp is important not just for success in college, but for success in LIFE!  (to read more of the Huffington Post Blog by Todd Kestin, CLICK HERE)

So, while it seems like the summer just ended, now is the perfect time to be thinking about plans for continuing the learning process for your daughter(s) once the “official” book learning has taken a “pause” at the end of another school year.  I’m sure you have fielded the question on more than one occasion, “How can you send your daughter away to camp each summer?”  After reading Kestin’s blog, a good response would be, “How can you NOT send your daughter to camp?!”

We look forward to having your daughter join us at Camp Woodland next summer where she will experience a LEARNING SURPLUS!

One of the best parts about being at camp, and one of the themes we try to focus on year after year, is that being yourself is absolutely the norm here at Woodland. At camp, we worry less about who’s going to think we’re strange, or how silly we look, or what we’re wearing. In fact, it’s quite the opposite! The louder and crazier you are, the more you fit in at camp. The more crazy clothes and face paint you pile on during Olympics, the better! The more patterns you clash and the more undergarments you wear outside of your clothes for special events, the better!

The more you be yourself, express yourself, and let your own colors shine through – the better! We make a point here never to let ourselves be dimmed by conformity, or to believe our differences make us less beautiful; infact, nothing could be farther from the truth! What makes all of us so great is how unique each of is. No two girls at camp are the exact same, or laugh at the exact same things, or wear the exact same girls. We each shine in our own ways. We each have our own talents, and our own strengths to bring to the group. Why would we ever want to diminish how amazing and singular we all are?! At camp, we get to be ourselves to the fullest – standing out is the exact right way to fit in!

The fifth week of camp is all about healthy competition and celebrating athletic excellence! Our annual “Olympics” provides opportunities for campers to show their show their skills development in individual activities (e.g. gymnastics and horseback riding) and work as a sports team member (e.g. soccer and tug of war). Through this experience, campers learn sportsmanship, team spirit, and the thrill of athletic achievement.

Check out Alice Decker’s, be-loved Alum, memories of Camp Woodland Olympics:

“When I think about the Woodland olympics, I can’t help but chuckle. After 20 years I can still remember the names of my more memorable teams. And their spontaneous cheers. I won’t repeat them, but anyone who served with me on the French Fries knows EXACTLY what I am talking about. I can remember layering on every piece of clothing in my limited drawer space that could count as a team color item, in order to painstakingly line them up in the clothing relay, and cursing the laundry cycle that fell right in the middle of the event. I remember banging the tiller of an old X-boat in frustration – I’d won a bunch of sail races just that last week, so why would the wind desert me today? And I remember the peculiar feeling of a cabin divided – the only time during the summer that my co-lyricist, my partner for undefeated cabin victory in the coveted ability of inane camp rhyme, Ms. Lurain, was suddenly facing off against me. Could she rhyme better (by which I mean, sillier and stupider) than me, mano a mano??? Even writing this post, I am already starting to mutter, “yo yo yo yo, French Fries…” Yup. It’s Olympics time.”

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

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.