Camp Woodland Blog

Star Search Team

This week some unusual visitors “dropped by” on their coast-to-coast search for STAR CAMP STAFF, and Woodland being one of the premier summer camps in the US, was the perfect place for them to find the STARRIEST and SPARKLIEST staff around!  Once campers helped the Star Search Team spot and locate star staff, they got their picture taken, signed the Woodland “Hall of Fame”, and were given a special treat since they were “bursting with stardom” (a.k.a. Starburst candy!).

Star Staff Rachel, Sarah, and Alex at Rec Swim

The 3 agents on this important assignment found their first Star Staff, Allison, preparing for her overnight canoe trip with Starshine cabin.  The next stop was the riflery range where Star Staff Cami was teaching the girls at one of their favorite target sport activities.  The team encountered a constellation of Star Staff at the Waterfront: Natalie and Grace C were headed out for an afternoon sailing period, and Tori, Ceci, Alex, Sarah, and Rachel were getting into position for Rec Swim.  Meanwhile, Star Staff Susan, Grace W, and Courtney were teaching campers how to water-ski.

Star Riding Staff Bobby

The next Star Staff encounter was in the office where Wendy, Racquel, Alysia, and Calla were busy with preparations for Olympics and other important camp business.  Star Staff Jenny was in the Rec Hall meeting with the 18 girls who signed up for Drama 3rd session.  From here the Search Team found Star Staff Bobby, Suz, and Sam teaching riding.  Girls were practicing their steering skills (without using the reins) and trotting.

Star Riding Staff Sofia, Courtney, Fer, Paige, and Erina

Once the bell rang for 5th period, Star Staff Fer de Maria was on her way to Arts and Crafts, while Paige, Courtney, Sofia, and Erina made their way to the next fun adventure with campers.  Star Staff Lindsay was found working on Co-Ed Show moves and Star Staff Dan (and Cook Extraordinaire) was in the kitchen making Congo Bars and getting ready for Taco Bar.  It was reported that Star Staff Amanda, April, and Brianna were in on making a camper favorite, lasagne, for lunch.  Rumor had it that Star Ancillary Staff Chet had a much deserved day off!

Star Staff (and Cook Extraordnaire) Dan

The campers (without any prompting) have decided to award “Counselor of the Day” in a similar fashion to the “Camper of the Day” recognition that is given by the Happy Hostess every morning at assembly.  We have a WONDERFUL group of counselors and staff this year, and we can’t THANK them enough for all they do!!!

Woodland Counselors and Staff, WE LOVE YOU!

J*, Lee, and Kim

We just finished the end of the 4^th Week of the camp and these girls are on top of the World!!!  The girls are in their groove – excelling in activities, working as a team to accomplish larger than life goals, and just having fun being themselves! Every week at camp we have a “theme” that we strive to use in our daily camp routine.  Week 4’s theme was all about “Trust”.  Trust in themselves to work towards levels they never passed before. Trust in their cabin mates to try new group activities:

Overnight canoe trips

Zip line at the Ropes Course

Trust Walks in our Exclusive Climax Forest

A lot of these experiences would not be as fun without girls knowing each other for the last 4weeks. It’s amazing to see such  growth in such a short period of time. The 4^th week of camp is also about celebration.  Celebrating the years every girl has been coming to camp:

• First, we mark the celebration by every camper getting a wood medallion with their name, summer theme, and years at camp.
• Secondly, we all get dressed up for the big birthday bash (yes dresses, hair do’s and all) where we eat dinner and fancy birthday cake!
• Lastly, we have a ceremony to honor all the girls who have attended camp for 5 years (sterling silver pendants) and for 10 years (Camp Woodland logo blankets).  These items will be cherished forever as many of our alumni still wear their pendants proudly at alumni events.

Thank you Jordan Family for running this most cherished camp for 45 Years!  This is a special place that so many kids call their “summer home”.  Thank you Parents for keeping this tradition going and proudly letting everyone know how special camp is to your children.

Camp Birthday Honorees

When we think of tests, we often think of being in school and the exams taken that mark the end of a chapter, unit, semester or year.  While we try not to compare camp to school, Woodland actually had two tests of its own this week!  This past Tuesday, Camp Woodland greeted 3 trained volunteers from the American Camp Association (ACA) for our accreditation visit that occurs every 3rd year.  JoAnne gave our guests the grand tour of camp, and they stopped to watch various activities in action, check out a few cabins, interview some campers and staff, and take a look at the kitchen and health center.  Following the tour, the 3 visitors went through multiple notebook binders to verify that we have the necessary documentation to be in compliance with close to 300 health, safety, and program quality standards!  Whew!

One of the first signs you see when you come into camp!

Why do we seek accreditation?  We’re glad you asked!  Camp Woodland and Towering Pines PROUDLY display the ACA-Accredited Camp sign as it has 50 years of parent trust behind it.  Accreditation means that both camps have proof of accountability, credibility, and commitment to the best practices established by the camp industry.  Experts from many fields including the American Red Cross and The American Academy of Pediatrics, for example, are consulted to work with ACA to continually improve the camp standards program.  We are happy to report that Camp Woodland “PASSED” this big test again this year!  Towering Pines will be on the list of camps to be visited next summer.

Wearing a helmet, boots, and long pants is an example of one of the program standards for horseback riding.

For our second “test” this week, the Oneida health department came for their annual review on Thursday, and they made similar stops to ACA on their walk around camp.  The great thing is that because our staff are well-trained at the beginning of each summer and on an on-going basis, they handled any questions that were asked like pros and did a nice job telling the story of what we do and why.  Camp Woodland had another excellent report from the health department (are you surprised?!)!  It made for a busy week, and we are glad to get back to the more FUN part of our jobs (like driving campers to the Ropes Course in Rhinelander, honoring our 5 and 10 year campers and staff at Camp Birthday, and watching the AMAZING drama/gymnastics/dance shows tonight)!

Sam (right)

Dear Mom & Dad,

I’ve had the easy job. From the summer when I was nine, my job has been to come to Northern Wisconsin and grow into myself by learning how to ride, canoe, and shoot bows and arrows at camp. I lived with my best friends who are now my sisters and lost track of time in the warm summer haze.

Now seventeen, I recently figured out that your reality for the past nine summers has been very different from mine. While my days were punctuated with bells ringing and counselors cheering, you were at your job waiting for the mail truck to deliver one of my elusive letters. I avoided homesickness because I was at camp, my second home, while you missed your daughter because there was no one to greet you when you came home from work.  I had the easy part – I was able to live, love and laugh in a place where I belonged unconditionally. I became a stronger swimmer than you, Dad, and rode in first hour just like you, Mom. While you were at home, your two daughters were away at different sleep away camps for almost the entire summer.

For years, when other parents looked at me in disbelief and asked how you could possibly send me away for six weeks, I always smiled and said that you were happy to rid yourself of me for the summer; it was our break from each other. There’s a better reason, a truer reason, and I want to apologize for not giving it at the time. That reason is that you were willing to put aside your own selfish wants of having your child home because you knew that letting me go to camp for six weeks was the absolute best thing that could ever happen to me.

You were willing to let me go and let me figure out myself on my own terms. This allowed me to be independent and become a little more self-sufficient every time I came home.  You didn’t get frustrated with me during the summers when I barely wrote, and you never hinted at being insulted when I mentioned I wasn’t homesick at all during my time away.

You knew I loved you very much, and you let me love you from afar. You let me learn to love others who weren’t related to me in a way I was told only families love each other. You let me love a place with a different family to the same degree if not more than the love I have for my biological family and childhood home. Your selflessness gave me the opportunity I needed to be selfish for a few weeks each summer so that I could learn how to be selfless, too.

For all of this and more, I THANK YOU. Thank you for giving me nine summers in the Northwoods at Camp Woodland. Thank you for being tough when I wasn’t and letting me be tough when all you wanted was to carry me. Thank you for being camp parents, and thank you for letting me stand on my own feet. Thank you for giving me a place where I automatically belong and giving me two homes to love. More than anything, thank you for loving me and letting me love camp.

Sam with Cabin at Ropes Course

I love you and will see you soon,

Sam E

2^nd year JC

2^nd generation Camp Woodland Girl

 Farm Zoo at Woodland has never been better. We have really enjoyed taking care of the animals this year and we can’t believe how much they’ve grown over the past three weeks! Every day the campers clean the barn and make sure the chicks, ducks, goats, and rabbits are fed and happy. We work together as a team and have gotten to learn from one another. The older girls have done a really nice job of teaching the new campers how to clean the rabbit cage, hold the animals properly, and even take the goats on walks!

During the first session the girls agreed on some fun names for the animals. We have two goats named Woody and Cow (one likes to chew on bark and the other is black and white.) We also have three new additions to the rabbit ensemble: two white ones named Snow and White and a brown one named Peter. The chicks and ducks, on the other hand, are much harder to name. First there are so many of them that it hard to keep track and second, they are hard to differentiate! Nonetheless, the girls still find ways to assign names as the days go by.

 Apart from making sure the animals are taken care of, Farm Zoo includes exploring the forest surrounding the camp and making nature themed crafts and goods. Last session, we learned how to make butter and discussed the differences between the butter we made and the butter found in grocery stores. I think together we all agreed that its good when we know where the food on our table is coming from, especially if you make it yourself!

 This session, we have explored the bog and the girls learned about the old pond that used to take its place. They also took on the project of beautifying the camp by planting flowers and hanging pinecone bird feeders. In the coming weeks we are looking forward to continue exploring the land that surrounds us and hopefully get into the cheese making process!