Monthly Archives:July 2024
The Value of the Woodland Dollar
This is probably not the headline you would expect from a summer camp blogpost! You may even think you landed here by accidentally clicking on a link found on a popular news platform. I have been supporting camp from home part-time this summer, and I have to say there is “sticker shock” every time I pay for gas, groceries, A/C repairs, and more. With inflation being one of many contributing factors, I’m certain that you also notice the dollar continues to buy less while the price of just about everything continues to go up. There is one place; however, where the value of the dollar has remained steady over the past 78 years!
Every year on the 4th Sunday, the Woodland girls take a 2-mile field trip to Towering Pines for the annual TP fair, and on the following Sunday, the boys head east on County D for the Woodland Fair. When fair goers dig into their pocket for “bills” to purchase a yummy treat or play a game at either Fair, they may not even realize the bargain they are getting. A cup of homemade (hand-cranked) ice cream, a chance to play “Bozo Buckets” or to send someone to “Jail” is only $1-2 in “TP/Woodland dollars” – the same price I paid in 1986 during my first summer as a counselor! What a deal!
This past Sunday, the boys from Towering Pines joined us to play various games and enjoy ice cream, popcorn, and bug juice for just a few “Woodland bucks” per game or food/beverage item. The great thing is that the “bank” is open on Sunday’s, and campers simply have to request a “cash advance” from a number of “tellers” so that they can enjoy all the fun a homemade carnival has to offer. There was fortune telling, a dunking machine, marriage booth, dance party, arm wrestling, fish pond, and a plethora of other games set up on and around the volleyball court – Fair Day always delivers a GREAT time!
I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention the “value” of spending a summer at camp. We’ve been together 5+ weeks now, and it is hard to put a price tag on the minutes, hours, and days that accumulate to form each individual’s Woodland or TP experience. Each person will go home with various technical skills developed by spending 36+ hours per activity taken for the three, 2-week sign-up periods (and no chauffeuring on your part!).
This is in addition to 650+ hours, discovering and being the best version of yourself, building relationships with new and old friends that will last long after the summer has ended, laughing till your sides hurt, singing your lungs out, and loving the people and place called Camp Woodland with your whole heart. Without a doubt, the value of the Woodland dollar has stayed strong over the course of its 55 years (78 for Towering Pines). The Jordan family continues to invest in developing youth today so that they can be future leaders tomorrow!
p.s. It is interesting to note that some campers save their Woodland/TP “dollars” from the current year and bring to camp the following year. It’s kind of like having a stash of “forever” stamps – they never lose their value!
The Precious Gift of Time at Camp
Time is such an interesting phenomenon. Young kids, especially, often have a distorted view of time and can have no concept and/or easily lose track of it (both good things!). They generally know that a few minutes is shorter than a few hours or days, but that is about the extent of it.
You might be familiar with the saying, “the days are long, but the years are short”. I sometimes feel that way about camp; the days are long, but the summer is short! I have often said that a typical camp day is really 3 days. The morning is a day. The afternoon is another day. The evening is a third day. This explains why we are so tired at night. By the time we crawl under the covers, we have really been up for 3 days straight! It is also the reason we sleep so deeply and so well in our cozy cabins.
There is no doubt that we are aware that the number of days at camp are dwindling. And quickly. We can’t help but feel it. The end of the summer always goes faster than the beginning. When the staff arrived and we had 8 days of pre-camp training, 7+ weeks of summer stretched out ahead of us. We had all the time in the world. In June there seemed to be an endless supply of the camp days we long for the rest of year. Or so we thought. The roughly 1.28 weeks remaining now seem like nothing. All of a sudden, the surplus of time we banked on earlier in the summer can be counted on two hands. Now we wonder where did the time go?!
This realization makes us truly value the gift of time we have. While we can’t completely stop the clock from ticking, at the very least we can make it appear to slow down as we savor every moment from this point forward. To make the most of the remaining days that are left, it might be helpful to reflect on those things we need to do MORE and LESS of so that we are truly present and enjoying every single minute of this precious commodity called time.
Things we should do MORE of:
- Spending time with friends
- Seeking out people we don’t know as well
- Singing
- Being in the moment
- Trying something new
- Being flexible (knowing that some things are out of our control)
- Recognizing the good things
- Being silly
- Wearing costumes just because
- Focusing on the positive
- Appreciating nature
- Getting rest
- Being grateful
- Assuming the best intentions of others
Things we should do LESS of:
- Stressing over the little stuff (someone borrowing something without asking)
- Complaining (it’s so hot, the water is too cold)
- Comparing our achievements to others (look at where we are now with earlier versions of ourselves)
- Drama (unless it is your activity)
- Worrying about what’s next after camp (school, work)
- Eating Dan’s lasagne (well, maybe not…)
I can assure you that since we know what we are up against with our fight against time, we are acutely aware of what needs to happen to make the “Open New Doors in ‘2-4” one for the books! Bucket lists are being made. We don’t want there to be any regrets. Staff are pouring everything they have into making the final sign-up of activities one of progress and skill advancement. We are enjoying this all too precious time as cabin groups and a camp community. We are throwing in a few surprises here and there to keep things exciting (spoon tag coming up – get ready!).
This past week was the much anticipated all-camp Olympics. There was an ENORMOUS amount of cheering across the swim area, field and Woodland Road as campers supported their own and the opposing team (Good Job Everybody, Good Job!). The counselors were SO into it – face paint, costumes, energy, and spirit – nothing short of the best kind of pure camp fun.
Regardless of whether we are at camp or at home or school, time is a gift. A gift without a price tag. Time has a way of showing us what really matters. At Camp Woodland, the people are what matter most. Yes, it may feel like “crunch” time and the days are getting to be less and less, but there is still MORE summer to do!! A LOT more.
p.s. What can YOU do more/less of in the days before your camper/s return home?
Singing as a Gateway to Belonging at Camp
Each day we are at camp brings a deeper sense of place and pace, allowing us all to settle even more into our time here and to become more relaxed and comfortable together…and this happens–not only because we aren’t glued to our phones–but because we like to sing. Woodland girls actually LOVE to sing. And, we sing A LOT! Rumor has it that Song Contest has already been on the radar of some people BEFORE coming to camp!
Part of Camp Culture
I think it is safe to say that there aren’t many places in the world where a relatively big group of people with wildly varying levels of singing ability can come together and make “music.” It might not be music in the traditional sense of harmony, consistent rhythm or even basic unified starting notes, but it is something rare and unique. In fact, if Mrs. J was still with us, she would probably cringe at what our singing has morphed into over the years. When we sing together at camp, it can be familiar words, “This land is your land…,” shared silliness, “I’ll build a bungalow big enough for two,” or part of our culture, “Dip, dip and swing.”
It is the cultural component that makes shared songs an important part of the fabric of camp. We have add-on songs (Green grow the rushes O), “repeat-after-me” songs (The Princess Pat), songs sung in a round (One bottle of pop), spelling songs (L-o-ll-i-p-o-p, it’s a lick on a stick guaranteed to make you sick) and universal songs (If I had a hammer…). We have songs that started out as skits (Herbie the worm…), songs that came from other camps or places (You can tell a girl from Woodland…), and songs that kids just like to sing because they know (almost) all of the words (The Nonsense Song). There are songs/chants about announcements (Announcements, announcements, a-now-ince-ments…woo!) and about having Sunday/Olympic spirit (yes we do!)…and many more.
Singing Builds Community
Community is built and reinforced each evening when the songbooks are passed out at the end of dinner and requests are taken. We dismiss to evening activity with two Woodland songs “W, that’s the way it begins…” (more spelling!) and “We are from Woodland, Woodland are we…” Some songs add a bit of “percussion” and include banging on the table at just the right time (Boom, boom ain’t it great to be crazy…), up and down movement (Johnny has a head like a ping pong ball…), or acting out the words (Have you ever gone fishing?…). These are all invitations to be part of something that is loud and a little (or a lot of) silly, and the beautiful thing is that you never need to know exactly what you are doing to join in. It is a doorway that opens into a sense of belonging–and it is an essential part of camp.
Familiar Rhythm to a Camp Day
From the moment we get up until the time we put our head on our pillow at night, songs are part of the familiar rhythm that keep the “beat” of our camp day. Each morning a variety of popular songs can be heard throughout the cabin area as counselors become DJs and motivate campers to jump out of bed, get dressed, and start cabin clean-up. Some cabins choose to play/sing the same songs every day, while others prefer to “shuffle” tunes. We sing “grace” at the start of every meal; sometimes with just our cabin group and others with the entire camp community. This adds to the routine of the day and is a time to pause for a moment before sitting down to fuel our bodies whether it is a more serious melody (Johnny Appleseed) or on the playful side (a song sung to the Superman theme).
Alive, Alert, Awake, Enthusiastic
Our day would not be complete without JoAnne pepping us up with “I’m alive, alert, awake, enthusiastic” to get the energy going at some opportune moment – often at morning assembly (jazz hands included!). Sometimes the tennis, gymnastics, and/or swim counselors do the honor during first hour activities as part of warmup exercises. While that might not fall into the “song” category, it definitely has a “catchy” vibe to it.
Before-During-After Activities
Woodland girls sing during activities – on sailboats and in canoes, while being creative in the arts & crafts room or changing clothes for riding, and during swim lessons (just to name a few). We sing between activities as we are running or skipping to the next exciting period and picking up friends along the way. It would not be uncommon to belt out in the van as we head to Towering Pines for a sail race, to Cathy’s for winning Clean Freaks, or to the Ropes Course in Rhinelander.
Sending Sweet Dreams
One of my favorite Woodland traditions is having the CIT’s (or next oldest campers at the end of the summer) walk around from cabin to cabin and sing one of several “goodnight” songs. “I see the moon and the moon sees me…” is one that JoAnne and I text back and forth at random times throughout the year. There is something comforting about putting yourself (via your mind) at the deck on the way to the beach to see the moon leave its shimmering trail on Sand Lake.
Weekly Campfire
Singing is also a big part of Wednesday night campfire. Half of the cabins lead a familiar or new song when the emcees call them up to the “stage,” while the others contribute with a skit. Sometimes our musicians will play an instrument that is accompanied by someone singing vocals. CIT’s also present the week’s happenings by reading entries from the CIT log that is introduced by singing, “Log, log, log, log.” JoAnne starts the traditional friendship “squeeze” that is passed along to campers whose hands are joined right over left as we sing (and sway) to “Each campfire lights anew” and “Linger.” When we gather for one last time at the waterfront after banquet, “One Little Candle…” is the song that guides us down the dock to make a wish until we can be together again.
Coed Show
During this time of the summer, the CIT’s from both camps are hard at work putting together the highly anticipated “Coed Show.” Multiple numbers undergo a transformation of words to fit each year’s selected theme. It takes a good two and a half weeks to get the full production (songs, choreography, lines, props, coordinated t-shirts) audience ready.
The first week involves learning the line-up of songs by singing through them repetitively in the Woodland Rec Hall. The group then gathers at the TP Rec Hall to learn dance moves and staging (meanwhile the gals and guys are separately finding any free chance they have to perfect their own individual numbers) during the second week. The final week is putting it all together for two productions (campers, then parents). Coed Show alumni are always invited to join in the traditional slideshow songs including, “At the Beginning…”
While singing may not be a preferred activity at home, at camp it provides an automatic social group with an end goal for our oldest teenagers. The beauty is that no one is left out or wondering what their friends are doing because they are all together and bonding over having the important role of telling the story of the summer. Coed Show provides an opportunity for the CIT’s to belong to something special and unique. They earn “celebrity” status and the “cool factor” youth crave at this age in the healthiest of ways.
Camp Songs at Home
Of all of the grand take-aways of camp, we don’t expect your camper to come home and teach you all of the words and nuanced delivery of “Kitchen, kitchen listen while we sing to you” (though you undoubtedly deserve it!). We like to periodically sing a special song to the cooks/kitchen staff at camp as it makes their day. We know your kids most likely won’t make you run around your dining room table on your birthday, but it will be hard to sing “happy birthday” to anyone without thinking about following it up with, “Round the circle you must go, you must go, you must go ‘round the circle you must go on your birthday…” It will only be in that moment you are listening to music in the car as a family, and your camper/s will say, “OHHHHHH, that’s a song we sing at camp…but we don’t sing it THAT way.”
Belonging and More Singing Ahead
The feeling of belonging created by weaving together the opportunities to sing throughout the day is what helps your campers overcome missing home moments, the uncertainty of knowing what comes next, and wondering about being part of something bigger than themselves.
We are SOOOOOOOO excited for more days of singing ahead! And, when it is finally time to make the trip home, don’t be surprised if you hear some humming from the backseat or at random times throughout the school year. It’s one way the spirit of camp and the feeling of belonging never go away.
“And come September, we will remember, our camping days and friendships true…”
p.s. Any CW alums out there who sang your way through this blog?! We sure hope so!
Reference: SWC
Camp is a Much Needed “Haven”
Now that we are well into our 4th week of camp, it is a great time to take a brief pause and reflect on what Camp Woodland sets out to do each summer. What are our goals? What is our overall purpose? We’re certainly striving to “have fun” (a LOT of fun!), but it’s more than that. Beyond all the different activities, the great food, and our classic Northwoods camp environment, what is Woodland really providing? On a deeper level, what is camp doing for all the girls and staff members who spend their summer here?
A really good response to this question is summarized in the sign that greets you when you enter a new(ish) business in the North Carolina town in which I live. The “Haven” is located on the main street leading into the community of Southport. On any given day or night when I pass by as I am walking Gus and Gumbo, I see people of all ages hanging out; sometimes listening to live music in the back, playing corn hole or other “yard” game, enjoying a refreshing treat of Italian gelato or adult beverage, or grabbing a bite to eat from a food truck parked in the side driveway. This place in it’s short 15 month history is truly living up to its name.
If we go back to the question posed at the beginning of this blog, we might answer by saying, “What we’re doing here is creating a haven for girls.” That then leads to some follow-up questions, but what sort of haven, and why is that important?
The answer lies in the definition of the word “haven” itself as shown on the sign from the actual “Haven.” Haven means:
- a place of safety, shelter and refuge
- a port or harbor in a storm, a roadstead (I had to look this one up! A roadstead is a sheltered stretch of water near the shore in which ships can ride at anchor.)
- a place offering comfort and friendship
- an oasis or peaceful retreat
- community for good friends, new friends, old friends, and friends of friends
Without hesitation, our goal is to make Woodland a safe harbor for girls, a place of refuge from the “storms” of modern and everyday life. We are here to create an intentional community that’s different and separate from the all too many damaging forces impacting youth (especially girls!) today.
The good news is that girls flourish once these harmful forces are removed. We are really seeing the positive effects of being immersed into the camp experience for almost a month now. Campers are growing in astounding ways. They grow as individuals and together as a cabin group. These special “families” are a place of comfort and friendship in a “close to home” kind of way while the entire camp community offers comfort and friendship in a more “global” sense.
It is not a stretch to say that camp is an oasis/peaceful retreat. Campers tell us time and time again that they look forward to camp all year long. Our girls soak up and store every possible sight, sound, smell, taste, and feeling from their time in the Northwoods to draw upon later when they need a reprieve from the busyness and stresses often found during the rest of the year.
It goes without saying that we have a community of good friends at Woodland (it doesn’t take too long to figure that out when scanning the plethora of photos on SmugMug!). We welcome and embrace old and new friends and friends of friends. We even have several very special 4-legged friends. Chanel, Coco, and Juno are part of our community, too. I am always amazed at how people who are very different from each other cross paths at camp and become the closest of friends. Had they been in the familiar setting of home or school, they might not have even given each other a chance.
Each of the “haven” sub-definitions are big part of our WHY. Next, we will look a little more closely at HOW Camp Woodland is a haven.
1. Haven from Indoor Living: Life at Woodland is lived intimately with Nature; we are outdoors almost all the time. Many of us spend the greater part of 10 months inside, so it is refreshing to see campers (and staff) learning to embrace nature’s wonder and beauty in large doses. There’s a deep restorative power to this.
2. Haven from a Rushed Life: The pace of life at Woodland is deliberately slower and more mindful. Time is intentionally built into the day to allow campers to savor each moment and engage more deeply with everything and everyone around them. Eating 3 meals/day together and hanging out at rest hour and before bed as a cabin group gives campers multiple opportunities to nuture relationships in a way that is hard to replicate anywhere else.
3. Haven from Inactivity and Modern Convenience: In a world that often prioritizes convenience and sedentary lifestyles, Woodland encourages physical activity, adventure, and hands-on experiences. It’s a place where campers move and play, discovering the joys of doing.
4. Haven from Information Overload: In a world saturated with information, Woodland provides a break from the constant barrage of news and novelty. This allows campers to pay attention to their immediate experiences, fostering connections, creativity and presence.
5. Haven from Competition: Woodland is a non-competitive environment where girls can explore their interests and abilities without the pressure of outperforming others. Keeping score is the last thing on our minds (with the one exception of Olympics next week!). Instead the focus is on personal exploration, kind cooperation, and collective success.
6. Haven from Judgment: Woodland celebrates brave attempts, silly creativity, and an openness to try things. Here, girls explore for the fun of it and are unconcerned with what others will say about the outcome. The kindness of this community lifts everyone up.
7. Haven from Technology: This one is HUGE. Woodland is a tech-free environment that dispels the distraction inherent to digital media and its flickering screens. Camp returns us to real-world activities, the nuance of face-to-face interactions and the complexities of truly feeling things. This allows everyone here to be more human and explore what that means.
8. Haven from Exclusivity: Woodland is committed to creating a community of belonging. Our core value of respect encourages campers to spread kindness and show empathy to one another. We strive to be curious, not judgmental. Meeting so many people at camp helps us appreciate and celebrate diverse backgrounds and perspectives. We are a place where it is “cool to be you.”
9. Haven from Social Pressures: Woodland provides a break from the pressures to conform to certain social expectations. Here, girls can explore their interests freely, while being supported by an enthusiastic community that values them for who they really are.
10. Haven from “I Can’t”: At Woodland we strive to omit these words from our vocabulary for the 6 weeks we are at camp. We celebrate incremental progress and embrace success over time (vs instant gratification). Persistence and grit go a long way in the skills we are developing in activities and with building relationships. When the word “yet” is inserted after an “I Can’t” proclamation, the opportunity to grow is imminent.
When seen as a haven in all these ways, it is within reach to grasp that Woodland is a special experience, and how it’s so important for your girls. We all know that ordinary life is chock full of pressures and challenges. Just ask any teenager; they’ll tell you. Camp provides relief from all that. It’s a sanctuary of freedom where girls thrive. Yes, it’s also a lot of fun and girls love it, and it’s wonderful in this important way as well. We are so looking forward to being together in this much needed “haven” for a few more weeks!
Reference: RBC
The Big Bad Wolf and Sand Lake
One of my favorite kid’s books is the “True Story of the 3 Little Pigs” by Jon Scieszka. The cool part about this version is that it is told from the perspective of the big, bad wolf because according to him, he was “framed” in the original story. Instead of the wolf huffing and puffing to blow down the houses of the three pigs, he was really just after a cup of sugar for his granny’s birthday cake while suffering a terrible cold. The unfortunate timing of his sneezes is what really knocked down the houses belonging to each pig.
You may recall a few blogs ago, the “True Story of the Lake Gnomes” that was written by Peggy Forester in 1973. Her story gives the history of how Sand Lake really got its brownish color (the coffee factory behind Hilltop was actually moved to the bottom of the lake). So, just over 50 years later, campers had the chance to come up with their own version of how they think Sand Lake got its unique color for a “Dewey Day” activity. As always, Woodland girls do not disappoint with putting their creative heads together to come up with a new ending to a classic tale!
Silver Birch had one of the winning entries, and this is how they told their version of the story (using a French accent):
One day a very talented artist named Lizzy heard about a beautiful lake (Sand Lake) in the Northwoods of Wisconsin and came all the way from France to paint it. She was amazed by how clear and wonderful it was, so she got to work. She used red (Amelia), orange (Lu), yellow (Luci), green (Eleanor) and lots and lots of blue (Audrey). From all the painting, Lizzy got tired so she went to get a coffee. The wind came in (Liza) and all the paint fell into the water. The colors started mixing and the lake turned brown. When the talented painter Lizzy returned, she was shocked by the change of color but loved it even more. She got back to work painting and finished her masterpiece. When she brought it home to France, she won many, many awards. The painting became even more famous than the Mona Lisa!
Sunrise also tied for their rendition of Sand Lake’s color augmentation:
The Woodland counselors were so sleepy and needed a lot of coffee, especially the Sunrise counselors. When they would drink their coffee while teaching swimming lessons, sometimes it would fall into Sand Lake making it turn brown. This also explains why the Sunrise campers have so much energy – they swim in Sand Lake that has been filled with the counselors’ coffee! I’m not sure that is the REAL reason Sunrise has so much energy (just saying!).
A few more creative takes on how Sand Lake wound up with its brown color:
Sunnyside: tourists mistakenly sprayed tanning oil instead of sunscreen and turned the lake brown (short & sweet!)
Aquarius: a giant named Aquarius took on a project to paint Camp Woodland and while trying to fix all of the imperfections (slanted floors, bathroom door that wouldn’t close, shower missing it’s top, etc.), the lake turned brown from the mixing of the colors. The giant was very upset and was afraid the campers wouldn’t want to swim in Sand Lake because of its ugly color. It was decided that the new color of the lake was perfect just way it is, and as a result, campers enjoy the lake and leave after a swim with a little of the giant’s paint on them.
Tamarack: a long time ago before Camp Woodland was even around, hikers stumbled onto a lake that was separated into the various colors of the rainbow. When trying out each color, the red water ended up being too hot, the orange was way too deep, the yellow was too sandy, the green was much too shallow, the blue much too cold, and the purple was extremely rocky. The hikers then came up with a plan and the girls each got in a boat and started rowing around the lake. Slowly, the colors started to mix into a beautiful brown lake that was “just right” (symbolic of how our differences can combine into something that is much more than the individuals at the start).
*For a chance to rewrite a tiny piece of Camp Woodland’s history, send your explanation/version of how Sand Lake got its brownish color to kimdaycock@gmail.com.