Hello Chippies!

I thought I would take a moment to update you on second session! Camp is going great and the girls are having a fabulous time. Tonight we ran a program called Lip Sync. The show is pretty self-explanatory, but there really is more to it than simply getting up on stage and performing Milli Vanilli style. The girls have to work together to come up with the perfect song, the perfect dance and even the perfect wardrobe! They spend hours making these decisions and you can imagine that this kind of group organizing comes with some challenge! They work through the challenges though, and in doing so strengthen their relationships, and develop great teambuilding skills. Not to mention that the show is traditionally quite a spectacle! Tonight was no exception! The two cabin winners were Boots and C-C. They got to go to Cathy’s for ice cream, and the rest of the camp got canteen. A win for everyone!

The past week has been great! Last Monday was Tan & White Sports Night (always a popular event). Tuesday brought Staff Olympics and Wednesday was murder mystery night. Thursday we introduced a new game called Sandstorm! This Tan & White event required each team to get a giant mound of sand from one side of camp to the other. It was a ton of fun and will no doubt become a Chippewa annual tradition! Friday night Boots, Circle C and Wagonridge put on a beautiful campfire with a theme centered around “being yourself.” Saturday was Big & Little Sister Night, Sunday the camp went to Minocqua for a town day. When they returned we did a “movie in the park” event. The whole camp went to the South Field and watched the ever-popular Parent Trap on a giant inflatable screen! On Monday we had a social with Kawaga and on Tuesday we had our little weather emergency *-) Last night was a practice for Songfest and tonight was Lip Sync!

So much fun to come and I will make sure to share with you via photos, blog updates and Tweets (I know… Sari is a better Tweeter… Im working on it!)

I look forward to talking soon!
All best,
Cliff

On To Second Session!

Dear Chippewa Friend,

Today was a good ole fashioned camp day here at Chippewa! It marked the start of second session activities, and the girls had a great time! Lisa and I are thrilled with the second session arrivals and they are eagerly jumping right into the swing of things. The staff is motivated and enthusiastic about the start of another fabulous four weeks of camp!

Visiting weekend was an absolute blast. We are so proud of Jessica J. and Whitney K. for their outstanding dance show production. They always do a great job, but this was an exceptionally great show! The weather was perfect and we enjoyed watching parents and campers participate in our program. Thanks for all of the kind words and positive feedback regarding first session. We really appreciated the enthusiastic comments, suggestions and even concerns!

The week ahead is going to be full of action. Samara O. (our program director) has a fantastic lineup of events and special programs in place for the weeks to come. Sunday night we ran our second session opening friendship fire, which was packed with songs, stories, games and fun. Monday was a BIG day around here. The girls took swim tests, signed up for activities, auditioned for the two musicals being produced this summer (Wicked and The Lion King), and participated in their first Tan & White game- Sports Night! Stay tuned to next weeks Cliff Notes. I will fill you in on everything that happened this week, and maybe even throw in a sneak preview of what’s to come. Also be sure to check our photo gallery early each morning. We put up anywhere from 300-900 pictures each day! We will do out best to get as many of your girls in as possible on a daily basis!

Have a great rest of the summer and feel free to call any time!

All best,
Cliff
Cell- 312-593-0246

Hello Chippies!

Camp is going great! We’re closing in on the end of first session, and looking forward to a climactic finish. The week ahead traditionally brings a mixture of fun, excitement, and laughter with a touch of sadness as we send off our first session campers. On Friday we’re looking forward to the start of visiting weekend and the arrival of our camper’s families! Visiting weekend is a great opportunity for staff and parents to meet and to chat about the summer past. Lisa and I will be walking around camp throughout the weekend and will hope to meet with as many people possible. On Friday night we will put on our annual (and amazing) dance show! Saturday we will open up our activities to campers AND their families. That afternoon we will host our famous BBQ lunch and parents will be able to take their camper out of camp for the night! We’re looking forward to good weather, better food and top-notch entertainment this weekend!

This past week has been great! Tuesday night brought our new “Bee Hive Bonanza” game. The camp was split into various “hives” that competed with one another to attain jars of honey! The competitions included relay races, sporting events, brain twisters and more. Everyone had a great time! Wednesday evening was supposed to be capture the flag, but inclement weather caused us to make a last second switch to a Tan & White favorite called Skit Night. Always an entertaining program! Thursday evening we had A-Z DJs come to entertain us during an exciting social with Horseshoe! The event was held on our South Field and the dancing was great. Friday night we had one of our beautiful value based campfires. This one was led by the cabins of Cactus and Horseshoe. Their theme was “The Golden Rule.” The readings were based around the topic of Respect. It’s always nice to hear the campers themselves highlighting such great values. Saturday we had a Tai Chi Master Troop come to camp. They entertained the campers and staff with a sword & fan demonstration. The campers were fans of the fans! After that, Tom Pease performed, as he does every summer. His selection of timeless and child appropriate campfire music has always been a hit at Chippewa! Sunday started out with group Tai Chi lessons and ended with a social at camp Menominee. Everyone had a fantastic time. Monday was United Nation’s Day! The camp was split up into four different countries, and they competed in an all day tournament full of excitement and spirit! Tuesday was Camper Counselor Switch day. The older girls in camp were each designated a staff member to “become” for the day. The campers loved the program and Jackie P. from Lakeview did a great job playing ME! The rest of the week is busy busy busy! Non stop action as we close out the session. Tomorrow will bring the Egg Marathon. This Tan & White game is a hit every summer! The girls will essentially run a crazy relay race that will span almost three hours in length. All sorts of activities are involved, and the girls have to carry an egg with them through the entire race (without it breaking)! We know that the girls will be thrilled to find out that its tomorrow!

Once again we will look forward to seeing many of you this weekend. We are proud of our visiting weekend program and hope that you will try to join us! Take care and have a wonderful week!
All best
Cliff

It's Raining Fun!

Hello Chippewa!

Happy 4th of July! Yesterday was magical...Simple as that! The cabin of Lakeview put on a very special all-day program, and the girls had a blast! The morning began with a phenomenal ski show and an opening song performance. The energy level at 7:45 in the morning is pretty amazing on the 4th of July around here! Our traditional Independence Day breakfast was complete with pancakes, eggs, bacon, waffles (all topped with red, white and blue whipped cream…mmmmm) and more! After breakfast, the entire camp played “The Circle Game” (a very popular old-school Chippewa program). Lunch was full of variety. Highlights included Chef Dave’s pasta and pink sauce, grilled cheese, tomato soup, chicken fingers and fries. I know, not the healthiest lunch, but it was a special occasion and the girls loved it… you should have seen dessert that evening! Later on, we had a huge carnival and a local professional musician came and sang for us (Brad Emanuel). He played a variety of modern tunes along with a mix of old classics! Sadly, the Three Lakes, WI fireworks were rained out, but we did take an all-camp trip to everyone’s favorite ice cream shop- Cathys! The night ended on a VERY high note! We truly are very proud of our oldest campers for putting on such a wonderful day!

Now for the week review-

Monday night brought a popular entertainment program called “Glow.” This was basically a large wrestling production put on by the staff. The “wrestlers” took on different themes and personalities. The night came with lots of cheering and dancing! Tuesday was the camper talent show. We were extremely impressed with the quality of the performances. Wednesday was a social at Ojibwa and Thursday was the Tan & White Counselor Hunt (the campers searched around camp for hidden staff in exchange for Tan & White points). Friday we had a beautiful campfire put on by our 10 year-olds, and Saturday evening Timberlane held a carnival for our entire camp!

It really is hard to believe that time is moving so quickly. The session is already 50% gone! Today the girls signed up for their second set of activities and tomorrow they will begin them. There is so much more to come! Remember to follow us through our daily pictures! I look forward to talking soon.
All best,
Cliff

Photo Mania!

Chippewa Friend,

I hope all is well with you. Just a quick note regarding photos. Lisa and I do our very best to put as many photos online as possible. We take pride in the fact that some days bring as many as 500+ images. We are certain that this is above and beyond the industry standard. That said we have received a number of emails expressing concern about the handful of "dropped" thumbnails on the Camp-In-Touch Photo page each day. It takes hours to upload hundreds of photos into the Camp-In-Touch application. Unfortunately (and beyond our control), the T-1 internet connection becomes lost occasionally during this upload process. When that happens photos are inevitably dropped. We just don't have the time to go back in and re-upload the missing photos. I'm sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause, but we will continue to go out of our way to make certain that you are able to get an above adequate photo "fix" each day! Please also note that Sunday photo displays are the exception and not the rule. Typically we will have no new photos up on Sunday. Thanks again for your understanding and support! Have a great week and I look forward to talking soon!
All best,
Cliff
Cell- 312-593-0246