Hashtag-#Runningoutoftime

Hello Chippies!

I am sad to write that this will be my last 2011 Cliff Notes edition. It really is beyond belief that camp is coming to a close. I typically take this opportunity to reflect on the summer. I also tend to get obnoxiously sentimental about camp, the season's memories, and the wonder of Chippewa... This blog will be no different :) However, I will keep it short considering the fact that I have 60 more staff evaluations to complete by Thursday night... and a summer camp to run!

Last night was Chippy Awards. Most of you have no idea what that is or what it means, but at Chippewa it's a red carpet event and it is as big as the Grammys! Different dress code of course: clown outfits, princess dresses and sports jerseys as opposed to... well... you've all seen the

Grammys I presume. Chippy Awards is quite the glamorous affair and is the place to see people and the place to be seen (and where all campers HAVE to be at 7:15 pm on the last Monday of every camp season). The event was put on (as always) by our oldest cabin of Lakeview, and the whole night was filled with laughter, music and the giving of awards. Now i'm not talking about "who is best at what" kind of awards, but rather who has the brightest red hair, who smiles a ton, and who loves to dance the most. Cute things like that. Lisa and I always get great seats for this particular event too (stage left, floor level, nowhere near a ceiling fan, in front of a window that is painted shut and covered by a thick black fire retardant wool curtain. Who the heck is running this place anyway??). Bottom line... we were schvitzing. It didn't help that I was wearing a Russian wool ushanka hat (don't ask). Rest assured that your little kittens were much more comfortable in their seating accommodations..ish. Anyway, so I am watching a Silverspurs camper (4th grader) as she leaps to her feet to accept the Curly Q award (for having pretty curly brown hair). In a cute blue princess dress and flip-flops she steps over some other inconveniently situated campers, weaves around two camp dogs and eventually makes her way to the stage. All the while she has this huge grin on her face (ear to ear) as if she has just won ... well... a Grammy. The smile widened following a big hug from the 15 year old camper that gave her the thoughtfully designed, construction paper covered cardboard award. At that moment I was reminded of just how amazing this place actually is! I'm not being arrogant here because I fully recognize that Lisa and I are simply privileged passengers on this ride. Someday (a long time from now), someone else will also get the benefit of seeing camp's work from the best seat in the house- on an an old wooden bench, beside a stage that shines green, gold, silver and red from years of excessive glitter use.

Another quick story comes to mind and then I have to call it a night. I was looking through the window of "Tom's Office" the other day and saw a little camper making her way to the volleyball court. This camper is of special interest to me because she had a hard time transitioning into camp life. She was homesick for the first week and came to camp really not knowing anyone. She sat in the sand by herself and began to dig a hole. For a brief moment I felt a little sorry for her, but just before I got to the door two other girls from her cabin entered the scene. They sat down on either side of her and immediately joined in the digging operation. I sat back down and continued my work. About ten minutes later I peered out the window again to see how the digging was going and to make sure that they were still guarding the holes (digging is a common sand project at Chippewa, but holes have to be filled back in relatively quickly to prevent ankle sprains). The girls were indeed gone but something else caught my attention. I walked out to the volleyball court and saw something pretty cool. The girls had not only filled in the big hole that she was digging, but they had also flattened a spot above it and engraved their initials surrounded by a big heart. Please tell me there is some kind of metaphor in this... Again, we're just passengers here, but we wouldn't spend our summers on any other ride!

There is still plenty of camping left, but Lisa and I want to once again thank you from the bottom of our hearts for entrusting us with the care of your children. We will never take this responsibility lightly, and are frankly looking forward to keeping it for the rest of our lives.

Last night was the staff show (thus the staff heavy photos), today brings Pony Express & Request Night, and Thursday evening is our Final Banquet celebration. From there we bid 'ye all farewell until next season. Enjoy the rest of your summer and I look forward to talking soon!

All best,

Cliff

The Good Stuff!

Hi All,

So I decided to make this an upbeat blog! No heavy subject matter, no sadness and no intensity. I have committed to writing this post with simple reflections of happiness, fun and good weather (you might have to be flexible on that last one). If I was a Chippewa parent viewing the weekly blog I think that I would want to read about smiling campers, exciting programming and pretty things. I would want to know how the last week has been absolutely magic

al, and how Song Fest (Sunday) was a magnificent sight to see (you may have caught the photos). I might want to learn about how neat it was having close to 25 alumni visiting this past weekend for our annual Ten-Year celebration. I guess that I might be curious to know what the proud Ten-Year Girl's names were (Armani D., Kourtney K., Sarah S., Jessica J. and Jen P.). I might want to know that camp ran a great day of activities today (despite the weather). I would have been interested in the fact that there was a Horseshoe social on Saturday night and (as always) it was a hit! Finally, I would be VERY anxious to know about the

exciting week ahead. What a coincidence... I happen to have that information. Allow me to tell myself :) Feel free to listen in...

Tonight was a great Tan & White game for yucky weather called Scatter Brains. Tomorrow is one of the biggest days of the summer called Kahuna Day! It's a full day of fun and competition played by the four teams that camp has already been split in to. Every year the theme for Kahuna Day changes, and this year the theme is CANDY! The four team names are KitKat, Charleston Chew, Three Musketeers and Crunch. Note that even TEAMS at Chippewa are peanut free ;) There will be more photos from tomorrow than you will know what to do with, but they will be colorful and fun so be sure to check them out on Thursday morning! Thursday night is Lip Sync and Friday evening we will have a campfire led by our 4th graders. Saturday we run our older girl's talent show with Camp Menominee and Sunday is our Colt Village musical (Beauty and the Beast). They will be performing for Camp Timberlane. So LOTS of fun ahead. Once again stay tuned for photos and tweets of things to come!

*I am sorry for the lack of photos last night. Due to severe weather we were unable to leave the computers running to do an overnight upload.

*2012 ENROLLMENT- We THANK YOU so much for all of your applications. We are thrilled that our girls are loving their summer home! I think that there has been some confusion, however, regarding second session campers. Second session returning campers will have preference for their SECOND SESSION spots until September 1st. In other words, your daughter's space cannot be filled by a 2012 girl looking to switch to being an 8-week camper OR by a first session camper looking to switch to second session.

I am sorry if that was unclear!

As a final note in this blog I thought that I would share something kind of cool. I received an email from a gentleman named Sam Gold. This email came amid all of the sadness that transpired throughout last week. He expressed an urge to visit camp and seemed very enthusiastic about the concept. At first I simply could not place the name. I thought about it some more and proceeded to re-read the letter. It then clicked and I realized that I was being emailed by the son of this camp's founder (Jerome Gold). I was shocked because Lisa and I (despite our efforts) had never been able to meet ANY of the Gold family. After selling Tom Adler the camp in 1979 the Golds seemed to vanish from sight. Sam was a young guy when the camp sold to the Adlers, but his memories were vivid and I took great joy in chatting with him and showing him around a bit. Camp chaos ensued :) and I was unable to spend much time with him, but I must say that making his acquaintance was an absolute privilege and one of this summer's most memorable highlights for me. Getting the "Gold Standard" of approval on the current state of camp didn't hurt either! Anyway, I thought I would share that with you!

Have a great week and I look forward to talking soon.

Stay tuned...

All best,

Cliff

Hi All,

I hope that you are enjoying your summer and that the heat is finally letting up wherever this blog finds you. We have been loving some cool days here, and I am pleased to say that even the rain has backed off! I really just can't believe that we are already into the second week of the second session. Sometimes (like now) I wish that I had the ability to slow the time!

This has been a tough week and an even tougher summer for camps all across the country. If you follow the news than you know what I am talking about. As an industry we work so hard to create environments which are conducive to the health, safety and well-being of our children. Those of us who are committed to this cause are able to see past the darkness of tragedy and into the light of youth development. For each incident of disastrous proportion, there are millions of illuminating small miracles that happen daily at camp, and frankly make our world a brighter place live. Like for example, the girl who learns how to overcome her homesickness and in turn develops a strong sense of independence. The boy who suddenly grasps the concept of cooperation through teamwork and good sportsmanship. The girl who gains an instant self esteem boost

when her counselor simply compliments her singing voice. The boy who through the guidance of his peers realizes how to amplify his own strengths, while also learning to tame his weaknesses. The girl who doesn't just overcome her fear of heights by conquering a high ropes course, but also gains a heavy boost of self confidence that will serve as the precursor to many of her major life achievements! As a camp director I admit to being something of an idealist (I have built my career on that), but as a former cabin counselor and parent I can see the work that is being done here, and feel so passionate about it's importance. What we do at camp cannot be done in the classroom. The daily social development that occurs here can only be attributed to the sense of community that encases it. When ten girls are placed into a cabin together there is a semi-automatic process that occurs- Friendships are formed, cooperation is taught, respect is established, patience is honed, and community is built! That does not happen in math class. Other important things do... but not that. So enough of my rant. For most of you I obviously don't need to make the case for summer camp, but the occasional reminder can't hurt. We are one of the only countries in the world to have such a special industry that focuses on it's children in a way that looks beyond their academic achievements. I am proud to be part of an industry that serves as a beacon of hope in a world that is riddled with bullet holes, war and financial dismay. If only we could spread this greatness around the globe. Maybe some day we can...

Now let's go skiing!

Second session is on fire (relax... not literally)! Last night was Tom Pease. I am sure that you all saw the photos, but this is by far one of our most exciting programs! EVERYONE was singing, dancing and having a great time. Tonight will bring our famous camp carnival, tomorrow night is "night club night" (filled with dancing, dancing and oh... did I mention more dancing?), Thursday is Tan & White Capture the Flag and the rest of the weekend is a surprise! Stay tuned to the photos and updates and have a great week!
All best,
Cliff

NOT Too Hot To Trot!

Hello Chippies!

Someone PLEASE turn down the heat! Or turn up the air-conditioning :)

Yes it's been a little too hot, but we're having fun anyway! Tomorrow will be a whopping 95 degrees (by 11am it will feel like 100 degrees), but by the end of the week it should drop down to 87 and feel like 90, so I guess that's some kind of relief (at least on Venus). Shorts, tees, misting machines, popsicles, bathing suits & water bottles have helped to keep everyone's core temp down, but we haven't quite figured out how to fight the sticky and gross. Lots of lake time seems to be working pretty well.

Either way, I would take the heat over another trip to the storm shelter! Can't seem to get the climate on track around here. Mother Nature and I are on shaky terms right now ("In a fight" as my 13 year old campers would say. Or "I.A.F." if they were texting it).

Anyway, enough about the weather. Life in Chippy land is great! Today began the first day of second session activities and everyone had a great time. The lake was bustling, the stables were rumbling, on the courts they were hustling and up the wall they were muscling. So much action! Check out the photos if you get a moment (something tells me that you guys are finding those moments...).

Evening programs have been great too. I must admit that night one in the storm shelters left a few things to be desired, but the staff are great at keeping things fun and upbeat! They sang and had a good ol' time with the girls despite the circumstances.

Last night brought Sand Storm. This Tan & White game requires bringing a mound of sand from one side of camp to the other using various containers, mechanisms, and actions. No, this is not a creative way of accomplishing a maintenance operation :) The girls had a great time and the Tans prevailed! Tonight brought

more rain and so we played an energetic and

exciting musical game in the theater. Tomorrow night we are bringing in a special DJ to host a huge GIRLS ONLY dance party. We have done this in the past and they love it! Thursday is Water Olympics and Friday night the youngest campers in camp (Blackfoot) will be hosting the evening's value based campfire program. We know that they will do great! The rest of the week is TOP SECRET!

Stay tuned to daily photos, Tweets, blog updates, Chip Chats, morse code signals and more for keeping in the loop on the summer's various happenings. I look forward to talking soon!

All best,

Cliff

Hello Chippies!

I have some sad news. Many of you may not know this, but the first session is coming to an end! This summer I am literally

stunned at how quickly the time has passed. W

e are looking forward to the great session ahead of course, but we will miss this f

antastic group of first session campers who are heading home!

The past week has been magical and United Nations Day on Monday was no doubt the highlight! The camp split into four countries and competed in even

ts all day long. From soccer to swimming the girls literally did it all! Sunday was Tan & White Skit night and tonight was a social with Ojibwa. Everyone

is having a great time and I am confident that nobody

wants to go home this weekend!

There is, however, plenty of time left in the session and we are looking forward to the rest of the week. Tomorrow (Wednesday) is the famous Egg Marathon. This Tan & White game involves lots of eggs and lots of patience! All of the campers compete in what is essentially a three hour race that requires all sorts of skill sets- athletics, aquatics,

arts and more! There is even and element to the race th

at involved making a perfect bed.

Stay tuned for the photos. Thursday night is the Four-Week Banquet and it is here that first session campers will be recognized for their many activity achievements and successes. Friday night is of course the Dance Show and we are looking forward to seeing many of you there! Be sure to look over the parent email that I shot off tonight because it contains details regarding visiting weekend. Let me know if you have any questions!

With the session coming to a close we are reminded as to just how fast time flies by. At the last staff meeting I reminded the counselors to enjoy every last second with this bunch of girls, and to encourage them to take advantage of all that camp has to offer! I will stay in touch and look forward to talking soon!

All best,

Cliff

Hello Chippies,
I hope all is well and that you enjoyed a fabulous 4th of July full of fun, excitement, patriotism, and a firework show that was as stunning as the one that we saw in Three Lakes, WI this evening! Today was a perfect day at camp in every way! Our eldest campers from the cabin of Lakeview organized a phenomenal all-day event that really put them to the test from organization to leadership to programming. They ran a ski show, a carnival (fully equipped with a bouncy castle, cotton candy machine & popcorn maker)and an all-camp open waterfront! These elements of the day were of course paramount to providing the campers with a fun and exciting experience, but their scope of responsibility had far exceeded the dishing out of fun. They had to dish out the food too… Literally. They planned an elaborate menu, decided on how to serve it, and even physically put food on the plates of the campers and staff. They also came up with a value-based theme that centered on our often times-unsung American heros (teachers, firefighters, doctors, pilots, medics, etc…). They created detailed murals highlighting the faces of various legends and icons responsible for bringing positive historical change to this country. The murals were hung all over the lodge and they were truly outstanding! They had to plot out the day in it’s entirety. Every detail had to be considered and they took it upon themselves to make it happen! This was one of the greatest Chippy 4th of July celebrations that I can remember. Lisa and I are very proud of the girls and we see such great future counselor potential in this group!

Camp has been wonderful thus far. The weather was a bit shaky in the beginning, but now we are on track with the sun! We have seen 90+ degree-days and we are actually ready for a cool off! I am looking forward to the commencement of our second set of first session activities. Stay tuned for photos highlighting climbers, skiiers, basketball players, and swimmers! There is so much fun to be had. The evenings this week will bring all sorts of excitement. Tomorrow night is a stage performance called Lip Sync (winners go to Cathy’s for icecream!) Later in the week we will have a special social (cannot tell you the where or when… secret). We have a couple exciting Tan & White events too (including the famous Capture the Flag program!) Friday will bring another value-based campfire and we will close out the week with a great cabin day!

Stay tuned for more news and we will keep you posted via pictures and tweets! I look forward to talking soon.
All best,
Cliff

Let The Fun Begin!

Hello Chippies!

Welcome to the first edition of Cliff Notes for the 2011 season! This blog is intended to serve as yet another way for you to keep in touch with your daughter's camp experience. Our goal (though secondary to focusing on the actual camp experience) is to provide parents with a "window" through which to view camp and much of the fun and excitement that comes along with it. The daily photos are obviously the most significant means of doing this. Popular demand has moved us in the direction of posting FEWER photos each day than last summer. A number of parents felt 700-1000 images was quite a bit to navigate through and also maintain any other kind of life (or job)! This year (and beginning with this evening's uploads) we will be posting between 275-350 photos daily. Photos go up at night and are fully uploaded and viewable by 3 or 4am. Please be patient with us. As important as the photos are, we need to put the camp's day to day operation first. Also (same as last summer), we will most likely not be posting Sunday photos. Sunday is the camera's day off. Please do friend us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and read the camper written & published Summer ChipChat newsletter that will be posted about twice each session. If you would like to follow us on Twitter please visit www.chippewaranchcamp.com and click on the Twitter links at the bottom of the page. You can follow @chippewacliff AND/OR @chippewasari. Call if you have any questions on how to use this. Most importantly, we can be reached by phone or email! My cell is 312-593-0246 and the camp number is 866-209-9322. Don't ever hesitate to get in touch with us.

The past week was great. It rained, and rained, and rained, but so much fun was had! We are fortunate to have a wonderful staff that made sure the girls were active and having a fantastic time. Monday evening of course brought the arrival of the campers and the opening Friendship fire! Tuesday was the introduction to Tan & White. The spirit of Donny Quay has once again "surfaced", and with his approval the games were allowed to commence! The girls found out what team they were on and the cheering immediately began! Wednesday night was our staff show and Thursday evening brought Big & Little Sister Night. Friday night the cabin of Trailriders put on a value based campfire with the beautiful theme of unity. Saturday evening was the Menominee social. Sunday was cabin day and the girls went into Minacqua to experience "city life" in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Later that evening we played the ever popular Tan & White game called Barn Yard Bedlam and Monday night brought Pirate Night. During Pirate Night each cabin dressed in a specific color and they ran around together looking for flags, solving clues and avoiding pirates. So much fun!

The week ahead will bring The Camper Talent show, G.L.O.W (staff wrestling show), Movie on the Green, The Tan & White Camper/ Counselor Hunt and SO much more! Monday is of course July 4th and the awesome cabin of Lakeview is hard at work getting ready to provide the campers with a great day ending (weather permitting) with one of the best firework shows in the country! For this holiday figure that you have a few options- The Disney World Magic Kingdom fireworks show, The Bellagio fountain production in Vegas, Central Park's show in New York City and the county annual 4th of July Firework act in Three Lakes, Wisconsin. Guess which one we are going to attend ;)

There is SO much more to come. Let us know if there is something that we can do for you, otherwise we are going to do what we do best... Take care of your daughter and give her a stellar camp experience! I look forward to talking soon.
Stay Tuned!
All best,
Cliff

Hi Chippies!
Good news! We are getting ready to announce the winner of the the big tee-shirt design contest! Remember, one special shirt will be produced and sold at the Chippy Outpost. Proceeds will go to the Camp For All Kids Foundation!