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The Lakesider Newsletter of YMCA Camp Pepin (Also published on our website at www.camppepin.org)
Summer Issue 2010
It’s Not Too Late to Sign Up for Summer Camp!
There are still a few spaces left for Summer Camp – we'd love to see you. Sign up now online at www.camppepin.org or call 651-388-4724.
Camp Almanac
The summer solstice (the longest day of the year) was two weeks ago, so the days are warm and the sun is high in the sky. Much rain this past month has kept the athletic field at camp looking green and the lake levels higher than they were last year at this time. Bald eagles and hawks soar above Deer Island in the day, and barred owls make themselves known at night out in the Backwoods behind camp. The three stars that form the Summer Triangle (Vega, Deneb, and Altair) are high in the sky at night, but the first Fall constellations – Cassiopeia (queen of the heavens) and Pegasus (the winged horse) – are just beginning to make an appearance in the Eastern skies. Venus is visible in the west after sunset and Jupiter is rising in the East before sunrise.
Director’s Chat: The Parent in Me Comes Out
As I am writing this, we are wrapping up our Kickapoo 4-Day Resident Camp. During this week, we served the youngest campers: those entering the 2nd through 4th grades. Although it is a shorter week for our staff (versus the typical 6-day Resident Camp weeks), it is very energetic. It is also a very special week, as it represents the future of Camp Pepin in about 10 years, when these campers will be old enough to be our next generation of staff leaders.
For me, however, this year’s Kickapoo week was personally exciting, as it was the first time that my son attended camp. He has lived at Camp Pepin for seven summers now, but this was his first to be an actual camper here. As the camp director, I was thrilled to see that my son was going to be living in a cabin and eating in the Dining Hall and trying the typical activities that campers enjoy while they are here. But as a dad, I found that I was sharing the same concerns that so many parents and guardians feel when they send their children to camp for the first time. Even though I have been here for several summers and have come to know Camp Pepin very well, and even though I hired and trained the staff that are here, and even though I see everyday that the staff are doing all they can to ensure a positive and safe experience for our campers, I still asked myself the same questions that any parent would ask: Will my son have a good time? Will he get along with his cabin mates? Will he miss home? Is he ready for this? Am I?
When it was time to check him into his cabin, I took him over to meet his counselors, whom I trust completely. But I was nervous. I watched him choose a bunk and sized up the other campers in his cabin. Did they look like nice boys? Would my son fit in with them? Then, after I had said good-bye, I hovered near the cabin for awhile to see if he was interacting with the others in his cabin. All seemed well, so I went about my work, but I couldn’t help taking sneak peaks at him throughout the evening (which I felt guilty about, realizing that other parents did not have that advantage).
Eventually, I eased into the thought that he was in good care and was having fun and was safe. I resisted the urge to constantly check in on him, which would be unfair to other parents whom we ask to place their trust in us. I sent him an email and a written letter. I let him enjoy his camp activities as every other camper was doing. I let him have his own experience without my being there to oversee it. I gave him his first taste of independence.
By the week’s end, it was time to pick him up. He came home and talked all evening about what he did at camp. He liked his cabinmates and made friends with other boys whom he did not know at the beginning of the week. He tried activities that he had never done before. He told me that he wants to go back again next year. I was a satisfied parent.
Was it a growth experience? Absolutely. Not just for my son, as I knew it would be, but for me, as well. Both of us – camper and parent – took an important step this week in my son’s development into a young adult, which is one of the great facets of a camp experience.
Our First Ever Dance Camp: August 1-13
Here it is: YMCA Camp Pepin’s first camp that is specifically focused on the art and beauty of dance! The Dance Campers will be able to work with instructors from the acclaimed James Sewell Ballet of Minneapolis as they create a modern dance performance that is “stage-ready” by the end of their session. The performance will be held at the historic Sheldon Theatre in Red Wing, Minnesota, on Friday evening at 7:00 p.m. Tickets will be on sale at the theatre’s box office the night of the show. The 1-Week Dance Camp from August 8-13 will just be a shortened version of the 2-Week session from August 1-13. No dance experience is necessary to register for this camp, so don’t miss this great opportunity!
Camp Pepin Gets 100% on our ACA Accreditation – Again!
Every three years, Camp Pepin undergoes a voluntary accreditation process. This is done through the American Camp Association, or ACA – the leading body that establishes the most current standards, practices, and guidelines for the camping industry. There are hundreds of standards, and they coincide with safety regulations and procedures that are set by organizations such as the Health Department, OSHA, and the American Red Cross, to name a few. The standards also cover all areas of camp operation, including facilities, food service, human resources, transportation, and program areas.
To be accredited, a camp must demonstrate that it has met each standard through written documentation and an on-site visit by representatives of the ACA. It is a rigorous process, but worthwhile to insure those whom we serve that Camp Pepin is striving to meet the latest and most effective industry standards. In other words, that we are wanting to provide safe and quality experiences for our campers, parents, and guests.
We were very pleased in 2004 to have received a perfect score of 100% on our ACA visitation, and especially pleased to repeat that feat in 2007. Now, in 2010, we were awarded 100% for the third visit in a row, an honor which we are proud to share with everyone in the Camp Pepin family.
Camp Celebrates Memorial Day Weekend with Family Camp
Many parents have asked us if we would ever consider hosting a camp not just for youth, but for everyone in the family to attend. Therefore, earlier this year on May 29-30, YMCA Camp Pepin hosted its 1st annual Memorial Day Weekend Family Camp. People of all ages came out to enjoy the beautiful weather on Lake Pepin, along with camp activities such as swimming, pontooning, archery, climbing, arts & crafts, field and court sports, and campfires on the beach. It was a great way to spend the last weekend of May.
We look forward to making this event a yearly tradition, and hope that you can join us next year. The dates for our next Memorial Day Weekend Family Camp will be May 28-29, 2011. Registrations will begin on July 31st. See you at camp!
Hi folks! It’s Kimmy the Kayaker.
My game for the Spring Issue was this:
Unscramble these five camp words:
We had several winners that submitted the correct answers:
The winners are listed below, and each will receive a Camp Pepin hat from the Camp Store.
Ben Jacobson (Farmington, MN) Madi Jacobson (Farmington, MN) Emily Drake-Wurm (La Crosse, WI) Kyle Drake (La Crosse, WI) Zach Stewart (Faribault, MN) Cheyanne Markwardt (Winona, MN) Courtney Markwardt (Winona, MN) Erin Berglund (Hudson, WI) Noah Richardson (Red Wing, MN) Andrew Miller (Onalaska, WI) Brett Lovgren (Rochester, MN) Alex Broeckman (Blue Earth, MN) Abby Weis (Holmen, WI)
Here is my new game:
A raffle! Print the ticket below, write your name and address on it, and send it to the camp address on the ticket. If your name is drawn, you will win a grab bag of prizes from the Camp Store. Your name will also be posted in Kimmy’s Korner in the Fall Issue of The Lakesider. Anyone is eligible to play, including campers, staff, and alumni. Good luck!
Wish List
YMCA Camp Pepin Staff
Scott Kolby, Camp Director William Norman, Assistant Camp Director Joetta Oien, Camp Office Manager
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