A different way to look at the week in review is to dig into HQ’s Sammy 5000 and take a look at the numbers it produced throughout the week.
53 – Flags North Juniors scored on Monday afternoon at the Junior Flag Trip.
47 – Flags South Juniors scored on Monday afternoon.
89 – Smores consumed after the Junior Flag Trip was completed. (there were only 15 Juniors, and 3 counselors out there that night, but 8 CTs including Baxter “Hollow-Leg” Fuhrmann himself.)
-4 – Josh Miller’s score at Frisbee golf when he hosted the Senior section at Myles Kimmerly Park.
+73 – Number of hotdogs, brats and kielbasas the Seniors consumed after Frisbee Golf.
8:13 – The time the Juniors were in bed on Tuesday evening because the Junior Flag Trip took it out of them.
6.2 – Hours in the van for the folks that drove up to Pictured Rocks on Monday to begin their Hiking and Kayaking Trips.
.2 – Hours that William Johnson stayed awake during that van ride.
5.4- Inches of rain we received throughout Wednesday, inspiring us to cancel Cabin Day in favor of playing Human Stratego as a whole Camp.
2 – Number of horses that escaped their corral while we were playing Human Stratego and began eating the grass on the Soccer Field.
23 – Average number of seconds we waited between testimonies during our Wednesday Evening Service. (Weldon found this to be too long and proceeded to teach a lesson on giving gratitude and seeing the service as an opportunity to give of yourself.)
5 – Number of Lake Trout the kids reeled in during Charter Fishing on Thursday.
1 – Number of Lake Trout that got away. L
1 – Number of standing ovations following William Smith’s a cappella rendition of Hallelujah. (Amazing!!)
15 – Number of times Porter Kendall made us all crack up during our North-South competitive comedy and talent show.
1 – Number of weeks left in the session and the pedal is already to the metal. We are looking forward to one final amazing week with these kids!
We had a very exciting week two at Kohahna! Every camper had the opportunity to go on a trip to locations around beautiful Northern Michigan ranging from the Upper Peninsula and North Manitou, to our very own Pine Forest on camp property. When campers were not on trips, they got to do some special activities such as Watercolor, Team Building, and Waterskiing. See below for more details about our fun week!
On our off-camp Cabin Day this week, campers spent the afternoon exploring the nearby town of Leland! Despite the rain, cabins still found unique activities to do and everyone enjoyed spending time together in a new place. Some cabins did a photo scavenger hunt, while others made friendship bracelets and read books aloud to one another.
This week we had a host of unique activities for campers to do before they left for their trip. Cabins spent their mornings doing team building initiatives in the Pine Forest and rock climbing, going waterskiing on Glen Lake, and painting the beautiful barns and landscapes on Port Oneida Road. Each cabin also had one morning to prepare for their trip. They learned about the planning, organizing, and packing processes that are necessary to lead a successful trip. The Morning Activity schedule this week gave each cabin the chance to bond more and practice effective teamwork before leaving for their respective trips!
The afternoons and evenings this week were altered slightly to accommodate the age and number of campers that were not on trips at the time. On Monday afternoon, we went to Empire where we hiked the Empire Bluffs Trail and spent some time on the playground at Empire beach. That evening’s activity was Brown Bag Skits, which are skits that each cabin creates based on a list of items that must be included in the skit. On Tuesday only the Waukeena campers were left in camp, so we spent a creative afternoon building fairy homes and had dinner and evening games on the beach. On Wednesday, we had off-camp Cabin Day and church in the evening where campers and counselors shared their gratitude and many testimonies of healing.
Thursday afternoon we went on a beach hike, which was then followed by some time exploring the town of Glen Arbor and playing on the playground. With all campers out on trips except for five Wildwoods, we spent the evening boating, swimming, and waterskiing on Glen Lake. On Friday we welcomed everyone back to camp, and spent a relaxing evening watching the Disney movie, Moana! Saturday afternoon we had a plethora of activities ranging from writing thank you notes for our support staff, playing Big Base (a game similar to kickball), and playing the “Newlywed” game where campers’ knowledge of their cabinmates was put to the test. That evening we played an all-time favorite – Capture the Flag! Everyone had a lot of fun playing a competitive game after the trips week, and the Sand team was victorious! We rounded out the week by having a Counselor Fashion Show on Sunday afternoon, for which each cabin is tasked with creating costumes for their counselors based on a theme assigned to them.
We had a myriad of trips go out this week at Kohahna! The CTs went on a five-day trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to canoe the Manistique River. Wildwood campers had the choice of going on a three-day trip to Nordhouse Dunes or a four-day trip to Grand Island in the Upper Peninsula. These were both hiking trips with time for beach exploration and learning about trips skills! The cabin of Evergreen went to North Manitou Island for two nights, while Falling Star and Driftwood traveled to Platte Plains for an overnight. The youngest campers in Gull’s Nest spent the afternoon riding bikes and catching minnows, and spent the night camping in the Pine Forest on camp property. This was a very exciting week for trips, and there was much
Campers had a lot of highlights to share after their full week of trips and other special activities! Some of these included exploring all the new places on trips, doing Brown Bag Skits for an Evening Activity, building fairy gardens with the Waukeenas, Waterskiing on Glen Lake, and having healings at camp and out on the trail. We had a fun-filled second week, and are looking forward to witnessing the growth that will occur in our final week of the three-week session!
This week during our weekly Saturday morning metaphysical, we discussed how we found connections between the summer theme, “Women of the Wilderness,” and the trips we went on. Many experiences from the trips were shared by campers and counselors that helped expand their understanding of God, and their relationship to Him. While learning about the K-Quality of the week – Sportsmanship – we looked at Mrs. Eddy’s passage from Science and Health, “The rich in spirit help the poor in one grand brotherhood, all having the same Principle, or Father; and blessed is that man who seeth his brother’s need and supplieth it, seeking his own in another’s good.” We enjoyed hearing all of the insights shared about the spiritual sense of Sportsmanship!
We are very grateful to have everyone back in camp this week, and are excited to see all of the joy expressed during the last week of the three-week session!
KaBOOM and Camp is in Session! Holy Cow has the first week flown right by!
Sunday drop-off is like Christmas Morning for the Leelanau Crib Team. All of those full trunks and duffle bags carry a whole lot more than a summer’s worth of underpants. They carry expectation of challenge, adventure, friendship, fun, and growth!
Monday we kicked things off with a spirited trip to Bar Lake for our Annual Bar Exam. The swim test was administered in a more efficient manner and left with most of the Camp achieving their level three. We have a few Early Bird sinkers, but once the water warms up our Swimming Counselor will happily remedy that situation.
Tuesday found us at the Shallows for a Picnic Dinner of Super Chicken and Watermelon. One of the goals we always set for both the Campers and Counselors is that we all know each other’s names by the end of the evening Tuesday. Boy, oh boy did some of the fellows have to really work on those names before they could fill their plate with dinner that night.
Wednesday is Cabin Day! After lunch on Wednesday each cabin gets to head somewhere nearby with just their crew and create memories with their peers. We had cabins tubing on Glen Lake, canoeing the Crystal River, jumping off the dock at Empire Beach, and sledding down Sand Dunes at the Backside. We all returned for an inspired Church Service at our new Meadow Overlook, and a hymn sing with KOH.
Thursday threatened to be the first “normal” day of Camp from a dawn to dusk schedule perspective. However Mother Nature had other plans, and while all of our activities carried forward without a hitch, the rain chased us away from beach period and encouraged us to eat dinner early with our sisters in Kohahna. A lovely family atmosphere filled the Greathouse as we shared our Chicken Nuggets and TaterTots.
Friday actually landed upon a sense of routine to Camp, with Morning Activities wrapping up, Afternoon Activities fully functional, Beach Period in action, and (perhaps most important of all…) Pizza and Milkshakes as our Friday Night Dinner!
Saturday turned “normal” schedule right on it’s head as we rotated in the morning between Camp Service Projects, played Hunger Games in the afternoon, and Saturday Night Soccer in the Evening.
Needless to say, it was a full and wonderful first week of Camp. At Council Fire Sunday Night Weldon asked all of the boys to reflect on the accomplishments of the past week and set a specific goal for the week ahead. Whether it is achieving a higher level in an activity or becoming a better friend, we can always continue to make progress and grow from our amazing summer experiences.
Until next week…
The Men of HQ
Director’s Note: I figure the Leelanau Parent’s must think Camp is the best bargain around considering how much they are likely saving on their grocery bill this summer, because the boys truly pack it away at each meal! J -Weldon
Summer has officially begun at Kohahna!! We had an amazing week full of exciting morning activities, cabin bonding time, and team games! It was a joy to see all the new and returning campers jump into camp with high energy and love for Kohahna! There is much good to share about the first week of camp, so here is the break down by categories!
Campers settled into their cabins quickly, and had time to bond individually with their cabins early in the week. Our first cabin day (which happens every Wednesday) was fun-filled with activities around camp! The entire Wildwood section did the Ropes Course. They had a great time supporting each other and working together to realize what they were capable of! The younger cabins did a variety of activities ranging from blindfolded cookie baking to fairy house building. There was much strength, creativity, and joy expressed all around camp on cabin day this week!
Campers participated in a variety of diverse activities each morning this week! The Arts and Crafts class learned about different elements of art such as symmetry, shading, and the color wheel. The Ceramics class let their creativity flow while making pots, plates, tiles, etc…, and the Drama class prepared skits and monologues to be performed in the Dance and Drama show during the third week of camp. The Waterskiing class enjoyed skiing on beautiful Glen Lake, while the Sailing class spent time learning about the parts of the boat and sailing on Lake Michigan. The Landsports class spent the week playing Basketball, and campers in Camp Crafts practiced their fire-building and cooking skills in the woods. In addition to these excellent activities, we had Archery and Riflery, Horseback Riding and Rock Climbing, Dance and Silversmithing, and Kayaking too!
Evening activities are some of the most common highlights from the week for many campers. On Monday evening we played the Chicken Game, which is a game similar to capture the flag, however instead of chasing flags, you try to capture rubber chickens! Everyone was happy to be back at camp running around the Great House lawn, and the Sand Team took home the win. On Tuesday night we carried on a longstanding tradition and played Bombardment (our version of dodgeball) after electing team captains for the summer. We are excited to share that Molly Loveless is the Pine team captain and Zoe Wade is the Sand team captain! The Sands started the summer out strong by winning both the Waukeena and Wildwood games. On Wednesday night we had a lovely church service with readings given by one of the CTs. It was a blessing to hear all the testimonies of healing shared from many campers and counselors.
On Thursday the Wildwood campers went to Glen Arbor for a Christian Science Lecture, while the Waukeenas stayed at camp and played the Pillowcase game and Lawn games. For the Pillowcase game, each cabin puts as many miscellaneous items into a pillowcase as they can, in hopes that those items will be listed by counselors during the game. For every item the cabin brings that also matches the list made by the counselor, the cabin gets a point. The Waukeenas had a great time being creative with the items they brought to the game, and were excited to play some active games on the Great House lawn afterward. On Friday we went to the Dune for Dune football! Dune Football is similar to capture the flag (or in this case Capture the football), but you also have to get the football back to your team’s side by running it across the boundary line. If the ball drops for any reason (failed throw, etc.) it goes back to the “flag circle”. It was a beautiful night to be out on the Dunes, and the Sand team won! On Saturday evening we did a camp favorite – Lip Sync! All the cabins were in costume to perform their lip sync and dance to their selected song. The competition was judged by three counselors in character, which always gives everyone a good laugh! The cabin of Clifftop got the highest score, and they were declared the winner! Lastly, on Sunday we joined together for Council Fire after our all camp beach bonanza on Sunday afternoon!
This past week we have been preparing for the much-anticipated trips week during week two! Every Kohahna camper will be going out on a trip, so stay tuned for more information next week as we hear about their wilderness adventures from Grand Island in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to just across Lake Michigan on North Manitou. Our goals for the upcoming week are to further our knowledge of camping skills, step outside our comfort zones, and encourage a greater love and understanding for the outdoors. In addition, we are excited to see our Kohahna campers grow as leaders out on the trail and continue to explore our summer theme, “Women of the Wilderness” both practically and metaphysically.
The campers had many highlights to share when we asked them at Council Fire! Some of the main highlights from the week included Dune Football, the Chicken Game, the Christian Science Lecture, Lip Sync, and being back at camp for the summer. We are so grateful for all of the good from the first week!
Our metaphysical theme this summer is “Women of the Wilderness.” Throughout the summer, we will explore the idea of womanhood as it relates to the spiritual definition of wilderness found in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy which reads, “Spontaneity of thought and idea; the vestibule in which a material sense of things disappears, and spiritual sense unfolds the great facts of existence” (597:17-19). Each week we will focus on one of the seven K-Qualities, and will delve deeper into the metaphysical facts surrounding each quality starting this week with Joyfulness!
We are looking forward to a beautiful second week here at Kohahna!
The final week of Camp certainly went out with a Bang! While most folks only remember blurs of whites, banquets, awards, and Council Fire, a whole lot of other things happened along the way.
On Monday half of the Camp was able to participate in a Northern Michigan essential activity…Cherry Picking! Weldon insisted that wandering through an orchard with a ball cap and best friends, collecting cherries, munching as you go, and throwing a stick at hard to reach ruby red treasures is a mandatory activity for a young man that spends his summer in Northern Michigan. So we made it happen!
We also took the whole Camp to the Backside of the Dunes that night to play a hearty game of Dune Football.
On Tuesday the Seniors had their final opportunity for Water Polo at the Shallows, and the Juniors played their final game of Bombardment for the summer. The lessons of Sportsmanship and Great Effort were put into practice at both these events!
Wednesday brought us to our final On Camp Cabin Days and each Cabin found unique opportunities to connect and work together one more time. Some use the Ropes Course, some headed to Pyramid Point, and some found our beach and raft a delightful medium for joyous play and memory making.
On Wednesday evening we gathered in our New Church spot with an inspired view of Lake Michigan and the Port Oneida Farms for our final Testimony meeting. The boys were popping up left and right to share their gratitude for Camp and tell us about healings they experienced this summer.
Thursday truly brought the beginning of the end for Leelanau’s Summer 2016 as we celebrated each other by exchanging Funny Awards around the fire. We all laughed hard at a few awards, and were touched deeply by others. At the end of the evening Weldon stood up and asked the Camp what they had learned this summer and what were they grateful for. The answers to these questions were sincere, inspired, and thoughtful as the young men reflected on their past four or seven weeks spent with their brothers.
Friday brought final banquet with all of the pomp, circumstance, and achievement recognition that goes into that evening. Again, the fellows responded well to the event and held their heads high as they marched across the Great Lawn.
Saturday we welcomed the parents to enjoy our morning activities with us. In the afternoon they got to witness how well Kohahna sings and dances and how well Leelanau makes beds and wrestles with each other. We also had the Leelanau Band bring down the house with their rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.” In the final game of the L.I.F.E. Tournament the Blue Team came away victorious. At our Final Council Fire the fellows truly felt the bond and connection of brothers as we gathered in the Friendship Circle for the last time of the summer.
It was an amazing summer of growth, learning, achievement, and healing and we are already chomping at the bit for next summer to arrive!
Camp Kohahna had an exceptional 7th week! Morning, noon, and night we were having a ball! This week’s Bugle Call will focus on a general overview of the week’s major activities! Speaking of which, we opened up the week with the game of Big Base on Monday evening, which is a version of kickball! All the girls had fun, and heartily enjoyed the game. On Tuesday, we played a new game for evening activity called the Chicken game. In the game we had four rubber chickens that served as “flags” that needed to be captured and taken back to the other side. This game was Sands verses Pines and the girls had such a good time creating a plan to accomplish the goal of getting all of the chickens back to their side. With orange cones and hulu hoops and chickens spread across the Great House lawn, it made for a fun evening of competition with the Pines taking home the victory.
Wednesday was our Final Off Camp Cabin Day, and we had fun adventuring all over Leelanau County. We had the cabin of Shorewood geocaching, and the cabin of Birchview checking out Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. The cabin of Windward hiked the Empire Bluffs Trail, and the cabins of Falling Star and Evergreen went tubing on Glen Lake. Of course there were many cabins that had ice cream and beach fun as well!! The evening was complete with a lovely final Wednesday Evening Church. On Thursday evening we had our Dance and Drama show! All the girls who participated in the Dance or Drama program throughout the summer were able to finally perform their pieces. Many levels were passed, and we all enjoyed supporting the Kohahna women in the show! A select group of pieces were then reprised at the Encore Show on Saturday.
On Friday evening we had our Final Council Fire and Pine Bough Ceremony. Council Fire consisted of many of our usual components of activities and songs, as well as an enormous amount f Expert presentations- we had SO MUCH achievement at Kohahna! Our Pine Bough ceremony was, as usual, full of gratitude and love. For over an hour, each of the Kohahna campers and counselors had the opportunity to individually express gratitude. It was a beautiful evening full of sentiment, love, laughter, and sisterhood.
On the final Saturday of camp we always invite the families of campers to come to camp to participate in camp activities! We call this day Encore, as it is a recap of all of our summer fun! In the morning we enjoyed morning activities, and then we had a delicious lunch on the Great House lawn, followed by a performance from all of the campers in the Leelanau Lodge. Then Camp Leelanau had their Frisbut tournament and Camp Kohahna had their Bombardment game! The Finale of the summer for Kohahna was our Banquet on Saturday evening! We had a delicious dinner, gave out activity awards, and presented our top summer awards as well. We also had the banner reveal to see which team won the summer, and it was the Sand Team! It was a wonderfully joyous summer, and we are so grateful for all of the growth, the laughter, the love and the fun!
Lastly, for this final week of camp we focused on the K-quality of Persistence and the “Our Perfect Principle” segment of “Perfect Harmony”. With “Perfect Harmony,” we learned that it is God’s law, and that it is the natural outcome of Perfect God, Perfect Man, Perfect Love, and Perfect Peace. We enjoyed the opportunity to dig deep into the synonym of Principle and the universality of God’s presence and love!
Again, it was an amazing summer, and we are looking forward to relishing in all the good fruits! “Our Perfect Principle” 2016!
Weldon is all talk. He promised HQ and the Counselors that this was going to be a “Normal Week of Camp”. He claimed it would be the most normal of all the weeks. No Flag Trip, no Final Events, just straightforward and smooth sailing normal.
Well….if going nonstop, gangbusters, full throttle, chock full of special activities and opportunities, memorable moments a mile a minute is normal…then Weldon is dead on accurate.
Water polo! The whole Camp headed to the Shallows to tackle with love and run through the water making plays and playing hard. Even the Early Birds got in on their own “Half Court Polo” where they learned the spirit of one of Leelanau’s favorite games.
Trips! Tortuga took a Cabin Trip. The Pine River Trip went out. Ten full sized fellows went to the Upper Peninsula for Rock Climbing. Five fellows completed their Advanced Outdoorsman Solos.
Music! John Van Patten joined us this week to share his talent for teaching and love of music. Every afternoon he led afternoon activities called “Make a Joyful Noise”, “Bang on Things!”, “Bring the Funk”, or “Sounds Around Camp.” And every afternoon different folks had the opportunity to build a piano out of dishes, or create a drum circle with trash cans and ladders, or something else totally inspired and musical. He also took a van full of folks down to Interlochen Center for the Arts to hear professional musicians share their craft.
CT Take Over! The Counselor Trainees took the reigns from HQ for a whole day. They blew off the cannon, rang the bells, signed kids up for activities, brought “Order to the Court” at the Head Table, and designed evening activities for the whole Camp. They all did a great job and got a taste for the work that may be ahead of them in future summers.
Healings! Testimonies abounded at Wednesday Testimony Meeting. Eagles Nest has been lifting thought all over Camp this week. Our amazing Christian Science Nurse and Practitioner have been guiding the boys in their spiritual pursuits and allowing thought to stir towards the Divine this week. We sure can’t thank those two enough for the love they share with Leelanau.
Backwards Day! That is correct, we did everything backwards all day on Wednesday. We began the day with Hymn Sing and Church and ended the evening with Dips and the Cannon. It was a confusing, exciting, and very fun way to shake up the Camp Routine.
As stated above, if Camp is about pushing perceived boundaries, giving your all in the name of selflessness and community living, and finding ways to Love nonstop, then Camp Leelanau had its Most Normal of all Weeks because we did those things to the Max this Week!
Week six already!! The summer is flying by and we are making the most of our precious time together. It was hot and sunny all week: perfect conditions for lots of fun!
Morning Activities
As always, morning activities were a highlight for all. We had a special former staff member come back to teach painting this week. The class created a mural with the theme “Love is All Around” which depicted a beautiful scene of the lake. The Ceramics classes made many creative projects like an elephant mug, pinch pot, and two advanced sculptures. In Landsports, the class focused on volleyball, where experienced and new volleyball players honed their skills. On the waterfront, the Sailing class was full of younger girls who had a great time learning the ways of the lake! We saw so much achievement, persistence and joy in our morning activities!
Evening Activities
On Monday, as it was July 25th, we celebrated Christmas! The girls decorated poster board Christmas trees with their own ornaments, played musical chairs and Christmas charades, frosted cookies, and read The Night Before Christmas. Tuesday night, the girls engaged in a rousing game of Dune Football, playing Pines against Sands. The Sands were victorious with a close score of 1-0. We loved everyone’s enthusiasm and sportsmanship out on the dunes. On Wednesday, the camp woke up to the sound of the counselors singing Taps. Confused? It was Backwards Day! We started the day with a Hymn Sing with Leelanau, ate dinner for breakfast and had our readings and testimony meeting! Cabin Day took place in the morning and Morning Activities were in the afternoon. It was fun to switch it up a little bit. The Wildwoods went into Glen Arbor for an additional church service and the Waukeenas finished the ‘morning’ out with Quiet Time, Clean-Up and extended Dips. On Thursday, the CTs ran the day. They planned an Evening Activity of Zumba and the girls danced their hearts out. On Friday, Kohahna celebrated Halloween! The girls visited different houses of the “Kohahna Neighborhood” experiencing a haunted barn, face paint and, of course, candy. The evening activities this week were enjoyed and appreciated by all!
Cabin Day
This week, many cabins spent their Cabin Day challenging themselves! The youngest cabin headed to the climbing wall, where they overcame fear, challenged themselves to try new things, and gained a great sense of accomplishment. Two of the Waukeena cabins zip lined through the woods while the 6th and 7th graders traversed the High Ropes Course in the Pine Forest. Other girls made cabin t-shirts using tie dye and puffy paint. The girls have been displaying their shirts ever since! Other cabins went on a bike ride, baked cookies, and went to the beach.
Weekend Fun
What a fun and full weekend it was! On Saturday afternoon, the Pine team went on the “Great Pine Adventure”—a trip to nearby Shalda creek to play in the water and the woods. While the Pine team enjoyed their time in the sun, the Sand team was hard at work preparing their annual Sand show. On Saturday evening all of Kohahna dressed up and headed to Old Settlers park for the Kohahna County Picnic. Fun was had by all as campers and counselors rotated through farm themed stations. The stations included learning a line dance from Footloose, an egg toss, corn shucking, and even a pie-eating contest. On Sunday, we were delighted to see the fruits of the Sand team’s labor. In their show, the two Sand CTs played elves that went on a trip to visit all the holidays; they visited Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving and more on their trip back to Christmas. The show ended with a kickline dance that all the Wildwood Sands performed to a Christmas song. The show was funny and had many great lines—every camper said at least one line, if not many more!
Trips
Three trips went out this week! Two CTs and a Shorewood (11th grade) camper led the trips. Gull’s Nest (2nd grade) went on a princess themed overnight, where they learned princess skills, got their faces painted, and spent time playing in the water. After that they cooked dinner and s’mores in the Pine Forest before sleeping there overnight in tents. Falling Star and Evergreen (4th & 5th grade) went on a “Sports Extravaganza” overnight where they spent the afternoon playing Gaga, volleyball, and Knockout. The girls then camped out on the back property of camp and enjoyed getting a taste of the outdoors. Two of our middle school cabins (Juniper and Windward) went out on a longer overnight at the end of the week. They hiked 12 miles around on the Little Manistee River Trail, where they cooked over camp stoves, swam and enjoyed each other’s company.
Summer Theme
During the 6th week we focused on the concept of “Perfect Peace”. Through sharing Bible stories and citations from Science and Health, we were able to really unpack the ideas of peace and it’s foundation in Principle. We loved learning Principle’s purpose for us, and studying together citations such as, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee…” (Isaiah 26). In the 7th week of camp we will focus on “Perfect Harmony”!
Well the whole Boys Camp has Caught the excitement of the Flag Trip!!
The Senior Flag Trip headed to the Late Successional Deciduous Forests of Leelanau County on Tuesday morning.
The Backwoodsman Flag Trip departed on Wednesday.
The Early Birds took over Camp for a day while everybody else was away!
On Monday the whole Camp took a deep breath and enjoyed regular activities and the camaraderie that comes from having every single kid at bowl meetings and deck time. The evening activity was a hearty game of Superlatives between the North and South Team.
Tuesday morning dawned bright, warm, and with a palpable excitement in the air as the Senior Flag Trippers scrambled to finish their packing needs, do a final count of butter, twine, and sharp saws, and line up to load the Big Blue Bus.
The fellows installed their campsites that afternoon and played a little Capture the Flag that evening. By Wednesday morning the score was 3-0 Tigers, but the Panthers wouldn’t be counted out that early. The tide turned before Game-Off for Church as the Panthers picked up a 6-5 lead, only to have Eric Olsen tie it up 6-6 seconds before the Testimonies began.
Thursday saw a tight game as the fellows worked diligently to tidy up their Campsites for Final Judging that evening. As the night wore on the Game seemed to open up in favor of the Tigers with a Final 13-8 Flag count.
The raids, tackles, and flags only account for a portion of the story for both Panther and Tiger Teams. The structure creativity, the meals served, the teamwork, and the healings shared tell the true story of the Flag Trip.
When Weldon came to collect them Friday morning there were only triumphant smiles on all the very dirty faces!
The Backwoodsmen shared a similar experience, though slightly more one-sided in the game play. The North and South Backwoodsman met on the Back Property of Camp on Wednesday. They built a table and a jail, cooked two meals, and played a very North dominant game of Capture the Flag. The kids returned on Thursday morning inspired to continue the tradition of Flag Tripping at Leelanau.
The Early Birds found themselves the only kids in Camp on Wednesday by 10:30 in the morning and took full advantage of their unbridled access to Camp’s resources. They first took themselves on an exploration of the Beaver Pond, and then gained access to the rifle range under Paul Olsen’s watchful eye. They even made it all the way to the Raft that afternoon during beach period.
By Friday everybody was back in Camp and glad to be together again. On Saturday Camp had a Super Sleep-in followed by breakfast at the Lodge. In the afternoon the fellows headed back out to Shalda Creek for some good old-fashioned frog catching and creek play. There is no Leelanau Man or Boy that is too old, too cool, or to scared to love catching frogs and stomping around in the water. Gotta love it!!
Two more weeks left and so many good memories to keep making!!
It just keeps getting better at Kohahna! This week pushed all the campers to grow—and the fruitage was extensive and inspiring. The trip called “the Challenge” went out this week, and nearly all of our Wildwood campers headed out to the woods to compete on this trip. This left plenty of opportunities for our 2nd-7th grader to be our leaders around camp! Let’s hear about the week at Kohahna first…
Morning Activities-
This was a great week for achievement in morning activities! Because nearly half of the girls were out on the Challenge, the campers here on camp had lots of individualized instruction. It was a triumphant week—levels were passed in nearly every activity. One special activity this week was a painting class. Many campers were excited about this activity, and we now have plenty of new art pieces for our art show at the end of the summer! The class enjoyed painting with acrylics and watercolor.
We had beautiful sunny days, so the waterfront activities were grateful for many days of good weather for their activities. Sailing had three beautiful mornings on the lake (the waves were too big to sail on two of the days), and the Swimming class enjoyed visiting Glen Lake on the days Lake Michigan was a little too wavy to swim in.
Afternoon Activities —
This week was hot hot hot! Our afternoon activities focused on enjoying the lake and staying cool. Highlights from the waterfront include sailing, playing on the raft, kayaking to the shipwreck, synchronized swimming and paddle boarding. We also offered activities for level passing (continuation of morning activities) to finish projects- Silversmithing, Horseback Riding, and Climbing all had the chance to go out in the afternoon as well.
Evening Activities –
Kohahna’s evening activities this week gave our Waukeenas (2nd-6th grade campers) a lot of opportunities to shine! On Monday, before the Challenge girls left, the Wildwoods (7th-12th grade) played Water Polo in the Shallows of Glen Lake while the Waukeenas climbed the front side of the Sleeping Bear Dunes. The Water Polo game was very close—the Pines claimed the victory, 3-2 in the last moments of the game. The Waukeenas loved playing on the dunes, jumping, running around, and even learning a little about dune ecology.
Tuesday night was a perfect night for our Kohahna luau on the beach. The sun set over the lake, painting the sky with beautiful hues as campers swam, played team building games, and learned to dance the hula. On Wednesday, the campers enjoyed attending a lovely testimony meeting in Glen Arbor with a stop afterwards for a sweet treat at Riverfront ice cream! Thursday evening the campers played Pirates & Cargo, a game that involves running, note passing, and lots of pirating, of course.
On Friday, the campers played Capture the Flag on the great lawn (rather than in the woods) and the oldest girls still on camp really excelled as they led their teams on offensive raids and defensive fronts. The Pines won 5-0, but both teams were very invested in the game and put their best sportsmanship to work. All in all, this week’s evening activities pushed our younger campers to take the initiative to step up into leadership roles, and we loved seeing them all excel!
The Challenge-
Twelve campers from each team (Sands and Pines) participated in this competitive camping trip. The camper teams each took two counselors with them, and two other counselors served as the judges of the trip (to evaluate who won overall). In addition to playing Capture the Flag, the teams were evaluated on meal preparation, timeliness, structure building (both the integrity of the structure and the timeliness of the project), and their attitude/morale. Both teams cooked delicious meals, made excellent structures and had beautiful campsites. They also snagged many flags to earn points in the Capture the Flag game. Ultimately the Sand team came out on top, though both teams were impressive and successful!
Summer Theme-
During the 5th week of camp our focus was on the topic of “Perfect Love” as it relates to the fulfillment of Principle’s purpose for us. Through reading several citations from the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, campers and staff alike began to see that perfect Love fulfills the law, and casts out fear (just like the Bible tells us). Principle’s nature is to perfect us through His tender Love, and we gratefully learned of this in our study. We look forward to studying “Perfect Peace” during 6th week.
The Weekend-
One fun thing to highlight from our jam-packed weekend was the co-ed Olympics on Sunday. The campers were split up into 10 groups and each given a country to represent! Each Country competed with another country in a rotation series of Summer Olympic events. We had our own camp versions of gymnastics, ping pong, soccer, archery, volleyball and a running race. Believe it or not, Team USA pulled out the victory with Germany and Canada at a close second.
We look forward to another two fantastic weeks of camp!
