My desk is clear. My email inbox is empty. The office is quiet. It must mean that another camp season has come to a close. 2009 was a most memorable season. What stands out most in my mind? Well, the endless amount of rain we received during the first half of the season, and our counselors’ ability to keep our campers safe, happy and engaged during this stretch of wet weather. It really is a testament to the quality of our staff.
In addition to our ability to persevere despite the bad weather, the timeless values of a summer at Chewonki emerge as a highlight. As I prepare to leave for the season tomorrow, I know I will miss the camp life, much as your children are missing life at camp as well. I hope they have shared with you the details of the magical conclusion to the season.
So much has happened since I last posted an entry in this space- Friday’s Treasure Hunt and Talent Show, Saturday’s final Scouting Games and Sag/Hoc Field Day and Waterfront Regatta, the last Campfire Saturday night, the final Sunday Service out at the Point, and our closing Banquet under the tent. I hope your son has shared details with you. As always, it was a special end to the summer.
At our final Sunday Service, I shared some thoughts on living the Chewonki life even when you are back at home. A recent trip to a doctor’s appointment reminded me of some of the frustrations of life away from camp, namely traffic jams and road construction. The trip reminded me how simple life is at camp, and I thought I would share those thoughts here.
A few ideas for living the camp life all year long.
Write letters
Start your day with a swim or some physical exercise. You will feel better all day long.
Eat a two, three or even a four course breakfast.
Make your bed each morning and clean up your room.
Closely examine things, even if you don’t have your binoculars with you.
Use resources wisely- water, food, fuel, energy- and advocate for the natural world.
Walk or bike to as many places as possible.
Compost!
You don’t have to be best friends with everyone, but you do need to do your part and be a good citizen to all others.
Take a rest hour at some point in the day for you to sleep, read, or relax.
Eat a fruit snack in the afternoon.
Sing, cheer and give thanks often.
Try new foods. Meet new people. Challenge yourself by doing new activities.
Take your family on a wilderness trip- go for a day hike on a local trail or park.
Be flexible and open to change. Remember, we now eat sun butter and jelly sandwiches!
Cover your cough!
Look for a natural history mystery and try to solve it with help from teachers or the internet. Why do leaves change colors in the fall? Why do the days get shorter?
Take time on Sundays to slow down and reflect.
Keep track of your stuff.
Run in the rain. Play in the mud.
Embrace and seek the simple gifts.
Now there is no challenge activity to sign up for. You are living the challenge activity. Go for the moonwalk!
Come back in 2010!
FOR THOSE JUST RETURNING HOME:
I’ve shared this with our families before, but it bears repeating. Campers have their own way of sharing their camp experience with you. Some will be eager to tell you all of the details within the first 24 hours. Others will prolong their stories, and want to fit right back into their home routines. Every once in a while throughout the school year, you will undoubtedly hear another camp story - "At Camp, we'd always.......!" Some campers may actually be "camp sick" for a few days, as they struggle with the separation of their close community and adjust back to their home lifestyles. One tool to help with these emotions is our camp newspaper, The Train Issue, our final edition of the Chronicle that contains camper addresses. Most extended trips also kept journals, including contact information of campers and leaders.
“So how was Camp?” is so broad a question that it is too much for most campers. Most will be able to express not much more than “Fine. Fun.” for a few days. Try asking questions about specific parts of their summer. “Who was your best friend in camp?” “What were your counselors like?” “What was your favorite activity?” “What was the most fun part of camp?” “Where did you go on your wilderness trip?” “What was the best day you had all summer?” “What did you accomplish that you did not think you would be able to?” “How was the food?” “What was your favorite special event?” “What kinds of songs and skits did you see at campfire?” Often times the more specific questions produce the most interesting responses.
Our full summer and second session campers and trippers will receive notes written from their counselors and trip leaders in the mail over the next few days. We hope that they will be helpful to you in evaluating your camper's experience.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2010
Enrollment for 2010 is already underway. We want to reward your loyalty and encourage you to plan for next summer by offering a $300 discount to all returning campers if we receive a registration and deposit by September 1, or a $200 discount if the same materials are received by October 15th. Program dates and prices are posted on our website under the Registration and Dates and Tuition tabs on the left. You can register by clicking on the account login button on the right of our webpage: http://www.chewonki.org/camp/default.asp
You will be registering via our online registration provider Campminder.
Later in the fall, we will be informing you of reunions & gatherings around the country, for the purposes of getting together and sharing plans for next summer. If you’re interested in hosting one of these reunions, we’d welcome your invitation. We also hope you will not hesitate to recommend Chewonki to family and friends.
Thank you for sharing your children with us this summer. We have enjoyed playing and learning on the beautiful coast, mountains and rivers of Maine, and the Canadian wilderness. Most of all we have enjoyed having your child become a part of our Chewonki summer family.
Sincerely,
Garth Altenburg
Director, Chewonki Camp for Boys
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
The Final Push!
It's hard to believe that 48 hours from now we will be putting the final touches on our summer by packing camper belongings and preparing for our end of summer banquet out on the lawn under the tent. The last few days have been joyous and frantic, and the next two promise to be no different. We postponed the Talent Show for tonight rather than Wednesday night to give all of our cabins a chance to add a little polish to their acts. Additionally, we still had a few cabins out on their cabin wilderness trips, and none of the cabins wanted to miss talent show. Now that all of the cabin trips are back, we are gearing up for the grand finale. Today has been the annual all-camp treasure hunt, followed by Talent Show this evening. Tomorrow will be our final Sag-Hoc scouting game out in the woods, followed by our Waterfront Regatta and Field Day. There will be more blog details emerging about all of these events of the next day or so. There are so many events going on right now that it is hard to find a moment to sit down and jot a quick note, but we hope to keep you up to date with all the exciting goings on.
MONDAY DEPATURES: For those campers being picked up by car, please be here between 8:30 am and noon. Please note that there is no major programming on Monday, so their is no reason to delay departure. We will say all of our goodbyes on Sunday evening. You are welcome to tour around campus with your son if time permits as I am sure he will want to show you his cabin, the waterfront, and his favorite activity locations, as well as introduce you to his counselors and fellow cabin mates.
From the Farm:
The wettest June in Maine history; weeks between sunny days; very hungry deer. It hasn’t been the easiest summer to be a farmer. Despite these setbacks, we’ve explored—rain or shine— the plants, animals, and products that live or come from our farm her at Camp Chewonki. It’s always a bummer when we have to go inside, but this allows us to cook kale omelets, spin wool into yarn, or even go see a movie, Food Inc. When the weather cooperates (and it has, for the most part, Session II), we go strawberry picking, drive the draft horse, Sal, or collect eggs from our flock of laying hens.
We’ve also managed to link up with other activities and do some interdisciplinary learning. Art and farm morphed into ‘fart’ where we wrote and illustrated a farm-themed book, among other things. Additionally, farm activity extends beyond the regular day through farm dinners, where cabins can have a meal predominately produced on our farm. The rhubarb crisp was definitely a crowd-pleaser.
The most exciting news to come off the farm in awhile came to us just this week, when we had a baby calf born, Gus. Along with Gus came his mother, Lola’s, milk. For the first time all summer, we got to enjoy ‘farm ice cream’, a camper (and counselor) favorite. It was a hot, humid day, and thanks to the hard work of our animals, farmers, and a bit of elbow grease from the campers, we devoured the cool, creamy treat.
It’s truly been a blessing teaching the campers about the wonders of farming and rural living and I hope that their curiosity and passion only grows when they return home.
Robin Lewis, Farm Activity
Thanks again for sharing your son with us! It has been a wonderful summer.
Sincerely,
Garth Altenburg
It's hard to believe that 48 hours from now we will be putting the final touches on our summer by packing camper belongings and preparing for our end of summer banquet out on the lawn under the tent. The last few days have been joyous and frantic, and the next two promise to be no different. We postponed the Talent Show for tonight rather than Wednesday night to give all of our cabins a chance to add a little polish to their acts. Additionally, we still had a few cabins out on their cabin wilderness trips, and none of the cabins wanted to miss talent show. Now that all of the cabin trips are back, we are gearing up for the grand finale. Today has been the annual all-camp treasure hunt, followed by Talent Show this evening. Tomorrow will be our final Sag-Hoc scouting game out in the woods, followed by our Waterfront Regatta and Field Day. There will be more blog details emerging about all of these events of the next day or so. There are so many events going on right now that it is hard to find a moment to sit down and jot a quick note, but we hope to keep you up to date with all the exciting goings on.
MONDAY DEPATURES: For those campers being picked up by car, please be here between 8:30 am and noon. Please note that there is no major programming on Monday, so their is no reason to delay departure. We will say all of our goodbyes on Sunday evening. You are welcome to tour around campus with your son if time permits as I am sure he will want to show you his cabin, the waterfront, and his favorite activity locations, as well as introduce you to his counselors and fellow cabin mates.
From the Farm:
The wettest June in Maine history; weeks between sunny days; very hungry deer. It hasn’t been the easiest summer to be a farmer. Despite these setbacks, we’ve explored—rain or shine— the plants, animals, and products that live or come from our farm her at Camp Chewonki. It’s always a bummer when we have to go inside, but this allows us to cook kale omelets, spin wool into yarn, or even go see a movie, Food Inc. When the weather cooperates (and it has, for the most part, Session II), we go strawberry picking, drive the draft horse, Sal, or collect eggs from our flock of laying hens.
We’ve also managed to link up with other activities and do some interdisciplinary learning. Art and farm morphed into ‘fart’ where we wrote and illustrated a farm-themed book, among other things. Additionally, farm activity extends beyond the regular day through farm dinners, where cabins can have a meal predominately produced on our farm. The rhubarb crisp was definitely a crowd-pleaser.
The most exciting news to come off the farm in awhile came to us just this week, when we had a baby calf born, Gus. Along with Gus came his mother, Lola’s, milk. For the first time all summer, we got to enjoy ‘farm ice cream’, a camper (and counselor) favorite. It was a hot, humid day, and thanks to the hard work of our animals, farmers, and a bit of elbow grease from the campers, we devoured the cool, creamy treat.
It’s truly been a blessing teaching the campers about the wonders of farming and rural living and I hope that their curiosity and passion only grows when they return home.
Robin Lewis, Farm Activity
Thanks again for sharing your son with us! It has been a wonderful summer.
Sincerely,
Garth Altenburg
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Tent Day!
We enjoyed the last Tent Day of the season today. In addition to the traditional trip to Popham Beach, we also offered a blueberry picking trip, a day sail in Hockomock Bay, and a nature activity outing the Boothbay aquarium and the Rachel Carson tidepools. I had the pleasure of joining in with the trip to the beach. While it was sunny less than a mile or so inland, it remained foggy at the beach. The fog didn't stop our enthusiasm for swimming, body surfing, building sandcastles and playing soccer and frisbee. Fortunately, it was a very warm day and the sun was still powerful enough through the fog to keep us warm. By all accounts, the other trips had a good tent day as well.
We are also pleased to welcome back Xanadu from their backpacking trip to the Barren-Chairback range on the Appalachian Trail. Word has it that it was a challenging but fun trip for the group as backpacking trips can often be.
We look forward to Talent Show tomorrow evening!
Sincerely,
Garth Altenburg
We enjoyed the last Tent Day of the season today. In addition to the traditional trip to Popham Beach, we also offered a blueberry picking trip, a day sail in Hockomock Bay, and a nature activity outing the Boothbay aquarium and the Rachel Carson tidepools. I had the pleasure of joining in with the trip to the beach. While it was sunny less than a mile or so inland, it remained foggy at the beach. The fog didn't stop our enthusiasm for swimming, body surfing, building sandcastles and playing soccer and frisbee. Fortunately, it was a very warm day and the sun was still powerful enough through the fog to keep us warm. By all accounts, the other trips had a good tent day as well.
We are also pleased to welcome back Xanadu from their backpacking trip to the Barren-Chairback range on the Appalachian Trail. Word has it that it was a challenging but fun trip for the group as backpacking trips can often be.
We look forward to Talent Show tomorrow evening!
Sincerely,
Garth Altenburg
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Camp in Full Swing!
With the arrival of our new ten day cabins, Fo’c’s’le and Stockade, Camp Chewonki for boys is once again full and going strong. It is amazing and a testament to their dedication, how counselors and activity heads are maintaining their enthusiasm and creativity as we approach the end of camp. The last several days, today included, have been gorgeous here weather wise. As a result, the waterfront has been very popular with swimming, kayaking, canoeing and sailing. It is so evident that campers are enjoying their time here, and pushing themselves to try out new experiences. There are so many opportunities for growth and sharing at Chewonki, and my conversations and observations tell me that the boys are taking full advantage. Chewonki is truly an amazing community and thanks to anyone out there who is helping to provide this experience to these lucky young lads.
Brian Cushing
Assistant Camp Director
Brian Cushing
Assistant Camp Director
Saturday, August 1, 2009
From the Art Activity:
In so many of the art projects the kids here at Chewonki are crafting, I see the limitlessness of imagination and the practicality of a tangible skill merging. Whether it’s sewing a monster creature, creating an intricately patterned bracelet, or making a ‘claymation’ stop-motion film, the kids have expanded their minds and harnessed skills for future use. Expression is key in the art room and we’ve worked hard to cultivate a space where this can thrive. In addition to a set activity available each period, the art room stays open for general swim so that it may to be explored by campers less familiar with or inclined to the arts as well as to those deeply invested in learning beyond the set day. Just the other week, a camper named Jack asked me, “Will you teach me how to make a stuffed animal so that I can go home and do it all by myself?”
In an all boys camp, which focuses so intently upon physical activity and outdoor experiences, I am greatly pleased by how active the art room remains. It is constantly full of incredible energy, creativity and originality. The art room serves as a haven for campers to let their imaginations run wild and I am constantly entertained by the wacky ideas and concepts that campers generate. “I painted a blue duck, ducks aren’t usually blue, but I felt like I should make a blue one”, said one Puffin upon completing a tapestry. Tapestries and block prints allow campers to draw what’s in their mind’s eye while papier-mâché and sewing stuffed animals allow the campers to give the dragons, aliens and dinosaurs of their imaginations three-dimensional form. The act of creation, whether it’s as seemingly simple as a stuffed animal, provides concrete proof of summertime accomplishments for campers. Art provides children with the opportunity to go home with proof of their hard work as well as solid skills that, though not as tangible, will long outlive their tie-dye t-shirts.
-Katie Stout, Art Activity Instructor
In so many of the art projects the kids here at Chewonki are crafting, I see the limitlessness of imagination and the practicality of a tangible skill merging. Whether it’s sewing a monster creature, creating an intricately patterned bracelet, or making a ‘claymation’ stop-motion film, the kids have expanded their minds and harnessed skills for future use. Expression is key in the art room and we’ve worked hard to cultivate a space where this can thrive. In addition to a set activity available each period, the art room stays open for general swim so that it may to be explored by campers less familiar with or inclined to the arts as well as to those deeply invested in learning beyond the set day. Just the other week, a camper named Jack asked me, “Will you teach me how to make a stuffed animal so that I can go home and do it all by myself?”
In an all boys camp, which focuses so intently upon physical activity and outdoor experiences, I am greatly pleased by how active the art room remains. It is constantly full of incredible energy, creativity and originality. The art room serves as a haven for campers to let their imaginations run wild and I am constantly entertained by the wacky ideas and concepts that campers generate. “I painted a blue duck, ducks aren’t usually blue, but I felt like I should make a blue one”, said one Puffin upon completing a tapestry. Tapestries and block prints allow campers to draw what’s in their mind’s eye while papier-mâché and sewing stuffed animals allow the campers to give the dragons, aliens and dinosaurs of their imaginations three-dimensional form. The act of creation, whether it’s as seemingly simple as a stuffed animal, provides concrete proof of summertime accomplishments for campers. Art provides children with the opportunity to go home with proof of their hard work as well as solid skills that, though not as tangible, will long outlive their tie-dye t-shirts.
-Katie Stout, Art Activity Instructor
Friday, July 31, 2009
Big Camp, Small Camp, Big Camp!
This week has seen the departure and return of Quarter Deck, Binnacle, Jungle, South Hall, and Juniper for their cabin wilderness trips. Additionally, all of the Osprey cabins with the exception of Shang-Tu are currently out on their wilderness trips, with Shang-Tu departing tomorrow. On Tuesday we also saw the departure of our five-week cabin F0'c's'le and our ten-day cabin Stockade. Throw in a few cabin overnights during the week, and it was a very small camp on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings. Now at the end of the week we are starting to see camp return to a relatively normal size, especially with the arrival our the ten-day cabins Fo'c's'le and Stockade today.
The reports from the cabin trips have been overwhelmingly positive. I am always jealous of the opportunities our campers and counselors have on their cabin trips, especially when I am stuck in the office! Some of my best memories from my years as a participant and counselor come from the time I was on my cabin wilderness trips. Of course, there are always inherent challenges on a wilderness trip such as inclement weather and adapting to the camping way of life and travel, but on the whole our campers really take to the trip experience. Here is a brief write up from counselor Evan Feinberg from Juniper regarding their trip to the Bigelow range on the Appalachian Trail:
"After 4 days of fierce hiking on the Appalachian Trail, Juniper has returned to Chewonki mentally and physically stronger from our brush with the back-country. Our second day on the trail was particularly difficult with low spirits but we made it to our campsite after a rigorous 5.6 miles. We established a base camp at Stafford Pond and set out early on a day-hike of Avery Peak with high spirits. Our amazing attitude allowed Juniper to conquer the steep terrain of Avery Peak. At 4,080 ft. we had lunch with an incredible view for miles in every direction of the entire valley. Every night we played great games and worked together to purify water and prepare dinner for the cabin with a new appreciation of what it takes to make our own food over the fire. At the end Jack, Henry, Louis, Walter, Davis, and Isaac triumphed over the Bigelow Mountain range with over 30 pounds on their backs in only 4 days ... of course with the help of their fearless counselors and trip leader!
Cheers, Evan, Kyle, and Ted"
I hope you will be able to hear more stories firsthand in the weeks ahead about your son's time with us, be it his cabin wilderness trip, his success at the archery range, the birds he has learned to identify, or the new friends he has made.
Sincerely,
Garth Altenburg
This week has seen the departure and return of Quarter Deck, Binnacle, Jungle, South Hall, and Juniper for their cabin wilderness trips. Additionally, all of the Osprey cabins with the exception of Shang-Tu are currently out on their wilderness trips, with Shang-Tu departing tomorrow. On Tuesday we also saw the departure of our five-week cabin F0'c's'le and our ten-day cabin Stockade. Throw in a few cabin overnights during the week, and it was a very small camp on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings. Now at the end of the week we are starting to see camp return to a relatively normal size, especially with the arrival our the ten-day cabins Fo'c's'le and Stockade today.
The reports from the cabin trips have been overwhelmingly positive. I am always jealous of the opportunities our campers and counselors have on their cabin trips, especially when I am stuck in the office! Some of my best memories from my years as a participant and counselor come from the time I was on my cabin wilderness trips. Of course, there are always inherent challenges on a wilderness trip such as inclement weather and adapting to the camping way of life and travel, but on the whole our campers really take to the trip experience. Here is a brief write up from counselor Evan Feinberg from Juniper regarding their trip to the Bigelow range on the Appalachian Trail:
"After 4 days of fierce hiking on the Appalachian Trail, Juniper has returned to Chewonki mentally and physically stronger from our brush with the back-country. Our second day on the trail was particularly difficult with low spirits but we made it to our campsite after a rigorous 5.6 miles. We established a base camp at Stafford Pond and set out early on a day-hike of Avery Peak with high spirits. Our amazing attitude allowed Juniper to conquer the steep terrain of Avery Peak. At 4,080 ft. we had lunch with an incredible view for miles in every direction of the entire valley. Every night we played great games and worked together to purify water and prepare dinner for the cabin with a new appreciation of what it takes to make our own food over the fire. At the end Jack, Henry, Louis, Walter, Davis, and Isaac triumphed over the Bigelow Mountain range with over 30 pounds on their backs in only 4 days ... of course with the help of their fearless counselors and trip leader!
Cheers, Evan, Kyle, and Ted"
I hope you will be able to hear more stories firsthand in the weeks ahead about your son's time with us, be it his cabin wilderness trip, his success at the archery range, the birds he has learned to identify, or the new friends he has made.
Sincerely,
Garth Altenburg
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