Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Dates for 2009

The dates are set for 2009! Make plans now and check your mail or email soon for early enrollment.

Full Season
June 18th to August 11th
First Session
June 18th to July 14th
Second Session
July 16th to August 11th
Badger Camp I
June 18th to July 1st
Badger Camp II
July 16th to July 29th

Friday, August 22, 2008

A Fond Farewell

It is with deep regret that I share the news of the death of Richard "Dick" Endres. Dick was one of Cap's sons and JP's brother. In the early years of camp, Dick was instrumental in developing the Chippewa sailing program and was the author of the first Chippewa sailing manual. Much of that original manual survives today in the new manual that was launched this summer.

As a successful business man, he still looked forward to his time back at Cass Lake. Most recently, Dick was proud of his work to help form Camp Chippewa Foundation to ensure the camp's legacy for future generations. Since the formation of Camp Chippewa Foundation in 1999, Dick was an active board member for camp, retiring in August 2007.

On behalf of the entire Chippewa family, I share my thoughtful condolences to Elaine, Rick, Holly and the entire family.

Monday, August 11, 2008

2nd Session News

What a wonderful session! Heck, what a wonderful summer! From the moment the campers arrived on the bus this session, the adventures have been memorable.

The weather this session has been outstanding. With warm days and cool nights, the boys found dip time a welcome part of the day and lights out at bed time a chance to regenerate for the next day's adventures. Camp was healthy and happy. I am certain that tonight's final campfire will reveal highlights of a remarkable summer.

Trips to Hook Island, Sanford Lake, Apostle Islands, the Quetico, Mississippi River and all around Minnesota returned with happy memories and pride of accomplishment. The wilderness challenges of the trail helped build the character of each trip and revealed the excitement of camping in the northwoods. Whether sailing for five days on Lake Superior or shooting whitewater in northern Ontario or even paddling six miles across Cass Lake to camp on Star Island, the adventures came alive.

Special activities around camp were a blast. Even Batman and Forest Gump made visits to camp this session with the creation of Batman and Forest Gump days to complement the traditional Pirate Day. Perhaps a highlight for the summer was during Waterfront Day when a dunk tank was created on Buck Lake to sink your favorite counselor, or even the director. It was fun and creative, if not a bit wet!

It was just a couple of days ago that we hosted neighboring Camp Kamaji for Girls, Camp Thunderbird for Boys and Camp Thunderbird for Girls in a regatta at Chippewa. We had a ball! Chippewa sailors found their way around the marks in light winds, crossing the line in first and second place. On both the archery and riflery range, the results were the same with the Chippewa campers demonstrating great sportsmanship while competing. The new Bearpaw tennis courts hosted the tennis players under a cloudless sky, with the all of the camps sharing success on the courts. While the friendly competition was a joy, the fun of the day was in hosting neighboring camps to our summer home.

I look back at the last eight weeks with a smile on my face. Many of the same traditions were strengthened, complemented by new ones. Unique trip pins for local canoe trips, a new Chippewa sailing manual, the new Knutson Hall and Bear Paw tennis court and fencing strip, and Black Tie Dinner were exciting additions to an already full and varied program.

In just a few hours, the final banquet will signal the conclusion of camp's 73rd year. As we creep closer to our 75th anniversary, I couldn't be more pleased with the summer of 2008. Thanks again for sharing in the adventures! See you next summer.

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

News About JP

As many of you may have heard, JP was recently hospitalized for an infection in his right knee. After a short stay at the hospital in Bemidji, he and Cammy decided to transfer to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota to receive a more thorough assessment and treatment for the infection.

As I write this, the news from the physicians is positive. While JP has a recovery period ahead of him that will prevent him from being at camp the rest of the session, he is in good spirits. His positive outlook and great physical condition are certainly allies to his recovery.

Cammy has set up a guestbook and journal at CaringBridge.com for JP. If you have a minute, please visit the site and leave a message. I know he'll enjoy hearing from you.

Sunday, August 03, 2008

Spot on the Sanford

Just like the first session, we have sent the new Spot device on a canoe trip. This time it is with the guys from Muir cabin on the Sanford-Elsie trip. Be sure to click on the map to zoom in or out to watch their progress.

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