1st Session Photos IV

A Logger's Tale

The hushed-quiet of a traditional silent breakfast with Paul Bunyan-sized pancakes was broken by the sound of two chainsaws this morning as we prepare for Paul Bunyan Day. It is truly the year of the lumberjack at Chippewa. It should be an exciting afternoon of log tosses, match splitting and a few other surprises.

The time is flying at camp! Our two-week campers head home on Saturday, but not before the annual Black Tie Dinner and a shadow puppet play on Friday evening. The week has been a busy one for all of the campers as the Trip House was buzzing. Sooner cabin returned from a 3 day trip down the Crow Wing, Demonia cabin is fishing at Hook Island in Canada and Muir and Marshall are exploring the canoe trails of Ontario. Later this week, our sailors head to the Apostle Islands and more local trips will come and go down the Mississippi or across Cass Lake to Star Island. Undoubtedly, those evenings around the campfire will provide some of the most exciting memories of camp.

It looks like the rain has finally given way to a few days of sunshine, so everyone is thrilled about the blue skies. Despite the rain, the activities have been running on all cylinders. Just a little bit of random news of interest around camp which demonstrates the point : Henry M. shot a perfect 50 on the rifle range. Wow! Chippong has grabbed the imagination of the table tennis enthusiasts (details best left for an evening at home), Olson cabin garnered Honor Cabin for the first week with the coveted green paddle now hanging in the window, Badger and Bunkhouse cabin had their first spin tubing behind the Beluga last night with Jake S. a highlight with airborne antics and Christian M. and Nicolas M. were top fisherman with Sam during quick fish trip to Moose Lake yesterday.

More adventure means more news ahead.....

MKT

1st Session Photos III

Spot on the North Knife

View North Knife 2011 in a larger map

1st Session Photos II

I Can See Clearly Now....

The rain is gone and the sun is shining! I just arrived in Cass Lake after missing the first part of camp. It's a bit unusual for me to arrive late, since I've been here for the past 10 years to start the summer. So, I didn't really know what to expect, but I should have. Everything was how it has always been. Rounds being fired, arrows hitting the gold, and JP could be heard on the tennis court from the Ivy Bowl down to Buck Lake.

Upon arrival, the rain that had been present for the past three days stopped! In spite of the rain, activity orientation carried on and the counselors have the guys off to a fantastic start. All of the campers have taken the swim test, and some have even passed their water ski test! Ranks are starting to be passed down on the Rifle and Archery ranges and the report from the Sail Shanty is that camp may have some new First Mates to take the helm of the Chippewa fleet. The men of the Athabasca are on their way down the North Knife to the Bay with the hopes of paddling with Beluga whales. Camp is buzzing and moving full speed ahead!

Last night, the stage became The House of Rock! The Airband competition was a crowd favorite and hilarious! The boys from Kamaji cabin were crowned champions with their rendition of Queen. Nice work Jack, Ian, Max, Josh, Andrew, and Philip!

Your Chippewa update from John Olson

1st Session Photos I

The guys from Muir cabin with a song and dance.

Hank wins the Lumberjack challenge for early enrollment by lighting the match!

Happy Birthday Jordan!

First fish of the summer.

Dip time....

...then Taps. All is right with the world.

Summer 76 has arrived.

The Chippewa Staff is Ready!

Only Two Days to Go...

...and the summer will be here! Don't forget those moustaches, old timers!

A Well-Worn Tradition

The tradition begins in less than a week!

A Sight to See

And he may be headed your way. A Minnesota man is paddling the Mississippi River from Lake Itasca to Minneapolis....standing up on a paddle board. The local newspaper had an article last week and he came through Cass Lake shortly after the report. I get tired just looking at him, but what a great adventure. To date, I now count a paddleboarder, canoeists, kayakers (including some of our counselors), a swimmer and even a man on an inflatable tube descending the Mississippi from the headwaters to Minneapolis or beyond. I wonder what's next.

New Activity for 2011

The rumors are true! I would like to officially announce that Trap Shooting will become regular activity at camp this summer. Awesome!

The program will be headquartered at a rarely used site in camp near the old clay pit and will be open to all campers who have earned at least their Sharpshooter in riflery and are at least 12 years old. You can expect 20 and 12 gauge shotguns and ranks that are similar to riflery. It's gonna be great!

So get excited! It isn't too often that we add a new activity to camp, but we think that trap is an exciting addition and is consistent with Chippewa philosophy. Watch for more details in the new couple of weeks before camp starts. It's another reason to join the summer 76....I wonder who will earn the first ever rank?

Headed North to Camp

The Tulsa office and Chippewa HQ is packed and ready for departure. Moby and I will be heading out tomorrow, arriving camp on Thursday. Natalie and Logan will join the fray for the month of July!

If you have an urgent question in the next day or two, please contact me on my cell phone. Otherwise, the best way to reach me is to call the camp line, 218-335-8807.

Summer 76 is here!

A New Look at Camp Chippewa!

In case you missed our release earlier this month!

A New Look at Camp Chippewa!

Camp Quotations – Charles Eliot

I thought this was kind of cool from the President of Harvard in the '20s, Charles Eliot.

"I have a conviction that a few weeks spent in a well organized summer camp may be of more value educationally than a whole year of formal school work."

Right on, brother! BY the way, I found it here:
Camp Quotations – Charles Eliot Summer Camp Culture

New Canoes A'Comin'

Last summer, we sent Nova Craft canoes on a test-run to the Arctic. What came back were resounding positive remarks about the canoes. The result : we have ordered three more Nova Craft Prospector canoes.

Chippewa voyageurs have even more to be excited about! Check them out here!

Camping Loses An Advocate

Once again I share sad news from the camping industry. Brad Schwartz, Director of Banner Day Camp, passed away on Saturday morning. Brad was a second generation camp director and I am proud to say that he was a friend and a fond supporter of Camp Chippewa.

Brad was passionate about providing summer camp opportunities for all kids, regardless of their socio-economic background. In an effort to provide this to underserved and deserving children, he co-founded SCOPE Midwest (Summer Camp Opportunities Provide an Edge). SCOPE is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children in need by funding not-for-profit resident camps with “camperships” that offer the benefits of a safe, well-supervised and enriching summer camp experience. A few weeks ago, SCOPE honored Brad with the Lifetime Achievement in Camping Award for his years of dedication and commitment to the camping industry.

On behalf of the Camp Chippewa family, we send our condolences to the Schwartz family and the entire Banner Day Camp extended family.

Free Shipping at Lands End

Today is the last day to score free shipping from Lands End on the Camp Chippewa Land's End site. Be sure to use code FSCAMPW!

Shopping for Camp?

Well, we've just made it a bit easier to get ready for camp. Camp Chippewa and Lands End have teamed up to make shopping for camp a bit more convenient. From blankets to duffel bags, fleece jackets to swimsuits, you'll find almost all of our equipment list at Chippewa's new Lands End page. You can even add Chippewa logos to some of the items. Mom and dad might just want to add a Chippewa polo shirt to the shopping bag.

Check it out now!

Chippewa Partners to Combat Child Abuse

I am pleased to announce that Camp Chippewa recently sponsored on-air public service announcements to help shine a light on the problem of child abuse. The PSA's were broadcast on KKWB radio, 102.5 FM "the Coyote" in Bemidji, Minnesota.

It's important that we all learn to help those who may be living in fear and support those organizations that reach out with a helping hand.

Tweeting Chippewa

Follow us on Twitter!

@campchippewa

The Adventure Begins Here

A Fond Farewell to Sunny Moore

It is sad to report that Sunny Moore, longtime director at Clearwater Camp for Girls, passed away quietly last night. Sunny was a dedicated camping advocate and a source of wisdom and energy for camping professionals. She was also a firm supporter of Camp Chippewa, for which we will always be thankful.

We'll miss Sunny's enthusiasm and friendship and pass along our sympathies to the Clearwater family. You can read more about Sunny on Clearwater's website.

Reflections from the Arctic

In the last issue of our CHIPS newsletter, I published an excerpt from the journal kept by the crew on last summer's Arctic canoe exploratory, the Coppermine. The excerpt was written by one our the campers, Wil Gehl, who shared some wonderful thoughts, not only on the journey to the Arctic Ocean, but on his journey as a camper during his many years as a camper.

You can find the journal entry on our website. Take a look!

Thanks Wil! (pictured shooting some rapids on the Coppermine)

New Brochure to be Released

After six years of faithful service, the Chippewa brochure is being retired to the archives, long to be considered a collector's item. Soon to be released, the new Camp Chippewa brochure! Details are a secret, but be sure to check your mailbox in the coming weeks for a couple of copies. Then be sure to share it with family and friends. You'll be proud of what's ahead!

Chippewa Earns Award

For the second year in a row, Camp Chippewa has been recognized for its commitment to safety by earning the distinguished Safety First Award from Markel Insurance. The Safety First Award recognizes those camps with exceptional commitment to the health and safety of their campers and staff. I am proud to announce that Chippewa has again earned this award. Thanks to Markel and the Chippewa staff!

A Buck Lake Dream

Just ordered : the new Buck Lake dock system! The new Buck Lake dock will match the Shore Station style that is over on Cass Lake and will fully enclose the swim area, providing a more effective teaching environment. Plus, we'll have more space to fish from!!!

This improvement is a continuation of our An Enduring Legacy capital campaign supported by generous donors and foundation grants. Thanks to our loyal donors for their commitments to Chippewa.

Chippewa is Exclusively Yours

I was recently interviewed for an article in Milwaukee's Exclusively Yours magazine regarding the concept of free play time for boys. Andy Patten, the magazine's editor, has written an excellent summary of the debate that we have heard over the past few years. Thanks to Andy for highlighting the issue and for an excellent article.

I've posted the aritcle and interview on our website. Here's a link to In Defense of Play, or you can find a link on the Chippewa News page.

If you'd like to check out the magazine, head over to their website.

Houston Rendezvous

We painted the city red...or was it orange? Regardless, it was a fun day of paintball with the Texas crew!

Canoe Class?

Parts of a Canoe

There will be a test at camp. Or maybe not, but it sure is handy!

Jolson to Space?

Not exactly, but he may be taking his first step. John Olson, longtime (and current) Chippewa counselor, was recently selected as one of 38 teachers nationwide to be chosen for the prestigious Space Foundation Teacher Liaison program. John is a teacher in Evergreen, Colorado and Chippewa's archery guru among other talents.

A big time congrats to Jolson! For a man who loves moon rocks, Marvel comics, Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, it's hard to imagine a more fitting honor! Seriously, John, great job!

Ski Rendezvous in Breckenridge

It was a Chippewa first: a ski Rendezvous in Breckenridge. The guys had a great time skiing on Sunday over Presidents' Day weekend. A pizza party followed at the Milligan condo. Among the notables in attendance were Zach S., Joe M., Ben N and Will N., along with several counselors like Huggins, Jerry Malloy, Sam Noel, Luce, Jolson, Teddy, Simon Taylor and a few more. Ken and Marshall H. were also lingering about, as was Bo and John Norris. Natalie and I had a blast with everyone and plans are already underway for another ski rendezvous during Presidents' Day 2012. Thanks to everyone who turned up and look forward to a repeat next year.

Milwaukee Rendezvous

It was another curling extravaganza in Milwaukee last weekend.

Kansas City - Lawrence Rendezvous

So it turns out that taking photos of WhirlyBall is a bit of a challenge, but the guys from KC and Lawrence had a blast. Great turnout and great fun, essentially playing lacrosse in bumper cars.

St. Louis Rendezvous

Wanna play scatterball on trampolines? The guys in St. Louis did!

Phoenix Rendezvous

Nothing quite says Camp Chippewa like a good game of LaserTag....unless, of course, you are actually at Camp Chippewa. We had a great turnout and a fantastic time, though! Nice job, PHX crowd! Now here we come, St. Louis. It's time for scatterball on trampolines!

Chippewa Highlights 2010 - Part 1

Chippewa 2010 - Part 1, Summer Highlights

Episode 1 in a 7-part video series we're releasing weekly on the blog and our Facebook page. Check back soon and relive last summer's adventures...and maybe even to take a sneak peek into summer 2011.

Cold As....Well, Just Darned Cold!

In case you missed it, it's been cold at camp....very cold. Last Friday, it reached -38 degrees, while up at Hook Island it was -46 degrees. Check out the Weather Underground info for Cass Lake. Just amazing!

Lonnie Strikes Again

Lonnie, camp's maintenance director, wet his line again. This time, he was out ice fishing and snagged a monster walleye. It looks like he was just as surprised as we are.

Cool Chippewa Stuff

The Year of the Lumberjack kicks into high gear on Friday. First stop? Chicago! Join your Chippewa friends and some of your favorite counselors at the Rendezvous in your city. We'll have a bunch of cool Chippewa stuff to giveaway, like....well you'll just have to show up to find out! You can snag a new shirt, too, if you bring a friend with you who is new to camp. Heck, even if they aren't sure that they want to come to camp, bring them anwyay! You'll grab this sweet shirt and everyone will have a blast!

Here are the dates!

How To Make a Bed...

...or more specifically, "how to make a stylish bed." Of course, any Chippewa alum, camper or counselor knows this intuitively.

A longtime Chippewa alum from Houston recently spotted this article in Wall Street Journal, about, of all things, making a stylish bed. I'm not sure that the Chippewa crowd has ever been accused of being the most stylish crowd, but it certainly shows that we are a timeless bunch.

Step 1 - Make a Hospital Corner (scroll down to the bottom of the article)

Snowy Camp

CJ snapped this pic of the camp entry sign over New Years.