Seasons Greetings

With the holiday season in full swing and family and friends in good cheer, Natalie and I take this time to wish you all the best this holiday and share the hope for good health and happiness in the new year.

Knutson Hall Moves Forward

From unbelievably cold Knutson, you can see that Dawson and his crew have been busy! A quick trip north found temperatures close to 20 below and 14 inches of snow on the ground, but work progressing on both the exterior and interior of Knutson.

A view from the lake side.
The front of Knutson looks great!
The grand fireplace nears completion, with original mantel in place.

Hook Island from Space

I couldn't resist adding the satellite image of Hook Island.

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Google Maps of Camp

This is pretty cool. I am sure many of you have already played around with the satellite image of camp, but in case you haven't, here it is.

Maybe I'll have to post a few from the Bloodvein, Seal or even Hook Island.


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Mary's Chili Recipe

With the cool weather heading in and snow flakes beginning to fly, this is certainly chili weather. Here is Mary's recipe.

1lb hamburger
1 quart of tomato juice
1/2 large onion
1/3 pint kidney beans or pork and beans
3/4 package of chili seasoning
Shredded cheddar cheese

Fry hamburger and onion together until brown. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Top with cheddar cheese

Meanwhile, Over on Bearpaw...

Construction is well underway for the new tennis courts and fencing strip. JP's heart be proud!

The old court has been removed and excavation begins.
A view with Chalet cabin in the background.
A view from the porch of Eagle's Nest cabin.

It's a Dining Hall....Almost!

With the roof now on and most of the windows installed, the new Knutson is beginning to look like a dining hall!

Happy Thanksgiving!

With cool weather outside and a warm turkey in the oven, Natalie and I wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving with family and friends.

ps - Go Lions!

"The Dangerous Book for Boys"

On a recent trip to the bookstore, I ran across the book I had heard so much about: The Dangerous Book for Boys. After flipping through the book, stopping at a few pages about knot tying and even grammar, it became obvious that the book's popularity is rooted in the same principles that are at work at Chippewa.

Undoubtedly much has changed since camp began in 1935 and certainly boys have changed to some degree during that time. Whether due to societal shifts or technology, the culture in which children find themselves today is vastly different than that of 1935. However, many of our cultural values have remain unchanged.

During staff orientation, I spend time discussing the many notions about the current generation of campers. Many of these notions are readily evident when the boys arrive camp. Despite this, I conclude with an important thought: boys today, in this wilderness environment that we call camp, are little changed from the boys in 1935. Thus, the same values that we found so relevant then, are equally as relevant now. Values like self-reliance, teamwork, and discipline are inherent in our natural surroundings and achieved in the cabin group, on the activity front and through meaningful friendships. Camp Chippewa continues to thrive because of our steadfast belief in these values.

2007 Photos Posted

Just in case you missed it, the photos from 2007 have been posted on the Chippewa website. Photos from 1st Session, 2nd Session, the Seal River and other events capture our 72nd summer. Check them out by going to the Photo Albums page. Look for more photos from the summer, including photos from Rendezvous 2007, in coming weeks.

Roof Trusses Arrive

Just as the first snows began to fly at camp, the large timber roof trusses arrived for installation in the main dining room. Wow!

Bemidji's Wintry Reputation

The town of Bemidji, our nearest neighbor from camp, has always had a reputation of being the nation's ice box. After all, the snow flies early there and the US National Curling champions call Bemidji home. Now, the outdoor gear company Patagonia offers a heavy duty jacket called the Bemidji Jacket. I'm glad to know that Bemidji's reputation is still solidly intact. Check out the jacket here.

More Photos of Knutson

Mike Endres and I just took a short weekend trip to check on the progress of Knutson. It's truly exciting to watch the developments.

Standing at the entrance, looking towards new fireplace.
A view of the new serving line behind the fireplace.
Standing near Hudson Bay looking at the back of the kitchen.

Standing near Archery Bunker looking at new kitchen.

Badger Camp Four?

Making plans for next summer? Have a younger camper who isn't quite sure that camp is for them? Or even a mom or dad who thinks four weeks is just too long? Or maybe just a hectic summer schedule? Then take a look at our Badger camps, two-week sessions. For 2008, we have added a fourth Badger camp session for our younger campers. The only problem? The two week session will fly by entirely too fast!

Logs Frame Knutson Hall Entry

These giant logs were harvested from camp land. Large red pines that died within the last year now frame the entry to the new Knutson.

Dawson and crew work to place the red pine logs in front of Knutson.

A view from the back of Knutson Hall, with roof nearing completion over the kitchen.

In Memory of Ward Cox

As many of you may know, longtime camper Ward Cox passed away unexpectedly on October 13th at the age of 16. He was a remarkable young man, an eager leader and always quick to smile. The attendance of more than 1500 family, friends and fellow Chippewa alums at his funeral is a testimony to his positive impact on so many lives. On behalf of everyone in the Chippewa family, our sincerest condolences to Tim, Anne, Chris, Curtis, Timmy and the entire Cox family who have been such dedicated supporters of camp through the years. We will miss Ward and his wonderful, mischievous grin.

Ward's Obituary

Coming to the Chicago Camp Fair

Camp Chippewa will again be attending the Chicago area camp fair. This year, the fair has been moved from January to November 11th. Planning to attend are blog contributors Grant Campbell and Jonah Mueller. Come on by to see us at the Marriott Lincolnshire Resort.

2008 Dates

Just in case you missed it, you can find the dates for 2008 by clicking here. You might notice that we added one more two-week session for the younger boys. I can't wait for next summer and hope to see everyone back at camp.

Knutson Takes Shape

With the walls now standing, the new Knutson Hall is truly taking shape. I have come up to camp with Grant Campbell and Jonah Mueller and we found some exciting views of the new building.

A view from the lakeside.
A view with the Oasis in the foreground. Inside the main dining hall.

Fencers Take Center Court

The Chippewa fencers have something new to be excited about. As plans progress for the reconstructed Bear Paw tennis courts, the addition of a regulation length fencing strip will be included on the sideline of the courts. Nearby, an electric outlet will power the electrical scoring system. Looks like the 2008 Fencing Tournament will have a new home...en garde!

The Walls Go Up

The New Knutson Begins...

Late last week, the foundation was poured for the new Knutson Hall. Soon, the walls will be going up. Be sure to keep checking back for photos, or subscribe to the feed by clicking the RSS icon.

*(disregard the dates on the photos) :)

Take The 2007 Surveys!

The campers and parents from summer 2007 are invited to take our short summer survey. Just follow the links below.

If you were a camper this summer, or a parent of a camper, please take just a couple of minutes to complete our survey. We are always trying to improve camp and your responses will help us find ways to make 2008 an even better summer than 2007.

Thanks!

1st Session Camper Survey

2nd Session Camper Survey

Parent Survey

"The Myth About Boys"

In case you missed it this summer, Time magazine ran an article called "The Myth About Boys" which refuted many recent theories, essays and articles describing the poor shape in which boys find themselves today. It was nice to see an article that echoes what I see developing at camp each year...a wonderful group of boys becoming young men. It only reinforces for me the validity of Chippewa's philosophy that strikes the right balance of structure, freedom and challenge in which boys thrive.

Back to Tulsa

The return trip from camp was as difficult as any, leaving while Cass Lake had a slight north breeze, sunny blue skies and a perfect temperature of 74 degrees. Paradise.

A few emails were waiting for me when I returned to Tulsa regarding dates. Good news for planning as the dates for 2008 have not changed from the 2007 dates. The website will be updated by the end of this week with the new enrollment information so stay tuned. In the meantime, be sure to check back here at the blog for frequent updates on Knutson Hall's reconstruction and other news!

Knutson Hall Comes Down

After 70 years of service to thousands of campers, Knutson Hall has come down. The final camper banquet was followed by an alumni event, Rendezvous 2007, which served the final meals in old Knutson. Now we look forward to the new Knutson Hall rising from the same spot over the next several months. We'll be sure to post pictures of the progress.

Mike Endres and JP with the Sign

The bell is removed from the top of Knutson.
Much of the floor has been saved to be reused in the new Knutson Hall.
Down it comes!

Second Session Photos III

My apologies for a short delay in posting more second session photos, but we had some internet difficulty here at camp. Here ya go...

Second Session Photos II

Second Session Photos I

First Session Photos III

The first session just flew by, but here are a few more photos from the session.