And they're off!

Second Session is already into its second day, and camp is up and running at full speed.  The boys are now going through orientation and learning about each of the activities they can choose from.  Come Sunday, they'll be choosing their own schedules.

 The whole camp gathers under the trees for the opening orientation session.

 Mike explains some of the ins and outs of life at camp.

 Luke and Bernardo listen in.

 Everybody gets fitted with PFDs and paddles from the Trip House, then they're off for the start of what will be a fantastic session.

Welcome Home Campers!

Second Session Begins

Bus arrived from Minneapolis in good shape and everyone has made their cabin their home. 

Campers are welcomed with lots of high fives! 

Camp Director Mike Endres points the way to cabins for campers and their counselors. Home sweet home.

First Session comes to an end

Four weeks have flown by.  It seemed just yesterday that the bus rolled into camp and the Chippewa boys stepped off at the start of a great summer.  And what a great summer it was!  From Capture the Flag to the Churchill, this has truly been a remarkable session of Camp Chippewa.  And fresh with all the memories of Camp Chippewa, the boys are now back on the bus and making their way home.

Farewell!  We'll see you back next summer!

 

The Churchill Returns

After three weeks on the trail, several hundred miles of paddling, and rides in planes, trains, and automobiles, the men of Athabasca cabin have returned to camp.  The adventures they shared on the trail won't soon be forgotten, and the stories they'll tell will be those of challenges and of triumph.

 Loading up the float plane in Thompson

 Robert breathes life into the fire

 Scout the rapids first

 Then shoot them

 The men arrive back at Chippewa, and the whole camp comes out to welcome them home

Then they share with us some of the stories of the trail.  From shooting rapids to paddling next to beluga whales or even taking a dip in Hudson Bay, these young men have experienced something that few others ever have or will.

Welcome back, Athabasca!

The 2013 First Session Fencing Tournament

It's the second to last day of first session, and that means two things.  The first is the fencing tournament.  

Eight of Chippewa's finest fencers were selected to compete in this year's tournament, and the result was something spectacular!  The field was divided into two pools, and the top two from each pool moved on to the final round.  Advancing as the first seed from the western bracket was Miles Allen, and he took on the second seed from the eastern bracket Jake Endres.  The first semifinal, played to 7 points, looked to be a blowout when Jake went up 6 points to 1.  Within seconds Miles completely made up the gap and tied it up at 6-6.  Despite the valiant effort, however, Jake was able to secure the final point and a spot in the finals.

In the second semifinal, the first seed from the eastern bracket Augie Avery faced the surprise second seed from the western bracket Tommy Mahoney.  These two proved evenly matched throughout, and this semifinal also went to 6-6, with just one point separating either one from victory.  But it was the slightly more aggressive Augie who prevailed in the end to secure the second spot in the finals.

And so in the finals it was a match-up of the number 1 and 2 seeds from the eastern bracket: Augie Avery and Jacob Endres.  Augie started out strong from the gate, going up 8 points to 2 in the first minute of action.  After the switch of ends, however, it was Jake who took control of the bout.  The gap narrowed as they reached the goal of 15 points, and once again both players arrived at a tie at 14-14--each only one point away from claiming the title of champion.  With a successful defense against a quick fleche attack, Augie Avery scored the final touch and became the 2013 First Session Fencing Tournament Champion.  Congratulations, Augie!

 Tommy Mahoney lunges at Grant Auer

 Both fencers vie for right-of-way to earn a point

 Preparing for the final bout

 Augie becomes the most recent name added to the Camp Chippewa Fencing Trophy.

Camp Thoughts by Luke Bryson

Homesick & Campsick

            Hi, I know you have already sent your son or sons, or you may be getting ready to send your boy to Camp Chippewa.  Camp Chippewa is incredible.  I consider it my third home (not counting the baseball field or In-N-Out Burger).  First is my house, second is my grandparent’s house, and third: Chippewa.  This magical place that seems to be lost in time, has become my greatest experience I have ever had in my ten years.  I feel that everything that happens at camp helps shape a personality.  My first year, last year, I brought two friends to camp, but I couldn’t spend every single second every single day with them, though I did get to spend a bunch of time with them.  So, to make sure that I always had a friend, I tried to befriend everyone I could, so no mater which activity I was doing, I always could do it with at least one friend.  I ended up with a lot of friends at camp that I can’t wait to see this year.  I think a lot of them will be lifelong pals.

            Going to this camp had me learn things about me that even I didn’t know; like that I could water ski.  I felt like giving up at first, but the counselor driving the boat gave me encouraging tips and cheers that made me want to go on.  I kept practicing, and I eventually got the hang of it.  It not only taught me patience but it taught me to not give up, and that if you really try hard, you can do it.

            There was one hard thing though, homesickness.  I still think that it is good for me though because it makes me tougher and braver to go through that.  I didn’t know that I could get homesick.  But it was mainly just when I read letters from home.  I really only got homesick when I thought about it.  All the other time I was out doing activities.  I have so much fun, that I forget about being homesick.  When I was down or homesick my friends made me laugh and cheered me up.  When my friends were down, I would make them laugh and cheer them up, it matched perfectly.

            One of my favorite things at camp is the special days where it’s capture the flag, pirate day, scavenger hunt or something like that.  I have had a lot of fun sharing my adventures with my parents, little brother, big brother, friends or even grandparents.  I think adults would love laughing about funny things, or listening intently to intense fun camp adventures.  Camp Chippewa has definitely changed my point of view of life, in a good way.  I’m about to go to camp in two weeks, and I think I might get homesick, but about three days after I get home I know I’ll be campsick.

Luke P. Bryson

July 3, 2013

Luke is Front row right

Images from the Quetico

They're back!  As first session begins to wind down, the Canadian trippers roll back into camp, fresh from the wilderness with bright new tams upon their heads.  They have plenty of stories to tell and lots of adventures to share, and they won't soon forget the fun they had on the trail.

Along with all of the stories that the trippers can tell, here are some of the images from Olson cabin's Quetico.

 Catching a quick rest on Pickerel Lake

When the wind dies down, the lakes turn to glass.

 

 The crew works together to carry a canoe across the portage.

 Davis proves himself an excellent baker.

Tommy looks out at the final sunset on the trail.

 The proud young men of Olson cabin

Caught being a Camper

 Here are a few moments of boys doing what campers do.

Hank W. is able to walk on water? 

Henry in the bow and Jake in the stern make a great team. Here they are completing one leg of their Mississippi River trip. 3 days and 2 nights. They'll be ready in a few years for their Dress Gordon Tam.

Sandford Lake trip gives their trip report. It looks like Gandalf has found some Hobbits from Scotland.  

Fourth of July

Picnic on Knutson Hall Deck

Joe H-W enjoys Mary Keely's fried chicken...

...and all the fixins'

Rick demonstrates fine form on the Archery Range.

At 50 meters, Rick takes aim.

Arrows fly straight and true.

Camp Chippewa

CPS: Camp Positioning System

Revising Our Maps

Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D.

I was recently interviewed about how I attempt to balance my personal and professional life.  At first I found this to be a challenging question because I often feel unbalanced. But as I started talking, what I kept finding myself saying in many ways, in different words, was that I'm constantly “revising my map.” 

What I meant by that is that I have a sense of direction of what works, how to get where I need to go, and how to get my kids to where they need to go—but that sense of direction changes.  It must.  Why?  Because the terrain is also constantly changing as a result of the chaos in our lives, the demands on us, the needs of our children, our own needs, who our children are becoming, and who we are becoming.  We can’t successfully navigate well if we don’t revise our maps.  We must consistently take stock of where we are and where we want to go, revising the best path to get there. 

The same goes for our kids:  we must constantly revise our maps of who they are.  Like it or not, bittersweet as it is, they change all the time.  Some of this change is from the natural maturation that comes from development, reaching new cognitive, spiritual, emotional, and relational capacity.  Some of this change is from experiences they have, who they spend time with, what challenges they overcome, how they spend their time, etc. 

But sometimes we forget that they change.  We use old maps to guide us as parents.  We navigate based on who our child WAS, not on who they are now.  Have you ever realized you were doing something for your child out of habit or because you haven’t thought about it, and then realized that your child was perfectly capable of doing it for himself?  These are examples of times we need to revise our maps.

This lesson in Parental Cartography brings me to Camp Chippewa.  The experience of going to camp changes kids, often in significant ways.  When your son comes home, you might notice that he's more confident, more independent, or different in some other subtle or significant ways.  I remember the first year my oldest son returned from camp and I started to put sunscreen on him.  He laughed and said, “Mom, I’ve been putting my own sunscreen on for two weeks without you.  I can handle it.”  Revision moment.  I was using a map that had changed significantly in two short weeks. 

So when your camper comes home, I want to encourage you to see him with new eyes, to revise your map of him.  An outdated map leads to frustration for both of you.  It can actually lead us away from our intended path.  But an updated map allows us to intentionally and successfully reach our destination. 

Tina Payne Bryson, PhD.

As some leave, some return

It's hard to believe, but we are already past the half-way point for the session, and for some of the campers, this marks the end of their time here at Chippewa.  At least for this summer.  The two-weekers were honored at the black tie dinner and presented their awards for the activities they participated in while at camp.

 Griffen and Evan dress for the occasion.

 Our waiters present the hors d'oeuvres...

 ...some pineapple punch, ham and cheese wraps, and chocolate dipped bacon.  Yum!

Following the meal, the two weekers received their awards.

 And then they share their highlights.

 From soccer to Star Island, the highlights were great.  And for some of these two-weekers, this is just the first of many summers of fun and adventure at camp.  Farewell!

As one group of campers leaves, another returns home.  Welcome back from Voyageurs National Park, Sooner cabin!

 High five, Smokey!

Faces of Camp, part 1

Camp is a cast of many characters with many faces and many looks.  

 An up-close of Gordon

 Charlie is...dazed?

 Bringing some Arizona class to the northwoods

 Two thumbs up, dude!

 Finn is ready to rock

 Which one is which?

 The brothers H-W

 Drew in motion