Travel Information for Wednesday 11, 2010
Wednesday will be a long day for your daughter! We’ll have about a 5:30 am wake-up bell and the buses will leave camp at about 7:00 am for the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport.

Campers are heading to over 20 different cities around the U.S. and as far away as South Korea. We sent you our flight schedule last week, so don’t forget to pick up your daughter.
If you are meeting your daughter at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport, you should pick her up at the Transit Center between 11:30 am and noon. Your daughter and her luggage will be there.

If your daughter is flying on DL 3482 to St. Louis or SW 200 to Chicago Midway she will be
escorted by a Kamaji counselor. Camp Mom Robin Blumenthal will be flying with the campers on DL 5682 to Chicago O’Hare.  If your daughter is on one of these flights you probably won’t be able to meet her at the gate; however, you can try to get Delta or Southwest to issue you a security pass. If you can’t get to the gate, the counselor w ill escort your daughter to baggage claim and remain with her until you arrive.
If your daughter is on a flight other than the ones mentioned above and is flying home as an “Unaccompanied Minor” you should be able to obtain a security pass from the airline which will allow you to meet your daughter at her arrival gate. Plan on arriving at the airport in plenty of time to obtain your security pass.

If you have any questions about travel, just ask.

Save the Date
A number of parents have asked what Kamaji’ s dates will be for next summer. Well, here they are!

Full Season: Saturday, June 18th – Thursday, August 11th

First Session: Saturday, June 18th – Thursday, July 14th

Second Session: Saturday, July 16th – Thursday, August 11th.

CIT Program : Sunday, June 12th – Thursday, August 11th.

In other words, 2011 dates are the same as 2010. Only the days of the week are different. We will be sending you complete enrollment information in a couple of weeks.

End of Season Information

Here are some final details about the end of your daughter’ s stay at Kamaji:

1.  If your daughter is missing clothing or equipment items, please notify us as soon  as possible.

2. Your daughter’s store account refund or bill will be sent within the next two weeks.

3. We’ll be asking you to complete an evaluation form soon. We hope you’ll complete it as your input is invaluable to us when planning for Kamaji’s 2011 season. If you have a more immediate concern, feel free to contact us now.

Some Thoughts About the Session From Ye Directors
(Ed. Note: This section of the letter may sound familiar to many of you. The concepts are not new, but we’ve freshened it up a bit.)
Be prepared! In a few days your daughter will be hanging out with you. Kamaji’s 97th season will be history. We want to warn you that your daughter may, at any time during her first few days at home, fall into the “Kamaji Zone”. You will immediately notice a change in her behavior. Don’t worry as these changes will only last a short time. Right after your daughter eats breakfast don’t, we repeat don’t, panic if your daughter suddenly jumps on the kitchen chair and sings at the top of her lungs.  That’s what we do at meals.

And after breakfast, YOU had better sit down. We don’t want you to faint if your daughter runs to her room to make her bed and straighten up her closet. Don’t worry. We are confident that THIS behavior won’t last more than a few days.

If you are sitting at the dinner table and you would like her to get something from the kitchen, just tell her that it’s her turn to be “hopper”. And if you go out to dinner at a nice restaurant, please remind her NOT to put her chair on the table when you leave.

And be prepared. Your daughter will expect you to have 4 or 5 different activities planned for her each day. (How about windsurfing, horseback riding, ceramics and sailing -
just to start.)

There may be certain words missing from her vocabulary – Words like “TV”, “texting”,
“facebook”, “download” and even “hair dryer” – Don’t worry. Most girls will pick up these terms quickly.

There are other behaviors – too numerous to mention, that you may observe during the first few days your daughter is home. If you cannot interpret any of them, feel free to call the “Kamaji Kommand and Kontrol”. Trained camp personnel will be on duty 24 hours a day to answer your call.

Another way to ease your daughter’s transition into the “other” world is to show her the “Smugmug” pictures. She hasn’t seen any of them and what a great way to re-live the past few weeks. We suggest that you go through the pictures with her. We don’t want you to miss the chuckles.

When parents and friends talk to us about camp, one of the questions often asked is, “How has camp changed over the past few years?”. Well, camp hasn’t changed much. Oh sure, when the campers arrived this summer they were pretty excited to see the brand new ski boat, but the magic of camp is that it’s pretty much the same as it was 20, 40 or 60 years ago. The biggest change over the past few years is not with Kamaji, but with Kamaji’s campers. They are more enthusiastic about camp than ever before. We believe one explanation for this change is that kids feel more disconnected from their school and neighborhoods than in the past. I-Pods, e-mail, cell phones and Facebook made it possible for all of us to communicate with each other without any real human contact. It literally takes less energy to send an email message halfway around the world than it does to walk
over and say “hello” to your next door neighbor. Contrast all this to life at camp. No matter what you do here at camp, you do it with other people who can hear, see and touch you. We eat together, sing together, learn how to do new things together. We know each other’s names. We laugh with each other, swim with “buddies”, sail with a crew, set tables with our tribe, clean cabins together, sort laundry with our porchmates. We have a shared language (Metigs, Za, Za 2, O’Naug, keylog, gooey rolls), a shared history (“We were here in ‘010, ‘010…”), our own rituals (Boy, oh boy, what a day it’s been!), and most of all, shared experiences (remember our canoe trip, Tribe Day, Adventure Day).

In simple terms we are a “community” where each camper is connected to her porchmates, her counselors, her tribemates, her “Kami Sister”. We touch, see and hear each other a million times every day. Yup, Kamaji has changed over the years. We have more fun than ever before! Maybe campers have figured out that sleeping in a bed right below your best friend is a whole lot better thanbeing a “friend” on Facebook.

One Last Favor . . .
The crazy economic news of the past two years have brought scary times for many private summer camps, including Kamaji. 2010 was a good recruiting year for us. The number of new campers this summer is up 135% over the summer of 2009. That’s thanks to the support of many of you. After all, referrals are really our only means of finding new campers. If you know families who might be interested in hearing about Kamaji, please let us know. Referrals can be friends of yours, friends of your daughter’s, relatives from another city or business contacts. We’re never get tired of talking about camp, so please send the names and contact information for anyone who may want to hear Kamaji’s story. Thanks in advance for your help.

Final Comments
This has been quite a season! Even though we’ve been camp directors for a long time, every season is brand new. There are a couple of things that will make 2010 a season to remember.  One of most striking things about this season is just how the campers seem to embrace the magic of camp. Yesterday’s evening program, our final Council Fire, is a great example. Here’s some background. Council Fire is as old-fashioned as can be. The program includes a ceremonial lighting of the five council fires, a look back at the previous week, songs, stories and a chance for each camper and counselor to speak in front of the entire camp. The final Council Fire of the season is alw ays pretty long. Last night’s program lasted a bit over two hours and ended at 10:10 pm. Here’s what made last night magical. For the entire two hours the campers sat quietly and listened to others talk, sing and tell stories. It was a beautiful evening and no doubt the campers also listened to the loons in the distance, w atched the setting sun, followed by the arrival of the darkness and then the appearance of thousands of stars. And we’re sure everyone spent at least a few minutes mesmerized by “ as the council fires leap towards the sky.”  And at the end of the program, everyone stands, joins hands and sings Kamaji’s Council Fire Song, written by a Kamaji camper in 1924. The light from the fires lit up the campers’ faces as they sang. And then the campers and counselors walked slowly and quietly away to the beat of
Kamaji’s 100 year Native American drum. If this had been a scene in a movie you wouldn’t have believed it.

The second thing that stands out is just how much fun the campers seemed to have during the past few weeks. When we say “ fun” what we mean is just how creative and silly the campers can be. Whether it’s making floats for the Float Parade or just playing with  flashlights in the cabin, these campers know how to get a make fun out of almost any  situation. It’s great to see.
Lastly, thanks to you for entrusting us with your daughter. We know what a leap of faith putting your daughter on that plane represents. Our kids are 26 and 22, and we still worry every time they leave the house. We also know how excited you must be to welcome  your daughter back home.

We sincerely w ish you and your family the very best for the rest of the summer and the
upcoming fall. We hope that your daughter enjoyed herself as much as w e enjoyed having her here at Kamaji this summer.  Hoping she’ll be back for camp’s 98th season in 2011.

“Boy, Oh Boy, What a Summer It’ s Been!”

Yours,
Mike, Kathy and Kat

In a surprise ceremony held today, August 7, 2010, the dining hall at Camp Kamaji was named “Sloan Hall” to celebrate Marjena Sloan’s 30th consecutive summer as Kamaji’s Head Cook.   If you have been lucky enough to be a Kamaji camper or staff member during the past three decades,  your memories of camp probably include the wonderful meals which Marjena has prepared.  It took a bit of ciphering but we conservatively estimate that Marjena has served over 375,000 meals at Kamaji!

For the past 30 years, when it was time to “Ringie the Dingie” for mealtimes at camp, Kamaji campers happily filed into Kamaji’s dining hall to feast on food prepared by Marjena Sloan.  Beginning today, when Kamaji campers hear that bell, they’ll head to “Sloan Hall”.

To Marjena we say “Thank you for your hard work, your dedication, your loyalty to Kamaji, and, most importantly, your friendship!!  Forever you will be a part of Kamaji!”

Kamaji Hugs From

Kathy and Mike and All

Campers/Staff 1981-2010

P.S.   Stay tuned for the first edition of “Just Add Water, Favorite Kamaji Recipes of Marjena Sloan” which we’ll make available on Kamaji’s website this fall.

Thursday, the big evening finally arrived. Each porch group lined up with their floats on the stone steps leading down to the waterfront. The Float Parade Drum Majors, completed with twirling batons, blew their whistles and the parade was off. For the next 25 minutes, everyone marched around the Lodge, up to the Arts Village and Archery field, and past the pump and Cabin 3 on their way back to the Lodge. (The parade crowd was a bit thin
simply because all the camper and cabin counselors were in the parade, however, the kitchen staff found the Float Parade quite entertaining.) Once inside the lodge, each group took the stage with their float, their float cheer and, of course, their costumes. The presentations were quite wonderful, as were the floats themselves. The Float Parade ended with a short, joyous dance party. It was pretty, darn terrific.

Quite honestly, Kamaji’s Directors were more than a little skeptical about this evening program.  As far as we can remember, there’s never been an evening program which took more than, well, an evening. We didn’t really believe that the campers and counselors would remain interested/invested in the Float Parade over a few weeks. Well, we were wrong. Being wrong is what happens every time we underestimate the creativity and enthusiasm of Kamaji’s campers and counselors.  We’ve posted pictures of Kamaji’s Float Parade. We had a bit trouble with the camera and the quality of the pictures isn’t what we hoped, however, you can clearly see the enthusiasm of all involved.

One more program note. On Friday evening, we were treated to the drama program
production of Mama Mia. Congrats to all 31 members of the cast. The performance was
terrific. And, due to scheduling problems and all the wilderness trips, the complete cast was able to rehearse together for a total of 45 minutes. Wow! What a show!

News bits
The Great Spirit continues to smiles upon us. The weather the past few days has been just
about perfect. Mostly sunny, high temps between 75 and 80 degrees. We couldn’t ask for
more summer-like weather than we are currently enjoying!!

Our Wilderness Trip Program winds down this weekend. Cabin 4 Porch 2, Nutshell Porch 6, the eight week Pine Manor campers and a few lucky horseback riders will all have their trips completed by this evening. (There are pictures of Nutshell Porch 6 stop at the famous
Mississippi River Sandhill on Smugmug.) As Kamaji’s Directors, we always breath a sign of
relief when all the campers have returned to camp safe and sound. We hope each of the
campers enjoyed their camping experience. We imagine you’ll hear about your daughter’s trip in a few days . . . or at least upon her return home.

Well, that’s all for now. We’ll be sending you end of the season news in a couple of days. It’s
hard to believe Kamaji’s 97 season is almost over. Oh well, we’ve still got a lot of camping to do.

Mike, Kathy and Kat

We must start with Sunday August 1st. At the end of breakfast, Tribe Day was announced! After much carrying on and cheering, the campers headed off to their cabins. After a brief cabin cleanup it was time to get fired up for Tribe Day. That meant putting on every piece of clothing in your tribe color and maybe adding some face paint to match. After a brief meeting in the Lodge, each camper then headed off to the first of her three activities. Now these weren’t the normal Kamaji activities. For instance, in Dance, two campers from each tribe had to make up and preform a three-legged, three-armed dance. What’s a three-legged, three-armed dance? Well, that where the campers tie one of their legs and one of their arms to their partners leg and arm. In horseback riding, the campers had to ride an obstacle course and then bob for apples.

After each camper completed their three activities, it was time to head to the waterfront for the Tribe Day Picnic Lunch, featuring the traditional foot long hotdogs, the traditional potato salad, and the traditional baked beans. Of course, dessert was the traditional watermelon. Now you may think that watermelon isn’t a great treat, however, there’s more to the watermelon than just dessert. After the campers were handed their watermelon, they all marched out on the swim docks for the traditional watermelon seed spitting. It’s quite a sight — just imagine 200 campers and counselors, dressed from head-to-toe in their tribe colors, all spitting watermelon seeds into Wolf Lake.

After a much needed Tribe Day rest period, everyone changed into her swimsuit for Tribe Day swim and canoe relays. Highlights included the Put-Six-Campers-in-a-Canoe,- Give-Them-Empty-Buckets-and-See-Which-Tribe-Can-Sink-Every-Other-Tribe’s-Canoe race and, everybody’s favorite, The-Open-Faced-Peanut-Butter-Sandwich-on-the-Face Swim Relay.

When the campers finished up on the waterfront, they changed back into their tribe colors and headed to the Lodge to decorate for the traditional Tribe Banquet. That’s where the dining room tables are moved into the Lodge and grouped together so the tribes can sit together. Perhaps the best part of Tribe Banquet is dessert: the traditional Ice Cream Sundae Buffet. Finally, everyone headed back to the waterfront for the raising of the tribe flags. The Mundahmin’s flag ended up at the top of the flagpole. If you haven’t seen the Tribe Day Smugmug pictures, check them out.

Another example of how much fun camp can be was last night’s evening program. After the traditional Adventure Day Rainbow Burger BBQ, everyone headed to the archery field for Recess Night.  Campers and counselors scurried between the following school yard games: Bombardment, 4 Square, Double Dutch Jump Rope, Spud, Knock Out and Hop Scotch. There was also a generous supply of sidewalk chalk. Now, you may think that the campers would consider these games old-fashioned.  Well, what’s old is now new. The campers and counselors couldn’t have enjoyed themselves more. When the “Recess is Over” announcement was made, a chorus of boos could be heard all over camp.

By the way, during last Tuesday’s Adventure Day, the Cabin 2 Porch 2 counselors came up with a wonderful idea. They decided to produce their own music video. After shooting it, Mariana LaMadrid and Laine Schwarberg, two of the counselors, spent a few days secretly editing the footage and on Monday night, the whole camp was treated to the premier showing. It is pretty darn cute. Want to see it? Go to http://vimeo.com/13864416 and take a look. (The video is password protected – email kathy@kamaji for the password.)

News from our Travel Department
Last Monday, two groups of 7 Pine Manor campers each returned from their week-long adventure to the White Otter Wilderness Area north of Atikokan, Ontario. This trip is the culmination to the Kamaji trip program. These groups canoed for hours and portaged between lakes in a true wilderness area. The memories of this trip will last a lifetime. Check out the Canadian pictures on Smugmug.

During the rest of last week, a group of campers from the Cabin on the Hill also completed a four day canoe trip to Voyageurs National Park along the U.S./Canadian border. Cabin 2 Porch 1 went on a three day trip to Lake Andrusia and Cocoon went on a two day Mississippi River trip and the Hatchery gang completed their two day trip to Webster Lake. Also nine lucky campers went on a three day Lake Superior climbing trip to Minnesota’s beautiful North Shore. Check out Smugmug to see just how beautiful.

This week Cabin 3 Porch 2 headed out for a three day trip on the Crow Wing River, Tikinigan, Nutshell Porch 4 and Nutshell Porch 5 each went on their two-day Mississippi River trips and a lucky group of campers took an overnight horseback trip. Later this week, they’ll be another riding trip, Cabin 4 Porch 2 is taking an overnight trip to Webster Lake and Nutshell Porch 6 is taking a three day trip to Lake Andrusia. And the eight week Pine Manor campers will take Kamaji’s 100 year old, 27 foot canoes to Star Island! Whew, we’ll be busy right up to the end of the camping season.

Club Med Remains Quiet
The good news is that there isn’t much news from Kamaji’s Club Med. Alan Braverman, Kamaji’s Camp Doc for the past week reports some bruises, sniffles and poison ivy, but nothing more serious. Remember, if your daughter is admitted to Club Med or is taken to Bemidji for any medical reason, we’ll call you. Let’s hope the “Vacancy” sign stays lit at Club Med.

Weather News
While much of the you have been sweating every time you walk outside, we have enjoyed delightful weather. For the past two weeks we’ve had high temperatures between 75 and 82 degrees. We’ve had some rain, but happily it really hasn’t interrupted our program. For instance, on Tribe Day we had a couple of rain showers. One was during swim relays and we just  retreated to the lodge for a 10 minute songfest before returning to the waterfront. The other rain – more torrential-like – occurred during dinner, so it hardly mattered. That’s been the story of the summer: rain when we’re indoors. There have been plenty of picture perfect days, too. Yesterday, for instance was just about perfect. Sunny, nice breeze and a high temp of 81 degrees. And the forecast continues to be pretty good. Keep your fingers crossed.

That’s all for now. Sorry we haven’t written more. We’ve been having too much fun.

Mike, Kathy and Kat

Every Tuesday, Kamaji takes a break from its typical day schedule.  On Adventure Day campers spend the entire day with their porch mates and cabin counselors.  From a major cabin clean-up to sorting through a week’s worth of laundry to send out to the laundromat to picnic-ing at lunchtime, Tuesdays mornings through lunch are somewhat routine.  The afternoon is when the fun begins as cabin and porch groups plan and participate in  activities of their own making that are, in a word, adventuresome.

Following is a video produced and edited by Cabin 2, Porch 2 recapping their July 27th Adventure Day antics.  We think it best describes ‘a-typical’ Kamaji Adventure Day activity far better than we could ever put in words!!

Here’s how yesterday’s Adventure played out. After breakfast, it’s everybody’s favorite time of the day – Cabin Clean-up. Adventure Day Cabin Clean-Up is a much more thorough job because it includes changing sheets and getting everyone’s laundry ready to go to the laundromat and an all-out cabin cleaning (think Spring Cleaning!!). While getting all the campers’ laundry together may sound like an adventure all by itself, it’s only the beginning of Adventure Day. After a picnic lunch, each porch group sets off for an afternoon porch-group specific activities – planned by the group in advance and anticipation of Adventure Day. Groups can opt to do some normal camp activities like sail, swim, waterski or play tennis plus some not-so-normal activities like putting on fashion shows, going on photo scavenger hunts, having Lady Gaga make-overs, shucking corn, making signs to hang over beds or a cabin banner; believe-it-or-not, there are even scheduled shower parties complete with music. (A great incentive to get the girls to shower and wash their hair!). You can check out pictures of some of these activities on Kamaji’s Photo Gallery.

Adventure Day’s dinner is the incredibly popular Rainbow Burger outdoor barbecue. After last night’s dinner, each porch group got together to design a porch float for a Porch Float Parade that will be held next week. There were a lot of giggles and funny designs. When the bell rang at about 8:30 pm, a wonderful Adventure Day came to an end. At least we thought it came to an end.

At about 8:45, we heard a whole lot of noise coming from outside the office. When we stepped outside, we saw that there were a bunch of counselors and campers playing a game we did not recognize.   There were two teams of folks on one side of the imaginary field and a few counselors sitting on the other side of the imaginary field. They were playing some sort of made-up Disney Trivia game. Here’s how it worked. The counselors sitting would call out a Disney trivia question, Something like, “Who was Captain Hook’s first mate?” The first person who ran across the imaginary field and answered the trivia question (Schmee!) got a point for their team. It was clear that the game had started spontaneously and that the questions were being made up on the spot. There was so much laughter and commotion that before you could say “Steamboat Willy”, the two teams of folks had grown to four or five teams. Campers and counselors wandering by joined in – no invite necessary.   It was quite a scene. It was if the campers and counselors just didn’t want to see an end to the first Adventure day of the session.

Where else but camp could a group of nine, ten and eleven year old kids get together with a bunch of 20 something adults and make up a game that kept them laughing and cheering until the setting sun meant the game had to end?

And now the weather: If your daughter was a second session camper last summer, you might remember that we experienced the coolest session in Kamaji’s past 30 years. Well, this session the Great Spirit has been smiling on Kamaji. When the campers stepped off the buses last Friday, it was actually warmer (82 degrees) than it was at any time during last year’s second session. We have had a few showers, but nothing that slowed down the program. Heck, we even had a Camp Directors’ Thunderstorm on Tuesday. A Camp Directors Thunderstorm is an official U.S. Weather Service term for rain which occurs between midnight and 7 am. By the time the campers woke up on Tuesday morning, the sun was shining.   It was truly a picture perfect day:  sunny with low humidity and a high of 81 degrees.  Thanks, Great Spirit!

Kamaji’s Wilderness Tripping Program is already running at full speed. At 6 am on Tuesday, Pine and Manor left on their week-long Canadian canoe trips. They will spend the next week paddling and portaging in the pristine White Otter Wilderness Area north of Atikokan, Ontario. Also on Tuesday a mixed group of campers from Cabin 4 and Cabin on the Hill left for a four day trip to Voyageurs National Park. And today, Cabin 3 Porch 1 took off for a three day Crow Wing River trip and Cabin 1 paddled off for their three day trip to Lake Andrusia.

And there’s good news from Club Med, Kamaji Health Center. There has been a few sniffles, bumps, bruises and bug bites, but nothing more serious than that. This week, Club Med’s staff is headed up by Dr. Adam Blonsky. Adam is pediatrician from St. Charles, IL and is spending his third rotation on the shores of Wolf Lake. Joining Adam in Club Med are three nursing assistants. Rebekah Bass, Cari Zuckerman, Sharma Prosser – all fourth year BSN nursing students who are spending their first summer at Kamaji. It is Kamaji’s policy to have Cari, Sharma or Rebekah call you if your daughter is admitted for an overnight stay in Club Med or is taken to see a doctor or dentist in town. (We do NOT call if your daughter spends a few hours just resting in Club Med or if she visits for a scraped knee, sore throat, bug bite, applied band-aid or Tylenol request). Kamaji’s policy assures you that if your daughter receives anything more than routine health care you’ll hear from us. No health-related news is good news.

FYI: On Saturday, Alan Braverman, a cardiologist from St. Louis will replace Adam Blonsky as Camp Doc. This will be Alan’s 5th stint at Kamaji. And on July 31, Alan’s place will be taken by Cat Dean, a gynecologist from St. Louis, who will be spending her 13th summer as Camp Doc. Cat will be with us until the end of the camp season.

Well, that’s all for now. We’ll write again in a few days. In the meantime, if you have any questions about your daughter’s experience at Kamaji, just write or call.

Campingly,
Mike, Kathy and Kat

The mom who sent in the picture (printed with permission of all present in the photo) writes:

For the 3rd summer, many of your Chicago campers moms have enjoyed a
lovely night out together w/o having to get home for our kids.
Someone lovingly nicknamed our group the ‘Momajis’. This summer we
let Tom Dutton join us. While we know our kids are having a great
time at camp, we’re having our own fun w/o kids around (or w/ less
kids). Thanks for taking such good care of them for us!

Your Friends in Chicago

Need Ye Directors say more??!!

I woke abruptly, with a catch in my throat as I realized the immediacy of the day, both for myself and for her.

I have missed her. I am aching to put my arms around her after a month’s absence. I am so eager to hear her stories of archery and camping trips and Tribe Day and evening talent shows. And after a while, I know, she will drop back into her own-selfness, and I will lose the glimpse of Anne at camp.

But, this morning, I am feeling a lump in my own throat as I look at the clock and know they are loading the buses to leave camp. My own eyes are pricking as I consider the hugs, the last glances through the trees, the promises to write . . . Did it rain there last night, as it did here? Is the ground damp and earthy scented? Are the trees weeping raindrops onto the backs of weeping girls? Did anyone run down the steps to the lake, to breathe the morning mist and hear once more the kak-kak of the mergansers, perhaps the warbling of the loons? No doubt that beautiful, soft whispering of the lofty white pine branches is obscured this morning by gasping sobs and tearful laughter. How many girls look around, gulping it all in, distantly aware that it will never, ever be the same as it is today?

Girls will stay in touch; e-mails will be exchanged, letters will be sent, giddy reunions will take place. Campers and staff members will return another year. The jewel in the north woods will remain, preserved in hearts and memories through the winter. And then, next summer, the lodge, the Nutshell, the stone steps, the lake . . . all will be there. Small changes evolve, but camp will still be camp.

But it will never be the same as it is today, this month, this year. This precious moment, the one with the perfect synchronicity of cabin mates, tribe members, counselors, coincidence and weather will remain only in our remembering. In another month, another year, we will be older, we will view the world and each other . . . differently. We can never stand in exactly this wonderful place again.

I think kids get it as they say their goodbyes. One can, perhaps, survive just fine away from that friend who plays tetherball, without that counselor’s encouragement, without that play to rehearse. In a larger view, a picture broader than camp’s, these things may become less essential. But today, it is all here, all the fun, the challenge, the disappointment, the sweetness and wonder. It is all coalesced in a magical place and time, under the pines on a lake up north.

What we are saying farewell to is this moment, this month of magical moments, the amazing, exuberant serendipity of life at camp. Girls embrace counselors, clutch tightly to them as if to embed the feelings in their hearts. Moist-eyed and wistful faces watch the buses pull away through the tall pines. Some travelers will grow quiet as they make last looks, memorize the place, the faces, the feelings.

In a few hours, she’ll be home, back to the house and people she left a few weeks ago. In her soul, she carries a month of adventures. I want to hear them all. I want to know how her world has changed this month. I want to hear about canoeing blisters and gritty s’mores, windless sailing days and exhilarating performances. I want the details of every arrow gone astray, every toast at banquet, of Capture the Flag and Adventure Day. I want to hear all her triumphs and disappointments.

I’ll get a smattering. Some of it will be fun to tell, and she may or may not recreate for herself and for us the vividness, the immediacy and truth of each moment. I’ll hear a healthy dose of stories today, and tomorrow over lunch. And I crave that.

But, I’m guessing the most important stuff will seep out over the next weeks and months. A passing reference to the climbing wall, an off-hand remark about “. . . once, when I was on the Barnett . . .”, these will be the truly telling stories, the ones that ever-so-subtly and maddeningly gradually will show me what camp was about. It’ll be the stuff that comes out almost unconsciously. The things that have wormed their way into her outlook, that shape her perspective and influence her taste and choices. These are the thoughts and ideas that stay with her long after she’s left the magical place up north.

While these things that endure are, to my mind, the most precious part of her adventures at camp, they are also, paradoxically, what she is bidding farewell to this morning. Those poignant moments, the crystalline events that shape her new wisdom and understanding, these are ephemeral. The lessons and memories endure, but the process, the experience of acquiring the joy, the hurt, the hope, the wisdom and understanding is forever ensconced at Kamaji. It is those moments of enlightenment, whether conscious or not, those brilliant bits of Kamaji-flavored living that the girls say goodbye to this morning. The lessons, the memories, the sunburns and friendship bracelets all go home, but the lovely, luscious process of living and learning at camp stays at the end of the rainbow.

In a few hours, I’ll see her, my daughter will be home. I know she’ll be a little sad, a little disoriented, tired and dirty. I hope she’ll be a little bit happy to see us, to sleep in clean sheets and have plenty of hot water. I can’t wait to see her, to get my arms around her and to hold that brilliant rainbow tucked inside her.

Judy Welch Meisner
July 14, 2009
Kamaji Alumnae ‘67-’69, ‘71,’73
Kamaji Doctor ‘01-’10
Kamaji Camper Parent ‘08-’10

If you are meeting your daughter at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport, you should pick her up at the Transit Center between 11:30 am and noon. Your daughter and her luggage will be there.

If your daughter is flying on DL 3482 to St. Louis, DL 5682 to Chicago O’Hare or SW 200 to Chicago Midway she will be escorted by a Kamaji counselor. That means you probably won’t be able to meet your daughter at the gate, however, you can try to get Delta or Southwest to issue you a security pass. If you can’t get to the gate, the counselor will escort your daughter to baggage claim and remain with her until you arrive.

If your daughter is on a flight other than the ones mentioned above and is flying home as an “Unaccompanied Minor” you should be able to obtain a security pass from the airline which will allow you to meet your daughter at her arrival gate. Plan on arriving at the airport in plenty of time to obtain your security pass.

If you have any questions about travel, just ask.

END OF SEASON INFORMATION
Here are some final details about the end of your daughter’s stay at Kamaji:
1. If your daughter is missing clothing or equipment items, please notify us as soon as possible.
2. Your daughter’s store account refund or bill will be sent to you before September 1.
3. Information about Kamaji’s 2011 camping season will be sent to you in a few weeks.
4. We’ll be sending you an evaluation form from us in the next few weeks. We hope you’ll complete it. If you have a more immediate concern, feel free to contact us now.

SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT THE SESSION FROM YE DIRECTORS
(Ed. Note: This section of the letter may sound familiar to many of you. The concepts are not new, but we’ve freshened it up a bit.)

Be prepared! In a few days your daughter will be hanging out with you. The first session of Kamaji’s 97th season will be history. We want to warn you that your daughter may, at any time during her first few days at home, fall into the “Kamaji Zone”. You will immediately notice a change in her behavior. Don’t worry as these changes will only last a short time. Right after your daughter eats breakfast don’t, we repeat don’t, panic if your daughter suddenly jumps on the kitchen chair and sings at the top of her lungs. That’s what we do at meals. And after breakfast, YOU had better sit down. We don’t want you to faint if your daughter runs to her room to make her bed and straighten up her closet. Don’t worry. We are confident that THIS behavior won’t last more than a few days. If you are sitting at the dinner table and you would like her to get something from the kitchen, just tell her that it’s her turn to be “hopper”. And if you go out to dinner at a nice restaurant, please remind her NOT to put her chair on the table when you leave. And be prepared. Your daughter will expect you to have 4 or 5 different activities planned for her each day. (How about windsurfing, horseback riding, ceramics and sailing – just to start.) There may be certain words missing from her vocabulary – Words like “TV”, “texting”, “facebook”, “download” and even “hair dryer” – Don’t worry. Most girls will pick up these terms quickly. There are other behaviors – too numerous to mention, that you may observe during the first few days your daughter is home. If you cannot interpret any of them, feel free to call the “Kamaji Kommand and Kontrol”. Trained camp personnel will be on duty 24 hours a day to answer your call.

Another way to ease your daughter’s transition into the “other” world is to show her the “Smugmug” pictures. She hasn’t seen any of them and what a great way to re-live the past few weeks. We suggest that you go through the pictures with her. We don’t want you to miss the chuckles. Heck, you both can follow Kamaji’s second session through the posted pictures.

When parents and friends talk to us about camp, one of the questions often asked is, “How has camp changed over the past few years?”. Well, camp hasn’t changed much. Oh sure, when the campers arrived this summer they were pretty excited to see the brand new ski boat, but the magic of camp is that it’s pretty much the same as it was 20, 40 or 60 years ago. The biggest change over the past few years is not with Kamaji, but with Kamaji’s campers. They are more enthusiastic about camp than ever before. We believe one explanation for this change is that kids feel more disconnected from their school and neighborhoods than in the past. I-Pods, e-mail, cell phones, Facebook and unrealistic academic demands have made it possible for all of us to communicate with each other without any real human contact. It literally takes less energy to send an email message halfway around the world than it does to walk over and say “hello” to your next door neighbor. Contrast all this to life at camp. No matter what you do here at camp, you do it with other people who can hear, see and touch you. We eat together, sing together, learn how to do new things together. We know each other’s names. We laugh with each other, swim with “buddies”, sail with a crew, set tables with our tribe, clean cabins together, sort laundry with our porchmates. We have a shared language (Metigs, Za, Za 2, O’Naug, keylog, gooey rolls), a shared history (“We were here in ‘010, ‘010…”), our own rituals (Boy, oh boy, what a day it’s been!), and most of all, shared experiences (remember our canoe trip, Tribe Day, Adventure Day). In simple terms we are a “community” where each camper is connected to her porchmates, her counselors, her tribemates, her “Kami Sister”. We touch, see and hear each other a million times every day. Yup, Kamaji has changed over the years. We have more fun than ever before! Maybe campers have figured out that sleeping in a bed right below your best friend is a whole lot better than being a “friend” on Facebook.

ONE LAST FAVOR….
The crazy economic news of the past two years have brought scary times for many private summer camps, including Kamaji. 2010 was a good recruiting year for us. The number of new campers this summer is up 135% over the summer of 2009. That’s thanks to the support of many of you. After all, referrals are really our only means of finding new campers. If you know families who might be interested in hearing about Kamaji, please let us know. Referrals can be friends of yours, friends of your daughter’s, relatives from another city or business contacts. We’re never get tired of talking about camp, so please send the names and contact information for anyone who may want to hear Kamaji’s story. Thanks in advance for your help.

FINAL COMMENTS
This has been quite a session! Even though we’ve been camp directors for a long time, every session is brand new. There are a couple of things that stand out about the past few weeks.

First of all, on June 18th, we greeted 38 new campers. Some were as young as 7 years old and, for the first time in recent history, we had 2 new 15 year olds. It was AMAZING just how quickly all 38 of the new campers were swallowed into the Kamaji Kommunity. Not one “homesick” talk! Not even close to one “homesick” talk. That’s quite a tribute to the campers, their counselors and, yes, you, their parents. And, it seemed as if each new camper was greeted with open arms and a huge smile by the returning campers as well! If your daughter was a new camper this summer, we hope she now feels that Kamaji is her “home away from home.”

The second thing that stands out is just how much fun the campers seemed to have during the past few weeks. When we say “fun” what we mean is just how creative and silly the campers can be. Whether it’s dressing up for Alien Abduction Night or just playing with flashlights in the cabin, these campers know how to get a make fun out of almost any situation. It’s great to see.
Lastly, thanks to you for trusting us with your daughter. We know what a leap of faith putting your daughter on that plane represents. Our kids are 26 and 22, and we still worry every time they leave the house. We also know how excited you must be to get your daughter back home.

We sincerely wish you and your family the very best for the rest of the summer and the upcoming fall. We hope that your daughter enjoyed herself as much as we enjoyed having her here and that she will return for Kamaji’s 98th season. “Boy, Oh Boy, What a Month It’s Been!”

Yours,
Mike, Kathy and Kat ]]> http://www.kamaji.com/blog/2010/07/camp-kamaji-notes-end-of-session-edition-july-12-2010/feed/ 0 http://www.kamaji.com/blog/2010/07/tuesday-july-6th-a-day-of-contrasts/ http://www.kamaji.com/blog/2010/07/tuesday-july-6th-a-day-of-contrasts/#comments Thu, 08 Jul 2010 22:38:05 +0000 Kamaji http://www.kamaji.com/blog/?p=935 The campers and counselors enjoyed an absolutely spectacular camp day. Bright sunshine, crystal clear skies, light breezes and temps in the upper 70’s. Kamaji looked like a movie set today. Cabin 4 Porch 2, Cabin on the Hill, Nutshell Porch 3 and Cabin 1 Porch 2 all left on their respective canoe trips. For those campers remaining at camp, it was Adventure Day.  Porch groups swam, skied, painted the huge propane tank to look like a Converse tennis shoe, put on fashion shows and played tennis. A wonderful Rainbow Burger BBQ was followed by more games on the archery field. What a day for campers and counselors alike!
For Ye Camp Directors, it was, well, just one of those days. It was one thing after another. Things got started at about 4:30 am when we received the first of about 5 computer generated phone calls. That’s when the phone rings and you pick it up and there is nothing but a beeping noise. (We eventually unplugged the phones in our house.) Later that morning came the realization that the huge propane tank (which supplies propane to the camp kitchen and would later be painted to look like a shoe) had basically ran out of propane because the propane company forgot to deliver propane. Next the brand new, really big commercial water heater (which supplies the camp kitchen) stopped heating water. At lunch, the Hubbard County Water Sheriff showed up to do his yearly inspection of all Kamaji’s boat registrations.  That’s a lot of boats: 24 canoes,  20 kayaks, 13 sailboats, 6 motor boats.  There were about 800 other things that conspired to keep Ye Directors firmly cemented in the office. Of course, it didn’t help that everyone who came into the office yesterday commented on what a beautiful day it was.

Ye Camp Directors were actually planning on going out for dinner for the first time this summer, when one of the nursing called the office and said that SHE had a medical emergency. One of the other nursing staff rushed her to the ER.  The good news is that the emergency was a false alarm, however, it meant that Kathy needed to be at camp to help with Club Med. No going out to dinner. And so it went until the bell ending the evening program sounded. I headed outside to the office porch to schmooze with the campers as they headed back to their cabins to get ready for bed. That’s when the two camp worlds collided.

The campers and counselors from Nutshell Porch 2 walked by busily talking and laughing.  I stopped them to ask “How was your day?” I heard small tidbits of their Adventure Day tales.  I also heard about Isabella’s pending move from Ft. Collins to somewhere in Texas, Izzy’s excitement about her grandmother’s pending stay at Kamaji as the Camp Doctor, and Posey’s review of her parents’ recent visit to camp.  Understand when you ask a group of 10 year olds that question, they answer all at once, so these stories took about 90 seconds to tell. Then I heard one of the campers say the words, “night swim”.

“What?” I asked and one of the campers said that it was such a nice day and she wondered if the cabin could go for late evening swim. I said “Sure. I’ll be the lifeguard. Go get changed. I’ll meet you at the swim area in 10 minutes.”

Ten minutes later as I walked down the steps toward the lake, I could barely take everything in. The lake looked like a picture postcard. The sun was still lighting up the far shoreline. The water reflected the deep, blue sky and few white clouds. A mother wood duck and her six ducklings were sunning themselves on one of the floating rafts. And the campers and counselors of Nutshell Porch 2 were sitting on steps ready to for their “night swim”. As soon as I said “Let’s go!” the eight campers and three counselors barefooted out on the dock. They lined up on he dock and someone said, “One, two, three.” While everyone jumped into Wolf Lake, the family of ducks jumped off the raft and headed for a quieter waters.

For the next 25 minutes I couldn’t believe the scene in front of me. The setting sun! Wolf Lake still except for the swimming Nutshellers and ducks. Even an eagle was soaring down the shoreline. And there was only one word to describe the sounds of campers and counselors — Joy.

Nothing was really organized, but the campers and staff probably made up about 100 different games during the 25 minutes of their “night swim”.  And the air was filled with constant chatter and giggles.  I felt as if I was had landed in the middle of a movie meant to show summer camp as some sort of nirvana.

Only at Kamaji it was real.

In the end, yesterday turned out to be was a terrific day for campers, counselors and, yes, even Ye Directors, too. Thanks Nutshell Porch 2 for making me forget about the hot water heater, the 4:30 am phone calls, the trip to the ER and the 800 other things that kept me in the office all day. Ain’t camp great??!!

Mike (and Kathy and Kat)