Riding the Winds

“If you surrender to the wind you can ride it.” – Toni Morrison

The 28-mile an hour winds have blown in a camp full of boys today. We are incredibly thankful for the energy and spirit they bring with them.
All the bus campers arrived before 5 p.m., beating Jim DiDomeninco’s predicted arrival time of 5:07 p.m. (Winning!) As tradition dictates, we’ll be eating spaghetti tonight – 20 lbs. of spaghetti, that is! Lois and Greg do an great job in the kitchen. Did you know Lois has been our head chef for more than 20 years? And Greg our awesome sous chef is joining us for his second season. We are psyched!
I wish you could see the scene when the busses arrive. In a matter of just a few moments all boys, duffels, trunks, lacrosse sticks, backpacks and tennis racquets are unloaded quickly and delivered to their cabins. As a mom, I watch the scene and think, “isn’t there some sort of system here?” Apparently you don’t need much of a system when you have 113 years of Highlands magic (and experience) in your pocket. In fact, nearly 100% of our staff has been here before, and of those returning, most of them have been campers here their whole life. They know how it goes! Check this time lapse from this afternoon out (note the end when a pick up soccer game starts!)

Tonight after supper, the boys will play games by division, get the lay of the land, hear some baseline rules and cap the evening off with s’mores. Yep. It’s a hard job but someone has to do it.
Because the camp gods are smiling down on us today, it’s WARM. But our guys will have to wait until tomorrow’s swim tests before they dip. By lunch tomorrow, every boy will be tested and given the low-down on how our buddy system works. We take our waterfront activities very seriously. As Andy always says, “You never walk alone when you walk with safety.” 
There’s a vibe in the atmosphere, and I think it’s more than these gale-force winds. It’s something bigger. 113 years of magic, excitement, heritage, tradition and love is in the air.
113 years. We’re ready for you.
And on that note…
I ♥ CH,
Tracy B.

We’re 29 days away from the start of our 113^th camping season. And we can’t wait!
We have an incredible array of campers and staff coming this season—and we have made some exciting improvements in our camp facilities to ensure that, while we’re still the oldest continuously-operated boys camp in the midwest, we’re still making the necessary improvements to keep camp awesome. Just wait until you see the TWO new cabins we’ve built!
Right now we’re starting to review travel plans, consider cabin assignments and order t-shirts. If you haven’t finished filling out your forms, we encourage you to do so as soon as possible. We especially need to know if your son is going to be riding the bus by May 25. If your son will be taking prescription medication, you are required to register them with CampRx. Those directions can be found in the forms section of the website. We stock most over-the-counter medications like Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Benedryl, etc. at the infirmary to be distributed by our health staff.
If your son’s physical isn’t until closer to the start of camp, that’s OK! While we’d prefer to have them in as soon as possible, we understand the headaches joys of trying to get your kids into the doctor during this busy time. Please make sure to photo copy both front and back of your insurance card and to sign the bottom of that form. That is the medical release form.
Finally, we have two helpful resources that will be like gold to you—especially if you’re a first-time Highlands parent. That is the Highlands Handbook and the Packing List, both of which are located in the Forms and Documents section in the parent log in page. Almost any question you have can be answered in the Handbook. Mail, email, packages, homesickness, medication – you name it – it’s in there.
We are so excited for this upcoming season. We’ve got another incredible lineup on the staff, including a few new faces that I know are going to be awesome fits at Highlands. And we’ve still got a few spaces in our first term—so if you know some great young guy that would benefit from the Highlands experience, send them our way!
We can’t wait for another incredible season at Camp Highlands!
Better. Worthwhile. Highlands.
–Andy

It is with deepest sadness that we pass along the news that our beloved friend and Highlands man Ross Freeland has passed away.
After a valiant battle with late stage gastric cancer, he passed away earlier today with his wife and son, Anna and Eli, and his mother and father Jani and Jim by his side.
Ross influenced hundreds of young men and women through his teaching, coaching and counseling. One of his most outstanding traits is that he brought out the very best in all of us; inviting us to his positive world view and the simple but honest belief that if we will, we can. His never-ending positivity, optimistic view and heart of deep kindness will be a beacon for all of us to look to in all the days ahead.
Memorial service plans are have not yet been determined, but as soon as we have a time, place and date we will be sure to let you know.
In the meantime, do what Ross would want us to do. Have a catch. Watch the sunset. And live your life with meaning, putting God (however God is known to you) first, others second, and be third. Just like Ross.

Dear Highlands Friends,
One of the most powerful Sunday Assemblies from the past decade was when Shaun Trenholm unpacked his trunk, but instead of bringing forth clothes or camping gear, he pulled out letters that he had written to the people who had most influenced him in his life. In that assembly, he encouraged each of us to write those letters to the people who have made a significant impact on our lives.
In this spirit, we invite you to send a verbal letter to our most worthwhile man, Ross. As you know, Ross is in a fierce battle with gastric cancer right now. He and Anna and Eli are doing everything they can to wage this fight. But it is an exhausting battle. And the difficulties weigh heavy on everyone’s hearts. In a recent visit I had with him, the best time we spent was when he and Anna and I could laugh about stories from this past summer and other great moments from our past. It was clear that the cherished memories bring a smile to his heart, and to Anna and to Ross, those smiles are golden.
So we invite you to participate in keepsake CD of cherished memories and stories with Ross. The instructions are simple.
Call in to the number listed below. Enter the 5 digit code. And, when prompted, share your name and then share your story. When you are done you can simply hang up, or listen and re-record your message if you are so inclined. It’s as simple as that. We will keep the recording lines open for one week, ending next Wednesday, March 16^th. Then the CD’s will be sent to Ross and Anna by the end of next week.
We think he would love to hear your voice talking about a special time you shared together, a story about him that always makes you smile, or what you think makes Ross uniquely special. Remember when leaving your message that a meaningful story or shared memory will make the most impact. 
This is simply one more way we can boost Ross, Anna and Eli’s spirits and let them know how loved and cared for they are by people the world over. So, if you are so inclined, prepare your thoughts, remember the joy, and share your story with our most worthwhile man.
Thank you for your love and support.
Here is all you need to do: 
1) Call LifeOnRecord, ‪1-800-606-0697‪ by midnight Pacific Time on March 16.
2) When prompted, enter your Invitation Number: 16075
3) Record your message after the tone. Remember to say your name. When finished you can either hang up or press the # key. If you press the # key you’ll be given options to listen to your recording, accept your recording, or re-record it.
Feel free to forward this onto other people that know Ross so that they can contribute to the keepsake as well. Callers outside of the US and Canada can reference this link for dialing instructions: ‪http://www.lifeonrecord.com/faqs.htm#countries
Thank you for helping to make this a wonderful gift for Ross, Anna and Eli.

I am fresh back from a 500 mile walk across Spain, where I followed in the footsteps of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who, for the last 1600 years or so have been making the journey to Santiago de Compostella, the purported final resting place of St. James the Apostle. It’s a journey I’ve wanted to make since I was 15 years old, and, thanks to the good graces of my wife and family, was able to do it.
Obviously a 500 mile walk will give one plenty of time to think on things. And one of the things I thought on was, “What makes a man worthwhile?” It’s a term we use a lot at Camp Highlands – due to it’s central place in the philosophy of the Highlands Way. And it’s a good question for each of us to consider (as is, for that matter, what makes a person, man or woman, worthwhile?), and one that provides terrific insight into our own expectations of character and quality.
Now – spoiler alert – I am not going to divulge to you the characteristics that I feel MOST exemplify a worthwhile man. But I will gladly share with you that each summer (and this past summer in particular) I can proudly say that I saw outstanding qualities of worthwhile men played out every single day by our exceptional staff. Whether it was in the kind way they offered encouragement to a boy trying to water-ski for the first time, or the gentle way they steered some rambunctious campers towards more peaceable solutions to who gets to play teatherball next. Our staff is the secret to our success at Highlands – and I am always so proud to say that we have an almost 100% return rate for our staff. That means consistency in character, in values, in heritage and in fun. The men and women who make up our staff are the ones who define what a worthwhile man or woman is. And they are the examples your sons look to to help steer them right.
It is time for me to start hiring our staff for next year – and while I know we will have an extremely high percentage of returnees, we are always open to the next outstanding young man (or woman) who will help us round out another excellent season at Camp Highlands. Do you know a great young man (or woman) who would be an outstanding addition to our Highlands family? Then please, send them my way! And, if you haven’t yet done so, don’t forget to sign your boys up for our upcoming season. Because I can guarantee that they will be cared for and counseled by outstanding men and women who exemplify the Worthwhile way. So what are you waiting for? Join us for our 2016 season!
Better. Worthwhile. Highlands.
Andy

A note from F+F coordinator, Tim Bachmann…

“Fare thee well for you must leave us, do not let the parting grieve us, but remember that the best of friends must part, must part. Adieu, adieu good Highlands Friends, Highlands Friends! We’re sorry, that our days must end, days must end – But we’ll be back next year as happy as can be, fare thee well, fare thee well, fare thee well!”

The 47th annual Friends and Family Camp Week has come and gone. The last of our guests has driven out. Staff members have put away the kayaks and canoes, sailboats and paddle boards. The outboards are out of the water. The tennis nets are down. The kitchen staff is busy cleaning out freezers and refrigerators. It’s leftovers for one last lunch. It’s a sad day – but a beautiful one. It’s warm and the lake beckons, though seems much quieter.

We had a banner year this year at Friends + Family Camp. Every cabin was occupied. With our late father, Mike, not here – we simply did what we had to do. We stepped up on the bench of the Doc Monilaw dining room porch and filled his shoes with ours. Andy, Ross and I were no funny-one-of-a-kind Mike – but we were still full of caring, and this was enough. We found that Highlands is still Highlands, and that the ever present void left by Dad’s absence was not something so powerful so as to steal our joy. Camp is still here – if not on an ascent. Thank you, Dad – we saw you all summer – in the breathtaking rainbows and moments of pause. We remembered your specialness so many times, and in so many ways.

One of my first campers, Rob Rousseau (Cabin 23, 1985), was here with his two sons. Who do you think taught them to water ski? It was David Kuesel, the son of Artie Kuesel. Artie taught Rob how to ski – now 30 years ago. Others had the same experience, perhaps with Kent Overbey teaching their children at Adventure. We had 34 alumni on the Peninsula with their respective friends and family. They were universally surprised by the number of faces they knew!

In 1963, Norvil Beeman made a decision. It was yes or no – to sell camp to a 23 year old staff member named Mike Bachmann. Norvil’s answer was yes, and the rest is history. Those of us at CH this summer have Norvil to thank. In fact, this was true more than ever as Norvil’s extended family was with us for a family reunion. Daughters Dottie and Marty were with us – stars of their clan. Memories, reflections, and gratitude for Norvil and his wife Cleo were recorded. Thank you, Beemans!

Tonight, we will take the post camp staff out to dinner. For me, it is one of the highlights of the year. Despite the fact I wasn’t here for Boys Camp, I love these men and women. They have worked SO HARD! They are true Highlands! We will dine at the Clearview Supper Club on Big St. Germain Lake. It will be a wonderful night full of reflections, stories and laughter. Most of all, it will be night full of appreciation –  for the beautiful North Woods, each other, and Camp Highlands. There will be a bittersweet feeling we already feel in our hearts – the realization that another beautiful, happy season at Camp Highlands is over.

Check out the photos on the gallery of all the fun we had. The password can be requested by emailing tracyb@camphighlands.com.

Today marks the beginning of the end of the term (excuse me while I dry my eyes!). Here is what you need to know about this week.
Tuesday: Our final Division Day. The boys hang out as a division, cook out and our cooks enjoy a night off.
Wednesday: The evening brings us Stunt Night our infamously famous talent(less) show. 7:15 p.m.
Thursday: Kerchief ceremony in the evening.
Friday, August 7: Parents are invited to arrive at 3 p.m. to hang out, watch the football tournament, cheer for our 5K racers, meet your child’s counselor and bunkmates. New this year: Please sign in at the office to get your name tag when you get to camp, thank you! Picnic supper is at 6 p.m. followed by our final banquet festivities which conclude around 8:30 p.m.
You are free to take your son after the banquet, please communicate that with your son’s counselor and with the office.
Boys depart camp Saturday, at 8:45 a.m. on the bus back to Chicago. **If your child disembarks in Madison (1 p.m.) or Rockford (2:15 p.m.) PLEASE contact the CH office.
If you haven’t updated your travel information in your parent log in area, please take the time to do so. If you still need to RSVP to the final banquet, you can do that by emailing us at camp. THANK YOU!
It’s going to be a great week!

My kid has been working toward graduating from skiing for three, maybe four years. But what does that mean? And why is it taking such a long time? Here at Highlands we mark our progress through an activity by Achievement Credits (ACs). Each activity has a long list of measurable and achievable goals that boys work through. Week by week, over the years. Once a boy has made his way through all the ACs, there is usually some final piece of the puzzle to complete: a written test, teaching the activity or some other major hurdle to jump.
Our counselors take awarding ACs seriously. Boys really have to work for the credits. It’s not a gimme situation!
On Thursday before final banquet we have an event in the club house called the Kerchief Ceremony. Each camper is recognized for ACs earned over the summer and their achievements are memorialized forever when each boy upon leaving the club house places his stick into the Fire of Friendship. It’s a powerful marker for the hard work our boys have put in. But it marks not only the baskets shot, riflery scores made or whitecaps sailed. It marks the four weeks of living without the comforts of home! It marks the growth and independence each boy has exhibited. It marks the friendships forged through living the Honor Camper Qualities.
We are a week away from our final banquet, and rest assured, our sons are still thriving, growing, learning and challenging themselves! As the sun starts to lower in the sky and the days grow shorter, we are still running, playing and making memories. We will make the most of these last sweet days of summer.
On that note…
I <3 CH,
Tracy B.

 
I just had a parent text me and tell me how sweet our 10-day forecast looked. True story. Our apologies to you folks in Texas, Florida and even Illinois (who are experiencing the weirdest summer weather ever). But the amazing outlook doesn’t just stop at the weather here at Highlands.
How can you have a bad day that starts off with pancakes!? That’s what the boys enjoyed this morning before they set off on their wild adventures.
How can you have a bad day when after your awesome breakfast you then end up at the adventure ropes course with Kent Overby (cabins 21, 17, 9, 13). Or maybe you’re like cabins 1, 24, 17, 25 looking down the barrel at some time skiing on Plum Lake. I’m a big fan of the stand up paddle boarding (SUP) activity – cabins 22, 13, 6 and 7 will be exploring the lake that way today. I can smell the smoke from the fire that the expedition activity built this morning and figure the guys from 14, 13, 22 and 21 are going to have a ball boiling water. The fellows from 24, 25, 10, 15, 16, 18, 9 and 14 will be hooping it up on the basketball court today. I mean honestly. What’s not to love?
There are several trips out on the trail or lakes and waterways right now. Two Isle Royale hiking trips are out, and cabins 12 and 11 are in the Porcupine Mountains on a three-day hiking trip.
I’d say we have a 99% chance for a great time.
Birthday Weekend Approaches
We are 112 years old this Saturday. One-hundred and twelve summers, you guys. Now that’s something to celebrate! Per our tradition, we’ll kick off our Steeplechase event at about 9:30 a.m. on Saturday. If you are in the area, you’re more than welcome to swing on by to watch the fun. It’s my favorite day of the whole summer. Steeplechase is an Army/Navy relay that covers not only all parts of camp but a good part of Plum Lake. Whether it’s casting a line into a hula-hoop or pin bowling, kayaking around Five Pines island, or being a part of the water boil team, each boy has his own special part to contribute to his team’s success.
Saturday after noon we’ll have a Senior Carnival down in The Row with all kinds of wacky homemade games including a dunk tank, pillow fighting and bug juice pong. This is good clean fun.
We’ll have our picnic supper on the hill at 6 p.m. followed by Games on the Hill. The day literally does not stop.
And on that note…
I <3 CH,
Tracy B.
 

It’s started, you guys. The rush toward the end of the term. This morning boys are out at open activities trying to rack up as many ACs (achievement credits) as possible, as this is the last day to have them awarded. ACs are the way we track progress through an activity; they’re a list of skills and achievements that we mark in the all-mighty AC book. On Thursday evening we have a Kerchief Ceremony where we honor each boy’s hard work over the summer.

The rest of this week just flies by. Yesterday was the last Division Day and the Cubs headed into town to Jim Peck’s and the Lumberjack show. They really live it up, those Cubs, lead by Kent Overby. They ended the night with ice-cream at the Corner Store. The other divisions picnicked together and hung out knowing this is the last of the typical days at camp.

Tonight we look forward to the world famous Camp Highlands Stunt Night, which is our answer to a talent show. Boys have been working on their skits for at least a couple hours now (ha!). What we lack in actual talent, we more than make up for in kookiness and fun. Thursday night is the Kerchief Ceremony and Friday is the final banquet. Poof! And just like that we will pack your boys up and send them with their parents or on the bus back to Chicago on Saturday.

Of course a lucky handful of boys will be staying all summer with us. Those guys have an action-packed day on Saturday including a trip to The Waters, a movie, pizza at Alexander’s and ice-cream at the corner store. Full term boys have the luxury of knowing they have another FOUR weeks to meet new people, perfect their shots on goal, get up on skis, and hang out on the most beautiful peninsula on the planet. If you think your boy might want to stick around for another four weeks, give us a shout. There are a few spots left for second term!

Here are some things you’ll want to know if Saturday concludes your son’s time at Highlands this summer:

Friday is the final banquet. Parents are invited to arrive at 3 PM. You’ll be directed to parking in the upper lot or on the football field. You’ll be able to watch your boys at assigned activities, meet their counselor and finish packing up their trunks. You’re invited to join us at the picnic supper on Junior Hill at 6 PM. The awards and banquet follows and wraps up about 8:30 PM. If you have not RSVPd online, that’s OK, you can just email Tracy and let her know and we’ll add you to the list. See you soon!