Camp Echo Weekly E-Newsletter July 14, 2002 The Camp Echo E-List is now at 443 members. Spread the word! ***** Next issue: 2 weeks, July 28 or 29 ***** Main Camp Report (by James Kinney, Main Camp Director) ---------------- During Session C the staff ran another batch of incredibly clever and wonderfully fun programs. The first week's Generals Game pitted top bunks against bottom bunks in a capture-the-flags battle to decide which canoe trip leader we would throw into the lake first: Nate Plotkin or Gus Granchalek. (Bottom was victorious.) Tuesday had the cabin groups searching the peninsula for hidden CITs whose signatures earned points for the release of a captured Bob Ettinger. Wednesday's MTV night offered each cabin the chance to simulate a music video and lip synch to their favorite songs. Thursday featured a patriotic time travel game where cabins paired up and had to gain clues from historical figures in order to win back our fireworks display -- an excellent fireworks show, orchestrated by Rob Johnston, followed. Friday night's opening ceremony kicked off Saturday's program, a full-day all-camp team competition -- the Geek Olympics. Team names and cheers were appropriate to the theme and events were modified as you might guess. Can you picture three-legged ultimate frisbee? Non-athletic events included trivia challenges with topics such as The Simpsons. The closing included a model rocket firing with the parachute modified to match the winning team's flag. The second week began Sunday with the Across the Lake swim. Monday night's "Boot Camp" began but was rained out and became a fantastic pressure-cooker sing along in the Dining Hall. Tuesday night Jorjambo (that's Jordan Shea, James Kinney, and Bob Ettinger) put together a wonderful staff auction that allowed cabins with the best camp spirit and behavior to earn points; the points were used to bid on fabulous activities and prizes. Wednesday was the staff/camper talent show, "Win Compton's Cash." Kids, counselors, and entire cabins entered the show. The winning performance was an original song by camper Laura Koroski (see below). Thursday night we said goodbye to all our happy campers with the closing campfire and Burning Triangle. Teen Camp Report (by Dawn Summers, Teen Camp Director) ---------------- Session A/B saw the start of our tripping program for 2002 with our Girls Trailblazers trip. One section was led by Emily Kritzler, Barbara Morgan, and Kiersten Rippeteau and the other by Mindie Kniss, Meredith Stevens, and Tiffany Primus. Both sections traveled to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. While there, they canoed on the Big Two Hearted River and hiked 18 miles of the North Country Trail. They reportedly were challenged by mosquitoes the size of small airplanes, yet despite that nuisance, each and every one of the participants said that the trip was fabulous. We celebrate their accomplishments. Session C kicked of the start of the wilderness camp programs, Birches and Outpost for 2002. For Session C, Birches was in the capable hands of Emily Kritzler and Tristan Roche. They worked with 13 campers this session. Outpost was in the equally capable hands of Tiffany Primus and Tom Hodgman and they also had 13 campers this session. Both sites have gone rock climbing at Grand Ledge, canoeing on the Pine River, and spent time on Camp Echo's high ropes course. Additionally, they have done a service project, worked on leadership skills, and had an opportunity to do a solo. Comments from the campers indicated that they had a wonderful time. On the second evening of Session C, a van carrying 10 trippers and 5 trip guides departed for the Minnesota Boundary Waters Canoe Area for 7 days of Canoeing and low impact camping. Section 1 was led by Brent Handy and Meredith Stevens and Section 2 was led by Gus Granchalek, Kiersten Rippeteau, and Nate Plotkin. Both sections drove to Seagull Lake and spent their time paddling in the surrounding lakes and learning about portaging a canoe and backcountry camping. It was reported that a good time was had by all; beautiful surroundings, great people - how could you go wrong? Tom Zwergel is our CIT/LIT director this year and he has been doing an outstanding job thus far. In Session A/B he worked with 7 CITs and 6 LITs and during Session C, he worked with 16 CITs and 6 LITs. During both sessions, the CITs worked with campers, led various camptivities and during session B they improved the fire ring area in Staff Village by making the ring larger and adding new logs that they helped cut and peel. Both groups of CITs also went rock climbing as a way to personally challenge themselves. During Session A/B they took a trip to the Lake Michigan shore and the Session C CITs went to Muskegon to ride Go-Karts. Session C's CITs also had the opportunity to challenge themselves on Camp Echo's high ropes course. Meanwhile, the LITs of Sessions A/B and C were assigned to and lived in camper cabins and worked to increase their "bag of tricks" -- otherwise known as their leadership and counseling skills. The LITs also had the opportunity to assist at the program areas in order to learn the skills necessary to run those areas in the future. Alumni Notes ------------ Adam Walsh writes, "Glad to hear that everything is off to an excellent start in the 2002 season of Echo. I am currently the program director for the Adventure Club at NEIU, teaching kayaking and rock climbing, and hosting team-building workshops for an adventure based company called "cliffs & cables". Since I couldn't go to Echo I decided to bring some Echo here. I'm having a blast doing my thing here but there is always a piece of Echo in everything I do these days. I am going to do team building workshops for Summer Adventure Club and Camp Wannago in August in addition to working with some inner city middle schools later that month. The next couple of weekends are filled with kayaking and hiking trips that I'll be leading for NEIU students with one of the trips taking us to PJ Hoffmaster S tate Park (a spot we used for staff layover during the 2000 season). The Spirit is definitely felt!!! Rock On! -shlaw." Volunteers! ---------- A big thank-you to Echo alum Noah Mickey-Colman who visited camp and worked with the CITs on July 3rd, 4th, and 5th. On his way up to camp, Noah picked up and delivered to us a couple items of luggage that were inadvertently left in a bus when the campers arrived on June 30th. Board Member and Echo alum Pete Frankel joined us the past week, filling in where needed and assisting the Camp Director with a number of projects including meal coordination over the two-day break between Sessions C and D. Once again, thanks to Echo alum Mary Kleschen, MD, who volunteered June 29-July 6 as Health Officer. Extra special thanks goes to Echo volunteer Linda "Louie" Grierson for working alongside the various "guest" Town Run drivers from June 10-29 and for doing Town Run herself July 1-6. Louie also prepares the parent post cards for mailing on the Sunday start of each Session and assists with lost & found. We don't know what we would do without her! Song of the Week ---------------- Camper Laura Koroski's song about Camp Echo As performed at the Camp Echo Talent Show July 10, 2002 Who ever said that anyone is normal, Everyone's got something weird about them, Most don't see it anyway, Till it's out in the full light of day Chorus: Where the echoes bounce across the lake, And the stars keep shining. Cheers are loud and feelings mix, Before you can cry about it A friend that I took here, She said "I love this place but what makes it so great? Is there some magic hidden here?" I said "No it's just the spirit." Chorus What makes us want to cheer at the top of our lungs Or try a sport we've never done, it's the spirit Oh can't you feel it Chorus Where my real self shows not wanting to hide anymore I'm not afraid what others think of me, This is where I wish I could always be. Feel The Spirit! -- Rob Grierson Camp Echo Director rg@mcgawymca.org