Each winter at Camp Horseshoe we spend time thinking about the ways we are having an impact on our campers and how we can help each camper become successful in both college and beyond! This winter we are thinking through critical skills learned at camp and how we are helping our campers develop these each summer. According to the American Camp Association “21st Century Skills are defined as the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to be competitive in the modern day workforce.”
Here are just some of the skills that our campers learn at Camp Horseshoe:
Communication and Collaboration- Our campers have so many opportunities to work on communication each and every day at Camp Horseshoe. Our campers live together in bunks, share cleaning responsibilities within their living quarters and must work together every day to live as a community. They also collaborate with each other in their daily activities and in our lively evening programs.
Leadership and Responsibility- There are leadership opportunities across every age group at Camp Horseshoe. Our traditions, like Shoe Madness and Blue/Green, give campers the chance to lead teams and take on additional responsibilities. Many of our campers become staff members at Camp Horseshoe, another opportunity to flex your leadership muscles at camp.
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving- Camp Horseshoe campers are always problem solving at camp! Whether strategizing for a sports game, working on a plan for a big outdoor adventure trip or maneuvering a sailboat with a friend, critical thinking is used at every step of the way. Problems that arise are quickly solved with the help of your caring counselors!
These are just a few of the skills our campers learn, but there are many others too, such as social skills, flexibility and accountability! We are already looking forward to helping our new and returning Camp Horseshoe campers improve their skills this summer at camp.
We are very excited to welcome a large group of first-time campers to Camp Horseshoe this summer! As parents ourselves, we know that sending your son off to camp for the first time can be a little bit scary. There are a few ways that you can best prepare your son and yourself for this upcoming summer at Horseshoe.
1. Get in the ‘Shoe Spirit- Let your son know that you have full confidence that he will have an amazing summer at Camp Horseshoe. The confidence of parents can be a huge boost to first-time campers. Remind them of all the activities they will get to try and all of the friends they will meet. Stay extremely positive about his upcoming summer.
2. Read Homesick and Happy- We recommend that every parent take a few hours out of their summer to read Homesick and Happy, a fantastic book by Dr. Michael Thompson. The book explains how time away from parents can actually help our sons develop independence and self-confidence. If you are worried about your son being homesick, this book has a lot of great tips for how to discuss this topic.
3. Follow the Packing List- Our packing list is designed so that your son has absolutely everything he needs during the summer. Make sure that everything is labeled with his name and that you pre-address a few envelopes for him. Involve your son in packing so that he know where everything is inside of his duffels.
If your son is considering Camp for Summer 2016, you can always come see us during our Rookie Weekend! This is a great way for future campers to get comfortable with Camp Horseshoe.
If you have any other questions about being a first-time camper at Horseshoe, you can always email or call us anytime. We can’t wait to welcome you to The Shoe!
Written by Andy Monfre, Camp Horseshoe • Summer 2007
Good Evening, my name is Andy Monfre. This is my second summer here at The Shoe. Unlike most of the other counselors that have spoken here before, I didn’t grow up at a summer camp; some may argue I still haven’t. Last year was my first year ever at a summer camp, and I think that gives me a unique perspective at which to explore just what it is camp does for kids. Jacqueline Kennedy once said, “To truly know how good it feels to be a Democrat, you must first have to have been a Republican.” I think the same can be said for summer camp. To truly know how great the camp experience is, you must first have had to go 21 years without it. What is it about these two months of summer that make me enjoy every minute of it? What is camp?
As I pondered this question during my Property Law class, the answer was literally thrown at me. It was my first day of law school and the professor was asking anyone in the class to define “Property.” All the “smart kids” shot their hands up to guess, but of course no one got it right. The professor explained that property is not things, objects, possessions, or money, but rather a “relationship among people as to things.”
I think the same thing can be said about camp; it cannot be defined as a place, a building, cabins, or a piece of land. Camp is about people and the friendships that develop over the years, and as I’ve shown, in as short as just one year. Have you ever returned to a place that had meant a lot to you in the past, but it simply wasn’t the same, sometimes even a little eerie? It’s because it isn’t the physical place that sends the positive pulses of memories through you, it’s the people you shared those memories with.
This is why it is almost irrelevant where Camp Horseshoe is. Jordan always says, “give a few good camp guys a parking lot and a tennis ball, and games and fun will surely follow.” Yes, we have great facilities, but I doubt the first thing out of your son’s mouth was “you should have seen the reinforced, adjustable basketball hoops!” Camp Horseshoe isn’t in Minong, Wisconsin anymore, and as Jordan may be surprised to find out, it’s not in Rhinelander, Wisconsin either. Horseshoe is sitting in front of me, behind me, and all over the country and the world.
I have to be honest; before I came to camp last year, I had no idea what a camp counselor did or how challenging the job can be. Before coming to camp I had ten theories on how to take care of kids; now I have 10 kids and no theories. The only way I can explain what I’ve learned is to share with you a poem I adapted from a poem by one of my favorite poets.
I was sitting around chatting with some law school buddies this past spring. We were discussing our upcoming summer and what employment opportunities we had found. When I mentioned I would be returning to a summer camp to work as a counselor, I heard one of the guys laugh under his breath. I asked what was so funny about it. He asked, “Be honest, what do you make doing that?” I took a deep breath and gave him an answer he probably wasn’t expecting. “What do I make?” I replied…
I make eight weeks feel like eight minutes
I make 200 new friends every summer
I make sure homesick kids will be camp-sick when they get home
I make kids walk with pride, and value who they are
I make sure kids hear about it, when they do something great
I make kids shoot a thousand shots so that when they take the one that counts…it goes in
I make kids ask the boy sitting on the side watching by himself to join the game, so they see the value of reaching out and including everybody
I make kids make their beds every morning and sometimes mine so they learn the importance of responsibility
I make kids wait in line for candy so they understand the frustration and value of patience
I make kids sit out of a game for bad sportsmanship so they learn that type of behavior isn’t accepted in a competitive environment
I make kids sit quietly during high council so they begin to understand what respect really means
I make kids who just got in a fight shake hands, so they realize that burned bridges don’t rebuild themselves
I make it to breakfast by 9 am even though I was out till 3 the night before
I make the sloppy joe look more appetizing by giving it an extra stir before I pass it around the table.
I make the canoe go straight, even though the kid in the front keeps his paddle on the right…the whole trip.
I make kids write home often, so I don’t get yelled at during visiting weekend
I make more memories in one summer than most do in a lifetime
I make sure kids make fun of life, and not of each other
It’s easy to make a buck, but it takes passion to make a difference
And that’s what I make. What do you make?”
I laugh now as I picture my buddy trying to fix a paper jam at a low-budget law firm.
As I finish up my last full summer at The Shoe, I try and remember that the path of life has many crossroads, and at each one it’s difficult to say goodbye and go our own separate ways, choosing the direction that is right for each of us. But the memory of being together will always remain, and there is always the chance that our paths will cross again.
