Camp Arowhon

Outdoor Education

September 23, 2013

Letter from a new 2013 Arowhon parent

BTW, one other note for Joanne and all the staff.  We rented a cottage in August and each night Adam (AGE 9!!!!) built the camp fire based on what he learned at Camp Arowhon.  On top of that, he also went kayaking with me for about an hour a day in separate kayaks and we […]

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September 19, 2013

Extra Curriculars: Whose Choice?

There was a period, during each of my children’s early adolescence, when I fantasized that they would go to Harvard. This bit of maternal foolishness was a way of expressing two things: Wow! My kids are so smart! I’m so proud of having smart kids. Yes, it does reflect on me (despite my protestations to […]

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September 13, 2013

Arowhon paddlers enter the longest single day paddling race in the world

Representing Camp Arowhon in the longest single day paddling race in the world – Assistant Director Max Muszynski and former Head Canoeing Instructor Ben Kates. The race starts tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 7 am and goes from Huntsville to Bracebridge and back – 130 km with 19 portages. There’s no stopping on the race, so […]

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September 5, 2013

The Main Lodge is down

and the good news is…. that camp really DOES change children’s lives for the better. A new study from the University of Waterloo found as follows: WATERLOO, ON – The positive development that children and youth experience at summer camp results in sustained behavioural changes at home, school and in the community, says a new […]

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August 26, 2013

CBC Radio interviews Arowhon director Joanne Kates

CBC Radio did a show yesterday on the impacts of summer camp, and they interviewed me about how our campers are changed by camp. We talked about how people turn into their best selves at camp – hear the interview at  www.cbc.ca/freshair But what we didn’t talk about was the sheer fun of it all. The ear-splitting yelling and cheering, […]

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August 21, 2013

Camp is silent…. almost

They say the two happiest days of a camp director’s year are the day camp starts and the day it ends. My deepest happiness yesterday – as every year on that day – is from the simple fact of sending everyone home in one piece. That they grew and learned and had a ton of […]

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August 19, 2013

A bittersweet day

Lots going on today: Bronze Medallion and Cross exams, most everyone passed…. tonight was the staff show, with every section plus the instructors singing in homage to their campers…. and then the whole camp walked together to the Main Lodge, where two campers sang a song they wrote about the campfire embers under the moon… […]

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August 18, 2013

What is the true meaning of summer camp?

Just before 7 this morning I was on a swim dock to test a small group of style swimmers for their Arowhon A. How important is the Arowhon A at camp? Here’s one way to know: I have my Arowhon A framed on my office wall – in Toronto. My daughter has hers on her […]

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Chicago! Brent! Whitney!

Just came from a theatrical triumph. Chicago! Superlative staging, great costumes, fabulous singing, vamping and dancing… and terrific comedic acting….  Earlier today the boys Whitney trip came back… And right after dinner tonight the girls Brent trip got back… At dinner there were several moving speeches about incredibly dedicated campers who have achieved high awards… […]

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August 17, 2013

It’s not over till the fat lady sings

My father, Eugene Kates, who ran Arowhon throughout my childhood, used always to say that at the end of camp we have to “wind up, not wind down.” We’re winding way up! A group is leaving this afternoon for a special “survival skills” overnight with one of our trippers who has strong outdoor survival skills… […]

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