Camp Arowhon
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ML Demolition Diary – the day the trees came down
Fred is cutting down all the big trees around the ML. So sad!
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Farewell to the ML
It’s an incredibly sad day at camp: The plaques came out of the ML last week, and now we’re taking out everything else: the sinks, the windows, the shelves, the doors, the sound system and the chairs, benches and tables… Everything is being taken out of the kitchen too… and next week our beloved ML […]
ContinueCBC 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, […]
ContinueCamp 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 […]
ContinueA 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… […]
ContinueWhat 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 […]
ContinueChicago! 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… […]
ContinueIt’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… […]
ContinueAnother exciting day at camp
SO much going on! Whitney girls (a marathon sprint by of paddling and portaging) got back as lunch began, to massive cheering by the whole camp… This morning at 7 I tested a Senior Boy for the jumping portion of his 1st class award in riding. He jumped a flawless course of 3 foot jumps […]
ContinueWords of Wisdom on parenting, from the camp perspective
Why Camp Counselors Can Out-Parent Parents By MICHAEL THOMPSON Are you having trouble getting your 9-year-old daughter to make her bed every day? How about your 11-year-old son? Does he get up in the morning and run down to the dining room to set the breakfast table for the family? And after breakfast, does he clear […]
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