Director's Corner - July 2, 2024
Tuesday, July 2, 2024
Send Me On My Way
Send me on my way (on my way)
Send me on my way (on my way)
Send me on my way (on my way)
Send me on my way (on my way)
Send me on my way (on my way)
Send me on my way (on my way)
Send me on my way (on my way)
Mm hmm (on my way)
I would like to reach out my hand
I may see you, I may tell you to run (on my way, on my way)
You know what they say about the young
Today started out a bit rainy here at Beber as we loaded the campers onto their buses for destinations all over Wisconsin to experience the three-day rips. Our tripping program is a crucial aspect of summer camp for several reasons:
- Skill Development: Our tripping program teaches essential outdoor skills, including, cooking, setting up camp, and environmental stewardship.
- Personal Growth: Campers face and overcome challenges, boosting their confidence and resilience. They learn to push their boundaries and discover their capabilities in a supportive environment.
- Teamwork and Leadership: Trips foster cooperation and collaboration. Campers must work together to achieve common goals, which enhances their teamwork and leadership abilities.
- Connection with Nature: Immersion in nature helps campers develop an appreciation for the environment. This connection can foster a lifelong commitment to environmental stewardship.
- Physical Health: Tripping programs involve physical activity, promoting fitness and health.
- Mental Health: Being in nature and unplugged offers mental health benefits, including reduced stress and increased mindfulness.
- Building Community: Shared experiences on trips strengthen bonds among campers and staff. The challenges and successes of a trip create lasting memories and deeper friendships.
- Fun and adventure: Trips add an element of adventure to the overall camp experience, making it exciting and memorable.
Campers get to choose from many different skill based trips and it is our goal to give everyone their first or second choice from all of these excellent adventures.
The Biking Trip
The biking trip follows the Elroy-Sparta and 400 State bike trails. Along the Elroy-Sparta State Trail, darkness becomes an integral part of the landscape, complementing scenic vistas of rolling hills and farmland. This trail features three hand-dug railroad tunnels across its 33-mile stretch from Sparta to Elroy, renowned as the oldest rail-trail conversion in the United States.
Meanwhile, the 400 State Trail was established on a former Chicago - Northwestern Railroad route, named after the 400 passenger train that covered 400 miles from Chicago to Minneapolis/St. Paul in 400 minutes. Its smooth biking surface consists of packed limestone screenings and bridges with planked floors. The segment from Elroy to Wonewoc includes picturesque crossings of the Baraboo River.
Campers on this journey find accommodations in campgrounds adjacent to the trails, some even equipped with swimming pools for a refreshing end to a day of cycling.
The Climbing Trip
The climbing trip heads to picturesque Devil’s Lake State Park, where participants enjoy the unique opportunity to ascend actual rock faces, with Ramot campers also experiencing the thrill of rappelling. Apex Adventures organizes the climbs and equips our campers with full gear, including helmets and climbing shoes.
After a full day of climbing, campers unwind with a refreshing swim in the lake. A highlight of the trip includes bouldering to Devil's Doorway, situated high above Devil’s Lake. This natural formation is thought to have been shaped by the freezing and thawing of water within cracks in the quartzite. The views from this vantage point are breathtaking, often prompting early morning hikes to witness sunrise through the rock formation.
The Canoe Trip
Due to the amount of rain that we had this summer so far, the lower Wisconsin river was too high for enough sandbars to successfully support this trip. In true Beber style we pivoted and sent them a little further north to Kosirs Whitewater Rafting in Silver Springs, Wisconsin. This coveted trip, typically reserved for our CITs in past summers, is sure to be a highlight for the former canoe trip campers and staff. Campers will experience flat water kayaking on the lower Peshtigo river, lazy river floating and white water rafting on the upper Peshtigo river. If the water level drops enough by later tomorrow they will also get the opportunity to traverse a section of Class V rapids on the Menominee River. If this doesn't pan out they will do a more intense group rafting on the upper Peshtigo. This thrill seeking trip is sure to please.
The Fishing Trip
The fishing trip is a popular trip among our campers. In addition to fishing at local ponds and waterways, campers on this trip embark on a charter boat adventure on Lake Michigan, targeting sizable salmon, which then gets fileted for them to be prepared for dinner in the evening. Campers can become their own chefs as they prepare the salmon their way that they caught that very afternoon.
Tomorrow I will talk about the rest of the trips. There was some rain on the trips today which allowed our staff to creatively problem solve to deliver an awesome trip to the campers. The great news is tomorrow it is projected to be sunny and in the 80’s for all of the trips and all of their amazing excursions will take place tomorrow and will re-energize them after a wet day. As I type this all the campers are asleep hopefully dreaming of all of the fun they will have tomorrow.
Let's move on to Makor so I can tell you all about their amazing day today. For the three days that Ramot and Kesher are out on their trips, Makor has the run of camp and gets to enjoy special programming. Late wake-up, waterfront takeovers, an overnight stay at “upper camp” complete with camper stew and s’mores, and special programs facilitated by our teen leadership campers, make this a really exciting time for our youngest age groups.
Today they started the morning with a hot breakfast of french toast and fresh fruit - and even hot chocolate. After a cabin clean up they built monsters out of cardboard in arts and crafts, had a lip sync battle with special guest hosts, played some new camp games like Beber Ball and Tennis baseball and even learned a little pickleball. Lunch was delicious quesadillas and for dinner they had a pasta “festival” as the kitchen staff called it, featuring varying kinds of delicious pastas and sauces, garlic bread and vegetables. During GA, Makor campers had the run of the facilities without Ramot and Kesher on site. It was great watching them have fun interacting and playing games with their friends. For the evening program this evening they watched half of the movie Monster’s Inc complete with a concession stand with free popcorn and drinks. It was an exhilarating day today for them and tomorrow is setting up to be even more fun. Stay tuned.
Our PIOs spent the day also doing creative programming. They participated in two thought provoking programs called Think Outside the Box and The Empty Chair. Programs like this allow them to think critically and problem solve, all skills needed to be an effective leader. They had some down time today as well, relaxing in the pool and bonding with friends. For their evening program they played a game of Family Feud which is always a hit with this age group.
The CITs continue to build strong counselor skills on their internship at the Rocky Mountain Village Camp working with kids and supporting programs. I am hearing all kinds of stories of moments where they are stepping up and leading by example as well as showing personal growth all while being surrounded by the picturesque backdrop of Colorado.
So as you can see a lot is happening for our campers as we “send them on their way” to challenge themselves, learn new things, experience the fun and grow as young leaders. Until tomorrow!
P.S. Congratulations to those who knew that Willie Nelson sang “On the Road Again!”
Hannah R
Wendy E
Christie B
Amy B
Carrie G
Anne R
Jill R
Dennis P
Jennifer S
Jessica F
Who sang “Send Me On My Way?” Email your answer to trivia@bebercamp.com for a shoutout in tomorrow’s blog!