This past week our campers going into 10th grade each walked a marathon during Relay For Life at the local high school. As an age group, they spent Friday night and the early morning hours on Saturday walking the high school track for cancer. They pushed themselves and encouraged one another all night long.  The girls were proud of their efforts and felt a true sense of accomplishment.  Each lap they walked they added a colored bead (of their choice) to their necklace. Each bead represented a specific type of cancer (grey for brain cancer, yellow for bone cancer, etc).  Our girls sang the opening song to kick off the event and by 6 am Saturday morning they all came back to camp stiff legged and wearing a beautiful rainbow necklace. No two were alike. This wonderful event is a tradition our second oldest age group looks forward to every summer. 

On Saturday morning we had close to 25 runners participate in the Fireman's 5K Run on the Bearskin Trail in Minocqua. Campers woke up at 7:30 am for breakfast and headed into town. When they returned they enjoyed warm sunny weather and tubed the morning away with the rest of the camp. We also signed up for our last series of activities. On Saturday, we traveled to Rhinelander for a social with Camp Horseshoe. Sunday was a full day of Final Four with opening ceremonies up on the upper athletic field. Navy, Army, Air Force and the Marines were proudly represented. The banners were skillfully drawn, campers sang at the top of their lungs and ran their hearts out in the annual Final Four relays. Our day was filled with blobbing, swimming, tennis, dodgeball, Nukem, Red Girl Relay, the singing of the national anthem and tons more. 

We closed the day on Sunday with our weekly campfire program.  To me campfire represents togetherness. Campfires are a time for winding down through songs. It's a time for us to reflect on the week gone by, to slow down and listen to the stories and reflections of our campfire girls.  Camp may be continually changing, but the traditional campfire has remained a constant for as long as I can remember. We sing, we dance, we laugh, we hug and we cry on any given campfire night. Many emotions are shared around the campfire which brings us together. Near the end of each campfire, our campfire girls share heartfelt speeches. These speeches are filled with thankfulness, appreciation, and love for those gathered around the fire. 

One of the things we talk about at camp no matter what day it may be is the importance of kindness. Kindness and respect are key ingredients to a happy cabin life, and therefore a happy summer. It’s a value I speak about regularly at the flagpole and at the campfire and reinforce when necessary.  Walking around camp you will notice "Kindness Matters" signs on the trees. These signs are visual reminders for everyone including visitors. I often ask campers how they want to be remembered long after they leave camp. Sometimes I don't think they truly understand that their kindness can have a positive and long-lasting effect on someone. The value of kindness is so important at camp. It's important at school. It's important at home. And, of course, it's important in life!  I hope your daughter comes home from camp this summer with a greater appreciation and awareness of kindness. If this happens....I'll be a very happy camper!!

Smile on, 

Mary