Dear Campers, Parents, Staff, Alums & Friends,
Happy 2010 everyone!! It is just amazing how fast the time flies. We’re so excited about the year ahead. We think there are countless good times in the future for our whole camp community as we celebrate camps’ 50th summer of fun and friendship! We’re totally optimistic about the future, and we always love this time of year. We’re turning the corner on the “off-season,” and soon it will be time for the home stretch that leads us into another phenomenal summer!
2009 has gotten kind of a bad rap, hasn’t it? If you read the papers, there hasn’t been a lot of good feelings as people look back on the past year. There are obviously plenty of reasons why people might feel that way, but from our perspective, we think there was a lot of good that came out of the year we just completed. Let’s just list a few:
1. We got to share our summer with a great mix of wonderful people from all over the country and the world.
2. We met new friends and grew closer with friends we already had.
3. We learned so much about ourselves; what we’re capable of, how we relate to others, how we can lead and be part of a community.
4. We got to try new things like Mountain Biking and Yoga!
5. We had a brand new baby in camp! (for at least part of the summer)
6. We got to sing around a campfire. How great is that?
7. We ate well and had the happiest, most cheerful kitchen crew in years!
8. We went to beautiful and remote places in the wilderness to enjoy paddling, hiking, and rock climbing.
9. We played hard, we played fair, and we didn’t really care what the score was.
10. We have a home in the North Woods fully equipped with a family. How bad can the rest of it really be?
As we said, 2010 is here, and we think it’s gonna be fantastic! Truthfully, we’re more excited about this summer than we’ve ever been! Yeah, yeah, we say that every year, but there is something special about the 50th year, and we know you’re going to agree. So put on that camp t-shirt (better if it smells a bit like camp still), and wear it around for a bit. We’ve rounded the corner!
Meanwhile, winter insists on having its way up north. So far there’s been some great snow fall, as you can see by the slide show of photos courtesy of our amazing caretaker, GREG FUS. There’s nearly 2 feet of snow blanketing a very quiet camp. We can use all the snow we can get, and we hope it keeps coming for a while.
YO PARENTS: We’re pretty involved in our kids’ sports programs as we know many of you may be. We learned of this great video on You Tube (ask your kids what that is) that we recommend you have a look at. This is a 9 year old boy summing up very creatively what a parent’s role should be while watching their kids play sports. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did. The link is here.
We know how busy everyone gets, so we'd like you to use the dates below as a little reminder about some benchmarks that are coming up for camp. We also want to remind you that you'll be able to order your camp clothing and equipment from the CLOZ website store again this year. If you order too early, your camper could outgrow the cool stuff you buy before camp starts! However, if you order too late, like after May 1st, you run the risk that your order may not arrive in time for your camper to bring it to camp. We'll remind you of this in March, and the Packing list is already online if you wanna have a look.
IMPORTANT DATES FOR 2010:
| February 1st | Steering Committee, Nurses, and Office Staff date to have contracts in to our office. | |
| February 15th | SCs and Activity Specialists date to have contracts into our office. | |
| March 1st | 2nd Deposits due. You will receive an invoice next month, and you can pay by check or online with your credit card. | |
| March 1st | Trippers, Maintenance and Kitchen Staff date to have contracts in to our office. | |
| June 21st | 1st Session Begins. Hooooooooraaaaaay! | |
| July 17th | 1st Session Ends | |
| July 18th | 2nd Session Begins. Woooo Hooooo! | |
| July 17th - 18th | Visiting Weekend | |
| August 12th | 2nd Session Ends....bummer! | |
| August 13th – 16th | Camp Timberlane 50th Anniversary Alumni Reunion!! |
We continue to be pleased with the pace of enrollment for the summer ahead. We’re happy to welcome back the following “old-timers” who have re-enrolled: TAYLOR FRISHMAN of Buffalo Grove, IL; MICHAEL HEILBRONNER of Chicago, IL; JOEY MARKS and ADAM WASSERMAN of Deerfield, IL; GAVIN FLEISHMAN, DAVID GLAZER, and DAN SHELANSKI of Denver, CO; NICK PAPPAS and, after a summer’s absence, NOAH LOWENSTEIN of Glencoe, 
IL; ASA and ELIAH HIKEN of Prospect, KY; JACK BARLOW of Red Wing, MN; NOAH KERWIN of Glenview, IL; JON KIBEL and IZZY MCKENZIE of St. Louis, MO; LUKE SCLAMBERG of Highland Park, IL; BRIAN BROCHSTEIN and PERRY OSTER of Houston, TX; BRANDON CRAMIN, GARRETT SHUMAN, and RYAN WAGNER of Northbrook, IL; and BEN LEVEY of Milwaukee, WI.
Welcome aboard to the following first-year campers who will join us this summer: SAM FRISHMAN of Buffalo Grove, IL; CHRIS TOMPKINS of Deerfield, IL; CHARLIE HIGHUM of Denver, CO; IZZY FOX of Evanston, IL; ALEXANDER ZLOTNIK of Highland Park, IL; GRANT KIBEL of St. Louis, MO; ANDREW CRAMIN of Northbrook, IL; and MAX WESTMARK of Houston, TX. We’re so pleased to have you all with us. The summer is going to be amazing!!
We have one more CIT joining our staff this summer. ZACK FRIEDENBERG of Nashville, TN. What a great group of CITs for 2010!
Our staff also includes a great group of Junior Counselors. These are guys who have grown up at camp, and help us carry our traditions forwards. This year, they include:
| RYAN ELIAS | Ryan will be 17 this summer, and he comes from Northbrook, IL. This will be Ryan’s 9th summer at camp. He is a Junior at Glenbrook North High School. |
| JAKE GORDON | Jake will be 17 this summer, and he also comes from Northbrook, IL. 2010 will be Jake’s 6th summer at camp. Jake will be in charge of our Guitar program this year. He is a Junior at Glenbrook North High School where he is actively involved in the school’s theater programs. |
| SETH GROSS | Seth is back for his 9th summer at camp. He will be 18 this summer, and he is a Senior at Deerfield High School. Seth is from Bannockburn, IL. |
| JORDAN HENRY | Jordan is 17 years old, and is from St. Louis, MO where he is a Junior at Clayton High School. This will be his 9th summer at camp. |
| SCOTT MAYER | Summer number 5 coming up for Scott, who is from Northbrook, IL. Scott is a Junior at Glenbrook North High School. |
| JOSH MCGRATH | Josh is from Phoenix, AZ and he is 18 years old. This is his 9th summer coming up at camp, and he is a Senior at Phoenix Country Day School where he is captain of the Lacrosse team. |
| JOEY PAWLAN | Summer number 9 also coming up for Joey, who is from Northbrook, IL. Joey is a Junior at Glenbrook North High School. |
| MATT RODIN | Matt will be 18 this summer, and he is a Senior at Glenbrook North High School. He’s from Northbrook, IL. This will be his 9th summer at camp, and he will head up our Comedy Improv program. Matt is busy auditioning for colleges to pursue a degree in Musical Theater. |
| COLBY SHARLIN | Colby is 18 years old and comes from Buffalo Grove, IL where he is a Senior at Stevenson High School. This will be Colby’s 9th summer at camp. |
| JEREMY SUTTON | Jeremy is from Houston, TX and is a Senior at Emery High School and plays for his school baseball team as well as playing club hockey on a team that is ranked 2nd in the region. 2010 will be Jeremy’s 7th summer at camp and he’ll turn 18 during the summer. |
| JEREMY TUBBS | Jeremy is from St. Louis, MO, and is back for his 8th summer at camp. He is a Junior at Clayton High School, and he will be 17 this summer. |
| MAX WEINTRAUB | Max is from St. Louis, MO where he is a Senior at Mary Institute Country Day School. This will be Max’s 4th summer at camp, and he is 18 years old. |
| SCOTT WOLF | Summer number 9 coming up for Scott who will again head up our Athletics program. Scott is from Highland Park, IL and is a Senior at Highland Park High School. He is 18 years old. |
| AARON ZEMACH | Aaron lives in Deerfield, IL and is a Senior at Deerfield High School. He is 18 years old, and this will be his 8th summer at camp. Aaron is an outrageous creative guy, and is into so many different things. This month he’ll perform an original jazz tune at the all-state music festival in Peoria, IL. |
Welcome back to the following “old-timers” who return to various staff positions at camp:
| BILL MILLER | Yep, once again we will eat well in the North Woods. Bill is back for his 18th summer at camp as our Kitchen Manager. From Hot Wings to the finest Fettuccini Alfredo, we’ll be treated to great camp cooking again. Bill spends his “off-season” living in Des Moines, IA trying to stay warm. Bill is a great cook, and a great friend, and we’re so fortunate to have him with us again. |
| JOE WARREN | Summer number 4 on deck for Joe, who returns as our Lead Cook again this summer. Joe is from Michigan, but is currently living and working in Telluride, Colorado. In addition to camp cooking, Joe has cooked in restaurants and resorts around the country. |
| LUTH NOLASCO RUIZ | Luth is back from Mexico City, Mexico for his 4th summer as a member of our kitchen staff. This year Luth will start right off as our Assistant Cook, having filled that role part way through last summer. Luth is a university student in Mexico, and works in a restaurant as well. |
| RYAN EISENMAN | After a summer away spent on a NOLS trip to Wyoming, Ryan is back and joins us as a Trip Leader. Ryan is 17 years old and is a Junior at St. Johns Preparatory School in Houston, TX. This will be his 9th summer at camp. As a camper, we could either find Ryan skiing, or we couldn’t find him at all because he was out on a trip. He went on most of the trips we offer at camp, and then spent a month last year backpacking and mountaineering with NOLS. Ryan will be a certified WFR and lifeguard before he arrives at camp this summer as a very enthusiastic trip leader. |
| HANNAH JONES | Hannah is 16 years old and will spend her 17th summer at camp this year. She, quite literally, has grown up at camp. Hannah has spent many of her summers with us more than holding her own with the boys in our activities, and she has also spent several summers at a girls’ camp. Hannah lives in Mooresville, IN where she is a Sophomore at Mooresville High School She is a stand-out soccer player, an excellent tennis player, and an honor student. She will be very helpful in various activities including Soccer, Tennis, Rock Climbing and Arts & Crafts. |
| DAN NEWMAN | Dan is back for his 2nd summer at camp. This year he will join our staff of Trip leaders. Dan will be 25 years old this summer, and he’s from Akron, OH. He is a recent graduate from Hocking College in Nelsonville, OH. |
| JAKE POURCHOT | Jake “Bird Man” is back for his 3rd summer on our Maintenance Staff. Jake is 21 years old, lives in Mosinee, WI and he is a Junior at UW-Stevens Point, majoring in Mathematics and Actuarial Science. So he’s kinda smart. He is assistant coach for his local high school hockey team, and he is a marathon runner and tri-athlete. At camp, Jake is an awesome fix-it-up guy and works very hard. And he runs…..a lot. |
We have gotten off to a very fast start in our endeavors to find great guys and gals to work with us this summer. It’s just the very beginning, but we’re pleased to welcome the following first-year staff members to our camp family:
| JOSH BOLING | Josh comes to us from Athens, GA. where he is a Senior at the University of Georgia, majoring in Accounting. He is 22 years old, and is originally from Cadwell, GA. Among his many experiences, Josh worked at an orphanage in Nepal last summer. He is also co-captain of the drum line for the Georgia Marching Band. He has paddled on lakes and rivers, and had some extensive trips backpacking on the Appalachian Trail. Josh joins us as a Trip Leader. |
| GEOFF BROWN | From Chester in the UK, Geoff will travel to join us at camp. He is 26 years old and currently works as a security guard. Geoff has significant experience working with the Scouts in the UK, including running a rifle range instruction program for them on a military range. He also has experience with Archery, Rock Climbing, and Ropes Courses. Geoff will be a cabin counselor and will help out in all of those activities. |
| STEVEN COOKE | Steven is from Tucson, AZ, and is a Freshman at Arizona State University’s engineering school, studying Applied Computer Science. He brings a myriad of talents with him to camp, including soccer, sailing, fishing, and ropes course. He played competitive soccer throughout his high school years, and has taken courses in Ropes Course facilitation and management. He will be a cabin counselor helping out with Soccer, Ropes Course, Fishing, and more. |
| MICHAEL SCRAGG | Michael is 26 years old and joins us from Robinvale in Australia. He is a teacher in a secondary school, and he also works as a manager and lifeguard at a local pool. Michael is an avid rock climber, competing in state and national tournaments. He is also into Mountain Biking as well as downhill and cross country skiing. And he is a tri-athlete as well, training for an Iron Man competition in New Zealand in March. He joins us as a cabin counselor, helping out with Rock Climbing, Mountain Biking, and Athletics. |
In Houston, JONAH ROSENBERG finished soccer season and is starting lacrosse and baseball. He also managed to chip his tooth playing some football right before the reunion. Made him look even tougher! GARRETT GLOVER’s baseball team won his little league’s championship, and Garrett took the mound for the save. BEN SPIER is playing basketball now that soccer season is over. Baseball is starting soon. SAM SPIER is busy with school and playing guitar. HOLDEN ROSENTHAL is playing basketball and getting ready for baseball. HARRISON ATLAS is doing well in school, and going to Denver for a SWACDA honor concert. 
In Chicago, SCOTT WOLF will attend Northwestern University next fall. Congrats, Scott! RICH McGOWAN is giving up the frigid midwest and heading to St. Maarten to become a Dive Master and soak up some tall rays. MIKE BREEN is back in the US of A after a long and adventurous trip to parts all over Asia. He’s resting in Chicago before heading to New York City to see what true wilderness is really like. RILEY TUCKER is back in Elmhurst, IL after spending five days on a cruise in the Bahamas. KALMAN TINKA got to spend a whole quarter in the Bahamas SCUBA diving, wind surfing and sailing, and sea kayaking. For this, he got a quarter of school credit! Fantastic!! RYAN LANGE is back in LaCrosse, WI after spending the semester studying in Paris. WES HIEB has moved to Colorado where he is working at Buttermilk mountain near Aspen. In Mooresville, IN, EMILY JONES is on her school’s swim team and won her first individual swimming event in the Butterfly. ALANNA DILLON finished the semester at Vanderbilt in Nashville, and will spend the next semester at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. ZACK FRIEDENBERG is on the golf team at school and starting lacrosse. Exciting news from SAMI MATHEWS in Virginia….she’s getting married! She has graduated from Old Dominion University, and her wedding is in May! We’re very happy 
BRAVO TO OUR JANUARY BIRTHDAY BOYS & GIRLS: Henry Weiss - 1/1/1997, Michael Natinsky - 1/3/1999, Perry Oster - 1/4/1996, Aaron Zemach - 1/4/1992, David Glazer - 1/5/1999, Josh Mc Grath - 1/5/1992, Colby Sharlin - 1/5/1992, Ben Stempel - 1/5/1995, Charlie Tipton - 1/5/1996, Eliah Hiken - 1/8/1996, Matthew Jacobs - 1/8/1997, Debbie Purcell - 1/8/1969, Justin Zaslavsky - 1/8/1997, Jacob Buring - 1/11/1995, Danny Levy - 1/11/1998, Will Coen - 1/12/2000, Sam Frishman - 1/12/2001, Zack Friedenberg - 1/13/1994, Alex Karmin - 1/14/1997, Michael Scragg - 1/18/1984, Craig Hauptman - 1/20/1986, Jonah Kaplan - 1/20/1995, Leo Berliant - 1/22/1997, Thomas Murdoch - 1/23/1991, Ricky Romersi - 1/23/1999, Lucas Beslow - 1/24/1994, Scott Mayer - 1/24/1993, Jonathan Segal - 1/24/1997, Charlie Kihm - 1/25/1999, Logan Funnell - 1/26/1990, Davante Grace - 1/26/1998, Drew Hyman - 1/26/1998, Aaron Dembsky - 1/29/1999, Sam Kahn - 1/30/1997, Eli Mitchell - 1/30/1999, Dan Newman - 1/31/1985.
Have a great month, everyone, and a very happy and healthy 2010! We’ll write ya again next month.
Benches up,
