It is March! Spring may not be officially here yet, but March is spring-ish enough for us! Summer is on the way!! If you were here in our office the day before this newsletter was written, you would have looked out the windows and seen snow-covered mountains. That's right...it snowed here in late February. That doesn't happen too often, and the really 
quirky thing is, that 2 days afterward, it is 80 degrees. Crazy out there, but when you have 350 sunny days a year, you can cope with a little hiccup now and then. This is also a fun time of year because Spring Training has started. We used to have 3 teams practicing here in Tucson. Last year it was just one, and now they've all flown the coop and relocated in the Phoenix area. So it is harder to get to games now, but still very exciting to have the season getting cranked up again. Isn't this a fantastic time of year?!
In spite of some very serious cold weather up north, work continues on cabins and other projects. Our caretaker, GREG FUS, had to put on his snowshoes a few times and trek out to the climbing tower to get some measurements and take some photos for us. We've got such a cool project in the works for the climbing program, and you guys are gonna be blown away when you roll into camp and get a look at the new surface on the center section of the tower. We really can't wait to see it all unfold. Greg also had to get some measurements out at the main basketball court for us, as we are replacing the backboards with some brand new glass boards and new rims. For you guys who love to play hoops, this should be a great improvement out there. And you may have heard the rumors already, but last month at the ACA conference in San Diego, we saw a very cool new toy for camp. It is, if you can believe it, a 4-way Ping Pong table. "Impossible!" you say? Oh yeah...it's real, and it'll be in the Rec Hall this summer. Approach it with caution.
Speaking of the ACA Conference, we had such a great time and really learned some great stuff there. Our group was pretty big this year, including RICK JONES, JOHNNY WASZCZAK, RACHEL WASZCZAK, JEFF MELROSE, MIKE BREEN, and VICKI SETZER. We attended seminars on topics ranging from waterfront safety and camper health & safety to helping kids develop coping and resiliency skills and much more. There were some outstanding speakers this year, including Joe Ehrman, who is an accomplished athlete, coach, and author. Joe spoke about the opportunities we have to teach boys the true meaning of becoming men, which is often so different from the messages they get through the media. We also heard from Kristina Ripatti and her husband Tim Pearce, who were both LA Police working the gang unit until Kristina was critically wounded in the line of duty. In spite of being paralyzed from the waist down, Kristina has found a way to stay fit, stay positive, and continue her life's ambition of helping others. If anyone was looking for inspiration that day, they found it. And throughout our 4 days there, we also managed to enjoy life near the ocean in San Diego. The weather was fantastic, and we concluded the visit with a nice visit to Coronado Island, walking the beach, and soaking it all in. Good times.
Many age groups in the first session are now filled. 2nd session still has openings in every age group, though they are becoming scarce in the older ages. We are well aware of how things are going in the economy, and we feel very fortunate to have as strong an enrollment as we do, particularly with the great number of new campers we have joining us this summer. We truly appreciate the enthusiasm you all have generated out there.
Welcome back to the following "old-timers" who re-enrolled over the past month: DANIEL MOLTZ of Chicago, IL; JAMES BOSHES of Deerfield, IL; JARED LIEBMAN of Prospect, KY; TYLER GELLMAN and JACK LYNCH of St. Louis, MO; DANNY & SIMON LEVY of Evanston, IL; JOSHUA KOHN, MICHAEL NATINSKY, and ETHAN TEICH of Highland Park, IL; RYAN BRONSTON and JONATHAN STEIN of Bellaire, TX.
Welcome aboard to the following new campers who will join us this summer: CARSON ANDERSON, IAN LYNCH, and MAX PUGH of St. Louis, MO; MYER GALIS of Buffalo Grove, IL; SPENCE LITOW of Glencoe, IL; JULES BLUM of Brooklyn, NY; LUCAS PRIZANT of Northbrook, IL; AUSTIN AVIZA and JACOB KLINE of Chicago, IL; JOSH SIEGEL of Tucson, AZ; MICHAEL SHKLYAR of Riverwoods, IL; and KESHAV KRISHMAN of Houston, TX. We're so pleased to have you all with us. Get ready for an amazing summer!!
We have completed our last camp reunion, which was here in Tucson. It has been a busy winter, with lots of traveling, but every reunion has been such a blast! We want to thank our reunion hosts in all of the cities across the country for allowing us to gather in your home (or Whirlyball Center, as the case may be) and share some fun times together. Thanks to the Garlands in St. Louis, the Elias' in Chicago, the Dawsons in Denver, the Bronstons in Houston, the Jacobs' in Nashville, the Mazows in Dallas, and the Leveys in Milwaukee. We are grateful to have such fantastic camp families supporting us.
YO PARE
GETTING READY FOR CAMP:
*Spring Information - This is a one page PDF document that offers a general overview of the documents that we need you to fill out and return to us. Please print this out and post it on your refrigerator! Some of these are online forms, and others are PDF files that must be printed out, read, and completed. Here's the great news: if your son was a camper last year, and you completed the online Health History form and/or the Camper Information Form, all of your data is still there! All you have to do is update it and submit it to us!! This Spring Information document also has our contact info and mailing address info to use based on when you wish to contact us, as we will move our offices to camp sometime between May 10th and May 15th.
*Packing List - This is your guide to the clothing and equipment your son will need for either 4 or 8 weeks with us. Please follow it carefully.
*Order Timberwear Online - A link to the Cloz website where you can buy most everything your son will need, as well as camp logo'd items.
*Camper Information Form - Good stuff for us to know about your son to help us get ready for him. Also your 2nd (and last) opportunity to make cabin mate requests. Please review this carefully as it has been redesigned this year! THIS FORM IS NOT REQUIRED FOR CITs.
*Activity/Trip List - A 2 page PDF file for you to read or print out and discuss with your son. Get the ball rolling on activities and trips your camper may be interested in. Remember, there are no activity sign ups until the kids arrive at camp.
*Visting Weekend RSPV - If you have a full season camper(s), or CIT, and you plan to join us for our Visiting Weekend, please let us know as soon as you can by filling out this form and submitting it.
CAMPER TRANSPORTATION INFO:
*Travel Form - This is an online form to confirm your son's method of traveling to and from camp. Please submit this to us no later than May 15th. Please also remember our policy regarding changes in bus travel, "Withdrawal from bus travel within 1 week of travel days will still incur full bus fares. Additions to bus travel within 2 weeks of travel days cannot be guaranteed a seat on the bus."
*Info for Campers Flying to Camp (NOTE: This information is coming soon. As of the publication of this newsletter, is isn’t quite ready. Please be patient and check back to your Parent Keylog page in the coming days for this info. And we’ll email you once it is ready for you to download) - This is a PDF file with so much information about flying to camp, you need time to digest it. Some highlights:
**Flying is not easy in this day and age. We do the best we can to make it secure, convenient, and affordable. Travel One is our travel agency, and they work hand-in-hand with Delta Airlines. Delta is the ONLY airline flying large aircraft direct and NON-STOP into Minneapolis from all of our camp cities.
**In cities from which we have more than 15 - 20 campers, Travel One blocks seats on our flights to make sure all of our campers can get on. The airline is interested in making money, of course, so they will not allow such a large percentage of their seats to be blocked off at their lowest fare. To address our needs and balance them with the airline's needs, Delta charges our families from these cities a fare that is an average of their lowest fares (early booking fares) and the higher fares they may be able to 
charge for later bookings. So it may be higher a fare you can find online. What do you and we get from that?
1. All of our kids are together and on flights that work for our schedule to arrive at camp at a reasonable time and depart from camp at a reasonable time.
2. All of their baggage is pulled from their flights and loaded onto one designated carousel that our staff uses to retrieve our bags. So far, we have lost ZERO bags this way.
3. Our travel agents alerts you of any schedule changes, flight changes etc.
4. For the return trip home, our campers are pre-checked-in with boarding passes issued before they arrive at the airport. That means no standing in line at the ticket counter with 100+ kids.
5. Also for the return trip home, our campers' baggage is checked in behind the scenes and loaded on their flights. Again, no standing in line to check 200+ bags.
**The travel document details the Unaccompanied Minor program. It is a valuable service that is not cheap, making it even more important that our families collaborate to share that cost.
**The reservation form for Travel One is also included. Print this out, complete it, and return it to Travel One as soon as possible. Fares will go up as the time to fly approaches. You can also make your reservations by calling Travel One at (800) 245-1111. Our agent is Marie Gunwall.
**In cities where Delta competes with Southwest Airlines, they may waive the fee for checking bags. We will let you know if/when that happens.
YO OLD GUYS: If you will complete 7th grade or older this summer, you may be eligible for one or more of our "Big Trips" this summer. You've certainly heard older campers talk about these trips a lot during prior summers, so you know how special they are. Next month we'll send you a letter that will note what trips you have already completed, and what trips you are eligible for. Have a look, and if you'd like to pre-register for a big trip that you are (or soon can be) eligible for, you can do that from our website. The link for that is here.
We also want to remind you this one last time that if you will complete 8th grade or older this summer, you are a candidate to be a Big Brother for a new camper. As we noted last month, if you would prefer NOT to be a Big Brother, that's fine, but you need to let us know by March 15th. We will begin making Big Brother/Little Brother assignments after that, so we can send those assignments out in early April. Thanks very much.
YO STAFF: There is another camping conference that takes place in the Chicago area from March 10th - 12th. If you'd like to attend, please let us know right away. We will pay for the registration fee at the conference for you. You will be responsible for your own lodging and food while you're there. More information about the conference is available by clicking here.
We also want to remind you of the training opportunities available to you this summer. These include Lifeguard Training certification, challenge courses to renew your LGT and/or First Aid and/or CPR for the Professional Rescuer. Remember, your LGT certification is NOT VALID unless your CPR Pro is current. CPR Pro must be renewed every year. How do you sign up? Log in to your Staff Keylog Page, and click the "Extra Training" link. Please do this as soon as you know you can make those training dates.
CHAD BYLER - Chad is 24 years old, and is returning for his 2nd summer as a Wilderness Trip Leader. Chad is a graduate of Hocking College in Ohio, and is now working as a Ski Instructor at Park City Mountain resort in Park City, Utah.
STEVE "HITCH" HITCHENS - Hitch is back for his 8th summer at camp. He is 53 years old and is a History and Government teacher in Evergreen, CO. He will again head up our gynormous Trips Program as the Trips Director. Hitch's wife, Corrie, and their 2 kids, Carter and Liam (New This Year!), will also join us for at least half of the summer.
RICH MC GOWAN - The big guy is back for his 15th summer at camp! Amazing!! Rich is 38 years old and is from Tinley Park, IL. He has been a school teacher, and is currently working as a SCUBA instructor in a very warm pool in Illinois. He is also shooting video for Bar/Bat Mitzvahs. Rich will be a cabin counselor, and will continue to head up the Digital Photo (Doto) program he started at camp, as well as helping with Rock Climbing and Swimming.
LUTH NOLASCO-RUIZ - All the way from Mexico, Luth is back for his 5th summer at camp. He is 23 years old and is an Engineering student at Instituto Technologico de Monterrey. Once again this year, Luth will be cranking out some fantastic food as our Assistant Cook.
JEREMY SUTTON - Jeremy is back for his 8th summer at camp. He will be 19 years old this summer, and is currently a freshman at Mc Gill University in Montreal, studying Political Science and History. Jeremy will be a cabin counselor, will again head up our Baseball program, and will help out with Basketball, Athletic, and Waterskiing.
NATALIA BERECHULKA - Also from Luban, Poland, Natalia is 23 years old and studying Management at the University of Economics in Wroclaw. Natalia was a track athlete in high school, and now enjoys reading and cooking. She has worked in a kitchen before, and she too joins us this summer as a member of our Kitchen Staff.
AUSTEN DRAPER - Austin will be 24 years old this summer and he joins us from Tyne and Wear in the United Kingdom. He is in his 3rd year at Northumbria University, studying Media, Culture and Society. He has done some volunteer work with weekend camps for scouts, and he is currently a Gunner in the
101st Regiment of the Royal Artillery . Through his military background, Austen has worked and instructed on army rifle ranges. He is also experienced with soccer and mountain biking. Austen will be a cabin counselor, will head up our Riflery program, and help out with Soccer, Mountain Biking, Guitar, and more.
NORM DUDEK - Norm is one of the friendly locals who lives close to camp. He has been a long-haul truck driver for many years, covering thousands of miles. For the past 9 years, he has been a school bus driver for the local company we use to periodically transport our campers to events during the summer. So Norm has years of experience driving school and camp kids around the North Woods. He is the perfect guy to help our trips program out this summer as our camp Driver.
BILL DUFFERT - Bill is 22 years old and is from Ramsey, MN. He is a graduate of St. Mary's University in Winona, MN. with a degree is Elementary Education. Bill has worked as a counselor at a summer camp, and as a tutor and student teacher. He has experience with riflery through hunting with his family, and he has also done a lot of mountain biking and rock climbing. Bill will be a cabin counselor helping out with Mountain Biking, Rock Climbing, and Riflery.
JEFF KAUFMAN - From Palm Desert, CA, we are joined by Jeff who will be our Lead Cook this summer. Jeff is 53 years old, and has been a chef for many, many years. He currently owns a catering company, and recently hosted a dinner party for Arnold Palmer and his 200 guests at a charity event. Jeff is originally from New Jersey, and last summer worked at a camp in Colorado that was very rustic, and at over 10,000 feet of elevation. We're very fortunate to have him with us working with our Kitchen Manager, Bill, and our other cook, Luth!
KALEY KELLENBURGER - Kaley is 20 years old and joins us from Lucerne, Indiana. She is a Sophomore at Indiana University studying Human Development and Family Studies. Kaley has worked with kids in Sunday schools and youth groups, and has volunteered with the Special Olympics. This summer Kaley will be our photographer taking and posting online thousands of pictures of our campers, and she'll also assist the nurses in the Infirmary.
KYLE MANLEY - Kyle is 21 years old, and he is a Junior at UW-Eau Claire in Eau Claire, WI. He is studying General Music Education with a focus on Instrumental Music. Kyle has extensive experience with kids as a camp counselor, orchestra coach, and private music teacher. He also has extensive background in backpacking and kayaking, and he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. This summer, Kyle joins us as a Trip Leader.
BETHYN MERRICK-NGUYEN - Bethyn will be 22 years old this summer and comes to us from Asheville, NC, where she is a Senior at UNC - Asheville majoring in Environmental Economics. She also happens to work at Climbmax Climbing Center, which is a rock climbing gym owned by our former Trips Director Stu Cowles. Bethyn caught Stu's eye as a great camp prospect, told us about her, and we were very happy to welcome her to camp. She is an accomplished climber and instructor, and has also worked at a summer camp for 3 years. Climbing is Bethyn's passion, which is great as she joins us as our new Rock Climbing Director.
CHRIS STEVENS - Chris will be 23 years old this summer, and he is from Sacramento, CA. He is a graduate from Hocking College with a degree in Eco-Tourism and Adventure Travel. Chris has worked with kids at 3 different summer camps in Ohio and California through the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization. He has backpacked on the Appalachian Trail, and in the Ozark Mountains. He is also an avid paddler, certified in river rescue, and has participated in and guided multiple river trips through Hocking. Chris joins us as a Trip Leader.
LAWRENCE TOYE - Lawrence is 21 years old, and he joins us from Hampshire in the United Kingdom. He is currently working as a bartender, but his true passion is Archery. Lawrence is a Grand National Archery Society qualified instructor, and has taught on a professional range for about a year now. In addition to that, he is a circus performer, with skills in staff spinning, juggling, plate spinning, devil sticks, and much more. And Lawrence has experience working in a small village in Malaysia renovating a water reservoir, rebuilding a kindergarten, and working with 5th grade kids there. This summer Lawrence will be a cabin counselor, will head up our Archery program, and will help out with Mountain Biking, Riflery, and Comedy Sportz.
Here in Tucson, JOSH SKRILL is playing baseball, basketball and tennis, and is also working out. BEN SKRILL is performing in the local Gaslight Theater, playing saxophone, and also working out. STEVE WEZELMAN is in his school marching band, and is working on the lighting and electrical crew for the high school theater. MARIO GADEA is playing lacrosse for an elite team of southern Arizona all-stars. Up in Scottsdale, ROSS KRULISKY played varsity soccer for his high school as a freshman, and is doing a lot of homework. In Chicago, LOGAN SEIDEN is having fun with his enormous puppies. JOSH SPAETH was managing his 6th grade basketball team until his teammates asked him to suit up and play the last game with them, whereupon he promptly put the ball in the hoop. There's been a lot of snow in Chicago, and JAKE FEIGER spent some time shoveling his family out of their driveway. Such a good guy! Okay, folks, we could use a bit m
ore news about you all. It's so darn easy....just send us an email with some info about anything going on in your life, and we'll print it. Okay?
Tripper IAN BROWN was living in San Francisco, but decided it was time to start heading east towards Missouri, and then ultimately camp. He got an early start on it because he is making the trip on his bicycle! Ian rode into Tucson and spent a few days with us here before moving on. It was fun hanging out with him. Another visitor to Tucson recently was RYAN ELIAS. Ryan has been accepted to the University of Arizona, so he was here checking it out. He had a nice tour on campus...in 70 degree weather....before it snowed....and spent some quality time with "old-timer" ZACH BYK. Also in Tucson, DUSTY COHEN is playing baseball for his high school team, and JORDAN HERZ is playing tennis at the same school. DAVID ARTZI has finished a successful wrestling season, and finally gets to eat!! Good thing he works at Frost, a gelato store. DAVID LANGEBARTEL is busy with school and kickboxing. MAX WEINTRAUB is playing roller hockey. CRAIG HAUPTMAN is working in the DC area for a company doing business development work for government agencies. AMY EIDSON is student teaching and applying to be a school teacher in North Carolina. HEATHER WRIGHT has landed a job working with kids in before/after school programs as a teacher in Washington. KATHY LEVERTON is in Cape Town, South Africa trying to stay warm as they progress from summer into fall. She is working for a camp program called High Africa where she has groups of school and corporate groups for whom she facilitates ropes course, climbing, and raft building programs. Sounds like a blast! Okay y'all...you can also let us know what's up with you so we can share it with your camp family. Any of you 2nd year JCs going to college next year? Wanna tell us where? That's good news to share!!
BRAVO TO THE MARCH BIRTHDAY BOYS & GIRSL! David Doner - 3/1/1995, Alexander Echt - 3/1/1999, Christian Norfleet - 3/1/1998, Dillon Berlin - 3/4/2002, Jacob Lurie - 3/5/1991, Scottie Mutchnik - 3/5/1997, Eddie Rosenblum - 3/6/1996, Barry Cohen - 3/10/2001, Liam O'Malley - 3/12/2001, Sarahjane Tierney - 3/12/1987, Harris Lerner - 3/14/1999, Natalia Berechulka - 3/15/1988, Jake Gordon - 3/15/1993, Jonathan Bloom - 3/20/1999, Sam Jaffe - 3/20/1999, Brian Strain - 3/22/1981, Ryan Gersowsky - 3/26/1995, Daniel Calvillo - 3/27/1997, Matt Rodin - 3/27/1992, Danny Shovers - 3/27/1995, Joe Berns - 3/28/2001, Brandon Cramin - 3/28/1996, Joshua Kohn - 3/28/1996, Aaron Berkowitz - 3/29/1996, Michael Bloom - 3/29/1996, Adam Rubin - 3/29/2000, Greg Cooper - 3/30/1987, Zach Coplan - 3/31/2000.
We'll write you again next month. Have a happy March, everyone!!
Benches up,
