Leadership is a complex and tricky thing. The truth is, it’s a skill like any other. You can legitimately compare leadership to things like shooting a basket, hitting a baseball, or paddling a canoe. It is a skill – maybe not as physical – that can be natural to some people, and completely foreign
to others. The good news is that someone for whom leadership does not come to naturally can still develop that skill and ultimately become quite good at it. We’ve had some all-star counselors over the years who you wouldn’t have expected to be so successful when they first started out, but they worked hard and figured it out. Even those folks who come by their leadership skills naturally need to keep sharp and make an effort to improve and enhance those skills. Right? So…let’s talk about Congress. Naturally, this is a non-partisan publication, but we truly believe that the current Congress, and particularly the now disbanded Super Committee, REALLY NEED A DOSE OF CAMP! This is not a self-serving message because, honestly, we have no desire to play host to those folks at all. But if ever there was a specific group that needed the benefits our campers gain each day over the summer, it is them. What could they learn? Let’s start with the whole notion of listening and compromise. Seriously….let’s see how well they handle cabin cleanup and an inspection from Poppa Strain or something really advanced like planning a Karaoke Night skit at their current level of cooperation. Wouldn’t be pretty. How about keeping their eyes on the big picture? Can you imagine this group of adults working their way through a 10 day backpack trip on Isle Royale or a 12 day canoe trip up in Quetico? The way they have behaved recently, not a chance.
One of the biggest obstacles out there is the practice of taking highly complex issues or problems and trying to oversimplify them. So, maybe we just engaged in a little of that ourselves. We know how complicated it is to run a campfire, so running a whole country must be a tad more challenging. We can cut those folks in Congress a little slack. And we have some reason to be optimistic about all of this. Why? Because leadership is a skill that can be built, strengthened and improved upon. We just have to hope…or insist…that the people trying to lead us are actually interested in improving their leadership. Anyone wanna start a camp for politicians? Anyone?
We’ve been having a blast at our reunions so far. The past month we got together with great camp folks in Chicago, Milwaukee, and Nashville. St. Louis and Dallas are this month, Houston and Denver in January, and more on the way. We’ll keep you posted when we’re coming your direction.
Our enrollment has reached 80% capacity, and in the coming weeks we will begin to close age groups in both sessions. We cannot thank you enough for your enthusiasm and support. Welcome back to the following “old-timers” who re-enrolled this past month: ELI SELZ and ERIC THOMPSON of Chicago, IL; JAMES BOSHES and SAM PALEY of Deerfield, IL; PARKER DAWSON of Denver, CO; ALEXANDER ECHT, DANIEL ECHT, HENRY ECHT, and ARI MAZZA of Highland Park, IL; JACK BARLOW of Red Wing, MN; ZACH ZLEPPER of St. Louis, MO; and JACK ELOWE and CASEY MUTCHNIK of Northbrook, IL. And welcome aboard to the following new campers who will join us this summer: JOSH MEYER of Chicago, IL; BEN GOELZ of Boulder, CO; JACKSON TURNER of Denver, CO; DANNY SHADE and JESSE STOLBERG of Deerfield, IL; ARDEN GILBERT and BENNETT GILBERT of Nashville, TN; and JARED ORKIN of Houston, TX. It’s still some months away, but get ready for a fantastic summer!!!
If we are going to have a reunion in your home town, we will give you your Reunion DVD there. That way you have the excitement of seeing it for the first time when everyone else does. If, sadly, we’re not coming to your home town, we will send you your DVD copy very soon. If you ordered a Memory Book from last summer, that should have been sent to you also very recently. If you are certain you ordered a Memory Book, and it has not arrived by now, please let us know and we’ll look into it. If you’re not sure if you ordered a Memory Book, send us a quick email and we can check that out and get back to you. Unfortunately, it is not possible to add an order for a Memory Book from last summer at this point. Thanks. YO STAFF: Very soon you will find some mail coming your way. It’s contract season, and your invitations to return as well as a copy of the awesome Reunion DVD are on the way to you. We know we speak for all of the campers and other staff reading this newsletter when we implore you to send your contract back to us ASAP! There’s already so much excitement for the summer out there, so let’s keep that momentum going!!
Our contracts and invitations to our staff from last year have just gone out this month. Starting with our very next issue of “Timberlife!” we’ll have some names of great folks who are going to be back at camp next summer. It’s exciting to just think about that. And we know our core leadership group is rock solid again. We’re happy to tell you that we will again have RICK & HOLLY JONES with us this summer. This will be summer number 27 for both Rick and Holly. They are both school teachers in Indianapolis, IN. Rick is one of our Assistant Directors, and Holly is our Head Secretary. MICHAEL BREEN is, of course, back for his 17th summer at camp. Michael has grown up at Timberlane, and he is presently living in Chicago and working year ‘round with us as our Associate Director. He’s been traveling quite a bit as well as seeing prospective 
campers frequently in the Chicago area. And it is summer number 20 (20??!!) coming up for JEFF MELROSE. We can’t believe Mel has been with us for two decades! He is a school teacher in Celebration, FL, and he is an Assistant Director and CIT Director in the summer. If you throw Leslie and I into the mix (which we hope you do), our leadership team includes more than 140 summers of Timberlane experience, so we’re starting to figure things out. And our main mission is to make sure you all have a safe, fun, and meaningful camp experience. Soon we can tell you about all the other people who will play a huge role in that. Coming soon to a cyber mailbox near you. 
In Chicago, EDDIE, JONO, & JOEY ROSENBLUM will be taking a trip to the UK over winter break, and will visit with some of our “old-timer” staff there, including JAMES WOOD, CHRIS BARRON, and SAM PROTHERO. Bar Mitzvah congrats to Jono, as well as NOAH KRAUS and BEN BLOOM who all celebrate on the same day this month! A mini camp reunion took place in Chicago last month, that included ZACH WALDEN, LUKE SCLAMBERG, CHARLIE DEER, JONO ROSENBLUM, MICHAEL NATINSKY, JOSH SPAETH, GARRETT SHUMAN, SAM JAFFE, and BEN SCHACHTER, who was in visiting from Dallas. They were also joined by counselors RYAN COHEN and MICHAEL BREEN. Fun times! ADAM SHERMAN is having a great year in school…and growing like a weed. JACK ELOWE is living life…which is good. BEN FELDMAN is enjoying high school . DANIEL FELDMAN says absolutely nothing is new. DANIEL ECHT is happy to be walking an uninjured.l DUSTIN EPSTEIN is enjoying school ZACH COPLAN is playing some tennis. GARRETT SHUMAN has a big part in a play called “13.” JEREMY SPARKS is swimming twice a day, including some early morning workouts. In Milwaukee, AARON GLAZER is playing tennis, involved in BBYO (planning a huge dance party) and excited to have a home gym almost finished. JOSH GLAZER starts basketball this month now that football is over. RICKY ROMERSI is swimming, dancing, and playing piano
and tenor sax in a jazz band. Nashville finds ALEX FREEDMAN playing football, lacrosse, and basketball on a team with TYLER JACOBS and MATTHEW SCHWARCZ. TYLER JACOBS is the lone 6th grader playing on his school’s junior high team. MATTHEW JACOBS is playing varsity soccer as a freshman. Wow! IAN JACOBS is playing on his school’s junior high team. And let it be know that IAN, MATTHEW, and TYLER JACOBS have absolutely NO sense of direction on the streets of Nashville. Just saying. ALEXANDER WEITZMAN has been building Franklin Jet models and flying model airplanes. JORDAN FISHEL just finished up lacrosse season. JAKE MAZOW is in Dallas working hard in school and will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah in late January. St. Louis finds ZACH ZLEPPER playing hockey now that soccer season has ended. BEN REMIS made the sweet 16 making him one of the top 16 tennis players in the Missouri Valley Region. In Orlando, IAN SETZER just finished lacrosse season and playing baritone sax in his school’s band. Atlanta boys SAM and JACK PAWLAN visited with their cousins, JOEY and DAVID PAWLAN in Chicago over Thanksgiving. 
VICKI SETZER is in Orlando enjoying her work as a school nurse. She and her family spent Thanksgiving at Myrtle Beach, SC. In Del Ray Beach, FL, MARYLYNNE ALLEN is playing rugby, and working on her submarine projects for school. HEATHER WRIGHT is pumped for her trip to the UK over winter break. She’ll spend some time with LAWRENCE TOYE, AUSTEN DRAPER, MIKE DUMENCIC, and JUSTIN LOWRY. JON “EAGLE” WILLIAMS is working hard at school in Phoenix, and is ready for a break. STEPHEN WAYNE is in school in Ohio and spent some time in the North Woods over Thanksgiving. BETHYN MERRICK-NGUYEN is loving life in Chattanooga, TN, doing a lot of climbing and making tons of new friends. MATT RODIN has been a busy student at THE Boston Conservatory, performing in 2 plays, designing lights for shows, and getting involved in BoCo’s student government. He’s also been writing some music. JOEY PAWLAN is loving life at the University of Tampa, where he recently went swimming with manatees. We’ve got bunches of trippers living together and
working on the mountain out in Park City, Utah, including CHAD BYLER (and his beard, Samantha), GREG COOPER, and “old-timers” WES HIEB and DAN NEWMAN. Speaking of beards, BRIAN STRAIN is busy in Denver, teaching 2nd and 3rd graders computer skills, reworking the school’s website, and coming close to causing a serious ruckus in the school lunch room. Brian also drives a Zamboni at an ice rink, and recently got together with “old-timers” SAM BLINDERMAN and CODY SCHEYER who are going to Denver University. In Bloomington, IN, RICK JONES, EMILY JONES, SCOTT BREEN, and RYAN COHEN held a mini camp reunion at the Indiana University. KYLE MANLEY is pursuing his career ambition of becoming a music teacher by taking a job as a high school marching band instructor. “Old-timer” JEREMY TODD is in New Zealand and has been thinking about camp as he starts interviewing candidates to work in American camps. He and “old-timer” MICHAEL “SCRAGGY” SCRAGGS have been training hard for an Iron Man competition next month. In Chicago, SCOTT WOLF is singing in an a cappella group at Northwestern, trying to work in more campfire songs. BEN LEVEY is in Milwaukee where he is playing volleyball and tennis. MATT KEARNEY is a high school English teacher in Ashland, WI. In fact, as the only English teacher in the school, he’s the department chair! And he’s really enjoying it!
The Juice
A special section from Michael Breen
Thanksgiving (or as it is known in our home, National Watch Mike Breen Eat A Whole Pumpkin Pie By Himself Day) is always a fantastic time to reflect and appreciate all that we have. So, as November rolls into Chrismakwanzakah time, I thought I would share an anecdote that illustrates why I am thankful (and proud) to have spent the past 16 summers at Camp Timberlane. So, it had been
Three pitches, three swings, three strikes, and it was all over. Timmy began to kick at the dirt, mumbling to himself in frustration, even hitting his bat against his helmet. Now, while many teams would have turned their back on Timmy, scorning him for their loss, that Timberlane baseball squad was not many teams. Led by the counselor/coach, the entire team rushed around Timmy and started chanting his name, applauding him for the effort and the courage to step onto that plate. Timmy couldn’t help himself; surrounded by his friends, his teammates, all he could do was smile. Then, the bell rang and the team ran off to trampball, the game already a distant memory.
I would love to tell you Timmy became a great ball player. He didn’t. I’d love to say life became easier for him outside of camp. It didn’t. What I can say is that I heard from Timmy last year and he was working as a counselor at a camp out on the west-coast. Hearing this, I smiled, knowing exactly how he would make a camper feel should he strike out with bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. And, I know how all of you would, too—so, for this, I am thankful (and proud) to have spent the past 16 summers at Timberlane.
Alright, that one ran extra-long, so here is a little bit of baseball-related juice for you to wheeze:
· You are a staff member playing against a nearby camp in a staff softball game. It is a close game and the old-timers are salivating at the thought of a victory. A few counselors arrive late and since our policy is to let everyone play, we put them into the lineup. Down by one run, Rafa steps up to the plate—and, you realize he has never played softball in his life! Truly, the man had never picked up a bat until that moment. Two swings, two strikes, but, to your surprise, on that third pitch he rips one to left field for a double and the entire dugout goes nuts. You go even crazier two innings later when he repeats this feat! Viva Rafa!
-Michael Breen
BRAVO TO OUR DECEMBER BIRTHDAY BOYS & GIRLS: Jake Flom - 12/4/1998, Joseph Fields - 12/7/1998, Ryan Galowich - 12/7/1997, Grant Garland - 12/8/2002, Jeffrey Gold - 12/9/1996, Kyle Gross - 12/9/1999, Jonah Rosenberg - 12/9/1996, Holly Jones - 12/10/1957, Alexander Zlotnik - 12/11/2000, Bill Miller - 12/12/1956, Ben Bloom - 12/17/1998, Jared Margolis - 12/17/1998, Leslie Cohen - 12/18/1961, Scott Stone - 12/19/1995, Mike Whitman - 12/19/1996, Jason Garland - 12/20/2000, Charlie Weiss - 12/20/2002, Jack Baruch - 12/21/2000, Jay Feldman - 12/22/1994, Joey Marks - 12/26/1994, Jake Mazow - 12/26/1998, David Pawlan - 12/26/1996, Kayla Wandsnider - 12/26/1989, Josh Boling - 12/27/1987, Ethan Gordon - 12/27/2000, Danny Zaga - 12/27/1993, Andrew Karmin - 12/28/2000, Jeff Melrose - 12/29/1971, Jacob Rosenstein - 12/29/1997, Ben Skrill - 12/31/1996, Lawrence Toye - 12/31/1989. That’s about it for this month, folks. We’ll write you again in 2012!! Have a fantastic winter holiday, and if you do something really cool (or even if you don’t), and especially if you get together with some camp buddies, please send us photos!
Benches up,
