Dear Campers, Parents, Staff, Alums & Friends,
“Well my bags are packed, I’m ready to go…” Actually only half of that is true. I AM ready to go, but my bags are nowhere near packed. Soon, though. Very soon. I’m going to leave Tucson on May 8th, and roll into the camp in the beautiful Northwoods of Wisconsin sometime on May 10th. It’s so exciting that summer is just around the corner, and I can’t wait to get back up there!! I know lots of you feel the same way. Hang in there…only a matter of weeks now!
This time of year we focus heavily on our staff training, planning our training sessions, putting the calendar together, etc. It’s quite a process, and one that we take extremely seriously. Part of the process is looking through old training notes from years back. Sometimes we’ll revive ideas and sessions that we did years ago because they’re still relevant, and it’s good to mix in different ideas each year. One of the things I came across recently was a “Simple Formula” to improving the health of our kids. Ready? Get them out of doors! There was research years ago that showed that kids who spent more than X hours outside each week enjoyed better physical and emotional health, performed better academically and socially, and had a more positive outlook on life. Going outside and playing was all it took. So you have to wonder….is that still true today? Last month, I went with our daughter to look at some colleges in southern California. It was cool that week, but still nice weather. As we walked around the campuses there, we saw lots of kids outside. However, one thing struck me that I didn’t really think about until recently as I perused my old training notes: these kids we saw were not playing. They were outside, but they were – for the most part – hunched over laptops, tablets, and phones. Some of them were hunched over together in groups, but not really interacting. Where were the frisbees? The footballs? The volleyballs? Where was the activity?!!
It might seem I’m suggesting that personal electronics are the mortal enemy of healthy children today. Well…they are. I do firmly believe that. The real point is that our “Simple Formula” for improving kids’ health in today’s world has to include 2 components: 1) Get them outside and 2) Get them UNPLUGGED! Would it be great if we could do that every day? You bet it would! A daily hour or two outside with friends and WITHOUT personal electronics that isolate, decelerate, separate, and de-motivate (I worked pretty hard to find those rhyming words…) would be a boon of immeasurable benefit for our kids. Enter camp (in about 6 weeks), and we’ll make sure that’s what happens all day, every day. 
Both 1st and 2nd session are full, with just a few spaces remaining available in the 2nd session. Welcome back to “old-timers” SPENCER LITOW of Glencoe, IL and EMILIO RODRIGUEZ of Mexico!
Say hello to the following first-year campers who are joining us this summer: CHIRSTIAN SIEVE of St. Louis, MO; TRE SMITH of Chicago, IL; and PATRIC RAFTREY of Sparrow Bush, NY. We’re in for an incredible summer together. We hope you’re all getting pumped up for it!!
May is an exciting month, but if you’re a camp parent, it is also time to pay your camp bill. If you have not yet paid the balance on your son's camp account, please remember that it is due by May 15th. Recently we emailed you all a copy of your camp statement. And remember, you can access your account info whenever you wish from your Parent Keylog Page. You can even print it out if you like by clicking on the link on the statement that says "Click here to to print this Statement." Your payment can be made by check, or if you prefer to pay by credit card, you can do so on Google Wallet by clicking the link on your statement that says "Click here to make a payment online using Google Checkout." REMEMBER, the online transaction is assessed a fee of 2.5%. As always, please feel free to call us if we can be of assistance.
CAN'T REMEMBER YOUR KEYLOG PASSWORD? If you're like most people, you have tons of usernames and passwords for various purposes. In the event you cannot remember your password for your Keylog account, it's easy to get. Just click on the blue "Keylog" tab in the top-right corner of every page on our website. Then click the "Forgot your password?" link. Enter your email address and make your selection in the "I am a" field (Parent, Camper, Staff, etc), and you will receive an email right away with your password. So easy!
A few other reminders for parents: 
- Many forms are also due on or before May 15th. We cannot stress enough how important this information is to our preparations. Even if your son is a 2nd session camper, those preparations happen now, before camp starts, so your cooperation is critical and very much appreciated.
- If you are going to mail any payments or forms to us, please stop using our Winter address now, and direct all mail to our Summer address.
- REMEMBER THE DEADLINE FOR FILLING PRESCRIPTIONS WITH THE CAMPDOC PHARMACY FOR 1ST SESSION IS MAY 16TH. 2nd session deadline is June 13th to get your prescriptions to them.
- If your son will take non-pill form medications this summer (which you may, but are NOT required to fill at CampDoc), please be sure to send those up to camp to arrive at least 1 week before your son arrives if you fill the prescription at a different pharmacy. So the deadlines are June 9th for 1st session/8 week campers, and July 5th for 2nd session campers.
- ANOTHER DEADLINE: If you are going to buy logo’d items from the Cloz website, you should place your order in the next few days to assure receipt of your items before the start of camp
- If your son is or may be planning to participate in one of our trips to Canada, HE WILL NEED HIS PASSPORT! We ask that you err on the side of caution and send his passport to us even if he is only considering such a trip. We ask that you mail the passport to us when or shortly after your son is coming to camp. Please address it to Leslie's attention. We hold all passports in a safe place until the boys need them. The Trip Leaders hold the passports during the trips into Canada, and then after the trip, we mail the passports back home. So your son is never responsible for the safe-keeping of his passport.
- If you have been assigned a camp Little Brother, please remember that you are to CALL (not text, email, tweet) your little bro as soon as possible. Thanks very much.
- We have had a very good number of guys pre-registering for our big trips this summer. If you are eligible for one of these trips and you want to go, we recommend your pre-register to help assure you will have a space on the trip available to you. THIS IS FOR RETURNING CAMPERS ONLY. Trips eligible for pre-registration include:
- BWCA Canoeing (1st and 2nd Session)
- Isle Royale Backpacking - 10 Day trip (1st Session)
- Sand River Canoeing (1st Session)
- Apostle Islands Sea Kayaking (1st and 2nd Session)
- Quetico Provincial Park - The Canadian! - 12 Day trip (2nd Session)
- Isle Royale Backpacking - 6 Day trip (2nd Session)
- Lake Superior Provincial Park Backpacking - 8 Day trip (2nd Session)
YO STAFF: The manuals for First-Year Staff Members and for All Staff Members are published online. You can access them and download them from your Staff Keylog page on our website. AND THEN YOU CAN READ THEM!! We've also mailed out manuals to our Nurses, Rock Climbing Director, Waterfront Director, Waterski Directors, Riflery Director, Trip Leaders, and Cooks. Phew! If you are a 
CIT, we have mailed you a great little book to help you start thinking about how to communicate well with kids. That's just a little platform that we'll build on throughout Staff Training, so read up, and everyone - please be sure to bring all the manuals and books we have sent you to camp. Thanks.
CERTIFICATIONS: We still have room in our American Red Cross Lifeguard Training school from May 30th - June 1st. The course will cost you nothing, and the certification is valid for 2 years. We pride ourselves on having a staff full of lifeguards (more than 40 each summer), and it is so vital to our program. So even if you're primary role at camp is not on the water, we want you to get this training. You can sign up from your Staff Keylog page. Click the "Extra Training" link.
- If you are a first-year Junior Counselor (CIT last year), your LGT and CPR certs are valid through this summer.
- If your LGT will expire before the end of the summer, you must re-certify. You can do that at camp FOR FREE! That class is on June 2nd and 3rd. The cert will then be good for 2 years.
- If your CPR will expire before the end of the summer, you must also re-certify. Again, this class is available at camp FOR FREE! It will run June 4th and 5th.
- If you will be a member of our Ski Staff and are not a certified Boat Driver, that course, also at camp, also FREE, runs from June 3rd – June 6th.
- You know we think this is important, right? Why else would we make this so easy for you and so affordable (FREE!). Please sign up today if you haven't already. To see our list of who we have signed up, please click here. Thanks.
STAFF TRAVEL TO CAMP: Do you know how you’re getting to camp? If you have not yet completed your Travel Plans form, please do so. You can access that from your Staff Keylog Page. We need that one REALLY SOON! Thanks.
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| Keghan is 20 years old and he is a sophomore at Hocking College studying Wildlife Management. At Hocking, Keghan is a route setter and instructor at the climbing wall, working with both adults and children. He is also an avid outdoor climber and loves bouldering. This summer Keghan will be a cabin counselor and will help out with Rock Climbing, Fishing, and Model Rocketry. |
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| From the University of Indiana, we are joined by Michael. He is 20 years old and is a sophomore studying Outdoor Recreation, parks, and Human Ecology. Michael has done a lot of trip leading at IU’s Outdoor Adventures program, including rock climbing, mountaineering, backpacking and canoeing. He recently made a summit attempt on Mt. Ellen in Utah, and then continued hiking around Glen Canyon for a 3-week trip. Michael joins our trip leading staff this summer. |
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| Laura is 24 years old and she joins us from Armenia, Columbia! She is a junior at Universidad del Quindio, majoring in Modern Languages. Laura has worked concessions at a large theater, and she enjoys cooking and baking. She will join our Kitchen Staff this summer. |
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| Ashley is from Imperial, CA where she has taken culinary courses, and worked in various food services including a soup kitchen. She has worked banquets for fund-raisers, and she has worked with kids at a Sunday school program. Ashley is 20 years old, and she will join our Kitchen Staff this summer. |
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| Callum is from Glasgow, Scotland, with a long way to travel to get to camp! He is 21 years old and works as a fitness instructor and lifeguard. Callum has more than 10 years of experience racing sailboats and teaching kids how to sail. He is also a competitive swimmer, and loves playing soccer. Callum will be a cabin counselor, will head up our Sailing program, and help with Swimming and Soccer. |
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| Ajejandra is 24 years old and joins us from Pasto, Columbia. She is a junior at Universidad de Narino studying to become an English and Spanish teacher, and she currently teaches English in a primary school. Alejandra has worked in a restaurant before, and done lots of food prep and cooking at home. She will be part of our Kitchen Staff this summer. |
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| From sunny and warm Madison, WI (can’t ya tell from her photo?), we are joined by Ashley Ruiz. She is 25 years old and Ashley is a Registered Nurse. She has worked with children in various medical capacities, including volunteer work doing medical assessments for grade school children. Ashley is currently completing course work towards her BSN in nursing. She will, of course, be one of our nurses this summer. |
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| Alexa is 22 years old and she also joins us from Imperial, CA. Her food service experience is with Subway restaurants in California, and she has also done volunteer work at a hospital near her home. And she has cooked a lot for her large family. Alex also joins our Kitchen Staff this summer. |
ALEXA SANCHEZ
Apparently, y’all are so busy with the school year winding down, you have NO NEWS for us! That’s okay this time, but if it happens again, we’re gonna start just making stuff up about you. We do know that ZACH WALDEN made a trip to St. Louis last month to hang out with some of his buddies there, including ZACH ZLEPPER, ARI SINGER, CHARLIE SMOLLER, RYAN HEARST, RYAN GARLAND, and BEN REMIS. And we know that MATT & SAM PALEY went to Israel last month and celebrated Sam’s Bar Mitzvah there along with BEN, EVAN, and JARED BLOOM who celebrated Jared’s Bar Mitzvah. Sounds like a great experience! 
Precious little news to report about our staff also from the past month. Hmmmm…April is just a slow news producing month, apparently. We hear that JOSH BOLING landed a job with an Expeditionary Learning school in Salt Lake City, UT. He’ll be working with 1st and 2nd grade kids doing outdoor experiential learning. Sounds like a perfect job for Josh. Congrats!!
BRAVO TO THE MAY BIRTHDAY BOYS & GIRLS: Josh Blum - 5/1/2003, Ashley Ruiz - 5/1/1989, Adam Susman - 5/1/1999, Genesta Cordero - 5/2/1995, Chad Kamen - 5/2/1998, Adam Wasserman - 5/2/1998, Joey Devine - 5/5/1993, Jackson Turner - 5/6/2004, Mateo D'Agaro - 5/7/1999, Daniel Katzman - 5/11/1991, Leo Sclamberg - 5/12/2004, Jacob Kline - 5/13/2002, Luke Wilder - 5/13/1995, Jules Blum - 5/15/1999, Corrie Hitchens - 5/15/1971, Charlie Olesker - 5/15/2004, Tait Gray - 5/18/2000, Luke Sclamberg - 5/19/1999, Ben Ellis - 5/20/2004, Ben Schachter - 5/20/1999, Dan Shelanski - 5/20/1999, Jake Hoffman - 5/22/1999, Jack Van Ooyen - 5/23/2002, Stephen Wayne - 5/24/1989, Jacob Elias - 5/27/1998, Rich Mc Gowan - 5/27/1972, Grant Kaufman - 5/28/2003, Chelsea Cobb - 5/29/1991, Henry Echt - 5/29/2002, Owen French - 5/29/2003, Ian Jacobs - 5/30/1997, Robbie Petrie - 5/30/2003.
So, this is it for the monthly newsletters from Tucson. In early June we’ll send travel information via US Mail to all 8-Week and 1st Session families, including baggage tags. We should have the camp office up and running by May 11th, so if you have any questions or need to talk with us, if you can wait till then, we’d appreciate it. We’re very excited for what will certainly be our best summer yet!! See many of you soon, and the rest in mid-July!!
Benches up,
