Volume LVI, No. 7, March, 2016

Dear Campers, Parents, Staff, Alums & Friends,

March is here, spring training is underway, and that means that summer isn’t too far away.   This is such an exciting time for us as we contemplate arriving in the Northwoods, getting the place opened up and clean, and most importantly, preparing our staff for the arrival of the campers!  It’s interesting….that whole process takes us about 6 weeks.  We then have camp for 8 weeks, and boom! – we close it all down in about 3 days.  The summer camping season goes by in a flash, so we always make the most of it.

This month all of our assistant directors will come to Tucson, and we’ll meet for a few days and get the ball rolling for staff training.  Yes, some of those meetings might be on a hike in Sabino Canyon or at a landmark Mexican restaurant, but we’ll still get a lot done.  I read a very interesting article recently that I plan to share with our staff, but I found it so applicable to parents and families too.  The article is about having positive and – at the same time – realistic expectations for ourselves, for others, for pretty much anything.  In making the point about the power of positive expectations, the author references a study done in 1964 by a Harvard professor named Robert Rosenthal.  In that study, teachers at an elementary school in San Francisco were told that certain (randomly selected) students were smart – destined for academic success.  Remember, these students were just randomly chosen.  The result was that those students performed better in the classroom and on tests over the 2 year period of the experiment.  As Rosenthal did more research, he found that the expectations of success for those students affected teachers' moment-to-moment interactions those kids in a thousand almost invisible ways. Teachers gave the students that they expect to succeed more time to answer questions, more specific feedback, and more approval. They consistently touched, nodded and smiled at those kids more.

Rosenthal acknowledged that there was no magic or “telepathy” in this experiment.  It was simply that high expectations from the teachers brought out high performance in their students.  We’ve all heard this before, yet it is interesting to see how the interpersonal behaviors from teacher (or parent or counselor) towards student carried the impact and activated the effect.  So as adults, as parents, as camp counselors, it’s good for us to remember that establishing positive expectations for our kids and committing ourselves to those expecations changes our own behavior in our interactions with the kids, and clearly can make a significant difference in their success. 

First session is completely filled up, and that’s awesome.  But don’t worry…if you’re not yet signed up for camp this summer, we still have room in most age groups for the 2nd session.  We’d love to have you join us! Welcome back to “old-timers” DESMOND BROWN of Hillside, IL; JOEY ETTINGER of St. Louis, MO; and AARON HOFFMAN of Dallas TX. Welcome aboard to the following first-year campers who will join us this summer.  JACK MORRIS of Deerfield, IL; JUSTIN GRIFFIN and JAMES PRICE of Phoenix, AZ; MILES PETERSON of Lake Forest, IL; JEREMY GROVER of Los Angeles, CA; MICAH SHULMAN of Northbrook, IL; SEAN PATRICK FEHRENBACH of Mequon, WI, and TIMOFEY VORONIN of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.  It’s a little too early to get crazy excited, so let’s just get nutty excited right now.  We can’t wait for camp to start!!

YO PARENTS: As you probably know, the 3rd (Spring) Deposit is due by March 15th.  If you have any questions about that, please let us know.  Thanks in advance.

March is not only the start of Spring Training (yay!), it’s also the time to start cranking up the camp paper work (yay?).  Back in the old days, parents signed their kids up, sent ‘em to camp, we had a great time with the kids and then we sent ‘em back at the end of the summer.  Times have changed, and in all frankness, the seemingly endless info that we now ask you for before your kids even roll into the Northwoods really does help us do a better job with them.  So we suggest you dig into the paper work early, and with the understanding that we all have the same goal of making sure we can do our very best with your fantastic children.  How about a quick overview:

ALL MEDICAL-RELATED FORMS ARE LOCATED ON CAMPDOC.COM. You should have received an email from CampDoc with login instructions.  Please let us know right away if you have not yet received login info from CampDoc.  Once logged in, you can complete all of your camper’s medical information.  This includes:

HEALTH PROFILE:  Many of you have already completed your Health Profile forms, which is great.  If you’re unsure of what sections you have not yet completed, you can login to CampDoc.com and check the status of your forms.  If you have any questions along the way, please let us know.

HEALTH INSURANCE CARD: You must provide a copy of the front and back of your health insurance card for the policy that covers your camper.  This can be uploaded directly to your CampDoc account.  IF YOUR SON IS A RETURNING CAMPER AND YOUR INSURANCE IS UNCHANGED FROM LAST SUMMER YOU DO NOT NEED TO UPLOAD A NEW COPY.

IMAGED DOCUMENTS: There are 2 documents that you must fill out and upload to your CampDoc account.  This includes:

*Medical Recommendation Form: A one-page PDF document that your doctor must fill out EACH summer.  This is the doctor’s verification that your son is healthy enough to attend camp, and it is a requirement by the ACA and the state of Wisconsin.  You can download the blank form from your CampDoc page OR from your Parent Keylog page on our website.

*Clinic Data Form: A two-page PDF document that we will use in the event your camper must see a doctor in town while he is with us.  Having this done ahead of any such required visit greatly improves our ability to have campers seen by a doctor in a timely way, regardless of which medical facility near us we may choose.  You can download the blank form from your CampDoc page OR from your Parent Keylog page on our website.

“I DON’T KNOW HOW TO UPLOAD!” Yes, it can be daunting, but honestly, it’s not that hard.  If you can scan a copy of your insurance card, or the forms that need to be uploaded, then it’s easy.  Just follow the instructions on the CampDoc page.  If you do not have a scanner, you can take a photo of the card or form, and upload that photo to your page.  Please look at the photo you are going to upload to make sure all of the information is legible.  If all else fails, please send us the originals, and we will upload them to your CampDoc account for you.  Thanks.

2 BIG CHANGES THIS SUMMER REGARDING MEDICAL CARE: Returning parents, you are gonna love this:

1. You do not have to complete the detailed immunizations section on the Health Profile anymore.  Just upload your son’s immunization summary form from the doctor, and that’s it.  The Medical Recommendation Form has a new line whereby your doctor verifies that your son’s immunizations are up to date.  This will be soooo much easier for you.

2. We now only require that PRESCRIPTION, PILL-FORM MEDICATIONS TAKEN ON A REGULAR SCHEDULE be filled by CampDoc’s pharmacy.  The rest you can just send to camp 2 weeks ahead of your son’s arrival at camp and our nurses will prep the meds for timely and accurate dispensing. 

These changes will allow us to maintain our high standards of medical care for your kids while making the pre-season paper work easier for you. 

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ALL OTHER FORMS ARE LOCATED ON OUR PARENT KEYLOG PAGE ON OUR WEBSITE. On your Parent Keylog page, there are a few other forms you will need to fill out and send to us, and some important information for you as well. This includes:

SPRING INFORMATION: A one-page PDF document that explains pretty much everything we’re telling you about in this newsletter.  Print that sucker out and put it up on your refrigerator so you don’t forget anything!

PACKING LIST: A two-page PDF document that is oh-so-informative about what to pack for camp.  We absolutely promise you that if you follow this list precisely, your camper will have everything he will need for 4 or 8 weeks at camp.  

ORDER TIMBERWEAR ONLINE: A link to the Everything Summer Camp website where you can buy most everything your son will need, as well as camp logo'd items. The ONLY REQUIREMENT we have for logo’d items is a standard camp laundry bag.  If you’d like your son to have his clothing and gear in time for camp, PLEASE PLACE YOUR ORDER BY MAY 1ST!

CAMPER PROFILE FORM: A form you fill out and submit online.  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. THIS FORM IS NOT REQUIRED FOR CITs. Parents, please be sure to read through this form each year….it retains any input you entered from prior years, but we really need you to keep us current.  Thanks!

ACTIVITY/TRIP LIST: A two-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.

VISITING WEEKEND RSVP: A form you fill out and submit online.  If you have a full season camper, or CIT, and you plan to join us for our Visiting Weekend, please let us know as soon as you can.  If you have first session-four week campers and you plan to join us for some or all of Visiting Weekend, please also complete that form.

TRANSPORTATION TO & FROM CAMP: Your Parent Keylog page has this information for you pertaining to your son’s travel:

*Travel Form: A form you fill out and submit online. This confirms 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."

*Register for Flights to/from Camp: This takes you right to the Sojourn Travel website where you can see all the information regarding flights, Unaccompanied Minor arrangements, baggage concerns, etc.  IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY BOOKED YOUR SON’S FLIGHTS TO CAMP, YOU ARE BEHIND SCHEDULE!  The later it gets, the higher the fares will be.  If you are booking your son’s travel independent of our travel agent, that’s okay, but we must know about it.  And our travel agent will not be able to assist in the event a schedule change or flight interruption occurs.

**CIT TRAVEL: We have been in touch with many CIT parents already about this.  We have a special email for you pertaining to CIT travel to and from camp that will come your way early this month.

*Travel-to-Camp Information: A two-page PDF document.  Detailed info about meeting our bus in the Chicago area, about how we arrange flights and handle baggage for flying kids, etc.  A HARD COPY OF THIS WILL BE MAILED TO YOU IN THE WEEKS BEFORE YOUR SON COMES TO CAMP.  That will be accompanied by baggage tags to be placed on your son’s duffel bags.

GENERAL POLICY INFO: More fun stuff for you to read about on your Parent Keylog page.

*Unplugged Policy: Unchanged this year.  WHICH DEVICES ARE ALLOWED? We’re glad you asked. You can send any music player that meet the following requirements: *It cannot play games *It cannot have Wi-Fi capabilty *It cannot play videos. As in past years, iPads or iPhones (or any type of tablet computer or phone) remain prohibited.  WE DO NOT ALLOW E-READERS.

*Packages Policy:  Also unchanged this year.  You can only send reading material like books and magazines.  Unplugged ones!

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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, and then click the “Trips Info” link and the “advanced registration” link.

We have a new blog that we encourage you to read.  It’s called TimberTrips, and it is a place where anyone can write about the trips they’ve taken during their camping years, how they felt about them, and especially if they feel like going on those trips has had a positive impact on their lives.  Our first author is “old-timer” SCOTT BREEN who was a camper and counselor for many years, and is now an attorney working for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Washington, DC.  Check it out, and if want to submit an article for the blog, just write it and email it to us: mike@camptimberlane.com. 

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: Paper work time for you too!  You’re so lucky!!  The Staff Health History form is on CampDoc.com again this summer.  If this will be your first summer with us, or if you were a CIT last summer, you should have received an email from CampDoc requesting that you login and create a password.  If you were on the staff last year, you can retrieve your login info right from the CampDoc site.  We do not have that information in our office.  From there, it’s pretty easy.   We need this by May 15th, please.

We also want to remind you of the training opportunities available to you this summer. These include Lifeguard Training certification, as well as recertification 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 or 2 years, depending on when you last completed it. How do you sign up? Log in to your Staff Keylog Page, and click the "Extra Training" link. And what does it cost? Not a single penny!  Please do this as soon as you know you can make those training dates.

We do NOT take it for granted….we know we’re lucky.  We’re lucky to have so many folks who are loyal and who are dedicated to the campers.  They return to camp summer after summer, for as long as they can make it happen.  That’s great just all by itself, but the other advantage it gives us is to be oh so selective when we choose which new staff candidates we’ll have with us.  We’re busy finding, interviewing, and reference checking lots of folks, and when we don’t need so many to fill out our staff, that makes it a little easier, and gives us so much more time to make sure we get the right people.  Welcome back to the following “old-timers” who will be with us again this summer. DAVID ARTZI David is back for his 11th (wait..is that right?) summer at camp.  He will be 23 years old this summer, and will graduate from the University of Arizona with a degree in Sports Sociology and Management.  David is on the hunt for a job working with NFL or NBA players as a rep.  In the meantime, he will again be a cabin counselor, and will head up our Weight Training program at camp. MAX KAPLAN Summer number 11 also coming up for Max.  He will graduate this spring from the University of Texas with a degree in Economics.  This summer, Max will again be a cabin counselor, and he will take over as director of our Riflery program.  Max was out there a lot last summer, and has had lots of experience in the past.  He’ll also help out with Waterskiing and Golf.  Max will be 22 this summer. RICH MCGOWAN Rich is back again for his 20th  summer at camp!  Incredible!  Rich is 43 years old, and works as a videographer in Northbrook, IL.  He spent many summers at camp as a counselor and photography/swimming instructor.  This will be his 5th summer as our Waterfront Director.  Rich will be participating in some additional swim instruction training this winter to help us further improve our swim program.  MIKE SCLAVI Mike is back for his 4th summer at camp as our Assistant Cook.  He is 33 years old, and has many years of cooking experience not only at camp, but also in a restaurant his family runs in Superior, WI.  Mike is an excellent cook and we are lucky to have him with us as well as Bill and Carlos. JACKSON POLSTON After a gap of several summers, Jackson is back for his 6th summer at camp.  Originally from Winnetka, IL, Jackson is a sophomore at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA studying Environmental Education, Climate Science, Marketing and Business.  While he was away from camp, Jackson completed 2 NOLS courses, one in Wyoming, and one in Alaska.  Heck, even while he was “in camp,” he was usually out of camp on one of our many trips.  He is a certified Lifeguard and Wilderness First Responder.  So, it comes as no surprise that Jackson will return to camp as a Trip Leader this summer.  He is 20 years old. And say hello to some of those awesome candidates whom we have chosen to be part of our staff this coming summer: KATE ASHBY Kate is 26 years old and comes to us from Keysville, UT.  She is a grad student at the University of Utah studying to obtain her Masters in Exercise and Sport Science.  She has been a camp counselor before, and she has coached volleyball at the middle school and high school levels.  Her current passions are kids and climbing.  She’s been climbing for several years in the Rocky Mountains, and worked on an outdoor ropes course.  This summer, Kate will be our Rock Climbing Director, and will help out with Riflery and other areas.  JARED BURGDORF A native of Milford, OH, Jared joins us this summer as a Trip Leader.  He is 24 years old, and has been working as an electrician for the past few years.  Jared’s main passion is backpacking, and he has been on multiple backpacking trips.  He’s also been paddling on rivers and on lakes in the Boundary Waters, and he loves to rock climb too.  When he was in high school, Jared also worked with younger kids as a wrestling coach. ERICA FLORIMONTE Erica is also from Milford, OH, and she is 26 years old.  She is a senior at Ohio University in Athens, majoring in Early Childhood Education.  She currently works as the Homework Coordinator at Ohio University Kids on Campus program, and she was a team leader at the program’s summer camp last summer.  She worked with AmeriCorps in 2014, and has other child-related experiences in her background.  She is also a rock climber, backpacker, and canoer, and this summer she joins our staff as a Trip Leader. HAMISH FRIEND Hamish will be 20 years old this summer, and he joins us all the way from Great Britain.  He is a student at Oxford Brookes University studying Real Estate Management.  He has worked at a British summer camp for the past 5 summers, and also taught English at a school in Argentina for a year.  Hamish likes a lot of different sports, including Sailing.  He has completed his Level 2 of the Royal Yachting Association.  He also plays soccer and rugby, and he has a lot of experience shooting air rifles and shotguns.  This summer, Hamish will be a cabin counselor, will head up our Sailing program, and help out with Riflery and Soccer.  BLANCA JUAREZ GARRIDO From Puebla, Mexico, we welcome Blanca, who will be 21 years old this summer.  Blanca is studying International Trade at Benemerita Universidad de Puebla.  She has worked at a summer camp in the US before, and she has worked in restaurants at home.  She joins our Kitchen Staff this summer. VIKI KORN Viki is a resident of the Northwoods, living just a few miles from camp.  She has been a bus driver for years, including most recently driving for the Lakeland Bus Company, which we use for transporting campers from time to time.  Viki has driven for us in the past and she said she always admired how friendly, fun, and well-behaved our boys are.  Our long-time driver, Norm Dudek, has retired from camp, and Viki was his hand-picked successor. So we are please to welcome her to our staff as our new camp driver. JUSTIN LEIDER Justin is 24 years old, is originally from New Jersey, and graduated from Northwestern University in 2013 with a degree in Theater and English Literature.  He has worked with kids of all ages in theater and as a karate instructor.  Justin is a certified Personal Trainer, and can serve up an inspired dish of frozen yogurt.  And the man plays guitar and does yoga.  This summer, Justin will be a cabin counselor, head up our Guitar program, and help out with Yoga some other activities. KAREN SALCEDO SAAVEDRA Karen is from Veracruz, Mexico, and she is a student at Universidad Veracruzana studying Foreign Languages.  She has worked as a teacher’s aid and she also worked at a shoe store.  She has lots of experience cooking and preparing meals for her family, and she joins our Kitchen Staff this summer.  She will be 21 years old.

 

MILES ROSENSTEIN traveled from Chicago to St. Louis recently for a volleyball tournament, and he got together with some camp bros there.  JACK KRISER and JORDAN PLOCKER are playing in a band together at the School of Rock, and they performed live at 27 Live in Evanston.  At a camp fair in the Chicago area last month, Jake Reuter wasn’t too busy seeing new families, but he did have a blast seeing some camp guys who came by to keep him company.  Thanks to JEREMY STROUSE, ALEXANDER ZLOTNIK,  JONAH & CALEB GERSTEIN and counselor JACOB ROSENSTEIN for spending part of their day with Jake.  And in very early February, I had some guys come keep me company at the camp fair in St. Louis.  Thanks to JARED & MILES SETTLER, BRETT MILLER, and counselors ARI SINGER and ZACHARY ZLEPPER.   In Tucson, AIDAN MEASE has been playing lacrosse, and DAVID BERK has finished basketball season, started soccer season, and is learning to slalom ski.

BRAVO TO OUR MARCH BIRTHDAY BOYS & GIRLS: Etienne LaFlamme - 3/1/2006, Brett Miller - 3/1/2004, Shannon Thoits - 3/1/1996, Dillon Berlin - 3/4/2002, Jack Robinowitz - 3/4/2005, Dillon Aronoff - 3/6/2004, Eddie Rosenblum - 3/6/1996, Javy Vallejo-McCann - 3/6/2003, Charlie Carroll - 3/7/2004, Zack Cooke - 3/11/1994, Max Kohl - 3/11/2005, Jonah Gerstein - 3/12/2004, Joey Ettinger - 3/13/2003, Anita Robson - 3/14/1996, Spencer Coplan - 3/15/2002, Jonathan Bloom - 3/20/1999, Dustin Greenwood - 3/20/2005, Brian Strain - 3/22/1981, Desmond Brown - 3/23/2002, Max Boron - 3/26/2004, Ryan Guterman - 3/27/2006, Joe Berns - 3/28/2001, Daniel Rothstein - 3/28/2003, Aaron Berkowitz - 3/29/1996, Adam Rubin - 3/29/2000, Joey Salit - 3/30/2001, Zach Coplan - 3/31/2000, Noah Masinter - 3/31/2006.

We will write you again next month.  Have a great March, everyone!!

Benches up,