Hey, Fire Prevention Folks!

Are you and your family prepared against the risk of uncontrolled fire? If not, it’s the perfect time to make sure everyone in your family is aware of fire safety tips and what to do to help prevent fires. Not only is today National Fire Prevention Day, but the entire week (until Saturday) is dedicated to the awareness of preventative fire tips.  

This is a week that goes back to 1925 when the President, Calvin Coolidge, proclaimed the week of October 9th ‘Fire Prevention Week.’ This week is recognized as Fire Prevention Week due to the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. While the cause of the fire is unknown, one of Mrs. O’ Leary’s cows gets a bad rep, blamed for having kicked over a lantern in the barn.

The fire spread feverishly through Chicago, leaving death and destruction in its wake and burning for more than 24 hours. On behalf of Everything Summer Camp, I’d like to share some tips on fire safety to help spread the word of fire prevention awareness:

•    Working smoke alarms reduce the risks of fire fatality by almost 50%. You should test your smoke alarm once a month to make sure the batteries are still good and that they’re working properly. You should install smoke alarms on every level of your home and every bedroom.

•    Talk to your kids about fire safety. Tell them never to play with matches or lighters. Be sure you always keep these items up and out of reach of young children.

•    Have a plan for an emergency escape of your home in case of a fire. You should have two exits in mind and go over the plan with everyone in your family. Practicing drills like this can be just as fun as it is smart.

•    Teach your children to get low and not to panic when they hear the smoke alarm go off.

•    Never leave a hot oven, stovetop, or fry pan unattended.

•    Practice proper limits on power from a single outlet.

Thanks for reading, Fire Preventers. Stay safe!

- John

Hello, Students!

Now that you’re starting to get settled into this still-fresh school year, I’ll bet it’s nice and refreshing to see those familiar faces of your school friends. Sure, it’s great to see those guys, but (sometimes) it can be just as good to see your teachers too (sometimes). Everybody has their favorite teachers from grade school, high school, college, and beyond. And since our teachers can often times play such an important role in our lives, we show our appreciation for them today, on World Teachers’ Day. Imparting knowledge, philosophy, and wisdom—as all good teachers do—is such a noble cause, they deserve nothing short of a day dedicated solely to them. What’s really great is that Teachers’ Day is recognized in over 100 countries as teaching requires a little more travel than the conventional U.S. schoolteacher.

I don’t mean commuting either; I’m talking about teachers who travel all the way around the world to reach students in certain countries that cannot provide their own teachers.

Since 1994, World Teachers’ Day has saluted teachers and teachers’ organizations the world over. Education International is the global union federation of all professionals in the field of education everywhere in the world. The extensive recognition of World Teachers’ Day is mostly due to the public awareness campaigns launched by Education International every year that point out the contributions made from the profession of teaching.

It doesn’t matter where you receive your education, if you go to public school, private school, if you’re home schooled, none of it matters nearly so much as the person that’s actually teaching you. Make sure that person knows just how much you appreciate their teaching and their guidance. You better double-check that you have all your homework done too!

As always, thanks for reading, School kids! On behalf of Everything Summer Camp, happy World Teachers’ Day!

- John

Hey, Dog Lovers!

Are dogs dear to you? Do you care for canines? Most people—especially those of us who love dogs—would agree that, specially speaking, dog is man’s best friend. But what kind of a friend is man? We have the power to be the sunshine or rain in a dog’s life; what you do with that power is up to you.

And no matter what you decide to do with that power, two things are for certain: 1.) There will always be dogs in shelters and 2.) Any and every one of those dogs would love for you to take them home with you. There’s absolutely no shortage of dogs that could use a good home. That’s why October is National Adopt a Dog Month!

As was mentioned on this Blog at the end of last August (on National Dog Day), everyone here at Everything Summer Camp is a big fan of our own canine companions. That got us to thinking, aside from adopting more dogs, what can we do as a company to help our furry friends throughout the month of October?

We landed on the idea of selling our ‘live love adopt’ T-shirt and donating the proceeds to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), a non-profit organization which is dedicated to preventing cruelty toward animals. The ASPCA is based in New York City and has been since it was founded in 1866.

So get your own T-shirt from Everything Summer Camp in celebration of National Adopt a Dog Month and help us spread the word to increase the awareness of this month. Give your hesitant friend or relative the push they need to make the right decision. Anyone can help get a good home for a dog!

As always, thanks for reading, Blog fans.

- John

Hey, Camp Kids!

Today is a day of thanks and recognition. Do you know what today is? It’s National Custodial Worker Day—a day dedicated to the respect and gratitude of those who take on the custodial and janitorial responsibilities of workplaces, schools buildings, and—yes—facilities at summer camps.

Custodians devote their efforts to maintaining a clean, safe, and healthy environment for us to live in. Keeping entire office buildings, school buildings, and other buildings in custodial care is no easy feat; it takes lots of time, energy, know-how, and patience. Thank goodness for the kind and constant services of our custodians.

To properly express your appreciation of your custodian’s cleaning and maintenances at the building you spend the day in, I compiled a short list of thoughtful ways to show your thanks.

•    The first, most obvious way to show your appreciation of your custodian’s services is to thank them face-to-face. Simply tell them how great of a job they do and how grateful you are of the role they play in keeping your environment clean and safe.

•    Secondly, try to keep the mess you make to a minimum. While you should do this every day, today especially, you should try and keep the areas you occupy as clean as you found them. Some people take on the attitude that it’s the job of the custodian to clean up the mess you make. This is not so. Buildings where people go to work, attend school, etc. constantly require custodial attention. They don’t need extra work from you.

•    Third, get them a card. Sure, a ‘thank you’ is nice in person, but a card really goes the extra mile. Cards are an easy way to incorporate everybody with signatures from everyone in your class.

Be sure to show your thanks to your custodian today and wish them a Happy Custodial Worker Day! Thanks for reading.

- John

Hey, Happy Hikers!

Summer’s on its way out, but it’s not over yet! Make the best of the rest and enjoy the outdoors as much as you can! I’ve been offering ideas for outdoor activities in the month of September—last Monday, I pointed out that it’s perfect campfire weather and the Monday before that I suggested apple-picking.

Idea #3: Going on a Hike. Nothing hits the spot like an adventurous constitutional amongst the fading foliage. So strap on your trail shoes, get out there, and breathe in the crisp, autumnal air.

There are lots of things you can do to make a hike a really good time. We have a slew of hiking gear here at Everything Summer Camp to help you enjoy your outing to its max. From hiking boots to water bottles, backpacks, and Hydration packs, we’ve got everything you need.

Another thing to keep in mind for your hike is your company. I like to share hikes with a good friend or two. The more the merrier! So round up a good group and hit the trail together.

It’s smart to bring a snack along too. Apples and bananas are nice, easy treats that require no real prep work, yet they’re very satisfying. If you know you’ll be out for a longer time, pack a sandwich and trail mix too. Picnicking is fun out in the woods or a park just off the trail.

As the summer season comes to an end, the green disappears from the leaves and they fall to the ground. At least, that’s what happens here in northern Wisconsin. It’s fun to spot cool-looking leaves and collect the ones you really like.

Hiking gets your blood pumping and makes you feel good. Prepare your own journey and get the most out of your hikes. Thanks for reading, Hikers.

- John