Hey, Sports Fans!

Especially those of the home team—Give me an ‘E’! Give me an ‘S’! Give me a ‘C’! What does that stand for? EVERYTHING SUMMER CAMP!!! Cheering for the home team has been a time-honored tradition for more than a hundred years. Chanting mottos and catchy slogans to show loyalty and encouragement from the sidelines is an essential part of spectating sporting events.

This activity offered at many camps can be anything from a chant or rhyme to incredibly skilled and choreographed physical activities or even stunts. Cheer performances are there not just to motivate the team but to entertain the audience as well or for discouragement to the competition.

That’s how it all got started. British students started cheering and chanting in unison for their favorite athletes and team—an activity that only males engaged in. This support from the sidelines slowly made its way overseas and landed in America. And by the 1920s, women started participating in cheers.

It took a little time, but popularity steadily grew among women interested in cheerleading until women in Cheerleading exploded in the 1940s when plenty of the university student men were drafted for the second World War. This gave way for women to begin their takeover of sideline cheers and start developing the idea of cheering into a sport of its own including elements of dance, tumbling, jumping, and stunts.

A 1955 overview for cheerleading explained that in a bigger school, "occasionally boys as well as girls are included". However, by the 1960’s women had completely taken over the activity. Of course, guys are still allowed to join a squad, but nowadays Cheerleading remains a predominantly female activity.

There are currently 116 nations that take membership in the International Cheer Union and more than 7 million individuals the world over who cheer. Cheerleading has really grown in popularity in places like Australia, Canada, Mexico, China, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and plenty more.

If you have an interest in embodying team spirit and positive attitude, be sure to look for Cheerleading on the activity lists of the summer camps you check out. Get into the spirit with our Color War Spirit Pack including pom-poms, bandana, whistle, and more. And, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

We all get great enjoyment out of a hard day’s work here at Everything Summer Camp but, just like all you, we want to have our fun in the sun as well. I’ve been asking people all around the workplace to see what kind of summer camp activities people would be most interested in returning to or trying out for the first time! I stopped by in our Shipping Department recently to talk to one of our star-shippers, Madisen to see what her pick would be for her favorite camp activity!

Without any hesitation, Maddy came back with her automatic and singular answer: Horseback Riding. Like our Call Center supervisor, Diane (who talked about her love of riding in her Blog post), Maddy has had a soft spot for horses and has loved to ride since she can recall. Horse riding was her favorite thing during her days back in summer camp, finding it both peaceful and freeing.

Maddy expressed to me what a stress-relieving activity horse riding has been for her. “I’ll go out there and she takes it all away,” she told me referring to her horse. “She makes me feel free. When I’m on her back riding it’s like no one can touch me.”

I’m sure Maddy isn’t the only one who has made the connection between riding and peace of mind that riders tend to feel. After all, riding becomes the only thing you’re thinking about when doing it. Riding and balancing. It induces a level of mindfulness that requires constant focus on the proper posture for riding. It makes sense that it quiets the mind.

Maddy loves horses and horse riding so much that she moved to Wyoming a couple years back to work for Buffalo Mountain Outfitters—a horse ranch  where she fed hay bales to horses, took them out to water, got them saddled up for guests, and would help with safety procedures during tours.

Are you passionate about horseback riding like Maddy is? If it’s something you love, hopefully you’ll be enjoying horse riding come the summer season. Happy trails. And, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans! Till next time.

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

With an exceptional understanding of what durable footlocker construction is and how to achieve it on every single one she touches, Teresa, our Production Supervisor, is one of the best trunk-makers in the country—maybe even the world. After almost 16 years of building them, we consider her the expert. With her exceptional know-how and efficient orchestration of construction, it’s no wonder that our Production Department puts out such solid products.

Given the opportunity to go to summer camp nowadays, as an adult, Teresa couldn’t make up her mind and settle on just a single activity. Check out the busy schedule she would make for herself with sports, Archery, Horseback Riding, and more!

Sports
Teresa kept spotting different sports that she enjoys playing with her current seven-year-old grandson who they call Chase, “because you got to chase after him,” she told me. They all enjoy playing games of Badminton, Soccer, Baseball, and more.

Archery
Shooting a bow and arrow was a clear pick for her as well. She loved it back in high school—she even strung her own bow! “When you’re a country girl you do a lot on your own,” she explained with a smile.

Horseback Riding
Of course, horseback riding had to go on her list as well. As a ‘country girl’, Teresa grew up with horses. At one point, her family had five horses altogether. One of them was like the wind, she told me.

Arts & Crafts
Partial to creativity (and working with her hands, of course), Teresa would also love to sign herself up for Arts & Crafts time, including Drawing and Painting. She reminisced of a painting she made in her high school days of her grandmother’s birdhouse.

Other…
A few other activities caught her eye that she tossed in like Gardening, Baking, and Fishing. She would go fishing all the time at her family’s cabin on a lake, she regularly gardens, and she’s been decorating cakes since she was ten!

Do you love any of the same camp activities as Teresa? Her picks are particular, but pretty essential summer camp experiences! As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John

Hey, Guys and Dolls!

You can enlist to do LOTS of different things during your stay at summer camp! Camps tend to offer lots of the same, more traditional activities like Archery and Zipline and typically a variety of more unique options. Perhaps the camp that you’re going to offers something you’re interested that’s a bit more unique such as Guitar Playing or Doll-Making. Let’s take a peek at the latter today and dive into the world of dolls.

The term ‘dolls’ refers to a wide variety of craft products. Most commonly thought of are probably baby doll toys. But this is just a drop in the bucket of the possibilities to what someone is referring to when they say call something a ‘doll’.

The vast majority of other types of dolls are more so along the lines of a figurine than they are a baby doll. The difference between a doll that’s made to cradle and burp is a crafted toy whereas many other styles of dolls are more like crafted collectibles. Here are a few different types of dolls you can make right home.

Who You Callin’ Mop Head?
Purchase a Mop Doll kit and follow simple instructions to make some cute dolls that are made using yarn that gets wrap around a dowel on a small base. You can put one together quickly and they are simple to make. They make for some adorable bedroom decor and toys for soft playing—they’re not action figures!

These Old Rags?
Rag dolls are another type of doll you can make that relies a bit more on your creativity, whereas Mop Dolls are more cut and dry. Like the ever-famous Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, this duo was made of rags. These traditionally homemade figures made of cloth are typically made from and stuffed with spare scraps of material laying around the house (though a trip to a supply store can help it along).

Bottle Baby
Lastly, we have water bottle dolls. Really…it’s an anything-that-works doll. With a similar concept to the Mop Dolls that use a wooden base and dowel for the body, this idea uses a water bottle (or, as I said already—anything that will work). Add a head with a wooden bead or whatever else you have layin’ around. Throw on some pipe cleaners or paperclips for arms. Add some felt for hair or clothing. There’s really no limit to your creativity for this one!

It will help move you along with a project to check out some ideas of what other people have done but be sure to add your own creative twist on your dolls. That way, they’ll be special just to you! Have fun with these potential projects and enjoy your doll making! As always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John

Hey, Summer Campers!

Meet Mark. He’s the President of Everything Summer Camp. I sat down to talk with him about what he would do if he was given the chance to return to the summer camp experience right now in his adulthood—what activity would he be most excited about.

Without hesitating, he told me mountaineering would be his top choice. Back in 2019, Mark’s interest in climbing was first sparked when he traveled Wisconsin to Arizona. There he hiked through the rugged White Tank Mountains, conquering a challenging 4,500 feet climb.

Later that year, Mark headed to Denver for the Outdoor Retailer Show, a bustling convention for scouting new camp gear.

Eager to challenge himself further, he arrived in Denver a couple days in advance before the show, looking to make it to the top of the tenth-highest summit of the Rocky Mountains. he set his sights on Gray's Peak, a beginner-friendly mountain towering just over 14,000 feet.

Mark encountered an unexpected hurdle—an avalanche had scattered debris across the road to the trailhead, forcing him to park further down and navigate through the debris field in the dark with his trusty headlamp.

Although he began his ascent solo, Mark soon teamed up with another climber he met along the way. Together, they provided moral support, encouraging each other through the daunting journey. Each step became a victory as they pushed through fatigue, dizziness, headaches, and cramps caused by the high altitude.

Going hand-in-hand with Mountain Climbing, Mark would be interested in trying his hand at Rappelling someday. Additionally, he would like to test out his Outdoor Survival Skills like building a shelter, starting a fire, filtering water, etc.—skills that would test his resilience and enhance his outdoor experiences.

For Mark, the thrill of climbing mountains isn't just about reaching new heights; it's about pushing his limits, forming connections with fellow adventurers, and embracing the challenges of the great outdoors. If he could relive the summer camp spirit today, Mark's passion for mountaineering would undoubtedly take center stage, inspiring others to embark on their own exhilarating journeys in nature.

Till next time, Camp Folks! Thanks for reading and, as always, Happy Camping!

- John