Hey, Fans of Springtime!

It’s great to come alive again after enjoying a rather hibernative state here in northwestern Wisconsin where landscapes turn a pretty white and the temperatures drastically drop in the wintertime. We Wisconsinites tend to fare well throughout a season of such scarcity, but it’s always nice to see it come to an end as we enjoy the unfolding spring and a step closer to summer camp season. And today we celebrate the arrival of the Spring season!

Today is the Vernal (or Spring) Equinox.

Right now you may be saying to yourself: Equi-what? However, if you’re an avid reader of this Blog, you may already have an idea of what this is since I posted about the Autumnal Equinox roughly six months ago. These things occur twice a year, y’know! Like the more popularly known Summer and Winter Solstices, equinoxes mark the beginnings of the spring and fall seasons.

The word ‘equinox’ is Latin in origin: ‘aequus’, which means ‘equal’ and ‘nox’, which means ‘night’. While the solstices mark the longest and shortest days of the year, the Autumnal and Vernal Equinoxes hang in a fragile balance to mark equal day and night at 12 hours apiece all across the entire planet!

Of course, the folks who live in the Southern Hemisphere are all celebrating the Autumnal Equinox as we ring in the Spring. This is because the earth’s axis as it rotates tilts toward and away from the sun. As we tilt toward it here in Northwestern Wisconsin, folks in Southern Brazil start tilting a similar degree away.

As we continue to shake off the frost from the winter, enjoy your time outside, soak up that sunshine, and play until you’re happy! Stay equipped for the rainy days on the April horizon by clicking here and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Happy St. Patty’s to you, Lads and Lassies!

Today we parade, we feast, and—most importantly—we don our green apparel to show our Irish pride (or admiration) and the culture in which the Irish surround themselves. It’s interesting that a holiday that’s thought to be so celebratory of the Irish culture owns up to so many elements that aren’t Irish. It might sound like a sin to say, but there’s actually little to do with Ireland when it comes to this celebration.

St. Patty’s Day is GREEN. And while it may be the current color of Ireland, it actually used to be a light shade of blue. It was the shamrock itself—used by St. Patrick—that eventually, by the end of the 18^th century, swayed the people to accept their Irish blood was green, despite the fact that his teachings and spreading of Christianity went on more than a thousand years prior.

Okay, so what about the man St. Patrick—the patron saint of Ireland himself. His name sounds Irish. Well, it’s actually not known where St. Patrick was born; but we do know where he wasn’t born: Ireland. While unknown, he is believed to have been Scottish; but wherever he was from, we know it wasn’t Ireland as he was brought to the island as a consequence of being bound in slavery.

Okay, okay…So the color and the celebrated figure don’t actually originate in Ireland. But the celebration itself is an Irish holiday—right? Nope. St. Patrick’s Day was first celebrated on March 17, 1737 in Boston, Massachusetts as a means for Irish immigrants to commemorate their heritage. What started as a community party run by less than 30 people is now a celebration seen across the globe…but it didn’t originate in Ireland.

Even so, the holiday has everything to do with Ireland! After all, it’s the homeland that the folks who first celebrated it were honoring. And why not?! Ireland and the culture of its people is certainly worth celebrating. Happy St. Patty’s Day to all of you, whether you be from Ireland or not and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

The Everything Summer Camp ‘Share Your Camp Story’ drawing saw an excellent response with about 30 entries! That’s why we’ve published each and every one right here on the Blog! We received a handful that weren’t long enough to qualify for our contest, but we thought we’d at least share them on the Blog. Check out these three accounts from excited campers!

First is this entry from Ainsley S. who attended Camp Illahee:

“I had so much fun at summer camp! It was my first time to go away. We labeled my clothes and items before I left (with stickers and stamps from Everything Summer Camp). Then I made new friends while I was there. I was able to keep everything pretty organized because of some other items my mom had ordered from your website. I can’t wait to go back next year!”

Next up is a submission about Audrey S. and his time at Camp Mystic:

“When I was at Camp Mystic, I went fishing. I wanted to go fishing far away from the bait table and I needed a minnow. As I walked to my fishing spot, I put it in the water. Then all of these bass came swimming up to it and then one bit it! It was a baby bass. I reeled it and got a picture. After that, I threw it back in the water! Was really excited to catch my first bass.”

And, lastly, we have a camp submission from Eileen S. who went to Camp Merrie Woode:

“I arrive at camp. My cabin smells of wood. I get my bunk all set up and head down to the docks for a swim test. The next day I start my activities. I started with kayaking across Lake Fairfield at 10:15. Then I go to Modern Dance. Then I go to the riding stables. The one I get put on is named Nugget. Then I had a delicious lunch as always. Then I made a bulls-eye on the archery field! Then I ended the day by playing a match of tennis.”

A thank you to our contributors today for sharing your camp memories with us! It’s great to hear from all of you. Look into these camps for yourselves if you’re interested and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Families!

I like to think of our Summer Camp Spotlight posts here on the Everything Summer Camp Blog as being less like Blog posts and more like love letters. Of course, we have a lot of loves—that’s why we work with more than 270 summer camps across the nation. And there’s a lot to love about them. That’s why I sing their praises here on the Blog; and today, I’m singing the praises of Kennolyn Camp!

Located in the Santa Cruz Mountains on 300 acres of Northern California Redwoods that overlook Monterey Bay, Kennolyn Camp got its start in 1946 (the year after the end of World War II). It was during that war, that the seed of Kennolyn Camp was born. Max served on an ammunition ship in the Pacific Ocean. He wrote to his sweetheart, Marion, “If I EVER get out of this alive, let’s start a school or a camp.”

When he got back home, that’s just what they did.

At Kennolyn Camp, you’ll fill your time with awesome activities such as Archery, Badminton, Basketball, Batting Cages, BMX Biking, Carpentry, Ceramics, Chess, Climbing, Crafts, Dance, Diving, Drama, Horseback Riding, Fencing, Forest Exploration, Gardening, Glee, Golf, Guitar, Animal Care, Cooking, Ropes Course, Ping Pong, Riflery, Ropes, Rugby, Self Defense, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Volleyball, and even more than that!

Camp friendships are powerful, and living in a cabin group is one way to make lasting friendships while taking steps toward independence at the same time. With all the comforts of home, each cabin is unique with its character and its charm, and they all have electricity, windows, built-in shelves, bunk beds for up to eight campers, as well as an inviting front porch. Separate girls and boys areas lie on opposite sides of the camp.

Look into Kennolyn Camp for your own camping experience! You can peruse their website by clicking here and, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Folks!

- John

What’s up, Summer Campers?

Some of the activities that you’ll participate in at summer camp may challenge how much you thought you were capable of achieving. The thrill of seeing just how far you can go can come as you calmly sit behind a canvas or it can strike you alarmingly as you traverse a Ropes Course at high altitudes. Today I’m talking about the latter.

Ropes Courses are a challenging outdoor experience with elements that may have ground level obstacles along with portions just above the ground as well as elements that are rather high up, constructed in trees or made using utility poles with the participants suspended for safety with anchored ropes called belays.

An extension of ground-level obstacle courses, Ropes Courses have been a part of military training since the days of the Ancient Greeks. They were used as a means of training Herculean individuals into states of physical fitness—now able to be experienced when you head to summer camp!

And sure, this activity is one that can whip you into shape, but its benefits far surpass the physical level. As campers conquer the Ropes Course at their summer camp, here’s a list of ways this exercise can help build your character as well as mental—and even emotional—maturity:

• Problem-Solving
• Brainstorming Ideas
• Goal-Setting
• Decision-Making
• Self-Confidence
• Positive Risk-Taking
• Leadership
• Enhanced Cooperation
• Teamwork
• Trust

A couple people were quoted in ‘The Mirror’—the official student-run news site for SPASH, the Stevens Point Area High School. Ryan M. said about his experience on his school’s Ropes Course “I enjoy the course very much. It has taught me to face my fears.” Eliza S., a former student, remarked that “The course gives you amazing opportunities to find yourself.”

Maybe you’ll find yourself on a Ropes Course this coming summer camp season. Good luck up there! And have fun attaining awesome character traits as you swing from rope to rope! And, as always, have fun!

- John