Hey, Labor Dayers!

A year or two ago, I told you about the history of Labor Day. I posted about how, despite the fact that today it means a relaxing day off, people were working twelve hour shifts, seven days a week throughout the 1800s, just to keep America—the New World—running properly. Here are a few interesting items that I didn’t include in that post:

Labor Day nowadays means picnics in the park, cookouts, and a three-day weekend because Labor Day is always on the first Monday of September. But, the first official Labor Day took place on Tuesday, September 5 of 1882. It wasn’t until after the first year’s celebration that the first Monday in September was set as an annual day of observance.

People often think of Labor Day as a last call for summer fun, bookending the tail-end of the season. But it was very nearly a springtime holiday, set consistently on the first of May. May 1 is the observed day for many other governments and countries to support their working class. President Grover Cleveland decided to move the date since May 1 held bad memories for some of the Haymarket Riot in Chicago.

Though it’s considered to be such an American holiday, we actually owe our Labor Day celebration to our northern neighbors in Canada. Their worker parades were first held in 1872 after some labor disputes in Toronto. It was a whole ten years later that union activist, Peter McGuire (who some say is the founder of Labor Day in America) introduced the idea of the day.

The entire feel of Labor Day could have ended up an entirely different one if history had gone down several different paths. But thankfully, it ended up just the way it is. I like it that way. Enjoy your Labor Day and, as always, thanks for reading!

 

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

That autumnal chill is in the air again. As we see the end of August and the return of September, we’re reminded of the approaching fall season. It means apple-picking excursions, it means perfect campfire weather, and—who could forget?—it means football is BACK! 

Everyone’s ramping up for the new NFL season! The first game premieres Thursday night on September 10 with the Steelers taking on this year’s champions in Massachusetts—the New England Patriots. In honor of the Patriots, I’m posting about Robert Kraft, Patriots Owner and former summer camper.

Having spent a week or two at summer camp certainly gave Robert an excellent life experience at an early age. He attended Camp Androscoggin, located in Wayne, Maine—20 minutes west of the state capitol. There lie 120 acres of beautiful campground, situated on the northern shore of Lake Androscoggin.

After graduating from Brookline High School and Columbia University (where he played running back and safety in his freshman year) Robert went on to build his healthy business career. By the time he was 31, Robert was in control of two companies. Combined, these companies make up the biggest privately-owned paper and packaging companies in the country.

With an interest in sports, Robert found himself refusing a proposal of the then-Patriots owner, James Orthwein. Orthwein’s deal would have moved the Patriots team, placing them in St. Louis. But Robert countered the deal with a record-breaking offer (for the time) of $172 million to outright purchase the team. Orthwein accepted Robert’s proposal.

Eight years later, Robert financed the construction of New England’s new Gillette Stadium and has continued to serve as nothing but a positive impact on the success of the Patriots. Be sure to watch next week Thursday as the Patriots kickoff the new football season!

With beginnings at Camp Androscoggin, Robert Kraft grew into the successful and passionate businessman that he is today. Who will you grow up to be? And, as always, thanks for reading.

 

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

Everything Summer Camp has the itch to spread the word about how great the camps are with whom we’ve formed great relationships. It should be no surprise we love them so much—we work with over 240 of them! Today I want to tell you about a camp that’s been with us for years—Camp Merrie-Woode for girls!
Settled beneath Old Bald Lighthouse alongside Fairfield Lake in Sapphire, North Carolina, Camp Merrie-Woode sits on beautiful land which is registered as a U.S. National Heritage Area because of the nearby Northern Red Oak Forest and two historic grassy balds.

Remaining the Camp Director for almost the first 30 years since 1919, the founder, Mrs. Jonathon C. Day (or Dammie as many called her) brought traditions, honor, and an appreciation for simple living to the young women of her time.
Offering a wide range of activities that balance tradition with exciting camp adventures, find fun in a variety of sports such as Archery, Tennis, Soccer, Kickball, a number of performing arts such as Drama and Dance; they have Visual Arts, Arts & Crafts, Sewing, Weaving, Photography, Ceramics, Horseback Riding, Hiking, and a great deal more options from which campers can choose.

The cabins at Merrie-Woode are rustic buildings made of wood. Most cabins only house four to six campers and one or two counselors. Older campers live in larger groups of eight to ten campers. Very accommodating and comfortable, girls who share cabins develop very close-knit communities and special friendships.

Awesome summer experiences are taking place every year at Camp Merrie-Woode just as they have for nearly the last hundred years. Visit the Merrie-Woode page on our website by clicking right here to view your camp apparel like the Camp Uniform Shorts and plenty more. Be sure to check it out for yourself and, as always, thanks for reading!

 

- John

P.S. Check out their really cool map right here!

Hey, Trail Mixers!

If this ultimate treat for the road is one of your favorites, then today’s Blog is definitely right up your alley. I’m posting about ‘Trail Mix Day’ in advance today in order to give you enough preparation time before August 31 arrives. Be sure to get to the store for all your ingredients ahead of time so you can have your trail mix made up and ready to enjoy ON National Trail Mix Day.

You might hear a bunch about when it was invented or who gave trail mix its name. You might see dates that go back to 1968 or even 1910, but, truthfully, trail mix is ANCIENT!

 

 

Ideal for any outing, from hikers to soldiers, this lightweight, long-lasting, easy-to-store, protein-packed, nutritious, and tasty snack has been a popular favorite among nomadic tribes thousands of years ago. It wasn’t called Trail Mix back then, but it was essentially the same thing. From scouts to pioneers, hunters and cowboys, people have always put their own spin on this ancient high-energy Travel Snack.

Requiring no special storage nor cooking preparation, many different cultures resorted to this snack as it was the easiest method of storing food for long periods of time. Native Americans had an interesting spin on this snack. They called it pemmican: dried buffalo, moose, and caribou meat along with berries. It lasted the Natives months and delivered lots of energy in a tasty and satisfying, little snack.

You’ll find a wide range of trail mix variations. The snack has gathered a number of names as well. Here are just a few:

Scroggin
If you wanted trail mix and you lived somewhere like New Zealand or the United Kingdom, you would ask for some ‘Scroggin’.

Studentenfutter
German for ‘student feed,’ this snack is not only popular for hikers, it’s also known to be a cheap snack among on-the-go students who are looking for an affordable, yet nutritional, snack.

GORP
It’s been called GORP by many, which according to some, stands for Good Ol’ Raisins and Peanuts—OR—Granola Oats, Raisins, and Peanuts—OR—Gobs Of Raw Protein. But then, it’s also been said that Scroggin stands for Sultanas, Carob, Raisins, Orange peel, Grains, Glucose, Imagination, and Nuts.

However, trail mix likely gets its name Gorp from the verb listed in The Oxford English Dictionary which means, ‘to eat greedily.’

No matter what you call it, be sure you to find some for yourself whether you get creative and make your own or if you just enjoy a packaged mix from the store. Click here for the creative inspiration of over 80 trail mix recipes! And, as always, thanks for reading.

 

- John

Hey, Campers!

Here at Everything Summer Camp, we really want to know how your summer camp stay went! That’s why we’re asking for submissions about your summer camp stay. In mid-July, I asked you to send us letters about your accomplishments, friends, fears that were overcome, favorite parts of camp, or a diary/journal-style submission that chronicles the jam-packed days of your camp experience. And now, at the end of August, there’s no time to dally anymore! Only six days left, the deadline for these summer camp submissions is next week Monday! Get ‘em in now!

In case you forgot: Everybody who submits gets a $15 gift certificate to Everything Summer Camp!

Seven random winners will be chosen. Our first randomized winner will receive a $100 gift card for our website. We’ll then randomly pick two more winners to receive $50 gift cards to our site. After that, four random winners will get our $25 gift cards. Everyone else who submits will get the $15 gift cards.

As I advised last month when first announcing these children’s submissions, if you should find it difficult to single in on just one part of camp among all the fun the likely stretched from the beginning of camp to the end, here are some ideas:

Write about the one thing you did that was the most fun. Tell about things you learned whether they’re athletic skills, artistic skills, thinking skills, etc. Share stories about the great people and friends you made at camp. Describe how it felt to be away from home. Exercise your creative muscle and talk about the beautiful, natural surroundings you saw at camp.

In your submissions, we encourage you to talk about your camp and why you think it’s the best. Please include your first name and your last name’s initial, what camp you visited, and how long you’ve been going to camp.

We would love to hear about your time at camp, so click RIGHT HERE to submit and, as always, thanks for reading!

 

- John