Creating Fun in the Rec Center

I will pick up this blog with the next phase of our construction projects here at Camp Foley. The new Rec. Center was the 3rd move in this shifting of venues. If you don’t know what I am talking about, you will have to scroll back in Foleys’ Rattlin’ Blog and find the first two explaining our major construction and transfer of activity areas.

The Rec Center, shown on the right.

What's now known as the Rec. Center was previously just the old garage. No campers ever went in the building. Like I mentioned before, it was home to the Foleys’ lawn tractor, skid steer, log splitter, and extra hockey goals. Now it is a beautiful building that is full of excitement and fun. The project started in a snowy late April with the snow having to be shoveled off the old roof to begin the new steel roofing. A For Your Information, we didn’t change roof line so, no need for a building permit!

Plenty of space for great games.

The new steel roofing glows with the same green sheen as the maintenance center. We did not tear any part of this old building down. We simply just renovated the existing structure that is easier typed than done! It was merely gutted on the inside and with the addition of log siding to the outside, we have beautiful building. For the campers and to enhance the fun at the Foley Fun Center, we added speakers on the inside and outside the building. So now when the campers are battling it out in our Human Foosball or swatting around the birdie at Badminton or playing a game of Giant Tether they have the opportunity to listen to their favorite songs. For the inside of the Rec. Center we moved our pool table, ping pong tables, foosball tables, and added arcade hoops for fun and games. It is a great place with an awesome atmosphere.

Enjoying Foosball in the Rec Center.

It’s just another great addition to an already awesome place called…Camp Foley! Stop by sometime and check it out!

Until next time,
 Chris Mathiowetz, Director

The noise of more than just kids.

Wailing, hooting, yodeling and laughter are all fairly common noises to hear around Camp Foley in the summer months. This year, all that noise has returned about 3-4 weeks early according to the Minnesota DNR. Why would the DNR be listening to campers you ask? Well they aren’t talking about campers, they are talking about the loons!

According the Minnesota DNR, unseasonably warm weather has brought this state bird back earlier than expected. Loons migrate to warmer climates in the winter months, but I guess like most people who visit Minnesota, they just couldn’t come back soon enough!

A beautiful Common Loon pictured on Hidden Lake.
(Photo by Alli Faricy)

Loons are named for their clumsy appearance on land and need about 100-600 feet of “runway” space before taking off for flight. But, once they get going in the air, they can fly up to 75 miles per hour! I guess that speed comes in handy when making the long trek back and forth from the Gulf of Mexico! Here in the United States, loons are protected by the Migratory Bird Act which prohibits the hunting or harassment of the birds. It is even illegal to have a loon feather! But, down south where the birds live in the winter time, they are hunted and even eaten.

Known for their striking red eyes, black heads and necks and little white speckles on their bodies, loons can weigh up to 12 pounds feeding on all the delicious fish of Minnesota lakes. Those red eyes help the loons see deep into the dark water....they can dive up to 250 feet in search of food and stay under water for 5 minutes!

Minnesota has more loons (about 12,000) than any other state except Alaska and the coolest thing about about them is that they bond to their lakes! That’s right, in the spring loons find their way back to the same lakes as the previous years. It is thought by experts that loons bond more to their lakes than they do to their mates. So, if you see the same nest year after year, you most likely have a permanent neighbor.

Nearly everyone who visits Camp Foley, or any lake in Minnesota for that matter, knows and loves the loons. It is part of the atmosphere and experience here at Foley. Don’t forget to watch out for, and listen for, the loons!

- Carrie Stageman, Assistant Director

Frogs Jump & Moons Move

There are few things that stick out as memorable camp experiences for me that don't include one of two ingredients - amazing people and breathtaking experiences with nature. In honor of Earth Day, it was easy to decide to write about my love of the outdoors and the unique things you see there, but when I actually sat down to write, I was stumped. Not for lack of material or desire. Quite the opposite.  Where do I start? What do I deem the most important piece of the natural world? What picture can I possibly pick to sum up how I feel about being outside? It's impossible.

Leopard Frog from Hidden Lake

There is no way to explain how it feels when the little hairs stand up on the back of your neck as you sit in complete blackness and let your sense of sight take the first break its had in days. As you listen so carefully that every water drop that touches the shore registers as a tidal wave. As, when you stand, you feel a rush of warmth across your face, rising above some invisible barrier of cool air, followed closely by the smell of the cut grass from earlier in the day.

And if I can't explain any of those simple sensory experiences, there is no way for me to explain how fun it is to chase a frog through the swamp in search of a perfect picture. You know. The one where you can see the muscles in his legs as he crouches ready to jump for his life. The one where you are so close that the frog seems to look you in the eye and say, "It's ok you are waste deep in mud and won't stop smelling like decaying plant matter for days. You got the shot."

View of Moon from the Marina

And I absolutely can not fathom how I would possibly relay to you the satisfaction I feel when I lay on a dock, overlooking a lake, watching the crater marked moon migrate across a star riddled sky and do nothing. Nothing but think about how lucky I am to see what I see and feel what I feel and smell what I smell.

Oh wait. I don't have to. You already know.

Happy Earth Day.

Alli Faricy, Director

Show your true colors!

In honor of Earth Day, you can get a "Camp Foley, Saving our Earth" Bracelet for $2. Proceeds go to the American Rivers conservation group to help with saving our rivers (this was selected by our campers, staff and parents). Email us to order!

Hey who's that guy?

Ryan (right), playing Hockey.

This month I had the chance to meet new to Foley camper, Ryan A. Ryan is from Maryland and has attended summer camps in his area previously, but this year will mark the first for coming to Camp Foley. I asked Ryan how he heard about Foley and his response was, “I found it on the internet.” Ryan has family that lives in Minnesota so he has seen the beautiful landscape before, and that is partly what drew him to begin looking for a camp in Minnesota. Ryan has had to the chance to visit Minnesota with family before, but he is excited for the chance to make this voyage on his own.

Maryland holds activities that he participates in which he is also excited about trying at Foley like sailing. I asked him what things he will try as a Foley First and he is excited for paintball. The competitiveness of paintball seems to be a popular topic with most of the campers that I talk with. We also talked about our new boat and the chance to try water skiing and wakeboarding. We got a little off subject and started talking about wake surfing behind a boat, that was a fun topic for me to venture off on.  Ryan also enjoys playing Hockey, as you can see from the picture above, he looks perfectly at home on the ice. My hope is for Ryan to try his hand at floor hockey during his first stay with us!

I can tell within the brief time I had to meet Ryan that he will be comfortable in the Camp Foley setting and I can’t wait to see how many new friends he will make. It’s exciting for me to know that kids from across the world will be coming to my new home at Camp Foley and I can’t wait for the opportunity to learn something new from each of them!

- Adam Ashley, Assistant Director

Giving back to Foley

Foley. It’s amazing how a simple five-letter word can not only bring back so many memories, but it is also a place I call home. In my life, I have been so blessed to have Camp Foley as a part of my life. From soda bread Sundays, to rainy day lip syncs, every day at Foley is a special day. Special because there is no place in the world like Camp Foley. Special because there is no one like the friends at camp anywhere else. And special because each individual, camper, staff, administrator, or director makes it special.

Having fun at camp during my CIT year.

Sitting outside over-looking the icy, slushy Whitefish Lake on a beautiful day during my spring break, special memories come to mind. Tessa Lee’s first summer here and our seven year old selves sleeping in the Tipi. Making endless friendship bracelets. Singing camp songs. Looking up to the Tek girls and wanting to be one of them. Soon enough, it was my last summer as a camper and I was a CIT along with Parker Poche’, Matt Carney, Eric Newman, and Dan Suchsland (most of whom will be back as counselors as well). I wasn’t ready to say good-bye to the only summer I’d ever known, and the best possible summers anyone could ever ask for.

Some of you who know me might be thinking, “She lives at camp, so she never really had to say goodbye,” or something along those lines. But what you don’t know is how hard it was to hear camp songs through my bedroom window, or to see people running around Foley Green or splashing in the water, and to know that I could never be a camper again.

Me and Tess, 2001.

Going away to college out near Boston, Massachusetts, made me realize more than I already knew of how an extraordinary place Foley is. Being there all the time, I think I took the experience, the friendships, and the summers for granted. The last couple summers haven’t been the same without camp, and that is why I decided to be a counselor this summer. I want to give back to camp because camp has given me so much, and has made me who I am. Whenever I am coming back to Minnesota from school, I pause at the top of the big hill and look at the lake, and I know I am home. No matter how near or far, Foley is always with me, as it is for most of us who have been blessed with being a part of the Foley Family.

- Kylie Beltz, Counselor.

Your Child's First Sleep Away

Make no mistake that a child’s first sleep away at a summer camp can be a scary and nerve-wracking experience – for both camper and parent! We have seen time and time again that anxious separation of kid and parent on opening day of camp and it can sometimes be difficult to wager who will burst into tears first. Russell Hyken, of Ladue News, testifies to this in a recent article. “Our concerns started to spiral. Is he too young? Will he be homesick? What if he doesn’t like his cabin mates” and will he eat the food?” These are all very natural reactions to what is often a traumatic time in a parent’s life – often the first prolonged separation from their child.

Camp can be a very anxious time for most parents.

These is no real research into a definitive rule about the appropriate age for a child’s first over night camp, and children are often ready to attend long before their parents are comfortable sending them. We feel it’s important for parents to understand the benefits that children gain from coming to camp – self confidence, personal development, huge increase in physical skills and a heightened sense of self worth to name but a few. This rationalization will make the pain of this separation seem much more worth while. After all, parents want their children to develop and succeed!

Above and beyond the question of whether to attend camp or not comes the question of how long to attend. Hyken argues this should be carefully considered. “Many parents believe that a week is a good length of time to trail the camp experience. Seven days, however may not be long enough for a camper to relax, conquer homesickness and develop solid relationships with new-found friends. Consider two weeks or more to fully maximize the life-changing experience camp can provide.”

Rest assured – we stand by our mission statement to partner with parents to make their stay stress free for the grown-ups, too!

- Ricky Searson, Assistant Director

Never Too Old for a Foley First

Sunday, March 18, 2012 was a Foley First for my son, Peter and I! We went canoeing on Whitefish Lake! And to make our prelude to spring even more exciting, we made tin foil dinners in the fire pit overlooking Whitefish Lake. We said farewell to winter, by cutting up and burning our Christmas tree. On this unbelievably warm day for March in Minnesota, we had a Foley First and we shared it together!

Traveling through our 'narrow river'.

With excitement and wearing my Bogs and life jacket, I pushed our canoe into the icy waters of Whitefish Lake. We traveled through the 6 foot breaks in the ice. It was like traveling on a narrow river. We were totally amazed at the clarity of the water and could distinctively see the bottom. We could feel the warmth of the sun and occasionally the extremely warm heat waves that we passed through.

Peter and I traveled straight out from the Marina, did a sharp right turn and headed toward the shoreline down from camp. We went as far as we could and our “water canal” stopped. It was so narrow that we could not turn our canoe around, so we turned our bodies around and started back. After rounding the ice corner, we quickly discovered that this enormous sheet of ice had closed our path! As we held onto our canoe, we pushed ourselves over the ice to open waters! Bogs were a much better choice of footwear compared to Peter’s bare feet!

Peter enjoying the March sun.

In all of my years at Camp Foley, I have never canoed in the middle of March on Whitefish Lake! I am so grateful to have shared this experience with my son. I challenge all of our parents to find a new experience to share with your children; it is making memories to last a lifetime.

- Marie Schmid, Executive Director.

From New to Cool

When I spoke to Maggie H on the phone the other day, she was happily on spring break and enjoying sleeping in and laying low. That being said, the moment I started talking about camp you could sense the excitement rise in her voice. Suddenly she was off the couch and across 3 states (she lives in Illinois) and was back on the waves of Whitefish Lake (she said waterskiing was her favorite activity). Here is what she said:

Maggie H. During Summer 2011.

So your sister came to Foley for a few years before you joined us, what was it like finally being able to understand what she was always talking about when it came to camp?

It was really cool! She talked about it so much that I knew a lot but now we can talk about it together which I really like. 

What was it like being a first year camper?

Scary. I didn’t know anyone so I was pretty nervous I wasn’t going to make friends. But the minute I got to camp I realized how nice everyone was and they were just so warm and welcoming I felt like I had been there for 5 years. 

What is a skill that you learned at camp that you can use now that you aren’t here?

Well, I am getting ready to go in to high school next year so now I know what it is like to be in a new environment and make friends. I also learned how you shouldn’t have to put on a show for people all the time and that you can just be yourself. 

Do you keep in touch with your friends that you made?

Yes. We use Facebook. Ha. 

Is there anything else you want to say to all the readers?

Camp is so much fun! If you don’t know whether to come or you are trying to decide – do it! You will regret it if you don’t. 

I can’t make this stuff up, people.

Maggie is a twelve year old from Northbrook, IL where she is finishing up 8th grade. Besides waterskiing, she loves making friendship bracelets in her spare time at camp as well as hanging out in the cabin and talking. Thanks to Maggie for spending some of her hard earned spring time talking to me. If you would like to be interviewed for the “Rattlin’ Blog” – email me!

- Alli Faricy, Director