2013 Preview: The Jetsons Banquet

Meet George Jetson... his son Elroy... daughter Judy... Jane his wife!

Second and Fourth Session will take a trip to the future with the Jetsons! The Foley staff is prepared to make the Jetsons Banquet very exciting and fun for everyone. Before you come to camp, we wanted to make sure that all of the Second and Fourth Sessioners are ready for the future!

We want to familiarize you with the The Jetsons TV show. The original series aired on Sunday September 23, 1962 and lasted for 24 episodes. Fun fact: The Jetsons was the first show ABC-TV ever aired in color! (The Flintstones was produced in color but was broadcast in black-and-white for the first two seasons.) A second season aired between 1985 and 1987. A feature-length movie, Jetsons: The Movie, was released in 1990. The show centered around George Jetson and his family living in Orbit City in 2062. George Jetson worked for Cosmo Spacely, who was always scheming against his competitor, H.G. Cogswell. In many episodes viewers would hear Cosmo Spacely say, "Jetsooon! You're fired!" (Of course, George never really lost his job!) While Judy and Elroy Jetson weren't at school, they were under the watchful eye of Rosie, the Jetsons' robot housekeeper. Elroy and the family dog, Astro, were often getting into a jam, only to be assisted by Orbity, the Jetsons pet the debuted in the 1980s version. Jane Jetson loved to shop, but hated doing housework. Since the show took place in the future, life was much more leisurely as technology made things simpler. George worked only a few hour a few days a week. Jane could clean the house with the push of a button. And Rosie "cooked" dinner by pushing a button and getting a capsule. Elroy and Judy could get from room to room in the Sky Pad Apartments by traveling on "Slidewalks" - moving walkways.

Characters for the Jetsons are a bit harder to find, but if you read through some of the episode summaries you may happen upon a few more obscure characters! Of course there is Jet Screamer, a pop idol that Judy wins a date with in one episode. Withers, a lawyer, tries to take Astro and return him to millionaire J.P. Gottrockets. Why not dress up as Elroy's TV superhero, Nimbus the Great! There is always Gigi Galaxy, from the episode "Las Venus." She appear around 14 minutes in. Or Judy's cousin, Melissa, who you can find around the 4:55 mark of "Judy Takes Off." A lot of the episodes can be found on YouTube, so getting creative shouldn't be too hard!

TBT: Camp Cousins - Courtney & Emilia

A Family Tradition

Kronschnabel camp clan in 2008!
Clockwise from left: Courtney, Emilia, Matt, Nick and Tory.

The whole reason I got involved with Camp Foley was because of my dad, Peter Kronschnabel. In 1967, at the age of seven, he went to camp for his very first summer. He probably didn't realize the tradition he was starting with our family when he walked into Mic Mac on arrival day. Since he was a camper, there have been 18 family members that have either been a camper, counselor or nurse at Camp Foley. I have had the pleasure of going to camp with my brothers, Matt and Nick, as well as my cousins, Sara, Emilia and Tory.  

While going to camp with my brothers was always a treat, being at camp with Emilia has been an experience I’ll never forget. Ever since our first year together in 1999 we have shared more than just a last name. During our 10 years as campers we shared three cabins, one bunk and countless memories together.

Emilia and Courtney getting on the camp bus in 1999!

One of my favorite camper memories with Emilia has to be when she helped me write my Bridge Crossing Essay. She had written hers a year earlier than me, and I thought hers was the greatest, so I just HAD to get her advice on what to write about. She sat with me for a whole rest period and helped me write what seemed like the longest, most important essay I would ever write. At the age of 11, Emilia helped me realize camp is about more than just learning how to sail or knit a scarf. It’s learning about myself and what kind of qualities I want to carry with me. While this essay definitely wasn't the longest I've written...it still may be the most important.

Our shenanigans didn't stop when our camper days were over. Last summer we spent our first summer as counselors together. It was the first year in our Camp Foley history that we weren't in the same age group doing the same activities. She being a Fox counselor and myself a Wolf counselor, we had different schedules and events to plan/go to. We learned to cherish our time together at the Marina. 

Emilia and Courtney, part of the 2012 Marina staff.

Ever since we were little, our favorite activities took place at the waterfront. I loved sailing and she (for reasons that are still a mystery to me...) loved windsurfing. Our love for the marina did not come out of nowhere. The rich tradition that my dad and uncles laid down started way before Emilia and my camper days had even begun. Hearing their stories about the good ‘ol days at the Marina is what really sparked our interest and kept us wanting more. While their stories are pretty top notch, I’d say Emilia and I have created some quality ones of our own in 2012. The site of Emilia hundreds of feet from shore stranded in a safety boat that she was unable to start will always make me chuckle.

I can honestly say that with out my cousin Emilia, camp for me would not be the same. We share so many wonderful memories at the one place we can both call home. I am truly looking forward to spending another glorious summer with her at Camp Foley. 

Written by Courtney Kronschnabel. 

Camp Creature: The Painted Turtle

Muncher hanging out in a bucket
on tank-cleaning day.

Raise your hand if you know the name of Camp Foley's Painted Turtle! Well, even if you didn't raise your hand our shout out, "MUNCHER!" no worries. Today, I'm going to share with you all the fun facts about Painted Turtles, a native turtle to our area.

First of all, let me tell you something super cool: Fossils show that the Painted Turtle existed 15 million years ago! Amazing! Also, the Painted Turtle is the most widespread native turtle of North America. It can be found from southern Canada to Louisiana and northern Mexico, from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans. The most common place we see the Painted Turtle at Foley is over in Hidden Lake because it enjoys fresh waters with soft bottoms, shallow waters, slow-moving currents, basking sites and aquatic vegetation. Those factors make Hidden Lake the perfect home for the turtles.

There are actually four types of Painted Turtles:

Norm meets a Painted Turtle!

• Eastern Painted Turtle: This turtle ranges from five to seven inches long. It's upper shell is olive green to black and it may have a pale stripe down the middle with red markings. The segments of the shell have pale edges and occur in straight rows across its back. This segment pattern is unlike all other North American turtles.
• Midland Painted Turtle: This turtle has a dark, symmetrical shadow in the center of its bottom shell that varies in size and prominence. It ranges from four to 10 inches long.
• Southern Painted Turtle: This is the smallest of the Painted turtles - only four to six inches long. Its top shell has a red line running down the middle, and its bottom shall is tan.
• Western Painted Turtle: This is the type of Painted Turtle we see in at camp, and the type of Painted Turtle that Muncher is. It's top shell has a mesh-like pattern of light lines. It's bottom shell has a large colored splotch that spreads to the edges and often has a red hue. The Western Painted Turtle can grow up to 10 inches long.

Painted Turtles basking on Hidden Lake.

As a cold-blooded reptile, the Painted Turtle regulates its body temperature though its environment, notably by basking. All ages bask for warmth - sometimes groups up to 50 turtles can be seen basking together. At Hidden Lake, we often see the Painted Turtles basking on logs. The Painted Turtle will spend the night perched underwater to sleep, and will wake at sunrise to emerge from the water and bask for several hours. Once it's warm enough for activity, it will take to the water to forage. It repeats this cycle two to three times each day in the warmer months. In the winter, it hibernates. Fun fact: during hibernation the Painted Turtle does not breathe! If its surroundings allow, it may take in oxygen through its skin. 

Our Painted Turtle's, the Western Painted Turtle, diet changes seasonally. In the early summer, 60% of its diet is insects, by late summer 55% is plants. The Painted Turtle is the diet to a few predators though, so it must be careful! Painted Turtles are most vulnerable when they are young. Nests are frequently ransacked and the eggs are eaten by garter snakes, crows, chipmunks, squirrels, skunks, groundhogs, raccoon, badgers and fox. The small, bite-size hatchlings can fall pray to water bugs, bass, catfish, Snapping Turtles, snakes, herons, rice rats, weasels, muskats, minks and raccoon. As adults, the Painted Turtle is more protected with its shell, but they can fall prey to alligators, ospreys, crows, hawks, Bald Eagles and especially raccoon. 

Final Fun Fact: Painted Turtles can right themselves when they are flipped upside down!

TBT: Matt Carney's First Summer Birthday!

Matt and Aaron in 2009. Pre-birthday shenanigans. 

For me, summer of 2012 at Camp Foley seemed like it was filled with a lot of empty birthday wishes. In a matter of two months, I went from being a thriving, young 19 year-old counselor to an old geezer somewhere between the ages of 50 and 80.

Allow me to elaborate. On a fine Foley morning, my good friend and assistant director, Aaron Nelson, decided he would play a practical joke by telling my campers to sing me happy birthday as a wake up call. Not only did they sing happy birthday, they made sure to remind me that it was, indeed, my birthday. I’ll let you in on a little secret: my birthday is in December.

Maybe Aaron was trying to be thoughtful, “Matt Carney never had a birthday at Foley, maybe I’ll give him 50 of them!!” And so the wishes continued. Day after day, campers would say “Happy Birthday!” and I would say “thanks” or “it’s not my birthday!” Nobody got the memo. The wishes became so real that Aaron actually convinced me Candy was baking a cake for my cabin. Unfortunately, the cake never came.

Campers Mary Grace Schuler and Megan McGuire
collecting fish during sailing. Fourth Session 2012.

As the sessions passed, my continuous birthday stayed continuous. But as the wishes stayed the same, Whitefish Lake decided to give me a new present. As many others can probably recall, the temperature of the lake killed off a certain species of fish, which collected in thousands upon the shore. The Marina and Swim dock became a disastrous place for water activities. At one point, there were so many fish that the JY’s racing class had a competition to see who could collect the most fish in their boat.

While many of the counselors and campers saw this as an opportunity to be on the land, Mr. Nelson saw this as gold mine for his cruel joke. At the peak of the fish infestation, Aaron had the majority of the campers join in singing happy birthday to me while gathered on the benches. After lunch had ended, I could hear the chant “Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust” erupt behind me. That day would officially be my unofficial birthday.

Matt as a cabin counselor for Kadigomeg.
Third Session 2012

A few of the Wolf boys grabbed me and wouldn't let me go. As the chant continued, I was dragged to the swim dock to face my wet and fishy doom. I walked down the stairs and turned around to see several counselors with giant grins, ready to toss me on the count of three. I lied down at the edge of the dock and let the counselors grab my limbs. The only thing I could do now was embrace my destiny. And so it began: “ONE... TWO... THREE!!!!” I was airborne. As time seemed to stop, something inside me was changing. I hit the water and euphoria came over me. Even though I never had a birthday at Foley, all of my dreams had come true. A “Foley Never” had become a “Foley First.”

As I opened my eyes to observe my fishy comrades, I realized that all of the empty birthday wishes were not empty at all. They were signs of love and affection. I had people around me that cared for me and supported me, but it wasn't only me. Everyone at camp has it because it’s what camp is all about. At Camp Foley, it’s everyone’s birthday every single day. Even if you might not be turning a year older, every camper and staff is treated with the excitement and joy similar to the way they would be treated on their birthday. To me, that’s what makes camp great.

To conclude this elongated tale, I raised my head out of the water and did what any wet, grimy counselor would do: run after campers. So I jumped out of the water, and sent the kids screaming. On this fine day, nothing could stop me from having fun.

2013 Preview: Flintstones Banquet

Flintstones! Meet the Flintstones! They're the modern Stone Age family!

If you are going to be at camp during First or Third Session, then you're going to be here for the Flintstones Banquet! We're preparing to make the day full of fun and excitement, but we want to make sure they you're ready for the action. It's time to familiarize yourself with everything Flintstones! 

First.. let's get a little bit of Flintstones history out of the way.The Flintstones first aired on September 30, 1960! The Flintstones aired on Friday nights on ABC at 7:30 for six seasons. Since their TV debut, the Flintstones and Rubbles have been featured in three films: The Man Called Flintstone (1966), The Flintstones (1994) and The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000). The show centered around Fred Flintstone, his family and the family of his best friend, Barney Rubble. Week after week, Fred would find himself in some outrageous scheme with Barney at his side. The wives, Wilma Flintstone and Betty Rubble, were the two true voices of authority. Part of the show's charm was how it turned modern conveniences into Stone Age necessities. The ram's horn telephone, an animal skin-topped convertible with stone wheels and a paperboy who delivered a stone newspaper daily. 

Now... make sure you check out the opening credits. It will hopefully get you into the Stone Age state of mind while you consider what to bring for your costume!

Now, when considering how to dress for the Flintstones banquet, we don't want you to limit yourself to the main characters. We found a website the compiled a list of 119 characters! Some a bit lesser known than others. There is Sassie, the TV dinosaur Dino falls in love with. Or Bony Hurdle, Wilma's old sweetheart who happens to be a rodeo rider. How about the Gruesomes, the Flintstones next door neighbors? Grab three friends and come as the Way Outs. There are just so many possibilities! 

Hopefully this little lessons on The Flintstones will help you prepare for First and Third Session banquets. If you're a Second or Fourth Session camper, fear not, the next 2013 Preview is going to be all about the Jetsons Banquet! 

Foley Encounter in St. Louis!

Symi and Annie at the concert.

Symi B. was in St. Louis with her family and was desperately trying to meet up with Annie E! (Both girls attend Camp Foley's Third and Fourth Session.) All hope appeared lost as snow and Annie's school schedule were proving difficult to schedule around. Symi's family headed into the city for a surprise concert, Owl City. They arrived a bit late, after the opening act, when someone in the crowd shouted "SYMI!" That's right, it was none other than Annie! Despite not being able to plan a time to meet up, the girls ended up being at the same concert in St. Louis.

Cabin Menominee in 2012
(Annie far left,Symi far right)

We ask ourselves, is there anything better than a reunion with camp friends? It doesn't matter if it's a big group or a small group, there is always a lot of fun to be had! Why? The answer is simple: Camp friends are the best! Even after you've grown out of camp, reunions with camp friends are the best kinds. They always involve a lot of laughter as you remember summers past and crazy times as you create new memories with good friends.

When was the last time you met up with camp friends? If you've had any Foley reunions lately (big or small!) make sure to share them with us. Email us: Tell us what you did and share a picture!

Camp Creature: The Gray Wolf

Gray wolf photo from National Geographic. 

This weeks camp creature is inspired by the Minnesota's NBA team the Timberwolves. Prior to European settlement in North America, the gray (or timber) wolf inhabited most of North America - even down through most of Mexico. Due to habitat deterioration and human persecution, wolves were almost completely eliminated from the western United States, Wisconsin and Michigan by the mid-1960s. Minnesota was the only state (aside from Alaska) that retained any wild wolves before they were placed on the endangered species list (in every state except Minnesota where it was labeled as "threatened") in the 1970s. Under this protection, it was illegal to kill a wolf, except in the defense of human life. Later the protection was broadened to defense of human life and livestock.

Gray wolf... black fur!

Gray wolves can thrive in many habitats, which makes sense considering historically they have been found as far north as Alaska and as far south as Mexico, in may different types of environments such as forests, prairies, swamps, mountains, deserts or tundra. In Minnesota, most wolves inhabit the northern, forested areas but have been spotted in the south as well. Gray wolves are the largest member of the Canidae family (that includes dog-like animals such as domesticated dogs, coyotes, foxes, etc.). Males can weigh as much as 110 pounds and measure six and a half feet long. They can be gray, black or buff with reddish coloring, or they can be all black. Wolves has rounded, relatively short ears and a large muzzle. Minnesota wolf packs generally contain about four to eight wolves, but packs in less populated areas like Canada or Alaska can reach up to 20 or 30 wolves.

Current gray wolf population.

In January 2012, wolves in the western Great Lakes, including Minnesota, were completely removed from the federal Endangered Species List. Due to this removal, Minnesota took over the management of the gray wolf, and in 2012, a limited wolf hunting season was opened. The DNR offered a few thousand hunting licenses and limited the hunt to 400 wolves across the state.  After the 2012/2013 season ended, 413 wolves had been hunted. There has been some controversy surrounding the wolf hunt in Minnesota, and there is a hearing scheduled at the Minnesota State Capitol to possibly postpone another wolf hunting season for five years. Many Minnesotans feel there needs to be more research done to determine how many gray wolves are currently living in the Minnesota wild and if a hunt is necessary.

The Minnesota DNR has a lot of  great information about the gray wolf management in Minnesota. It isn't too likely that you'll come across a wolf in the wild, but the same website explains exactly what to do if you do meet a gray wolf. Do you support the wolf hunt, or do you think Minnesota should postpone another one for five years? Let us know your thoughts!

Superheroes at Camp

Some of the 2013 returning staff will be writing blog posts in the coming weeks. This week, Kylie Beltz has written a blog about how everyone in the camp community is a superhero in their own right!

I was sitting in class the other day and this idea came to mind about Superheroes. Like how awesome would it be to be a superhero; to fly, be invisible, shoot web, save the world and such. Spider Man, Bat Man, Wonder Woman, Superman, Miss America, Golden Girl, Captain America. The list goes on and on! Life would be so much easier being able to fly to class or put enemies in a web, and get the satisfaction of saving the world one good deed at a time.

But then I realized something that I will forever be grateful for. At Camp Foley, I am surrounded by superheroes everyday. And not only are there hundreds of them, but each and every one of them are unique and add their own power to better the Foley community. Campers, counselors, directors, assistant directors- all these people contribute their own superpowers that make Foley one of the greatest places on earth. 

The directors and assistant directors do everything they can to make camp run smoothly. They have super powers we don’t even know about, and ones they probably wish to remain secret. The counselors juggle teaching activities, counseling a cabin, showing endless energy for ten weeks, and balancing the role of role model, supervisor, and friend. Foley would be nothing without the super powers that the staff bring to Foley every year, each counselor bringing something special. 

Kylie and the 2009 1st/2nd Session CITs at the Superhero
Banquet. Kylie, Matt and Parker (middle) will all be back as
second year counselors in 2013!

The campers probably possess the most super powers of them all. The power to shoot a gun or a bow and arrow for the first time, climb up a forty foot climbing wall, get up on skis for the first time, enter the battlefield of paintball, captain a sailboat, and bring life and inspiration to the Foley community. Campers have the power to have character growth, the power to try new experiences, and the power to make friends and build relationships with people from around the world. 

Thinking of camp as this place filled with superheroes, I am fortunate to be able to spend yet another summer at my favorite place in the world, and I get to spend it with hundreds of superheroes, all unique, talented, and ready for the time of their lives.

We couldn't agree with Kylie more in her assertion that everyone - Directors, ADs, Counselors, Campers, Office Staff and Volunteers - are all superheroes at Foley. Without everyone's individual super power, camp wouldn't be what it is! Thank goodness we don't have any super villains trying to bring us down! Continue checking the Rattlin' Blog for more posts from returning staff members.

2013 Preview: Available at Special Canteen

Norm and Nike modeling the new
Foley leash - available in blue.

We're bringing some pretty rad, never before seen (that we're aware of) items to Special Canteen this summer. We've also heard your comments/concerns and have addressed some very serious issues. First, we understand that people felt the variety/amount of friendship bracelet string offered in the kits was not enough. To remedy the situation, we're adding EVEN MORE STRING. We hope you have enough friends to use all of this string on. If all else fails, we, in the office, are always accepting bracelets. Secondly, we know how much you LOVED the snapbacks that were available last year, but you wanted an option that wasn't mesh. This year, we're offering a new snapback in a variety of colors with not one but two different logo options. We don't think that deciding which hat to get is going to be the toughest decision of your summer, but we can't make any promises.

Fanny pack available in green
and purple.

Okay, okay. We get it. You want the inside scoop on the new items. Well, your wait is over. This summer we have some super cool things. First, dog leashes! Yep, your dog (cat, ferret, snow leopard, etc.) can be decked out in Foley gear too. You can hit the town as a well-styled Foley duo. Nike, Norm and all of the other Foley Office pets have commented on the beautiful blue color that matches every fur-tone under the sun. Second, clipboards! Every professional friendship-bracelet-maker's or Rest-Period-letter-writer's best friend. These blue clipboards will definitely be a hot item, get yours while supplies last! Lastly, we'd like you to get appropriately jazzed about Camp Foley fanny packs. You heard that right. This retro, throwback item is the perfect camp accessory. Need a place to store your suntan lotion? Check, fanny pack. Need a place to safely keep your activity schedule. Boom, fanny pack. Need a place for your chapstick to live? You got it, fanny pack. Foley fanny packs are available in lime green and purple. Let me tell you. They. Are. Stylish. Alli was spotted wearing one recently, and we all know she sets the trend for summer style.

Get your own Foley clipboard!

Special Canteen will also have the standard sweatshirts, sweatpants, tshirts and other necessities you've come to know and love. We aren't going to preview those for the sake of surprise. Hopefully this little peak into 2013 will help you plan what you want to get. So when that counselor looks out at you from the Canteen window, you'll know exactly what to say. What are you excited to buy? Do you have any suggestions for things we never offered before? Let us know!