TBT: Learning to Shoot at Foley

One of my first memories of Foley, actually one of my first memories period, is being at the Rifle Range with my Dad during family camp.  Sitting in his lap while he held the .22 up for me, I tried to shoot at the paper targets down range. I can’t remember whether or not I hit them but that wasn't important. What was important was that at that moment I was forever infatuated with the art and precision of shooting.

Jack teaching Riflery in 2012.

When I was old enough to go to Foley by myself I was always most excited to be able to shoot again and in my eight wonderful summers of heading up north to camp I took Riflery every signup.  As I got better at shooting, I realized that it wasn't the result of my work or the awards I got that were the things I loved about Riflery but the process. Taking that big breath, relaxing the rest of my body, and focusing on that little black dot. Lining up that shot was when my mind was at it’s clearest, body at it’s calmest, and heart as relaxed as it would ever be.   I have not been able to find any activity that replaces those feelings, which is why to this day I still shoot and hunt, and it is what inspired me to be a Camp Foley counselor.

In the summer of 2012, teaching campers new shooting positions became a joy as I watched kids transfer to the sitting position after shooting prone for so long. I especially remember helping Claudia Leon with her elbows when sitting and Thomas Schroeder with his balance and hands while he figured out the standing position on his way to the Expert Award, the highest Riflery award Foley has to offer. 

Teaching me how to safely and responsibly shoot, the Foley Riflery program was probably one of the best things that ever happened to me, and I am proud to have passed on those values and traditions on to other campers last year. Which is why I returned again for summer 2013!   

-Jack Revord

Can You Canoe?

Perhaps one of the best ways to capture the serenity of any waterway in Northern Minnesota is by canoe.  The quietness of the canoe is what enables Camp Director Alli Faricy to snap all those cool pictures of the various camp critters.  Canoeing is also one of Marie Schmid’s, Director and Owner of Camp Foley, favorite pastimes.

Canoe with sail at Foley in the 1930s.

Canoeing was one of the first activities to be offered at Camp Foley.  It may have even been the first!  This is hardly surprising considering canoes have been around for thousands of years.  However, contrary to popular belief, canoes were not first used by the Native Americans.  The first canoes were used by the various natives of the Caribbean Islands.  These canoes were actually large tree trunks that were dugout, hollowed, and shaped.  This is actually where the word canoe originated from.  The Caribbean natives called their vessels “kenu”, meaning dugout.

These “kenus” would look nothing like the canoes we have at camp today; however,  the canoes created by the North American Indians would look almost exactly the same as the camp canoes.  That’s because the design of these original canoes have remained virtually unchanged since their creation. 

Birch bark canoe, 1908.

There is however one major difference in the materials that have been used to construct the canoe.  Today, canoes are largely made from aluminum or fiberglass and are welded together.  The original canoe was built with all natural material.  The ribs (just a fancy word for frame) of the canoe were made from branches, usually from a birch or pine tree.  The frame was held together with the root from a white pine.  Once the frame was fully constructed the canoe was covered with layers of birch bark. 

That’s right, birch bark!  Many of you probably remember using birch bark to help start campfires while out on various camp trips and were most likely told that birch is highly flammable because of its oily composition.  But this oil also makes birch bark very waterproof and quite durable.  Birch bark is also very lightweight which made it the perfect material to help a canoe quickly skim down streams and across lakes.  Birch bark is really a super product of nature!

Canoeing at Camp Foley, 2012.

Today the canoes at Camp Foley are made from aluminum.  Campers can sign up for Canoeing as an activity or go on a three-day canoe trip down the Crow Wing River.  Canoeing Instructors help guide campers through the Novice, Basic and Advanced Canoeing Awards as set down by the American Canoe Association.  These awards teach campers everything about canoeing, from the basic strokes and usage of a canoe, to how to sail a canoe with just two paddles and a poncho!

So the next time you have the desire to enjoy the peace and quiet that the waterways of Northern Minnesota a have to offer, sign up for Canoeing at camp, or better yet, go on a canoeing trip!              

For a more in depth history of canoeing check this out. 

Throwback Thursday: Top 12 in '12

As 2012 comes to a close, Camp Foley is counting down the Top 12 in 2012!

12. Norm came to Camp Foley!

11. The LIT morning and evening programs of relays, races and large-field games were fun for all! The LIT 2 campers from First and Second Session even prepared the evening activity for the 4th of July!

10. CIT Opening Campfires were creative and entertaining! Themes were Despicable Me: Camp Foley and The Bachelor: Lower Mosquit/Disney Princesses.

 9. Dr. Seuss and Roald Dahl Final Banquets were a success! The Dr. Seuss banquet featured a rousing game of Sneetchball and a visit from The Grinch and Cindy Lou Who while Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory was set up in the Wabi for the Roald Dahl Banquet.

8. Flick n’ Float made its return to Foley! Campers enjoyed watching "The Little Giants" or "The Sandlot" down at the Marina, under the stars!

 7. According to campers, Waterskiing is Camp Foley’s favorite activity! Sailing and Riflery came in second and third, respectively.

6. Camp got a new wakeboard boat, which made it easier for 27 campers to earn their Closet Junkie Award!

5. 96.5% of campers achieved a Foley First in 2012! Our goal for 2013: Have 100% of campers say they achieved a Foley First!

4. In its first year, Club Paradise brought 68 new families and 101 new campers to Foley! A special shout out do Second Session's Martin Dieck who had so many referrals sign up for camp that he already has all four of his official Camp Foley Root Beer Mugs and set of spoons!

Claire receiving her Silver Paddle.

3. Nine very deserving Anchor Awards were handed out to Jack Cunningham, Erin Foley, Nick Goldman, Paige Harrington, Ari Hechter, Maddie Lorentzen, Thomas Schroeder, Mary Grace Schuler and Parker Stevens. 

2. Claire Hickey earned her Silver Paddle! She is the 44th overall camper and 13th female to receive this award. Way to go, Clarie! 

From left: Thomas, Toby, Jack, Regina, Loic, Nick and Sarah.

1. Campers earned some of camp’s hardest activity awards: American Archer in Archery (Toby Glover), Force Four in Windsurfing (Loic DeRichecour), Expert in Riflery (Nick Goldman, Thomas Schroeder), Skipper in Sailing (Jack Cunningham, Regina Flores, Sarah Kruemplestaedter)!

If you think we left something off of our "Top 12" be sure to let us know! It's pretty clear that 2012 was an AMAZING summer at Camp Foley. We can only hope that 2013 will be just as fun, just as exciting, and just as memorable! If you haven't registered for summer 2013 yet, you better get on it. If you're already registered, what are you looking forward to next summer?

Bullseye!

Russel Crowe as Robin Hood

Were you impressed by Katniss Everdeen’s skills with a bow and arrow in the movie The Hunger Games?  Have you ever dreamed about experiencing the adventures of Robin Hood first hand?  If so, you’re not alone.  People have been drawn to the thrill and excitement of archery for thousands of years.

Native American
Bow and Quiver

Early man began hunting with bows and arrows over 10,000 years ago because it allowed them to kill large, dangerous animals, from a relatively safe distance, for food.  Perhaps this is why Artemis, the ancient Greek goddess of the hunt, was often depicted wielding a bow. 

Archery later became a game-changing weapon that helped primitive tribal warlords like Genghis Khan conquer other lands and build huge, powerful empires.  In fact, mounted Mongol Warriors could fire their bows with deadly accuracy while riding their horses bareback at a full gallop!

Mongol Warrior on Horseback

Before the invention of the rifle, an arrow from a skilled yeoman’s bow was the most accurate missile weapon an army could possess.  Even early muskets weren’t as accurate.  On top of that, elite warriors like the Japanese Samurai, Native American Comanches, and Mexican Aztec Warriors, could aim and fire five arrows and hit five different targets in less time that it took an early European musketeer to load and fire his musket once!

A lone archer could pop out of hiding and strike a large, heavily-armed group of marauders from a safe distance.  Maybe that's why skill with a bow and arrow has often been associated with the romance of vigilante heroes like Robin Hood and Katniss Everdeen who fought for the rights of the poor and underprivileged.

English Yeoman in Battle

The art of archery was nearly lost in America after repeating rifles like the Winchester became the weapon of choice employed by soldiers, frontiersmen, ranchers, and hunters.  It owes its revival to two Civil War veterans who weren’t allowed to own guns after the war.  In order to put food on the table, they learned how to hunt game in the Florida swamps with bows and arrows.  Sound a bit like Bo and Luke Duke from TV’s Duke’s of Hazard?  Well with the exception of the bright orange muscle car, it probably was!

Others heard of their skills and began to take up archery as a sport.  Interest in archery continued to grow and in 1900 it was made an official Olympic sport.  Team competition was added in 1988, and in 1992 Spaniard Antonio Rebollo actually lit the Olympic Torch that signaled the official start of the Barcelona games with a flaming arrow he shot from his bow.

A Camp Foley Archer Takes Aim

We began teaching archery at Camp Foley in 1953.  Our archery range includes 15 targets that can be shot at from distances of up 40 yards.  And in 2009 we added deer, antelope, javelin, and 10-point bull’s eye targets too.  Campers of all ages can experience the thrill of archery at Foley.  Using high quality recurve bows and lightweight fiberglass arrows, we teach campers the basics and advanced techniques for honing their skills.  Campers can improve their marksmanship and win up to 11 awards, from our beginning “Yeoman” to our top-level “American Archer” award.

Check out our awesome archery activities video, or these cool links about the history of archery and famous fictional archers.

So... if you could be ANY famous archer of history, myth, or legend, who would you be?

Throwback Thursday: Camp in 2003

For this edition of Throwback Thursday, we thought it would be interesting to take a trip back to 2003 to see what Camp Foley was like. Amazing enough, it was very similar to what it’s like today. Campers were just as eager to battle their nerves and try an activity for the first time and counselors were just as silly with coming up with evening activities. Overall, it seems that ten years ago, camp was pretty much the same as it is today!

Here are some fun memories that were published in Camp’s newsletter – the Bugle – in 2003. 

Henry & Jack sailing Optis before camp had Mangos.

Sailing: When talking about dedication there is only one thing that comes across my mind, which is of course sailing. During the Third Session, Jack McGarvey and Henry Dickinson decided that they would try out sailing. They did not know what to expect until they got to the Sailing Optis, first time class. In this class, they displayed hard work but at the same time having the best time of their lives. You always knew when Henry and Jack meant business – Henry’s hat would go on backwards and Jack would have that happy grin on his face. After their first day of sailing, the only thing these two individuals would talk about is sailing and I loved to hear about their many different sailing adventures. They were always curious about everything that had to do with sailing. They kept talking about their dream to be able to go out and sail camp’s 420s but in the mean time they are mastering the Optis. By Mike Schmid, 2^nd Year Counselor

Mike Mogard entered the Hall of Fame in 2012.

Forts and Socks: My favorite moment from Camp Foley 2003 happened during the Fourth Session. “Forts and Socks” was Cabin Kildare’s evening activity. All the campers had questions about what we would be doing. I explained that we would build forts in our cabin, and then proceed to have a huge war of throwing socks at each other. They all laughed and then asked what we were REALLY doing for an evening activity. When we finally got started, they all go pumped up about throwing socks at other people. When we explained that it would be campers versus counselors, the campers got pumped up even more. The campers took a long time to prepare their fort and took a lot of pride in their accomplishment. It was an intense half hour of battle, and the cabin was a huge mess afterwards. During cleanup, not a single person was arguing about who had won the battle, they were all just satisfied with having a fun time. It was a blast! By Mike Mogard, 1^st Year Counselor


Some other interesting 2003 facts:
-Recent counselor Kylie Beltz recieved her SilverBirchbark Award!
-Recent counselors Leslie Strobel and Chris Blahna recieved the Anchor Award!
-Banquet themes: Comic Super Heroes and Wild West.
-It was uncommon for campers to have their own digital cameras, so campers were encouraged to bring disposable cameras!
-Alli was signed up for her fifth summer on staff as a Marina Director and an AD!

Is camp pretty much the same since when you started? Are you an alumni that remembers something funny happening in a past summer? Please share with us in the comments below or at Fun@CampFoley.com!

Quick check up with Shane

Shane F.

We are busy preparing all of the details for Camp Foley to be ready in time for summer, and I had the chance to have a few questions answered by 2nd year camper Shane F. from Edina Minnesota. Looking back on Shane’s first year at Foley I can see that he was a “busy camper,” no pun intended! Shane left 2011 with 8 awards and also went on a 3 day canoe trip! 

I asked him what he remembers about his first day at camp. “It was very welcoming, but I was a little confused at first. The camp counselors explained everything and took care of me and put me at ease.” His favorite activities were shooting rifles, his three day canoe trip, and fishing.

How has camp changed you as a person? “It has made me more independent and confident.” And lastly I always ask for some advice to give to a first time camper. “Don’t be afraid to try new things, even if you have never done them before.”

This returning year Shane will be accompanied by his sister, so he must have been talking all about it when he left Foley…

- Adam Ashley, Assistant Director.