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?

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

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