F is for Faith

Camp Foley was originally founded by Father John P. Foley in 1924 and has proud roots in the Catholic faith. A lot has changed in 91 years, but to this day, campers sing grace before each meal and attend Catholic or non-denominational services every Saturday evening. We know that faith, Catholic or otherwise, is an integral part of each child’s personal development and well-being. We aim to help kids foster their own faith through careful guidance and by encouraging independent and group exploration.

Catholic campers or campers desiring a more traditional service on Saturday nights can experience mass in the stunning Our Lady of Snows Chapel, singing songs and celebrating their beliefs together. This gives campers the ability to take a break from the hustle and bustle of camp life to reconnect with themselves and others spiritually.

Foley counselors also offer a non-denominational service that is open and designed for all campers. Topics explored during non-denominational services include happiness and caring for others, and counselors illustrate these concepts with poetry, books, and hands-on activities. The goal here is to help campers achieve that spiritual connection through a better understanding of the world and people around them.

E is for Engage

There’s a place for everyone at Foley, regardless of interests or skill levels. We believe that every camper deserves to be engaged with camp life in their own special ways, whether it be through intense activities like wakeboarding and archery or through the creative arts activities like photography or guitar. We know that growth occurs when counselors and staff engage campers in activities that allow them to gain confidence and receive helpful feedback.

Never should anyone at camp feel bored or uninvolved; with days and nights packed with fun opportunities to form friendships, learn new skills, and see themselves in new, positive lights, kids are always a piece of the Foley puzzle. Like any team, we need the unique strengths of each and every person in order to be at our best. With that in mind, we seek to give and receive that constant and varied engagement.

D is for Dog

Nike & Norm in Staff Uniforms

Norm on a Boat

Two common sights around Camp Foley are Norm and Nike, the camp dogs. While Nike is known for her fluffy, teddy bear appearance (she is a mini Golden-doodle), excitability and overall carefree nature, Norm is a bit more serious, fiercely loyal (you can always tell where Alli is as he will be waiting outside of the whatever building she is in or following close at her heels) and lovable in a one on one situation.

The two dogs are best buds, often laying in the sun together or harassing chipmunks. However, just like human best friends, they have lots of differences. At any picnics you have to watch your plate if Nike is out, she is stealthy, fast and always in the mood for a good Sloppy Joe or peanut butter sandwich, but Norm will sit by you whining for a snack, however he rarely goes in without an invite. While Nike loves to swim, Norm prefers to chase squirrels. Norm is happy to sit quietly at campfire, Nike, not so much. Norm hates rain boots, Nike hates thunderstorms.

Nike "helping" with Docks

While they add entertainment and smiles to everyone (and sometimes just annoy us), we have found that from time to time, kids feeling a little down or missing home have loved to have Norm or Nike to talk to or pet for a few minutes. A little reminder perhaps of their pets.

Dogs really do make the best friends.

C is for Considerate

Summer camp is a great opportunity to develop one’s own skills and grow as a person. What sets Foley apart, however, is our emphasis on growth while simultaneously helping others to grow. Consistent acts of caring and consideration are typical for the Camp Foley camper or staff member; on a daily basis, we see people looking out for others even when help isn't requested.  People aren't the only ones being cared for at Camp Foley either. The Camp Foley community is committed to protecting, honoring, and playing in nature, whether it’s by throwing a ball for one of the camp dogs or making a point to pick up trash when we see it. Every day we are reminded of the importance of being considerate towards everyone and everything at camp.

The feeling you get in your stomach when you go out of your way for the well-being of someone else is one of the best feelings you can have. The only better feeling is the one that comes when you know that you matter to someone else. As 2015 Foley counselor Peter has said, "we should strive to not have to watch our own backs because we know that our friends, cabin mates, and counselors are."

B is for Breathtaking

Summer camp campers and counselors at Camp Foley come from all over the

Photo by Camper Genevieve S

world (last summer 24 states and 11 foreign countries to be exact), a fact of which we are immensely proud. On the first day of each session, one can hear tales of the bright lights of New York, the beaches of Cancun, and smooth Parisian accents drifting through the air, and it is often wondered how we all ended up on the same piece of land in northern Minnesota.

After a few strokes of a canoe paddle through the Whitefish waves or a night of stargazing on top of the marina, it’s easy to see why Camp Foley is so magnetic. Campers fall asleep to singing loons and wake up to crystal blue skies peeking through the pines. They look out over the summer camp from the top of the climbing wall and wave to the sailboats as they skip over the Minnesota water on wake boards. And on quiet afternoons walking the trails, they can look straight ahead and see nothing but trees.

So what do I, as a parent, get out of this summer camp thing?

One of the most popular questions we get in our camp office is:

"What will my kids gain from their time at camp?" 

Our answers always touch on ideas such as independence, resilience, socialization, new experiences, or lasting friendships. We could go on for hours. And, if you talked to any of the parents of kids who have attended camp before, they could too.

The question we don't generally hear (because let's face it, parents are awesome, selfless people) but may be interesting to consider is "what do the parents of campers get out their child's time at camp?"

All parents want the best for their children and watching them mature, learn new skills, experience great feats, and make new friends can be just as rewarding for parents as is for campers. Many camp parents tell us that their camper comes home standing a little taller or being a little more helpful. All of sudden making their beds or cleaning up after a meal doesn't seem like quite as big of a task.

New camp parents often speak about how they feel guilty for "sending their child away for 2 or 4 weeks" or  "for having fun with their friends, in a kid free environment."

We understand. But, we are here to say - don't feel guilty!  Instead of thinking you are "sending them away to camp" think instead that you are "giving them camp". The best gifts in life are the ones that you can take with you wherever you are. The ones that never seem to go out of style. The ones that no matter how old you are, you can think back to exactly what you were doing when you were given that gift.

Camp is a gift that you can literally never lose. The value in that feeling you will have as a parent when you realize you have just offered your kids something to last a lifetime is incalculable.

Parents work hard to provide the best for their children and when they give them the gift of camp, they hope their hard-earned money is going towards a great cause. We talk a lot about how to prepare kids for camp but how much do we talk about how to prepare as a parent?  

So parents!  Don't feel bad for taking a vacation, relaxing, getting a massage, or just sleeping in for a week straight. You deserve it! And while you are doing all those wonderful things, you can rest assured that your child is in great hands and having an experience that they will be proud to share with you when they get home!

Can we turn failure in to motivation?

In the January edition of Southwest The Magazine (from Southwest Airlines), Heidi Stevens In Criticism of Praise.” The article discusses the effect of too much or insincere praise on a child’s emotional and physical well-being. Do we as parents, educators, and youth developers use praise so much that it can actually cause kids to fear failure and hesitate to go outside their comfort zone? We wanted to take a look at how praise is used at camp and what we can do to encourage kids in healthy, meaningful ways.

writes an article called “
When your child comes to Camp Foley we strive to bring out their best. Sometimes that means gently pushing them to try new things. Or perhaps encouraging them to meet a new friend. And often it means supporting them when they have a bad day by not saying “you did great” (even when they didn’t) but by coaching them in how to succeed next time instead. By giving honest (yet gentle) feedback to kids,  we are able to allow growth that is unique to each camper. Likewise, it means we must constantly be evaluating our program  to ensure our campers get the most out of camp.
In the article, Stevens tells us, “As with most pursuits among modern children, their performance is immaterial. How they feel about their performance, however, is paramount.” In order to increase positive results, we, as youth developers, must first make sure that the child feels safe. At Foley, this is always our primary concern. Performance is not just athleticism, but intellectual, artistic ability, social performance, etc. So what happens when a kid feels like they are no good? Can we turn failure into motivation?
Failures or setbacks are just stepping stones to greatness. Instead of praising children with words like “ You did an awesome job, you’ll get it next time,” we encourage our campers to recognize maybe something they are missing or let them know that it’s OK to make mistakes. Mistakes are a great way to learn. Unnecessary praise can cause a child to protect what they they are good at. This could cause them to possibly stay away from challenging activities that would create a ripple on their reputation. If they stop taking these risks and challenges it could eventually cause their intellectual and emotional growth to slow.

When you think of failure as an invitation it seems less scary. It is an invitation to learn from and overcome defeat. To accomplish something eventually even if it isn't right away.  According to child psychologist Kristen Race, “Calibrating the frequency and style of our praise is one of the most important shifts parents and youth developers can make.” Now, we are not saying we never praise our campers. In fact, Foley directors and counselors love to give all kinds of praise and recognition. We love to praise our campers when they work hard, play hard, achieve success and overcome failures.
 Foley does a week and half of intense training with our counselors to ensure they are prepared to help partner with you, as a parent, to help your child achieve success while at Foley and likewise to take those skills away from camp and use them for the rest of their lives.  They learn through reading, tutorials, workshops, professional experience, as well as their own experience and knowledge. This allows your child to get the right kind of praise they need and deserve to help them grow.
So, as we look to another summer, we vow to continue to remember that kids will fail, they will stumble, and their pride may be hurt. But the opportunity to help them stand back up, try again and feel pride when they do succeed is what motivates us to create the very best program we can for your kids.

What's in a Letter?

Parents! You drop your child off at camp, say your goodbyes and then you leave that child in the care of these certain amazing individuals we call, camp counselors.  Those counselors are going to be the ones on the front lines giving your child the best growing experience of their young lives. You are entrusting your child to us. That’s a big responsibility, but guess what; we are highly trained, compassionate individuals who want nothing more than the safe well-being of your child.

But how do you know this is what your child is getting? 

This is when those fancy parent letters come into play. Personalized letters seem like a thing of the past. People seem to turn to social media "stalking" to get information or communicate with other people.  The camper letter however, is a personal and sentimental account of what your child has accomplished over their time at camp. It shows that the counselors are paying attention not to just what your child is doing in activities but how they are growing as a person while at camp.

Although campers send home letters to their parents throughout their camp experience, most of the time they leave out certain details or don’t say much at all (generally a sign they are having too much fun while at camp).  The counselor letter adds on to those amazing experiences your child is having. It adds the friendships that have bonded, the struggles they have overcome, and the mountains they have climbed and then jumped off into new experiences.  This certain letter helps bring about a certain piece of mind, and tranquility that might help the parent through the separation.  The parents can realize the impact camp has on their children. The impact it has on their physical, mental, and social capabilities. These soothing letters provide that sense of worth that you hope your child is getting while at camp. 

The counselors take a great deal of time writing, re-writing, correcting mistakes and then possibly throwing it away and starting over again on these letters. They want you to feel the pride they feel when these events happen to your child. They want you to know that you might the correct decision sending your child to camp. They want you to know that even though your child might not realize it, they are growing is the most of positive of ways in their youth.  These letters do just that. They are not just part of the job description. They are an intricate part of camp and keeping your relationship with camp to the highest standards. 

So when you as a parent, receive a letter from a counselor, think of it as an outreach of further trust between yourself and the entire camp and what it holds dear to every counselors heart. That the true meaning of these amazing, and time developed letters are to insure that you know your child is receiving an amazing experience at camp and these counselors and directors are proud to help partner with you in helping your child grow in every aspect of their lives.

Wes Long, Assistant Director

Blue Jay Stumpers

photo by Alli Faricy

Take a look at a common bird and then ask, “How much do you know about the Blue Jay?”

Let me try to stump you!

What tree nut do they favor?  Acorns

What other bird do their calls mimic?  Hawks!  Is it for deception or a warning?
How old was the oldest wild banded Blue Jay?  17½ years
Do they mate for life?  Yes

Where are Blue Jays found?  At the edge of forests, where there are feeders and acorn trees.  At Camp Foley in the winter they compete with the squirrels and woodpeckers at our feeder.  Of course, there is a huge acorn tree within feet!

Do Blue Jays migrate?  The answer is “yes” and “no”!  “Thousands of Blue Jays migrate in flocks along the Great Lakes and Atlantic coasts, but much about their migration remains a mystery. Some are present throughout winter in all parts of their range. Young jays may be more likely to migrate than adults, but many adults also migrate. Some individual jays migrate south one year, stay north the next winter, and then migrate south again the next year. No one has worked out why they migrate when they do. “   Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Click here for more bird information.

For more pictures of Camp Wildlife (and animals from all over the world) follow @dr_earth on instagram and @TheDrEarth on twitter.

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.

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

The Unexpected Visitor

I have been at camp Foley for many years, and I often hear amusing camp stories floating around the office, but my quest to bring you blog-worthy tales of happenings from around camp brought me in contact with Kara Sime. Kara spent 3 summers with us (1991, 1992, and 1993) providing fun and guidance to Foley campers, and presently works as the Director of Human Resources for Agropur, a dairy Co-Op. She resides in Roseville, MN with the 2 significant people in her life, Ted and 2 year old daughter Catherine.

Kara recites a story where her duties called for a little more than she bargained for...

It was the summer of 1991 and I was the counselor of 9 year old girls in cabin MicMac. One night during the session we had a hike and overnight planned to the Tipi Village. Although it began to rain on our walk, our spirits weren’t dampened! When we arrived, I had a hard time lighting the fire due to the rain, but eventually managed to get it lit and cooked the hotdogs for the girls. Due to the rain, I allowed the cabin group to eat the hotdogs inside the tipi, and afterwards, I made sure that the girls removed all the leftovers from inside.

During the night, the nine 9 year-old girls were fast asleep in a circle in the tipi with their legs pointing inwards and I was awoken by a strange noise coming from outside the tipi. I was a little spooked by this noise, and my main priority was the safety of my sleeping campers. I laid there stiff and awake while I thought of a plan. I sat up slowly, grabbed my flashlight and for a fraction of a second, flashed it at the opening of the tipi. I was greeted by the unmistakable black and white color scheme of a skunk!

While I didn’t want to wake the kids, more importantly, I didn’t want the skunk to get any closer, or spray near the tipi. In the darkness, I started to lightly tap on the floor of the tipi (which was slightly raised off the ground) in an effort to scare the skunk away. The tapping was followed by ruffling noises from the skunk, so again I tapped a little harder on the tipi floor to try to spook my new “friend”. The second time, my tapping was followed by silence. I sat anxiously for a few seconds before building up the courage to turn on my flashlight to check on the skunk. When I did, the skunk had disappeared! The skunk had not sprayed and the girls were fast asleep - a complete success!

Kara is standing in the back row on the right and is pictured with her MicMac cabin group. As a side note, our tipis have now been replaced by tree houses, so stories like this are thankfully a thing of the past.

- Mary Stevens, Administrative Assistant, Camp Foley.