Canteen? Yes Please.

The LONG line for canteen. Campers patiently wait for
their turn to pick their treat!

A few of the delicious
options at Canteen!

What do campers love more than activities? More than meals? What do they always try and compete for against both staff and fellow campers?


Canteen.



After 4th period, all of camp gets together for a nice afternoon snack and socializing time famously called, Canteen. Mail is also handed out during Canteen so campers have the chance to relax and recuperate with a treat and reading some updates from family and friends.

We aren't quite sure why Canteen is such the hit that it is, but one can safely assume with ice cream, skittles, chocolates, gummies, beef jerky and many other treats it provides kids with one of the best "choices" they get to make each day.

What’s your favorite Canteen item? Drop a comment below of your go-to item OR let us know what special treat we are missing at Canteen!

Happy New Year!

Camp Foley's Top Ten Things to Look Forward to in 2014!

7. Lucy 

10. New Thingz! We've went crazy this fall replacing equipment for TONS of the activities. You'll see new snorkeling equipment, floor hockey goalie masks, trick skis, a new wakeboard, paintball masks, bikes, bike helmets,  fencing jackets and more! The pool table in the Rec Center was re-covered. There's now a campfire pit outside of Osawaka and the Marina and Sauna doors will be replaced in 2014!

9. New Special Canteen Items! We know there will be new sweatshirts, sweatpants and tshirts plus some of the random fun stuff. Do you have any good ideas of things we should sell? Let us know! We're trying to decide what kind of sweatshirt to sell next year - so vote in the poll on Foley's homepage!

8. You Rock Tables! We know you remember the You Rock Tables from last summer for our Club Paradise and Rockstar LIT/CIT campers. They'll be back this summer, so save your seat at one today! Bring a cousin, friend or neighbor to Foley for the first time. Not only will you get to sit at a special table, but you'll attend the awesome Club Paradise root beer float party too!

7. Lucy! In 2013, our leucistic black rat sake passed away after spending seven summers at the Camp Foley Nature Corner. Luckily, we were able to adopt Lucy this winter. She is a new leucistic black rat snake that will live with our other critters in the Nature Corner!

6. Bike, Hike & Campfire Trails

6. Bike, Hike & Campfire Trails! This fall, all the trails on the other side of the road were cleared and signage was posted to make it easy for everyone to follow. Maybe this summer your cabin will adventure into the woods for special Evening Program? Maybe you'll sing up for Biking for the first time and bike one of Foley's trails! Every trail and campfire site has a name that's posted and signage throughout the woods helps you find your destination.

5. New Ski Boat! If you were here during 4th Session you remember saying goodbye to our old friend, the Green Ski Boat (and you may have gotten a glimpse of the newest member of our fleet)! This summer we'll have at least one new boat down at the Marina to tackle one of the most popular activities at Foley: Waterskiing!

4. Pizza Parties

4. Pizza Parties! We have Pizza Parties & Video Showings scheduled for the Twin Cities (January 27) and St. Louis (February 1). If you live in either of those places make sure to mark your calendars! If you'd like to host a party in your area and want a Foley Rep to help out, let us know!

3. CITs & LITs! We have a handful of campers starting or returning to the Leadership Program in 2014. If you're going into 9th, 10th and 11th grade you can take on an important leadership roll!

2. Counselors! They live in your cabins. They sit at your meal tables. They teach the activities. They are crazy fun and sometimes just plain crazy! Keep checking the Meet the Staff page to find out who's the counselors and ADs will be!

#CF90in14

1. It's Foley's 90th Year! Camp Foley began waaaay back in 1924, so 2014 marks it's 90th year. We've got some fun stuff planned and hope you're excited to help us celebrate 90 years of camping all year! Tell us what you're most excited about on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram use "#CF90in14."

What are you MOST excited about for in 2014? We'd love to know! Share on Facebook or Tweet @CampFoley!

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!

TBT - Camp in 1993

OLS: Cooking over a fire in 1993

For this edition of Throwback Thursday, we're going waaay back (20 years!) to summer 1993. After picking through some old newsletters, I found some pretty interesting things...

-In 1993 Outdoor Learning Skills “OLS” was introduced as an activity at Camp Foley. Now known as “Campcraft, “OLS” was introduced to teach campers important tripping skills including fire building, cooking and baking over a campfire, safety and first aid, knifesmanship, putting up tents and how to have fun exploring our wilderness. There was even an OLS pledge:
 

The OLS Pledge
To be among the animals and plants,
And in providing for my comfort and safety,
To respect my natural neighbors and their homes;
To step carefully and travel gently,
Finding friendship and beauty in my natural world.

Coke bottle a the boys canteen in 1993

-Camp Foley got a bike trailer in 1993, which meant bike trips could go out. Camp cleverly called these trips, “Bikepacking.”

-If you got a pop (or soda) at canteen you received it in a glass bottle, which you had to return to crates outside the canteen after you finished. Also, in 1993, girls were still getting their canteen between Pocahontas and Matoaka!

-Campers and staff used 864 Hershey bars for s’mores in 1993. Do you think we can eat more or less in 2013?

-Camp Foley played a four-hour baseball game against Camp Lincoln. The newsletter leads me to believe we lost…

Sailing on the P'zzazz in 1993

-The 1993 Closing Banquet was nautical themed. Campers were encouraged to bring cruise clothes or sailor outfits. Campers joined in the fun of Foley’s version of the “Love Boat” and/or “Gilligan’s Island.” There were five other special all camp theme days: Pirate, Sherlock Holmes, Fourth of July, Paul Bunyan and Gold Diggers.

 -Foley campers competed and did well in a regatta on the lake sponsored by the Whitefish Chain Yacht Club.

 Were you a camper in 1993? Or, were you a camper when Foley still had glass bottles at canteen, when OLS was still an activity, or when girl's canteen was still between Poc/Matoak? Let us know! What do you remember about your days at Camp Foley?