The Wigwam Camp Wekeela Happy New Year Pioneers!! The Wigwam - Winter 2021

As we move into a new pushing, and perspective, and to help us year, we wish you peace changing oneself. We create thoughtful, Full Session: developmentally to bring you solace during believe the experiences our June 24 - August 10 campers have at Wekeela appropriate and formative these difficult times, 1st Session: bonds with friends and prepares them to manage experiences for children. June 24 - July 17 families, even if they challenges and Lori and I look forward to cannot be in person, and change brought on by the working together Rookie Session: memories from years past new year. Through camp, throughout the school year July 18 - July 31 and in the year ahead, to help us move forward they have learned 2nd Session: resiliency, to step out of to prepare ourselves to be to joy that the future will July 18 - August 10 bring. their comfort zone, to take the best partners and initiative, and to write their informed resources we can We would like to express own story. Camp to our campers and their No Visitor's Day 2021 our warmest gratitude for Wekeela, and other families. Although we are thankfully the trust you have placed summer camps, are As the calendar churns opening again this summer, our in us to take care of number one priority is to keep preparing children for life. towards summertime and your children. The year our camp community safe. That It is a joy and a gift to be the start of camp, we can’t may be coming to an end part of that process. This being said, we feel it's best to wait for another but our commitment to gift of partnering with err on the side of caution this you will never stop. parents and being unforgettable 2021!! Until summer and not have Visitor's Day or Sibling Thank you for being a responsible for then, stay connected, safe Overnight this year. We hope to part of the Camp Wekeela other people’s children and healthy and may your family. We appreciate you new year be filled with offer both events in summer also comes with an 2022. We hope you understand and look forward to the obligation to continually love, joy and happiness! summer of 2021. and support our decision to educate ourselves. We cancel these events for 2021. In this new year, filled have a responsibility to with hope and promise, reflect on the camp we’re inspiring everyone experience, to challenge not to take anything for ourselves to learn about granted, to treasure every the complex world with moment, to use the new which our youth are faced, year to motivate others to and to be intentional about make positive changes in the creation of our camp their lives, and to communities and always be each individual’s grateful, humble, and experience within those kind. communities. The new year is an At Wekeela, we opportunity for making seek opportunities and trying new things. It's throughout the year to for learning, living, learn, to broaden our Page 2 The Wigwam, Volume 99, Issue 2 Be Prepared For This Summer … Please make reading the Parent/Camper handbook a priority. All important information and forms are now available to download at our website such as: Camper Health Forms, Camp Wekeela Store, Camp Trucking, Pack My Rx, Travel, senior campers, (first session) must complete and submit the Trip Permission form. Second session Teen Campers (seniors, juniors and inters) must submit the Whitewater Permission Form.  Wekeela Notes: To keep parents connected with their children we provide our own Email service. It’s called WekeelaNotes! WekeelaNotes allow parents to send emails to their children and receive scanned letters from the campers returned on a timely basis. WekeelaNotes are much quicker than sending your children letters via snail mail. We offer WekeelaNotes at a special flat rate per family (instead of per camper). Please register for WekeelaNotes at our website.  Pack My Rx: For campers taking daily medicine, prescriptions, over the counter meds or vitamins, we use Pack My Rx to service all individual medication needs. Please read more about Pack My Rx at Parent/Camper Handbook available at our website. Please contact us for the password. Horseback Riding!

The Wekeela Riding program takes place at the beautiful Oakwood Equestrian Center, a 200-acre farm led by Tina and Ray Nichols. It features outdoor and indoor arenas. Pioneers get lessons in balanced seat, basic dressage, and jumping. There are two sessions per week at three hours per session; a three hour session allows time to touch on all aspects of horsemanship, working students from the ground up, including a solid hour in the saddle in addition to grooming, tack up, and tack down. The facility also features miles of trails that overlook the beautiful western mountains. Space is limited. To register complete the optional program form on our website under forms and waivers. The Wigwam, Volume 99, Issue 2 Page 3 Wekeela Daily Schedule

Camp Activities - At Wekeela, campers attend their activities with their age group. Our camp schedule features an A-B-C-D rotation with a Wekeela day every fifth day. The Wekeela day is a special day of programming, such as a carnival or a field trip. Please review the guidelines below with your child so that they fully understand what is expected in these areas: Instructional - Kids Camp campers (ages 7-12) are required to attend one instructional swimming class each programming day throughout the summer. Teen Camp campers (13-16) do not take instructional swim. Waterfront, Tennis, Land Sports, Outdoor Adventure, Environmental Education, Creative Arts, Culinary Arts and Performing Arts - All campers are required to attend one instructional class on a rotational basis throughout the summer. Waterski - All campers attend a double period of waterski! It includes a choice of waterskiing, , knee boarding, or tubing on a rotational basis throughout the summer. Tripping - Wekeela offers optional day and overnight hikes. Campers can register for them while at camp. All hikes are age appropriate. The Wekeela program is very popular. It features trailblazing alongside the adjacent Hayford Brook in our “New Frontier.” The highlight will be making s’mores at a campfire and then sleeping under the stars in our Lenape Village.

“Camp purists point to the Coming this Spring: Maine camps as the most 2021 will mark 99 traditional, sought-after years of • Spring Wigwam experiences, mostly because of fun on the shores of Little Bear Pond. It’s • Virtual Reunions Maine’s abundant also Lori and Ephram’s wilderness and pristine lakes 25th season at • Wekeela Wednesdays! Wekeela!! and beaches.” • And much, much more! Maine Camp Experience Page 4 The Wigwam, Volume 99, Issue 2

Travel Information Camp Trucking Please review the 2021 transporta- Please utilize Camp Trucking. They provide duffel deliv- tion information available on our ery service from your door in the USA (except Alaska and website. It contains suggested U.S. Hawaii) to your child’s bunk and from his / her bunk, back to your door. and International flights, as well as Camp Trucking can be reached at: 970-949-0690 or chartered coach information from www.camptrucking.com. This service adds convenience as well as saves White Plains, NY (new location) you time and money. Did you know … your child’s counselors unpack and a travel request form. their campers before they arrive at camp? Please DO NOT SEND Please remember that airlines change their schedules frequently. HARD TRUNKS, as we have no place to store them. When you pack We will update these schedules please choose a soft duffel bag or other collapsible luggage. If you plan to throughout the spring. lock your child’s duffel with a combination or key lock, please send the All campers flying from our combination or a spare set of keys (labeled with your child’s name) to the chaperoned flight (Ft. Lauderdale, camp office - just in case. All luggage will be sent home via Camp June 24th) must book their airfare Trucking. Please note, we do not have a shipping center on campus and directly through the Atlas travel cannot arrange for shipping of luggage outside of Camp Trucking. agency. Please contact Dianne Doucette at: 508.488.1193 or [email protected] Campers flying from other Wekeela Steps For Success in 2021! destinations may make their own arrangements or use any other Create Goals: As we continue to combat agent. We will require a copy of Think about where you want to be COVID-19 and as more places all transportation forms by May next year or next decade, and open up; please remember 1st. write down some goals that you’d the local rules and regulations We meet all campers arriving by like to achieve. of your community. Also ... air and accompany them to camp * Keep a distance of at least with our special charted coach bus Believe In Yourself: 6ft from others. service. Also note that more We all make mistakes, that’s part * Wash your hands. airlines are requiring children to of life! Try to avoid that cycle of * Refrain from touching your travel as unaccompanied minors. negativity that holds people down, face Check with your airline for details. * Wear a mask/face covering. instead focus on the positive and Please feel free to call us at remember that tomorrow is a new 201.612.5125 with any day! related travel questions. Invest In Yourself: Please follow us

Hit the gym, read more, take a on Facebook! class. These are just some quick Follow us examples of how you can get off @Camp_Wekeela of autopilot and live life to achieve your goals! on What are your hopes and dreams Twitter and for 2021? Instagram! [email protected] The Wigwam, Volume 99, Issue 2 5Page 5 Page 5

Introducing Wekeela Wear: Our Very Own Retail Store

Welcome to our very own Wekeela Wear store! We carry top of the line, unique Wekeela clothing designs, bedding and bath essentials, accessories, and so much more! Campers, their families, and staff can order di- rectly from our store. We will be offering the full camp experience for everyone’s convenience and to help cut down on the stress of packing for camp. Labels can be ordered through Label Daddy. We can deliver your order to your home (US addresses only) or we can pack your orders and deliver them directly to your child's bunk. The store will be fully operational during the camp season which provides an opportunity to order what they would like while at camp. If your child needs to swap a size while at camp, we will take care of it right away as we carry stock in our store.

Please note that we are the only approved and authorized manufacturer of Camp Wekeela merchandise.

We have created a new packing list for 2021 and it can be found on the store website. You will notice a suggested list for 7 weeks. Please use that as a guide and adjust accordingly for your child’s stay. There is also a clear list of required items for each camper to have for their stay at Wekeela. People have asked if we are a uniform camp; we are not strictly uniform but we do require Wekeela clothing a few days a week and on any outings we take off camp. The idea of uniforms nourishes a sense of equality, community, pride, and let's face it, it is easier and more reasonable that having to buy a new wardrobe for the summer.

Please pack your children in soft duffels - do not send trunks or luggage as we have limited storage. We have large, personalized duffels available for your convenience at the store. We send your child's laundry to be laundered once per week and they are brought back to your children clean and folded.

To shop at the store visit our website: www.campwekeela.com/shop Our customer service representatives are standing by so that they can help you with ordering, sizing and packing. Contact us at: phone: 201.612.5125 or email: [email protected] If you have any ideas for merchandise you would like to see us carry in our store, please feel free to make suggestions. This store will be your one stop shop for everything Camp Wekeela! Wekeela Campers and Staff! Who's excited for summer 2021? WE ARE!!!! Start thinking of what costumes, face paint, and fun PJ’s you can bring to camp. Our suggestion - the sillier and wackier the better!

Wekeela Friendship Club! “At this Refer a friend to Camp Wekeela! When they camp, everyone enroll, you will receive a special Wekeela can!” "Crazy Creek style" foldable chair! Page 6 The Wigwam, Volume 99, Issue 2 The Hidden Value of Camp As parents, the best gift in life is our kids. When they smile at you, tell you they love you, and kiss you goodnight, you know all the hard work is worthwhile. And one of the best gifts parents can give their child is the gift of sleepaway camp. All parents want their children to become competent, independent individuals. The camp experience teaches these critical life skills with a side of s'mores. Please read on:

Your children want to go to camp for a variety of reasons: to swim, boat, craft, play games, sleep in a bunk, make up stories, sing songs, eat Alma Mater s’mores, and stay up late. Who among us wouldn’t want to spend many warm weeks of (To the tune of summer having fun with our friends? And while “Love Me Tender”)

parents endorse all those endeavors, fondly recalling sing-a-longs around campfires, secret languages made up in the dark, and days on end Far from cities, spent in wet bathing suits, the real reason we rushing streams, send our kids to camp? It’s the independence. We have no choice but to be protective these days as parents. The dangers are all too real. Far from strife Sending our kids to camp lets us give them the freedom we remember from our youth. and care, Freedom to play and be adventurous, to explore and discover nature and ourselves, away from the eyes of adults. Camp life is an alternate reality that is controlled yet wild. We can Lies the haven trust that our kids are safe, being watched over by counselors and staff, but with space to get of our dreams, immersed in the outdoors, to form their own tribes, to go a little native in the deep woods of Maine. Wekeela Camp Campers know that Camp Wekeela is a special place. That it’s kind of a magical world that so fair. exists apart from and outside the one we inhabit the other ten months of the year. Campers are aware that it’s an escape from the pressures of the school year. What they may not Wekeela Camp, realize is that they are acquiring skills, through play and everyday activities, that help them grow and develop, independent of parental guidance. There she lies, You are giving your kids the incredible gift of self-discovery and the confidence gained Under skies through succeeding at tasks, whether a ropes course or simply getting up, dressed, and ready for the day all by themselves. The secret of camp is daily incremental growth intertwined so blue. with self-assurance. At the end of their weeks away, you will be so impressed by your small person, how proud they are, how strong they have become. We shall ever sing It’s a sort of paradox, and a wonderful one, that a summer away at Wekeela can change your thy praise, child in these two distinct ways. First, that they happily unplug and commit to play and the quiet study of the world around them you thought had been lost in the unblinking eye of To thee we’ll e’re technology. Second, that they have transformed into a more capable, competent human be true. being. More childish wonder and more independence, all at once. And it happened without them even knowing it. Camp teaches kids something every single moment of every day, even when we all are at play.

#Wekeela Worldwide Take some Wekeela Wear the next time you hit the road and snap a photo or a Zoom screen shot of yourself and your friends! Then send the photo along with a description to capture the scene. Please send to: [email protected] or send it to: @camp_Wekeela on Instagram! The Wigwam, Volume 99, Issue 2 Page 7 The Power of Unplugging and the Great Gift of Camp Moving forward into the second decade of the 21st century children need sleepaway camp more than ever … their development depends on it. Summer camp builds character. Summer camp breeds affinity with nature. Summer camp forges bonds between children that last a lifetime. There’s nothing better than a camp friend. The child who goes to sleep-away camp makes real connections. In addition, camp provides principles such as: living in the moment, being present, and having empathy. At camp, children do not have access to electronics or technology. It gives today’s child an important opportunity to “unplug.” These days, sleep-away summer camp may be the last environment where a child can unplug and have quality facetime. Children feel more creative and have more time for reflection when they are given a break from technology. They are more present with each other. When you turn off electronics, you appreciate what’s in front of you. And sleepaway camp does that better than anywhere today!

21st Century Skills Preparing Children for Adulthood today requires 21st Century Skills. They are: ☺ Communication ☺ Collaboration ☺ Creativity Critical thinking ☺ Leadership

Parents that truly understand and value summer camp, and send their children to sleep-away camp have always appreciated camp’s educational potential. Yet the parent who never went to sleep-away camp may think summer camp as only recreational or skill development. According to Wendy Mogel, Ph.D., “parents today find it harder than ever to uphold their own values within their families, when they seem so at odds with those of our current culture. We seek security in a society that seems more and more dangerous, grace that thrives on competition, and gratitude in an age of ever-increasing materialism. How can this generation of parents raise self-reliant, compassionate, and ethical children?” The Camp provides answer is summer camp, where kids go outside and play. principles such as: living in the moment, Investing in Independence being present, and At summer camp, children learn to function independently, to work as part having empathy. of a cohort of peers, in an unparalleled setting of natural beauty. They gain independence in a place that is charmingly rustic, yet provides everything they could want. Camp Wekeela is nurturing, safe, and a lot of fun. Why send your child to camp? They can sleep under the stars. Catch a fish. Learn how to play piano. Paddle a kayak. Go wakeboarding. Make more friends. Build a campfire. Hike a mountain. Make friendship bracelets. Have a summer they will always remember. Camp helps nurture future successful adults. Our planet needs successful people to be peacemakers, healers, restorers, and storytellers of all kind. The second decade of the 21 st century is here! We appreciate all registered Wekeela 2020 families that and entrust us with their most precious cargo. Thank you very much for sending your child to Camp for the Twenty-Twenty season. It’s a great gift you’ve given.

WARNING: At Camp Wekeela you may enjoy yourself beyond all comprehension. We cannot be held responsible if you end up returning year after year after year after year after year ... but we will understand because we are all going back for another summer. Welcome New Campers! May the new Directors/Owners: Lori and Ephram Caflun year be filled with 8793 Valhalla Drive Delray Beach, FL 33446 health, happiness, Phone. 201.612.5125 Fax 201.701.0204 [email protected] [email protected] and prosperity for all Assistant Director: Jonathan Caflun Wekeela Pioneers and 449 Canal Street Suite #706 Somerville, MA 02145 their families! Phone: 617.616.5163 [email protected] www.campwekeela.com

Mini-Reunions and Wekeela Wednesdays ... Although the Pandemic put our reunions and Wekeela Wednesdays on hold, we are planning more virtual activities for this winter and spring. We love seeing our campers but prefer to do so in person. If we can safely do so, we will this spring. Until then, stay safe. Here’s hoping to see many Pioneers in a COVID free 2021 and back on the shores of Little Bear Pond at Camp Wekeela this summer!