Spring 2012 - Camp Manito

triPPer
newsletter of Camp manito-wish YmCA
Spring 2012
2
direCtor's trAiL
Anne derBer, eXeCUtiVe direCtor
The seasons are changing right in
front of our eyes. Sometimes we
forget the changes that transform
Camp as we slog through wet,
heavy snow and slush. But the
sun stays out longer, warming
up everything around us and
propelling us towards the upcoming program season.
Since the fall, we have traveled
heavily to recruit campers, staff
and to reconnect with Manito-wish alumni. Enrollment for programs,
staff recruitment and hiring are on pace with last year. The staff have
worked hard to ensure we’ll have the highest quality staff for participants and to share with perspective camper families the importance of
a Manito-wish experience.
We’ve enjoyed conversations with many alumni and friends where we
can seek their advice, share the vision for Camp Manito-wish YMCA’s
future, and–most importantly–listen. We are continually reminded of the
strength of this organization and the amazing potential for the future.
images we have collected of Manito-wish history.
We also continue work with the Master Site Plan Task Force as
they consider how best we can be stewards of the Boulder Junction
property. We’re very excited that the April board meeting, traditionally
held in Madison or Milwaukee, will be in Pittsburgh, PA, following a
national financial development conference. Over 12 board members will
participate in the conference before being joined by many more board
members to discuss camp business.
And through this all, staff training details are being developed, equipment and supply orders for summer programs are being placed, vans
are being scheduled for rental, airline tickets for the Expeditionary
backpacking trip to Alaska have been purchased, and soon the water
will be turned back on around Camp. The list goes on and on. While
some of the tasks are “routine” for spring work at Manito-wish, there
will be nothing routine about the 94th year of Manito-wish history and
programs that enrich the character and leadership development of
each person who has a Manito-wish experience.
We hope 2012 will be the summer you get back to Boulder Junction
for a visit. Thank you for your continued support of Camp Manito-wish
YMCA.
Work on the John F. Michler Heritage Center continues. We are
pleased with the building’s progress and feel it will serve our needs
well. We invite you to visit us this summer when the work is completed.
We look forward to putting Camp’s archives on display and welcoming
you to computer terminals where you can scan the thousands of
Manito-wish Online
And links to …
www.manito-wish.org
Facebook
(www.facebook.com)
“Camp Manito-wish YMCA” fan page
LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com)
“Camp Manito-wish YMCA” group
YouTube
The Wetfoot Blog
(www.thewetfoot.com)
letters, article suggestions, or self-authored
articles of personal manito-wish experiences are
welcome. please forward to the Camp Office or
e-mail to: [email protected]
3
True Silence - A Journey of Change
By Drew Miller (2011 Canuck)
July 22, day 25 of 31, we paddled across Reindeer Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada. There
were six of us, two to a canoe, three canoes. The
water was glass-calm, as perfect as it gets. The
deep scents of pine trees and a recent rain are
clear in my memory, the temperature warm but
not too hot, and not a cloud in sight. As Jack
and Adam quietly talked to the right, the rest
of us admired the view: pine trees covering the
shore, the bright reflection of sunlight off the
lake (a massive body of water, more than 100
miles long), loons playing in the distance. Our
paddles dipped into the water over and over
again, as we took it all in.
After a few hours of paddling, Adam requested
a water break, so we all stopped and grabbed
our water bottles. Sometime during the scram2011 Men’s Canuck (Front row: Tommy Floyd,
bling for water, someone must have heard
Caleb Elliott, Daniel Welytok;
something (or perhaps the lack of something),
Back row: Drew Miller (author), Jack Robbins, Adam Long)
because he told the rest of us to be quiet and
listen; that moment, right then, was when I
heard it. There was no sound; no birds calling,
no fish jumping, no machines whirring, no humans speaking. It was a silence so complete, that I realized in that
moment that I had no comprehension of the true meaning of silence. Never in my life have I experienced something
like that; the silence was beautiful, the silence was awe-inspiring, and most importantly, the silence was utterly
perfect. The occasional drop of water from paddle to lake was like a clap of thunder in that totality. To be honest, I
have no idea how long we sat in that state; a second or an hour, I will never know. But frankly, it doesn’t matter in
the slightest.
After a little while, the silence became...almost oppressive. It was so complete, so total, that our ears didn’t know
what to do with themselves. A high whining sound began to make itself clear, as our ears strained to hear something, hear anything, and nothing was there.
Finally, Adam, our fearless leader, dared to break the silence. He said, “I don’t know about you, but I have never
experienced anything like that, and probably never will again.”
That experience made me realize how loud, how busy, how downright crazy our society is. We are always surrounded by the rush of the community, the schedule we live our life by, resulting in a loss of understanding; very
few people nowadays know what it is to simply live. It is hard to grasp without a truly profound experience to
show you the truth, but living is the key; we don’t need our electronics, our big houses, our fancy cars. It became
clear to me in those moments that I needed nothing more than what I already had: water, food, fire, beautiful forests
and lakes, and the gift of companionship. Ultimately, I was free of the burden society imposes on us all, and was
living in the now.
That silence has dwelled within me since that moment, and I have dwelled within it, and that is all there is to know.
4
Let them balance the jar of jelly on
their knee, and let it fall
What I learned about growing, gaining, and letting go this summer.
By Walter Jordan
As the Trips Director for the Summer Camp program in 2011,
I had the opportunity to speak with a lot of trip leaders about
how they can improve as leaders or how they’ve helped their
campers grow. In my current role as staff recruiting coordinator, I am interviewing potential staff, and asking questions like
“What do you hope to gain from working at Camp Manitowish?”
This reminds me of a question I asked sometimes when I was
debriefing trip leaders. Like a lot of recurring questions, I suppose I keep coming back to it because I haven’t figured out all
the ways to answer it for myself. I ask “What is the one thing,
as a leader, that you really have trouble letting go of?”
Walter Jordan
For some leaders, it’s the map and compass. The idea of letting
campers choose which fork of the river to turn down is difficult.
Many leaders find it hard to relinquish portaging “the heavy stuff.” A portage goes so much faster when the leader is
carrying the boat, rather than allowing a camper to try, rest, resume, rest, and so on down the miles. For still others, it’s
the cooking duties. Everyone has a memory of a favorite trail dish, part of the total ‘Trail’ experience becomes eating that
dinner. It’s easy to associate trail with ‘Mexi-fest’, cooked in that very particular way it was on the Canuck of ’09.
It’s a question we try to get our campers thinking about too. We hardly consider what we would do without a cell-phone,
music player, or TV for very long; but still we ask that campers let go of these things—and indeed many of the comforts
of home—for weeks. We go one step further: we ask them to give up a lot of their own ego when we teach about collaborative leadership.
It’s easy to lose sight of this idea. We talk about growth in terms of what we learned, what we gained. Our campers learn
a lot over the course of a summer. They are put in situations which ask them to state (in front of an audience) exactly
what they have gained from their time on trail, or at horses, or at the lake. I have seen counselors new to the idea of leading a wilderness trip become professionals in this area over the course of training week. They gain the tools and the skills
needed to encourage growth in their campers.
Campers, counselors, and alumni are alike in this respect, I think. We’re all still growing. When we ask a camper to forsake electronics for the summer, we observe that they are going to grow through letting go of all that for a while. I think
leaders can also learn a lot from letting go of a few things too.
When so much is focused on gaining and acquiring, it’s easy to come into a trip debrief thinking you didn’t do enough
to instill the proper level of fun or didn’t teach as many lessons as possible. It’s at this point in the debrief that I usually
spring my question: “Yes, those are all things you could have put into your trip, but what do you feel like you need to let
go of as a leader?”
One counselor took the idea one step further with one short little summary. She was telling the story of a Trail Lunch
incident early on in her trip. As the jelly was passed around the circle of eager trippers, one camper had rushed to spread
a first spoon-glob onto her pita, setting the jar down on her leg to keep it nearby for another scoop. Well, you saw this
coming: she dropped it, spilling some of the contents. Then the most important thing had happened: the counselor had
laughed. This is how she put it:
“I just realized that you have to let them balance the jar of jelly on their leg, and let it fall. It’s alright”
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“Let them balance the jar of jelly on their leg, and let it fall.” Could anyone have blamed her if she had scolded the
camper instead? That jelly had to last for five days! That jelly was community property! A dour look, an exasperated sigh,
a few stern words: any of those could have really driven home a valuable lesson to this camper about responsibility, carelessness, or whatever. For all I know the leader offered a few words about this concept before sending the jelly around the
circle again, but that initial laughter says a lot.
She learned to give up the idea that her trip was going to be perfect. A trip group needs to make a few mistakes. When a
storm is rolling in might not be the best time to let campers struggle with tents and fire-building: we have to evaluate at
every moment the risk versus the reward of letting mistakes happen. But sometimes it’s worth a little spilt jelly. In fact, all
the things trip leaders have so much trouble letting go come back to this idea of letting campers make mistakes.
Giving up the map and compass means a camper might steer your trip in the wrong direction for a bit. Letting someone else cook means you might be eating a non-Canuck level Mexi-fest. But letting go means letting mistakes happen. A
picture perfect trip is a vacation, a trip with light-hearted mistakes is a life-experience. By learning what we need to hold
onto and what we need to let go, we discover what is truly at the heart of every experience, even if part of that experience
is making mistakes.
John F. Michler Herit
age Center
Work began in October 2011 at Camp Manitowish YMCA to build the John F. Michler Heritage
Center. As a camp alumnus and long time board
member, John Michler had a long-term commitment to Camp and a passion for the history and
stories of Manito-wish.
The goal of the John F. Michler Heritage Center
will be to preserve and showcase Manito-wish’s
history in a comfortable, year round accessible
location. In honoring and preserving our history,
we will create an environment where past, present and future participants and visitors can feel
a connection to Manito-wish and be reminded of
the experiences that caused them to grow.
Scheduled to be completed in early summer, we
look forward to welcoming you to take a moment
to enjoy Camp’s history through this new facility.
The pictures show the progress to date.
“
“
We are looking forward to continuing to sort through the photos and memorabilia currently in Camp’s archives as we move
into this new structure. If you’ve got pictures, letters, journals, and/or other treasures that are no longer being enjoyed by
you or your family, please contact Camp Manito-wish. We’d love to keep growing the archives to make sure we have the
most complete record of Manito-wish’s amazing history.
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You’re invited to
Camp Out in Your
Own Backyard!!
Upcoming Events
In honor of the start of the 94th season of summer
programs at Camp Manito-wish YMCA, you are invited
to create your own summer camp out experience.
WHAT’S THAT?
Host a campout, campfire, picnic, or camp-type gathering. Enjoy memories
of Manito-wish experiences through the years. Sing your favorite camp
songs (Break Out the Oars, Bum and a Fish, Life of a Voyageur to name a
few). Make up new words to classic camp songs. Eat s’mores. Stargaze.
Introduce the next generation and friends to the traditions of Camp Manitowish YMCA.
WHERE?
Anywhere in the world where you live or will be traveling!
WHEN?
June 17th (if you want to overlap with the start of Summer Camp starting),
but any summer night will work!
WHAT ELSE?
Take pictures. Make a video. Send your best pictures and/or videos to
Camp to be shared on Facebook and/or in the Fall Tripper newsletter
(deadline August 1st). Tell us what made your event so special. Tell us the
names of those who participated in your Camp Out. All who share
a picture or story will be entered in a drawing!
DON’T FORGET ...
• Follow local ordinances about camping and campfires.
• Practice “Leave No Trace” or “Minimum Impact” camping.
(Visit http://www.LNT.org for more information)
• Take a moment to think about the 2012 programs.
• If you participated last year, consider setting a goal to get one or two
more families to join you.
• HAVE FUN!!
Email us at [email protected] ... Please include “Camp Out” in the
subject line.
Milwaukee River Paddling Event
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Join us for the 2nd annual Milwaukee River paddle on
Sunday, September 9, 2012. Working in collaboration
with the Urban Ecology Center, and their capable (Manitowish) staff David and Jeanne Salmon, we invite you to
come along for a nice paddle down the Milwaukee River.
We’ll paddle a short distance before stopping for a little
camp treat (Can you say “Carmelita Bar”?) before heading back home. Join other Manito-wish family and friends
for a great afternoon on the river. Over 60 Manito-wishers
paddled in 2011. We wonder if even more can paddle in
2012!
A wonderful opportunity for all ages and paddling abilities.
More information will be posted on the website this
summer for these upcoming events. Registration
required to ensure enough space and food for everyone.
Camp Manito-wish
YMCA Annual Dinner
Friday, November 9, 2012
Milwaukee, WI
When you hear the words
“annual dinner” you may be
thinking boring dinner with
boring speakers. But then you’ll
remember that you’re talking about Camp Manito-wish
YMCA! Everyone is invited to join us at the Woman’s Club
in Milwaukee to celebrate the 94th year of Manito-wish
programs. Come hear what is happening at YOUR camp.
Come share memories and reminisce with friends, old and
new. Come celebrate how the mission and vision of Manitowish are coming to life through the programs offered year
round.
Bring your family and Manito-wish friends and plan to be
with us on November 9th in Milwaukee.
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Family Camp. Family Reunions.
Fall Family Weekends. Women's Weekend.
It's all available at Camp Manito-wish YMCA!
There are many choices for getaways and gatherings. But only one Manito-wish.
We are pleased to invite you to join in the fun at Family Camp, August 16-21, 2012. Enjoy a true Summer Camp experience (sleep in
a cabin, eat great meals in the dining hall, etc.) while growing closer to your family, your friends and the great outdoors. A Manito-wish
experience for all ages.
Introducing themselves to you, are Erik “Linus” & Hanna Brandt, who will take over the leadership of Family Camp in 2012.
“
We are excited (and more than a little overwhelmed) to be taking the helm of Family Camp this summer!
Many thanks to Carla and Dan Hacker for their many years of leadership and inspiration…and the same
to Marina Lachecki and Jim Kasperson, who led the program before them. All four of these Family Camp
directors have left us very, very big shoes to fill. We are excited to continue the traditions they fostered while
we work toward creating some new ones.
“
We would like to extend a personal invitation to those of you who have been on the fence about whether
or not to attend Family Camp to give it a try this summer. It has been a powerful and inspirational
experience for our own family and we believe it will be the same for yours. You will be amazed at the
range of activities offered and the quality of the staff. For those of you who are returning to Family Camp,
we look forward to seeing you and encourage you to invite another family to join you on the shores of
Boulder Lake this summer.
(Read, too, about Dianne (Simonis) Brown’s family reunion experience at Family Camp in 2010 in the Alumni Updates section!)
Maybe you don’t have the time for a six-day experience? Consider the 2nd annual Fall Family Weekend September 28-30, 2012.
Enjoy Autumn in the northwoods with a weekend as engaging and colorful as the forest canopy. Activities vary but usually include
canoeing, hiking, archery, crafts, pumpkin carving and other great parent and kid friendly fun.
And not to be forgotten is the ever popular Women’s Weekend which runs from September 21-23, 2012. Adult women, you are invited
to take a break from your hectic routines and join us for a refreshing and renewing weekend. Wonderful company, cozy lodging and a
variety of activities (from yoga to crafts to canoeing) make this stay as relaxing or adventure-filled as you want it to be.
Visit www.manito-wish.org to learn more and to register for any of these programs.
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Alumni Updates
Births
Baby Mackenzie Catherine Roe
Baby Owen Fraser Brangan
Alice (Sim) & Robert Brangan, a son, Owen
Fraser Brangan, on March 19, 2011. The family
resides in Phoenix, AZ.
Baby John “Jack” Hudson Riley
Sophia Hudson & Dan Riley, a son, John
“Jack” Hudson Riley, on November 15, 2011.
Big sister Caroline joins Camp alum family members Lydie (Hudson) Bowes, Joseph Hudson
and Peter Hudson in celebrating Jack’s arrival.
The family resides in New York, NY.
Kate & Dan Rice, a son, Bridger David Rice,
on November 15, 2011. Big sisters Ella & Quinn
join Camp alum family members Lynn & Arthur
Rice III, Sarah (Rice) Ratliff, Andrew Rice and
many aunts, uncles and cousins in celebrating
Bridger’s arrival. The family resides in
Milwaukee, WI.
Mary (Glenn) & Andy Roe, a daughter,
Mackenzie Catherine Roe, on December 29,
2011. Camp alum family members celebrating
the arrival of Mackenzie include Katie
(Vickerstaff) & Guy Roe, Gracee “Chirp”
Vickerstaff, Molly Roe, Ann (Castle) Glenn,
Sarah (Lindstrom) & Peter Glenn, Julie Glenn,
Leslie Roe, Ken Vickerstaff, and many cousins.
The family resides in Madison, WI.
Baby Greta Jane Martin
Spencer Jon Bahney
Sharon Zell & Ryan Martin, a daughter, Greta
Jane Martin, on August 26, 2011. Big brother
Sam joins Camp alum family member Steve Zell
in celebrating Greta’s arrival. The family resides
in Portland, OR.
Ann Grodnik & Kyle Nagle, a daughter, Sylvan,
in November, 2011. Camp alum family members
celebrating Sylvie’s arrival include Scott Nagle,
Kevin Nagle, Jean Nowlan, Audrey Nagle
Ewig, & Kaitlyn Nagle. The family resides in
Seattle, WA.
Baby Tirian Michael Hagie
Jennifer (Erdmann) & Tom Hagie, a son, Tirian
Michael Hagie, on November 2, 2011. Big sister
Aralyn joins Camp alum family members
Elizabeth Erdmann, Christine Erdmann,
Gretchen (Erdmann) Chan in celebrating
Tirian’s arrival. The family resides in Ixonia, WI.
Baby Meyer Ralph Lottig
Chelsea (Shields) & Tim Bahney, a son,
Spencer Jon Bahney, on January 18, 2012.
Camp alum family members celebrating the
arrival of Spencer include Debby (Randolph) &
Bob Shields and Mac & Caitlin (May) Shields,
and many aunts, uncles and cousins. Family
resides in San Francisco, CA.
Bryn (Meyer) & Noah Lottig, a son, Meyer
Ralph Lottig, on November 22, 2011. Camp
alum family celebrating Meyer’s arrival includes
Charles Meyer. The family resides in Arbor
Vitae, WI.
Anna & Grant Burrall, a son, Oliver Mark
Burrall, on December 20, 2011. Camp alum
family members celebrating the arrival of Oliver
include Penny (Pitz) & Mark Burrall, Carey
Burrall, Jody (Pitz) Halloran, Eric Pitz,
and many cousins. The family resides in
Shorewood, WI.
Baby Marianna Mae “Mimi” Cox
Nissa (Gunlicks) & Brandon Cox, a daughter,
Marianna Mae “Mimi” Cox, on February 3,
2012. Big sister Greta joins Camp alum family
members Bill & Pam Gunlicks, Will Gunlicks,
and Annalee (Gunlicks) & Colin Good in
celebrating Mimi’s arrival. Family resides in
Chicago, IL.
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Alumni Updates
Weddings
In Memory of...
Camp Manito-wish extends its deepest sympathies
to the family and friends of all remembered here.
Due to limited space, only spouse and alumni family
names are listed.
Thomas H. Schwalm, Hobe Sound, FL, died
July 30, 2009. He was a long time supporter of
Camp Manito-wish YMCA. He was preceded
in death by his father, A. Thomas Schwalm.
Thomas is survived by his wife JoAnn Schwalm,
and sons Matson, Dugan and Bradford Schwalm.
A. Frew Brown, of Paullina, IA, passed away on
September 2, 2011. Frew was on staff in 1952,
1953 and 1961. He is survived by his wife Faith
and son Andy Brown, and preceded in death by
his daughters, Wendy & Peggy Brown.
Philip K. Harvey, of Palm City, FL, died on
September 17, 2011. He was a long time friend
of Camp. Phil is preceded in death by his wife,
Barbara (Boyce) Harvey and son Steven Harvey.
He is survived by his daughter, Suzanne (Thomas) Hefty, and grandchild Stephanie Hentz.
Helen Godfrey, of Stevens Point, WI, died on
September 19, 2011. She was on staff 19581963. In addition, Helen served on the Board
of Director’s from 1993-2011, including time as
Board President in 2003-2004. She was also
a regular volunteer at the Memorial Day Work
Irwin Becker, of Milwaukee, WI, died on May 23, Weekends. Helen is survived by her brother, Jim
2010. He was a camper in 1938. Irv is survived
Godfrey, nephew Tom Godfrey, and great-nephby his wife Margery, daughters Ann Becker, Joan ew, Jared Godfrey.
(Becker) Friedman and son Jim Becker.
The Rev. William B. Heins, of Eau Claire,
WI, passed away on March 10, 2010. He was
a camper in 1949. Bill is survived by his wife
Patricia.
Adam Burnett & Casey Solin
Adam Burnett and Casey Solin were married in
Junction City, Kansas on March 5, 2011. Adam
recently returned from serving a tour in the US
Army in Iraq. The couple resides in Junction
City, KS.
Evans Beneditz, of Marinette, WI, died on
January 28, 2011. He was a camper in 1928.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Josephine,
and survived by his daughters Jill (Beneditz)
Johnston and Nancy Beneditz.
Mark R. Franke, of Shorewood, WI, died on
February 1, 2011. He was a camper in 1968
& 1969 and participated in a Pioneer in 1970.
Mark is survived by his parents, Harry & Mary
Franke, siblings, Jay, John and Mary Ann
Franke, and many nieces and nephews.
Karl Smithback & Emily Sedgwick
Karl Smithback and Emily Sedgwick were
married on August 13, 2011. The couple resides
in Paulson, MT.
Martin Weissman and Anne Kreps were married
on August 27, 2011. The couple resides in San
Francisco, CA.
Sam Christgau and Danielle Gilbert were
married November 19, 2011. Celebrating with
Sam & Danielle were alumni family Jay & Joan
Christgau and Mali (Christgau) & Sean Moore.
The couple resides in Duluth, MN.
Judith Nicholson, of Boulder Junction, WI and
Glenview, IL, passed away on July 20, 2011.
She was on staff in 2003 and an Annual Fund
Drive volunteer.
Donald F. Zandi, of Schofield, WI, died on July
29, 2011. He was on staff in 1957 and 1958.
Dillon Mahoney, of Racine, WI, died on August
10, 2011. He was a camper in 1984 and 1985.
He is survived by his parents, Dennis Mahoney
and Jacqueline Sharpe, and sibling Sean
Mahoney.
Wanda Nelson, of Woodruff, WI, passed away
on August 22, 2011. Wanda lived at Camp
Manito-wish from 1945-1964 with her husband
Harold (Stub) Nelson who was Camp’s caretaker. Dr. Kate Newcomb delivered all five of
their children. She is preceded in death by her
husband Stub, and sons Donovan and David
Nelson. Wanda is survived by children Kathleen
Page, Kris (Nelson) Gorrell, and Dick & Mo
Nelson and many grandchildren.
Eldon “Wick” Wicklund, of Ketchum, ID,
passed away on September 28, 2011. He served
on staff under Elmer Ott’s leadership. Wick is
survived by his wife Carolyn.
George Wells, of Wauwatosa, WI, passed
away on October 11, 2011. He was a long time
supporter of Camp. George is survived by his
wife Sally Wells, children Merrick & Barbara
(Jacobus) Wells, Sarah (Wells) Carroll, Caroline
(Wells) & Stew Stone and many grandsons.
Elisabeth “Betty” Lustok of Morrison, CO, died
on October 15, 2011. Betty was a camper from
1956-1960 and on staff from 1961-1963. She
is survived by her daughter Rachel (Rothman)
Mulvihill, siblings, Barbara (Lustok) Grodin,
Judith (Lustok) Lessin, and many other family
members and preceded in death by her father,
Mischa Lustok.
Barbara Reeve, of Gasquet, CA passed away
on November 3, 2011. She was a camper from
1957-1961, participated in a Canuck in 1962 and
was on staff in 1966. Barbara is survived by her
husband Craig Baker, siblings Jim & Ann Reeve,
Betsy (Reeve) Hansen, and many nieces,
nephews.
Bruce MacArthur, of Evansville, IN died on
November 10, 2011. He was a camper in 1970
and 1971. Bruce is survived by his siblings
Elizabeth (MacArthur) Karnes, Susan
(MacArthur) Morgan, and Scott MacArthur.
10
Alumni Updates
Le May (Boeker) Kent, of Burnsville, MN
passed away on January 29, 2012. She was
on staff in 1950.
Corrections:
In the listing of surviving alumni family members of Robert
Paul Roth in the Fall 2011 Tripper issue, we neglected to
include Robert’s daughter, Maren (Roth) Hood, and his
grandsons, Philip & Richard Hood.
An error was also made in our recording of Josephine
(Ruder) Stone’s name in the 2011 Annual Report, in
whose name tribute gifts were received.
Our sincere apologies to all family members and continued
sympathies to these, and others, in the Manito-wish
community who have lost loved ones.
Newsworthy
What fun to see Janesville natives, and Manitowish alums, Watson Whiteside, John Wilcox
and Charles Touton written up in the July 16,
2011 Janesville Gazette, where they shared the
story of their lifelong friendship. The three friends
attended Manito-wish together in 1951.
Back row: Dianne (Simonis) Brown, Ellie Canade, Terry Canade, Ben Canade, Spencer Brown,
Mirin Brown, Leslie Brown, Ray Brown, Christy Brown, Nicholas Brown;
Front row: Ray Brown, Sr., Allison (Brown) Canade, Molly Brown, Grace Brown, Ella Brown
Dianne (Simonis) Brown wrote, “I’m enclosing a picture of our family taken at Family Camp 2010
in celebration of our 50th Wedding Anniversary. We have three generations of Manito-wishers
and now our son- and daughter-in-law feel a part of the tradition! Camp Manito-wish was the
perfect setting for our celebration and family reunion. We ranged in age from 3 – 75 years and
there were so many activities for all of us to enjoy. No one was ever bored or idle for five days.
We highly recommend Family Camp at Manito-wish for any family celebration. It far exceeded
our every expectation! Thank you Manito-wish!”
We enjoyed hearing from Roberta “Bobbi”
(Daniell) Elliott. Bobbi wrote, “Reading about
Pat Collins and pickle making (in the Fall 2011
Tripper issue) brought back fond memories of
my time as a camper. She was my counselor one
year, probably one of my older years. We were
on a canoe trip at a portage. When we arrived,
there were Boy Scouts at the site. They had big
wooden crates filled with their food. Pat flipped
her canoe and started off. The Boy Scouts were
thunderstruck when Pat quietly flipped her canoe
and started off down the path. I have never
forgotten that event.
Congratulations to Hannah Willstein for her
success in “PFD,” which for Hannah meant
Paddling for a Difference! Hannah dedicated her
paddle on the 2011 Expeditionary Mariner sea
kayaking trip to raising money for the Watson
Children’s Shelter in Missoula, MT.
Erik “Linus” Brandt recently earned National
Board Teaching Certification and was flown to
the White House to celebrate! In addition, Linus
shares his musical talents in the Urban Hillbilly
Quartet and has released a new solo album
called “The Long Winter.”
Serendipitous moments happen frequently at
Camp Manito-wish. Julie (Lewis) Petersen
shared the following story: “My Far North year, I
was on the bus from Milwaukee to camp and sat
next to a girl from Denver named Rachel (Rothman) Mulvihill. We started talking and each
wondered why a girl from Denver and a girl from
Pittsburgh were going to a camp in Wisconsin.
Turns out both our mothers were from Whitefish
Bay and had gone to Manito-wish when they
were girls. We got to camp and wrote our moms
(Sally (Crichton) Lewis and Elizabeth “Betty”
Lustok) asking if they knew each other. Turns
out our moms were very good friends when they
were younger and had lost touch with each other.
Many years later when my family relocated to
Colorado, we reconnected with Betty and Rachel
yet again.”
Congratulations to Dr. Patricia “Pat” Collins
for being awarded the Distinguished Service
Award by the University of Wisconsin-Platteville
Foundation. This award recognizes individuals
who have significantly served UW-Platteville in
its mission.
Jacob Cox was awarded a plaque of appreciation from the American Camp Association for
his service to the Wisconsin section. The next
generation of camp leaders continues to grow
through Manito-wish.
Kevin Collopy was on the move this fall, as
he made the transition from life in Wisconsin
to a new job in Wilmington, NC. Kevin is the
Performance Improvement Coordinator for
Vitalink/Airlink, where he does education and
quality assurance work for an air/ground medical
transport program.
When I was a counselor I had a cabin of wonderful 14-year olds. On our canoe trip, again with
a portage there was a steep grade up from the
lake. Anne (Boronow) Gannett put on her big
pack, but it was full of food or bedding, started
up the hill and promptly tipped over backwards.
With help she got up the hill and we were off on
the portage. Others I can remember are Barbara
(Boersma) Norton, and Brenda (Halvorsen)
Koprowski. They were all a great group and lots
of fun. I still have our “white shorts and shirts”
cabin picture.”
Did you see the Manito-wish folks getting famous
in various magazines? How about Londa
(Jorgensen) Dewey who was named Corporate
Citizen in Madison Magazine? Or Brandon
Pereles, a PhD candidate in biomedical engineering, whose research at Michigan Tech was
featured in Michigan Tech Research Magazine?
What about Adele (Schuler) Douglass and her
recognition in the Door County Advocate for her
technical support of potato research? Or maybe
you caught the article in Twin City Business Magazine about Fred & Sarah (Bell) Haberman’s
work promoting “social entrepreneurialism” to
solve social issues.
11
Alumni Updates
When Love Comes Rolling In was the title
given the paragraph Ed & Adele (Douglass)
Schuler had submitted to a Door County
Advocate Valentine’s Day contest. Contestants
were asked to share the story of how they had
met and Ed & Adele won second prize (and
some beautiful roses) for their Manito-wish
based story.
Some people like to be clear about where their
loyalties lie! Note the stickers on the foreheads
of Andrew Johnson and Emily Menze in a
picture taken (by camper parent-to-be, Eric
Johnson) at the Boulder Junction area camper
recruiting event.
Also checking in was Kate (Waffle) Pfaff who
shared, “I live out in California now. I’m busy as
a full-time mom to my 3 year old, but started a
new side job last summer that always makes me
think of Manito-wish. I work as a teacher for Tiny
Treks where I lead toddlers and preschoolers on
hikes in the woods, open spaces, and beaches
around the San Francisco peninsula … In an
age of sanitized and over-scheduled parenting,
I teach little ones to climb trees, get down in the
mud, and hold sticky banana slugs with their
bare hands. Manito-wish gave me such a gift in
learning to be adventurous in nature, and now I
am able to pass that gift on to the very youngest
little hikers.”
You may not all be aware of a wonderful
collaboration that exists between the Schuler
Scholars program (created by Jack Schuler) to
help young people in the Chicago suburbs reach
their potential through increased educational
and leadership development opportunities. The
students participate annually in a Manito-wish
experience, including a wilderness trip. Kara
Maplethorpe, a former Schuler Scholar, was a
member of the Manito-wish staff in 2011 (and
plans to be back for 2012) and wrote, “I love
giving back to the Schuler program since
Schuler introduced me to Camp.”
Don & Liz (Neumann) Rea’s son, Kirby, wrote
to share an update about his parents with
Camp. Though dealing with some health issues,
Kirby writes, “Not a visit goes by that my Mom
doesn’t mention Manito-wish, and Elmer (Ott),
or General Eisenhower’s visit. She tells the
same stories over and over, but they are great
stories. Your camp is Sacred Ground to my
parents. The memory of the place is a treasure
box my Mom knows she can open and always
feel good.” Aren’t we all blessed to have our own
personal “treasure box” called Manito-wish?
Hard at work at SAGA (www.servealaska.org) is
Eric Milliken, who works as Northern Education
Coordinator for the organization. Their mission
is “Improving lives, lands and communities
throughout Alaska.” This program is affiliated
with AmeriCorps.
AZ Reunion. Front row: Aguilara & Larry Adams (and grandson, Sam), Kay (Schnorr) Michel,
Sara Telleen, Christian Passov, Jenny (Rogoff) Kampf, Tara Webster, Mary (Satterfield)
Swanson, Gina Jozef. Back row: Alan Rogoff, Bob Telleen, John Passov, Char Telleen,
Mimi Lang Mead, Jim Michel, Sally (Schley) Thomas, Kathy & Chip Huntress
In February, thanks to hosts Mimi Lang Mead and Bob & Char Telleen, Manito-wish alums were
able to gather in Scottsdale, AZ for a chance to connect and share memories.
While in Arizona for the reunion, Ellie Orbison was also able to visit with Ruth Strickler,
Jan Bacigalupo, Gracee “Chirp” Vickerstaff, and Karen (Kronzer) & Bud Gaston. Thanks
for all the amazing Arizona hospitality.
Emily Burton, Maddy Stein, Gina
Jozef, Megan Huber, Sophie Goeks,
Elana Lambert
What fun Emily Burton, Maddy Stein, Gina
Jozef, Megan Huber, Sophie Goeks, and
Elana Lambert must have had when they
gathered in December for a reunion with most
of their 2011 Georgian Bay trip group. (Trip
member Sydney Hayashi Skyped in for a portion of the reunion!) Appetizers were reported to
be Rye Crisp, cheese, sausage, peanut butter
& jelly. A special campfire centerpiece brought it
all together.
Rodger “Buddy” Cooper checked in to say, “I
will always keep Camp Manito-wish in my heart.
I just turned 73 years old. Good memories are
ever lasting.”
Lindsey Stevens Gardner helped create and
lead “Rock the Green”, Milwaukee’s first “nearzero-waste” music festival in September 2011.
Along with great music, the festival promotedsustainable lifestyle habits to concertgoers.
Julia Bolz received the Seattle World Affairs
Council’s 2011 World Citizen Award in
January, where she shared the stage with
President Jimmy Carter and was recognized for
her global citizenship and work educating the
children of Afghanistan. You may remember
that Julie was the founder of Ayni Education
International. Read more about their work at
www.AyniEducation.org.
World traveler Molly Roe returned in the fall
from leading trips in Peru. As we’ve seen happen before, Molly shared, “The company and
the participants are from the US and I was there
as the US trip leader. I had a Manito-wisher
on my third trip – Maddy Lyon! We took one
“Manito-wish” picture for you, on top of Wayna
Picchu, overlooking Machu Picchu. Enjoy!”
triPPer
Camp Manito-wish YMCA
P.O. Box 246 • Boulder Junction, WI 54512
Phone: (715) 385-2312 • Fax: (715) 385-2461
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.manito-wish.org
Cover color printing donated by Dave Pryor, Quality Plus Printing, Inc., Wisconsin Rapids, WI. Thanks Dave!
NON PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
US Postage Paid
Wisc Rapids WI
Permit No. 31
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Printed on recycled paper
Please Note: We currently mail only one Tripper to each address in our database and may be missing Manito-wish alums who have moved from your address. Please contact us with new information for yourself or other
family members.
mission:
To enrich the character and leadership development of each person who has a Manito-wish experience by challenging them to grow in
wisdom, in stature, in favor with God, and with one another.
Vision:
The Manito-wish experience develops confident, responsible, and enlightened leaders who will improve the world in which they live.
We are confident there are more
stories we’ve missed about
Manito-wish alums who are
living the Manito-wish
vision by being confident,
responsible, enlightened
leaders who will improve the
world in which they live.
Send your updates (with
photos if you’d like) to
Ellie Orbison at
[email protected]
or Camp Manito-wish YMCA,
P.O. Box 246,
Boulder Junction, WI 54512.
(Digital pictures should
be at least 300 dpi.)