June 25, 2003

Welcome to the first edition of "News from Franklin Lake" for summer 2003! Camp is now in full swing, and with great campers, great staff, great food, and great weather, everyone sure seems to be having a great time here at camp! In this edition, you'll find lots and lots of pictures from the first 4 days or so of camp - no one has been bored or left without something to do, as events like Welcome and Introductions, the Camp Sister Party, a Bar-B-Que, Cookouts, awesome activites, and more has kept everyone - campers and staff (and newsletter editors) alike - very, very busy. And for your picture viewing pleasure, as always, just click on the picture you want and it will pop up to a full size so you may print it to hang on the fridge at home, or for your camper's scrap book, or whatever the case may be. Also this year, the newsletter will be updated every Monday, so do check back on Tuesday morning for more exciting news from camp. Thanks for dropping by this week, enjoy the pictures, and Think Sunshine!

- Excellent Events At Nicolet -

June 25th, 2003:
CIT Whitewater Rafting Trip!

June 28th, 2003:
Opening Campfire!

June 29th, 2003:
Counselor Hunt & Clue-do Day
1st Session Talent Show

June 30th, 2003:
Annual Camp Kawaga Sailing Regatta

July 2nd, 2003:
Week 2 Cookouts & Trail Adventures

July 4th, 2003:
Nicolet Independence Day Celebration!

July 5th, 2003:
Week 2 Campfire!

S'mores and More -
The Camp Sister Party!
photos by Jeremy Starz







Hangin' out with pals and havin' some yummy S'mores!

Chillin' and Grillin' Weekly BBQs by Gabe Brockman Every Sunday evening after a great weekend activity, the CITs fire up the BBQ Pit and grill great food, including hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, garden burgers, and more! The great kitchen crew also provides baked beans, potato salad, bug juice (kool-aid), and special desserts. Cabins sit together at the picnic tables on the sportsfield, and then are called up by the CIT chef-extraordinaires to get their yummy food. Bar-B-Ques are also a great time to hang out with friends and enjoy some great grillin' out in the sunshine of the northwoods. Everyone always looks forward to Bar-B-Ques, which are always followed by a special Sunday evening all-camp activity.

Bar-B-Ques have always been a traditional all-camp activity!

"Building a Legacy... The Camp Nicolet Outpost"
by Jeremy Starz


Dedicating the new Camp Nicolet Outpost
on Wednesday, June 25th, 2003

Sometime during the early 1960's, Camp Nicolet founders Ann and Wendall Schrader worked with camp's Program Director at the time, Barbara Hollmann, to develop some wilderness campsites to use for camping, tripping, cookouts, and overnights. Five campsites were established on the western-most property of camp, and were used for the next 30 years or so in developing camping/tripping and outdoor living skills. However, during the early 1990s, the use of these sites tapered with the changing times, the trails became overgrown, and, ultimately, the campsites became lost, left only as a memory to those who had ventured there in earlier years. But in Febraury 2003, a new project began at camp - the revitalization of the campsites, and the establishment of the Camp Nicolet Outpost! Camp is always working to improve upon its many activity areas, and, in 2003, camping/tripping is one of the areas on which we focused. The Outpost is a direct result of camp working to boost this area of program, and, with a walk through the new area, it becomes evident how the Outpost is a newly-transformed teaching tool which campers can use to learn campcraft and outdoor living skills. These pictures are from the dedication of the Nicolet Outpost held this past Wednesday, which marked the continuation of a dream and vision had nearly 40 years ago.


Jeremy explains the history of the Outpost to campers and staff

2003 Campers make history
as the first group to use the new Outpost
"Cookin' Out"
photos by Georgi Starz

With the new Camp Nicolet Outpost all ready to go, we thought we'd share some pictures from the first Wednesday night cookouts! Cookouts take place once per week - every Wednesday night - and involve a cabin traveling together to one of the Outpost sites or another cookout site near camp, participation in a trail activity (of which there are many from which to choose) and the cooking of dinner over a campfire! Cookout food is yummy, ranging from tinfoil dinners, to one-pot spaghetti, to s'mores, and banana boats. Also, cookouts are a great time to hang out with your cabin, have some fun, and learn some really cool stuff!

"More Cool Improvements" Jeremy Starz We're calling this section "More Cool Improvements" because we want to tell you about and show you more about some of the neat things we've done at camp this past spring to make it a safer and more fun place for campers and staff alike. Meet Jamie, our Facilities Director, shown here finishing up the tiling in the newly remodeled shower house. The showers were ready for staff use during the first week of pre-camp, and have been in use daily by cabins during their canteen/shower hour during the activity day. Now, if you've read about the dedication of the new Camp Nicolet Outpost above, we thought you may be interested in seeing some of the pictures which were taken when the Outpost was still a "work in progress".

Unloading building materials for the construction of the NEW Camp Nicolet Outpost Campsites! Camp Nicolet Super Staff! Jeremy Starz When I say "Nicolet Super Staff," I'm talking about staff from years past, the staff of 2003, and those campers who may return to Nicolet one day to become staff themselves. This past spring, Nicolet Director Georgi Starz and I had the privledge of being visited by Nicolet Alumni, and working with some 2003 staff members at the annual American Camping Association Midstates Camping Conference. At "Midstates," we were joined by past Nicolet campers who would be returning to camp for their first year as full counseling staff members. We were all treated to an array of educational and fun workshops in which leadership, campcraft, and counseling skills were learned that were practical enough to be brought back to the camp environment for the summer. "Midstates" proved to be a great early staff training opportunity, and we were really glad some of our Super Staff members were able to join us for the event. In May, staff Alums David and Kendra Hill paid a visit to camp - on their bicycles! It was great to see them again after a number of years; the Hills were on staff in the early 1990's. Are you an alum interested in visiting camp this summer? Drop us a line!

Ski Director Chris and Instructor AJ want to know...



ARE YOU READY FOR THE SUMMER?!?



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