Towering Pines Blog

We truly had an incredible summer at Camp Towering Pines for Boys!  It was filled with a plethora of moments of learning, growth, and most importantly, FUN in the midst of it all.  Each and every day was filled with opportunities for the boys to be engaged in activities which create exceptional experiences. Living in a cabin with several other boys with different personalities and backgrounds, also gives the campers a chance to learn social skills and to build awareness of tolerance for each person’s strengths and weaknesses. These experiences build lasting memories that campers take with them. These memories may impact them in ways that can be very influential in their lives at home with family, at school with classmates and friends, and in extracurricular activities with peers and teammates.

You may notice that a habit your child formed in the cabin, like making their bed, continues when they arrive home (fingers crossed it lasts more than a few weeks!).  Perhaps at meal time, they offer to pass the potatoes more willingly or are more patient at waiting their turn to speak and share a bit about their day. In the classroom they may have a deeper understanding that the people around you often have much to share that is helpful as you’re learning new skills and concepts.

Your son(s) might even want to try a new extracurricular activity having gained confidence that exploring new things can be scary or create anxiety at first, but that making mistakes doesn’t mean failure but rather an opportunity to try again.  They might extend themselves more willingly to a new kid who just moved in from another school understanding what it’s like to arrive at a new place (camp), wondering if they would be able to make friends.

All of these experiences stem from a summer of “Imagining this in ’26!”  It was about dreaming about getting their expert in riflery, setting a goal to pass out of  instructional swim or imagining their first hike to the Moss Garden. It was also a journey of development with other boys their age.  They were supported along this journey with counselors and staff who were there to guide, teach and encourage them to step out of their comfort zones.

Here are a few of the ways “Imagine this in ’26” looked to the campers:

Imagining the best summer and all the possibilities that come with it. (James B.)

Pushing for your goals and achieving them. (Devin S.)

Trying new things and making it the best summer possible as a CIT since I had more freedom. (Lucas HS)

It’s showing improvement through the summer and finding how capable you are at doing what you love. It’s dreaming big and making it turn into reality. (Aiden Z.)

This summer was full of trying new things, envisioning new perspectives and spending time with all of my friends living, laughing and having the best camp experience possible. (Henry P.)

The boys were inspired by staff to establish a foundation within themselves that helps them believe that they can do things even when they are a bit uncertain and uncomfortable.  Just because something is hard or challenging doesn’t mean it’s not worth the chance to “imagine” the possibilities and see where it takes you.  Our summer camp program builds this foundation by allowing the campers to make decisions independently with subtle guidance within a structure that provides safety and security.

At the end of the summer we asked the campers what memories they created in “Imagine this in ’26.” Here are some of the ones that they shared:  (*Names have been included for those who chose to share them.*)

Cabin 5: Mohawk

• TP Fair (Diego S.)
• Frog competition (William L.)
• TP Players (Oliver B.)
• Fishing (Isaiah D.)
• Playing games with my friends (J.J. Davis)
• Riflery (Whelan D.)
• Skiing (Winston M.)

Cabin 6:  Cheyenne

• Catching a bass (Diego E.)
• Being with my friends (Franco F.)
• Catching the biggest bass (Rodrigo G.)
• Being with my cabin (Lorenzo V.)
• Playing Mafia (Miles B.)
• Canoe trips (Chester C.)
• Going to the bog (Jonathan H.)
• Playing Imposter (Benji J.)
• Biking & Basketball (William L.)

Cabin 7:  Iroquois

• Getting up on Slalom for the 1st time (Jack M.)
• Waterskiing (Devin S.)
• Canoe trip (Philip E.)
• Waterskiing (Warner M.)
• Windsurfing (James B.)

Cabin 8:  Winnebago

• Sleeping on the floor with the whole cabin (Andrè M.)
• Winning against Red Arrow (Ariel R.)
• Getting to watch the Mexico matches & Coed Show (Alvaro A.)
• Cabin 8! (Andy O.)
• Cutting for the first time (Forrest R.)
• Getting to kneeling in riflery (Charlie L.)
• Winning Olympics (Chase)
• TP Fair (Ben H.)

Cabin 11:  Seneca

• Canoe trip (Emi V.)
• Canoe trip (Bosco F.)
• Soccer game against Red Arrow (Andres A.)
• Being able to see my friends after 2 years (Emilio G.)
• Advancing in archery (Preston R.)
• Canoe trip — the whole thing! (Jacob J.)
• Catching fish (Reid J.)

Cabin 12:  Apache

• Canoe trip (Sebas Z.)
• Match against Red Arrow (Diego O.)
• Sailrace (Miguel M.)
• World Cup (Conor B.)
• Sailing (Emeric D.)
• Late night talks on the boathouse with friends (Lucas HS)
• Boy’s practices at night (Aiden Z.)
• All of our meals and the convos where we were all laughing (Henry P.)

Along with the responses above, there were many, many, MANY replies of:  “Imagine this in ’26” looked like FUN!  Those words are music to our ears! FUN is a key element to learning and growth that fosters the unique experiences at camp that continue to influence these boys’ lives for years to come.  

We can’t wait to see your son(s) again next year for another spectacular summer of creating fond memories at Towering Pines!  Save your spot — REGISTER HERE!

Angie Wenzl

• “Building in our hearts fond memories, Towering Pines for you.”