Towering Pines Blog

In a world where everything seems to be moving faster and faster, at Towering Pines we believe in taking time for meaningful growth.  Growth is most easily seen in activities.  A camper may step on a sailboat for the first time on day one of activities and be skippering that same boat 3 weeks later.  Archery’s most coveted rank (Golden Archer) can take many summers to achieve but can only be accomplished one round at a time.  The same can be said about riflery, with endless amounts of qualifiers needed to finally be named Expert.  Testing out of instructional swim is a goal for all campers, but mastering the strokes in the cool, clear waters of Nokomis doesn’t happen overnight.

Another area where we see growth is in relationships.  Three weeks into camp, both campers and counselors have a good read on each other.  At times this leads to inevitable tension as both sides adjust to becoming more “we” and less “me”.  Friendships at camp tend to grow not only in length (how many summers do you know each other), but also in depth (how well you know each other).  Campers often know more about their camp friends, whom they may only know for a summer or two, than their school friends whom they have known for years.

Growth is one of our core values at Towering Pines.  This growth is organic, and in addition, it is fostered the entire camp day through all of the many routines.  It is also deliberately woven throughout our entire six-week camp program within all of the activities, workshops, and special events over the summer.

There is plenty of good that comes from having information at your fingertips, like where is the best place to find dessert when you are in a new city.  However, accomplishments, relationships, and skills often mean more when they take time to achieve or develop.  This aspect of Towering Pines is undoubtedly one of my favorites.  Not everything can be accomplished in a summer, and that is ok.  Like one of Drinka’s delicious meals, great things just take time!

If you’d like more information about our camps, please go to Towering Pines Camp for Boys or Camp Woodland for Girls.  You can also email campwoodlandtp@gmail.com.  We’d love to share the camp experience with your son or daughter!

Jonathan Shirley

Leadership Team

Towering Pines Camp for Boys