Towering Pines Blog

I am often asked by people who aren’t familiar with the concept of summer camp — WHY CAMP?  What does camp HAVE that makes it special?  What does camp OFFER that is unique?  What does camp really PROVIDE kids that they can’t get anywhere else?  I realize when asked these questions, that I have a very short amount of time to answer and truly convey the essence of camp!  Keeping my reply short is challenging because there are a plethora of reasons why I feel camp is incredibly valuable for both children and adults.  I want to share all of the WONDER of camp with them and with you!

My answer in a “nutshell” is usually something like this:

Camp gives people the opportunity to explore who they are as unique individuals.  They also get the chance to try new things and to challenge themselves in ways that are outside of their comfort zone but within the safety of our supportive camp community.  The camp environment and our 6-week program at Towering Pines is very intentional because we not only develop and play together, but we also learn to live together as a family and grow together as a community.

It’s important to foster children’s dreams by encouraging them to set goals in order to reach these.  Education truly begins at home, and we have immense respect for all of the time and effort that you give to supporting your children in these aspirations. Towering Pines Camp for Boys is an extension of the foundation that you provide at home.   We strive to do so through offering a structure at camp that includes our core values of Community, Growth, Respect, Responsibility and Safety.  It is our goal to incorporate these values into our daily routines, cabin living situations, activity areas, special events and essentially everything we do throughout each and every part of the camp day.

Participating in activities for six hours a day provides an array of opportunities for the campers to work on their own personal growth, not only physically, but also socially and emotionally.  The framework of our summer program encourages campers to make choices about the activities they want to take; provides structure and skill development for them to experience the activities safely and creates a natural environment from which they can determine the level at which they want to challenge themselves.  Campers not only learn new skills, but they also improve on skills that they already know.  Having a variety of activities from which to choose also helps the boys learn to make decisions independently which is a valuable life skill!

Spending several weeks within a cabin family is another distinctive aspect of camp that also fosters development.  There are 2-3 counselors who are carefully selected as a team to work with each age group. Together they establish the culture within the cabin so that campers feel cared for, comfortable, safe and welcome. Individual boys come together to become one cabin family with a cabin name and flag which symbolizes their group unity.  Their cabin will truly become their summer home, and they will take on roles and responsibilities that will promote growth within this community. The boys will work together during cabin clean-up, eat meals together as a family unit, play together during cabin activities and support each other during some Sunday special events where they engage in friendly and fun competitions with other cabins.

Camp creates a unique environment in which these boys can stretch outside of their comfort zone and experience and acknowledge failures within a safety zone of peers, counselors and other staff.  They not only have the opportunity to acknowledge and learn about their weaknesses, but to also celebrate their achievements whether incremental or exponential.  These youngsters can spread their wings and attempt to both expand and understand their own potential in a variety of  areas.  They might even extend themselves to reach beyond their wildest dreams!!

We’d love for your son(s) to be part of our camp community. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to share the WONDER of camp with them so that they too can set goals and reach for their dreams at Towering Pines!

REGISTER NOW  to “Enjoy the Ride in ’25!”  If you know of any families who might benefit from the camp experience, we are always grateful for your willingness to share your TP perspective with them.

Angie Wenzl

• Camp Mom at TP
• Leadership Staff at TP/Office Manager
• Marketing TP/Woodland
• Leadership Team TP/Woodland
• Assistant Waterfront Director at Woodland
• Counselor at Woodland
• “Building in our hearts fond memories, Towering Pines for you.”