Lodge BlogAs we approach the end of the year, we like to look back at the groups we have served during the past year. This is important because it allows us to remain true to our mission of “The Other Fellow First” with focus on our community. The “other fellows” included a wide variety of groups from all over northern Michigan.
We started out the year with Boy Scout Troop 777 from Novi, Michigan, followed two weeks later with Troop 903 from Northville, Michigan. They enjoyed some great skiing at the local ski slopes while staying at our beautiful lodge on Walloon Lake.
Highland Dance North held a workshop for about 15 young girls, preparing them for an upcoming dance competition. This was followed by Harbor Hall from Petoskey, a substance abuse facility, enjoying a night out at camp including group games, camp fire, and making Valentine’s cards.
We have a variety of church groups that have found Camp Daggett to be the perfect site for conducting a retreat. During the first half of 2011, this has included St. Michael’s from Roscommon and New Life Tech from Cheboygan. Later this year we will be hosting Faith Baptist from Cheboygan, Covenant Church of Cheboygan, Saint Francis Xavier of Petoskey, Temple Israel from West Bloomfield, and the Indian River United Methodist Church. It appears the word is out in Cheboygan that Camp Daggett is the place to be!
The second weekend of March brought our second annual Father/Son Weekend. The event was sold out with 63 fathers, step-fathers, grandfathers, big brothers, and their sons spending some quality time together. There were too many activities for me to list them, but some of the highlights included making maple syrup, ice fishing, fly tying, nature study, wildlife seminars, and teambuilding activities in the Adventure Center. With all of these activities, we had to provide great nourishment. Everyone loved the weekend menu that included a wide variety of wild game dishes. If you know of anyone that would like to participate in next years event on March 9-11, 2012, please call Ed at 231-347-9742 ext.112.
On the success on this year’s Father/Son Weekend, we held our first Mother/Daughter Weekend in May thanks to a lot of hard work by Kathy Bardins and our Marketing Committee. 43 mothers and daughters enjoyed some great food and a variety of activities that again included our state of the art Adventure Center.
Although we are a children’s camp, we can host corporate groups for conferences and seminars. One such group that meets regularly here is the Great Lakes Leadership Academy from Michigan State University. Another is Leadership Little Traverse, a group of local business leaders who start their year long program with us on a retreat. One of our largest recurring programs during the year is Impact Weekend who uses the camp for several three-day weekends. Each of these weekends the camp hosts 15 to 30 adults receiving substance abuse counseling.
This spring several school groups utilized Camp Daggett for their annual field trip. This included the Sheridan Enrichment Program, Atlanta Science Class, Island City Academy from Eaton Rapids, and of course the Boyne City Middle School’s annual mini summer camp. The Boyne City High School held a post graduation party at Camp that included both the Lodge and the Adventure Center. The Little Traverse Bay Bands Youth Services spent several days with us providing positive guidance for the youth of our community. The Harbor Springs High School Biology Class held a day long class on winter survival here.
This discussion would not be complete if I did not talk about our Special Needs Camp for the Char-Em and COOR Intermediate School Districts. The children enjoyed boat and hay rides, singing by the campfire, catching frogs at the nature pond, and of course music and dancing outside on the basketball court.
After eight weeks of Summer Camp we once again opened the Lodge for rental. The first was a very special camp conducted by the Michigan Commission for the Blind that Camp Daggett was very involved in. With the help of Julie Clark from MCB, we recruited the staff, planned the meals, and put on a great camp for visually impaired students. The activities included horseback riding thanks to Barb Lane and the Exceptional Riders Program, team building initiatives at the Adventure Center, and an actual prom night with music and dancing.
The Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians used Camp Daggett for a three day drug awareness retreat. This was followed with a training camp by the Eastern Michigan Women’s Track Team. Students from Leelanau School in Traverse City spent a night and enjoyed the Adventure Center before their three-day hike along the Jordan River.
The last group attending camp prior to my writing this article was the Rotary Club Foreign Exchange Students. There was 30 high school students from 23 different countries, plus their sponsors, spending a weekend at camp to get orientated for the year to come.
We are always looking to host additional groups and if you are interested in using Camp Daggett please call Ed Leverenz at 231-347-9742, extension 112.
The Other Fellow First,
Ed Leverenz – Facilities Manager