Lodge BlogAs we approach the end of the year, we like to reflect on groups we have served over the course of 2010. This is important because it allows us to be true to our mission of “The Other Fellow First” and remain focused on our community. I am pleased to report that we were successful in both areas. The “other fellows” ranged from youth groups to adults who came to visit from all over northern Michigan and beyond.
After eight weeks of great summer camp, we again started to host a variety of independent groups. The first was Peer to Peer, a program from the Charlevoix High School that is designed to help students make the right decisions when it comes to drugs and alcohol. Students from Leelanau School in Traverse City spent a night and enjoyed the adventure center for team building before their three-day hike along the Jordan River. We also hosted two weddings at camp this fall! The Leadership Little Traverse Program, a group of local business leaders, started their year-long commitment to enhancing our local community with a retreat at camp. A summer camp staff reunion and the annual women’s retreat are scheduled for this fall as well. Finally, we will be ending the busy year with two church retreats, one with St. Francis Church of Petoskey and the other with the Faith Baptist Church from Cheboygan.
One of our largest recurring programs throughout the year is Impact Weekend who will be using camp 3 more times yet this fall. During each of these weekends the camp hosts 20 to 30 adults receiving intense substance abuse counseling. One of the benefits the camp receives hosting these groups is that each of the participants contributes two hours of volunteer work to benefit camp during the weekend. Boy, can you sure get a lot of things done when 30 people are helping out!
This past spring we held our first Father/Son Weekend. We have expanded the program to include, grandfathers and other adult substitutes to serve as “father” figures. There were just so many activities for me to list them all here but some of the highlights included making maple syrup, ice fishing, taxidermy, fly tying, snow shoeing, and the Adventure Center. With all of these activities, we needed to provide great nourishment to keep energy levels heightened. Everyone loved the weekend menu that included a wide variety of wild game dishes. Based on its success, we have already scheduled our second Father/Son Weekend for March 11-13, 2011. Please start telling your friends about this great event at camp.
We are always looking to host additional groups, so if you are interested in using Camp Daggett for your next retreat, reunion, or meeting venue - please call Ed Leverenz at 231-347-9742 ext. 112.
The Other Fellow First,
Ed Leverenz - Facilities Manager