We are inviting Day Camp families–both new and returning–to come to camp on Sunday, April 18 from 2:00-6:00 pm! Families will have the opportunity to take a trailer ride around camp, climb Mt. Wood, scream down the Black Hole and try other Day Camp activities!

We’ll have several of our counselors on hand to meet campers and parents and to help answer any questions you might have.  Joel (that’s me, the Day Camp Director) and Christa (the Day Camp Registrar) will be on hand to help with questions and registration.

A drawing will also be held for free Camp Tecumseh T-Shirts!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 765-564-2898 x309 or JoelS@camptecumseh.org

Every year on March 1, something exciting happens–we begin registering for Day Camp!  This year is no exception, registration is now open for Camp Tecumseh Day Camp 2010.

This year will once again feature some “old favorites” of Day Camp, including the black hole, archery, bb guns, climbing, arts & crafts, World Service Carnival and Gold Rush.  We’ve also added in new activities for all ages, revised and added World Service Activities and created a Thursday Dress-Up Day to go along with the weekly theme.

We are also excited to be welcoming back a number of counselors from last year and we have a terrific staff overall!  Meetings have already begun with staff to plan out new unit activities, look at creative craft ideas and discuss how to make Day Camp even better!  During weeks 4 and 5, we’ve also added in an Equestrian Day Camp for campers ages 11-12.

This year you can register for Day Camp by either printing off a registration form and mailing/faxing it back in, or registering online.  Both options are available on our website at www.camptecumseh.org/daycamp.

Stay tuned to the news feed for information about this Spring’s Day Camp Open House!

For any questions, please contact JoelS@camptecumseh.org.

Camp Tecumseh has two pioneer settlements (River and Lake) on site that are used to host many schools participating in the Pioneer Heritage program.  This is a hands on program that brings the Indiana History taught at school, to life as they experience what it might have been like in the year 1811.

During their trip students attend a session about Log Cabin Building. This session highlights the different  kinds of buildings that pioneers built, giving ample supervised opportunity for students to have a go at using the tools that were used in the building process back then. Tools such as the draw knife to peel the bark off the fallen logs and the two person saw to cut to the desired length, are both favorites for them.

Time is also set aside to discuss Native American housing. Almost all students know about the Tipi (which Camp T has had on show for many years now), but a much smaller percentage of students know much about the Wigwam and how it differs.  We have tried to educate about this through pictures in the past, but … you can do that in the classroom right? So to really educate about it and bring it alive, we all decided that we needed to build one for the students, so that they can actually experience the difference.

This being said, Keith “Kilimanjaro” Kalish and Luke “Llama” Ulrich have donned the pioneer clothes and sharpened the pioneer tools once again to try and make this idea into a reality for thousands of students this coming year.  The first wigwam for the River Village settlement has been finished, with the Lake Village slotted to be done before our first group arrives in March.

Not only will this be an educational addition, but it will also serve as a functional shelter for the students should the weather turn south on us.

Tipi’s were mostly used by the native Americans of the great plains. The ease of construction and transportation made it perfect for their more nomadic lifestyle.

Wigwams were used as a more permanent type of housing, which suited the Indiana woodland environment more.

The February Edition of the Tales is on its way!  Watch for it in the
U.S. Mail or download it in PDF format right now!

Wildlife is abundant year round at camp, but one of the best seasons to see a lot is the winter. The snow coupled with the absence of leaves on trees makes it (somewhat ironically) come to life for the observer.

The bird feeders are packed all day long with many different types of birds like Cardinals, Woodpeckers, Nuthatch’s, Blue Jays and the odd squirrel (not a bird) hogging the food. Bald Eagles are frequently seen fishing on the Tippecanoe from the back deck of River Lodge. White Tailed Deer can be seen in large numbers crossing main field and through the lake village loop.

Some of our favorites to see though are the River Otters who scurry and swim around the river banks from time to time. Many folks are surprised to hear that we see Otters around here, but they are doing really quite well in this area after their reintroduction to the Tippecanoe in the mid 90’s. Their slinky silhouette and playful behavior make them an unmistakable sight to see.

Being aware of and understanding the wildlife around us is the first step to living alongside it in a responsible manner. It’s a privilege for us to be able to teach people along these lines during their visit.

Hope you enjoy some of the pictures we’ve been able to get as we are out and about.

To make the anchors for the climbing safety lines fit with the outdoors scene of the climbing walls, a downed tree was recycled into use. It is one big log…

And it even makes a good bench! Just ask Ryan and Joel.

Wandering Albatross (Biggest bird on record)

Tom and Keith from the Outdoor Education staff have been hard at work this winter working on several projects, one of which is a new display for the Nature Center. The display shows silhouettes of several birds found in Indiana as well as the biggest and smallest birds on record. Each silhouette is placed at the perfect height for children and adults to stretch out their wings to compare them to the bird that would have a similar span. Next time you are at camp, check it out next to the bird viewing window.

Keith comparing himself to the Bald Eagle

Bee Hummingbird (Smallest bird on record)

Camp has entered 2010 with a flurry—both a flurry of snow and a flurry of registrations for next summer! People who have only seen camp when all the leaves are on would be amazed to see camp snow covered and with the leaves off. This time of year you can see ‘through the trees’ to see things that would normally be hidden until you get close to them. For example, behind Director Scott Brosman you can see the Nature Center in the woods behind cabins 9-10 (Kickapoo & Huron) and 11-12 (Miami & Mohawk).

Another exciting thing is that every day we have interviews being conducted for summer staff positions. Some TERRIFIC college students are seeking to be counselors here next summer. Many of our best from last summer will be back as well. It is exciting to know what a dynamic group of counselors we are going to have for 2010!

Many weeks of camp are already FULL. If you have not signed up yet do it SOON. If you are already signed up but want a friend to attend with you be sure to tell them to sign up TODAY. It won’t be long till all weeks have waitlists!

Everyone here at YMCA Camp Tecumseh wish you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a wonderful (and funny) New Year.

With the exception of Christmas Day and New Years Day our office will be open normal business hours. You can call as usual during these times for all your Summer 2010 registration needs!

Here are the answers to the “Table Talk Trivia” listed in the December Tales:

WT-Whitetail

RV-River Village

DC-Day Camp

EC-Equestrian Camp or Equestrian Center

OC-Oregon Center

OCD-Oregon Center Downstairs

OCL-Oregon Center Left

OCR-Oregon Center Right

CILT-Camper In Leadership Training

TP-Trading Post

LV-Lake Village

CAC-Creative Arts Center

YMCA-Young Men’s Christian Association

OE-Outdoor Education

DOD-Director On Duty