Fall 2012 - Camp Nor`wester

Nor’wester
A Newsletter from and for the Camp Nor’wester community Fall/Winter 2012
In this issue
CAMP LIFE
pages 2 & 3
Canoe Update
Thank you to
Maia!
MEET ERIKA
Our new Camp
Administrator
NW Cultural
Activities at
camp
pages 4 & 5
OFFICE NOTES
pages 6 & 7
A Word from
the Director
Community
Building through
Music
Claire
Stack Chapman
A fond fairwell to
a good friend
Page 2
Chippin’ Away
New Canoe takes shape
by Steve Brown
The canoe to replace the
sadly broken Kwigwatsi got
a good start last summer, going from a raw log to a canoeshaped form during the two
sessions. It is not yet finished,
but significant progress was
made toward the final product.
The 35-foot log is now
shaped like a canoe, and the outside is nearly complete. The finished vessel is going to be the
same traditional style as Kwigwatsi, but it is to be a new canoe,
with some minor differences
and a different name and design.
Workers on the canoe included Steve Brown, lead carver,
Bill Holm, chief advisor, Donn
Charnley, steady worker, Evrard
Martens, staff, Abaya Brown,
occasional help, John Goodwin,
Makah artist, Peter Dunthorne,
artist and carver, Shaun Peter-
~CAMP LIFE~
son, Puyallup artist, several
other staff members, and even
a few chips from Troubadors!
The next steps will be
to complete the gunwales on
the outside, then turn the canoe
rightside-up and hollow out the
interior. The finished hull will be
between 1” and 1 ½” thick, and
even a bit thicker toward the ends
for strength. Then comes the
steaming of the wood to widen
the sides of the canoe until it’s
wider than the original log. This
is done with loads of hot rocks to
boil water inside the hull, and lots
of careful planning beforehand.
Rocks will have to be found offisland to obtain the best type,
which don’t exist on Johns Island.
All the workers look forward to finishing the canoe and
going for a paddle next summer!
Lead carver Steve Brown works at shaping the canoe under the ever watchful eye of Chief Advisor Bill Holm
Down with the old.... UP with the NEW!
The look of the Craft Shop and this summer as the last section of The 2000 sq foot building will serve
Maintainence area changed a bit the old kitchen was taken down dur- to protect camp vehicles in winter.
ing first session. In true camp style,
everything that could be salvaged
will be put back to use. The removal
of the 1945 building opens back up
the natural open space that existed
prior to the building being placed
there in 2000. Meanwhile, Second
session witnessed the construction
of the the new vehicle storage shed
Last wall standing - the section near the Maintainence Building. Safe Haven - The new shed will
protect vehicles from the elements
of the old kitchen goes down
~CAMP LIFE~
Page 3
A Heart-felt Thank You
June 11
Staff Training begins
wonderful Maia Yip for her six
years of service to the Nor’wester
community as the Directors’ Assistant. Maia helped hundreds of
campers and staff members apply, enroll, and get to Johns Island over the years, responded
to thousands of emails and calls,
and offered an immense amount
of valuable skills to the position.
Since helping with the office move and transition to Edmonds, Maia has been pursuing
her talents as a massage therapist and exploring her leadership
opportunities in the San Juans.
Heartfelt appreciation to you,
Maia, for your dedication and
M a i a Yi p , 6 y e a r
D i re c t o r ’s A s s i s t a n t
commitment to Nor’wester all
these years! We look forward to
your continued involvement in
the community.
Ericka Whittaker joins Camp full time
Taking on the position of
Aministrator (previously known
as Director’s Assistant) is our
newest year-round team member,
Erika Whittaker.
Erika worked on staff for
three summers as a Unit Leader
(’09-’11) and brought her generous spirit, energy and vitality to
the Nor’wester camp community. She has a background in
challenge course facilitation,
received her BA from Western
Washington in Sociology with a
minor in Political Science, and
has spent the last year working
with a non-profit in an administrative roll, managing enrollment, parent contact, scheduling
and offering BOD support. Erika
brings professionalism, humor,
and a passion for camp to our
small but mighty team. Welcome,
Erika!
2013 Camp Schedule
We’d like to honor our
June 24
First Session begins
Junior Session begins
July 6
Junior Session ends
July 21
First Session ends
July 24
Second Session begins
Junior Session begins
August 5
Junior Session ends
August 20
Second Session ends
August 24
Explore Nor’wester
Session begins
August 27
Erika Whittaker spent 3
summers as a unit staff
Explore Nor’wester
Session ends
Music
has always been central
to camp life. We asked our friends on Facebook, young and old, to recount some favorite camp music memories - here are some of
the the 30 that responded.
“You mean appropriate
song right? There was one
about Buck that should
not be repeated in some
circles. How about Piney Wood Hills? Or Wild
Mountain Thyme?”
“I played the Anvil in the
band Exploding Heads,we
did ‘Vicious’ for a Mountaineer Coffee House on
less orthodox instruments
- Peet played the big sticks,
Tom played his butt.”
“Richard Carter and Peter Worsham leading ‘Those Were
the Days’ towards the end of session, but putting on ear
protection from the wood shop before they started it”
“You can't go wrong with "Piney Wood Hills." I can't sing While camp hires two full time music staf
"Rambling Boy" or "The Vagabond Song" without crying” ready and willing to share their musicale
“Claire Stack teaching me the Salty Dog Rag”
28 out of 30 performed at MUSICALE the music-based talent show hosted by the
music staff. Never required, but always encouraged, for campers and staff alike it is
often their first performance before an enthusiastic audience.
18
indicated that they took on a new instrument because of their camp experience.
“Guitars are my life because of camp”
“I learned to play the
“I learned to play the
guitar. Lessons were
ukulele and I now
given at rest hour.”
play it all the time.”
“I just love playing in the
dance band”
Favorite Song?
Over the decades songs come and go from the songbook,
but certain songs are forever associated with camp,
whether you were there one summer or ten. We asked
on Facebook what your favorite camp song was. Not
surprising, we received as many songs (30) as people
responding (30). Of course, many people simply could
not limit themselves to just one song. Only nine songs
came up more than once. The top choice, with seven
votes, was Buffy Saint-Marie’s 1962 song “Piney Wood
Hills”. Four Winds founder Ruth Brown’s “Vagabond
Song” was second with four. “Wild Mountain Thyme”,
“Lord Franklin” and “Wagon Wheel” had three each.
ff, mealtime singing is never short on staff
talents to help create the “wall of sound”
“My second Troubadour year, I got a
letter saying that my aunt's dog, who
I'd loved a lot, had died. I was really
bummed out, but we had a dance that
night, and doing the grapevine twist
in a square with 5 of my good friends
in my unit and the mountaineers, plus
an adorable pair of an Explorer and
an Archer really helped me be less sad
about that.”
“The time as a Mountaineer when
just as Tex called "Ya'll jump up
and you never come down" the
Mountaineer unit hoisted me to
the rafters in the lodge on a ropeand-pully - I stayed there for the
rest of the dance. Jumped up, never came down.”. .
“All-Camp ‘Duck For The Oyster.’ Scary—possibly
lethal—but it's so exciting when it works!”
“With the support of wonderful friends (Kelly, Karla,
Mark, and all the units I lived with during my staff years)
I overcame my stage fright and starting singing along to
my guitar at musicale.”.
“At the end of every session when we all sing for the last time
in a big circle”
Page 6
~OFFICE NOTES~
From our director...
Community Building through Music
Mission Statement
Camp Nor’wester provides a
unique outdoor living experience
where a diverse group of young
people is challenged to develop
skills that increase self-confidence
and encourage respect, responsibility and compassion for themselves, their community and the
environment.
Materials for new Showerhouse
cubbies - $3,000
Camp Director Sheila Tallmon
In thinking about the role that music
plays at Nor’wester, I am immediately reminded of various articles
I’ve read over the years about the
positive and lasting effects that participating in music can have on the
brain, one’s creative drive, and the
sense of belonging within a community. Not only has music been
shown to increase language and
math ability, speech and tone distinction, but it also can be an vehicle for character building, developing sense of self and just plain good
for the soul.
Singing and playing instruments together at Camp Nor’wester
is a long-standing tradition that goes
back to the very inception of camp
in the Henderson era. Because of
this, the tradition of making music
together has been a thread of continuity throughout the last seventyseven summers. Folk songs and lullabies are sung to young, budding
campers by their alumni parents,
staff members who picked up a guitar for the first time at camp realize
that they are still playing decades
later, and the bonding between
parents and their children remains
the same as the campers share
songs and musical anecdotes of the
summer. These are seeds that are
Wish List
Second Handwashing Station $1,000
5-6 new Bikes for trips - $3, 500
Radios for Office/Emergency communication - $1,500
deeply rooted in what we do at
Nor’wester.
When camp was relocated
to Johns Island, campers and alumni were asked about the essential ingredients of their camp experience.
The presence of music at camp received resounding votes, only confirming that its time-tested ability
to help create a meaningful culture
and community was imperative at
the new site.
It is a wonderful thing to
watch nearly 100% participation
among the crowd when we sing after meals and in the evenings. Our
music time is the great connection
time – when all of us in camp are
participating in the same thing, experiencing the spontaneity and silliness, sweet melodies and seriousness. We touch the whole spectrum,
which encourages all of us, campers and staff, to be in touch with our
own feelings. Music helps us relate
to one another.
Happy music-making to
you and your family in the new
year, and we look forward to many
more summers of community building and fun through music!
In the Spirit of Camp ~
Sheila
2 Child-sized guitars - $80 each
Gas-powered Pole Saw - $350
Dust collection systems for Maintenance Shed and Woodshop
$10,000+
Shelving and Bins for Drama Shed
organization - $300
Grigri (Self-Belay Device, used
for rescues) for Challenge Course $100
Small Shopvac for Craftshop - $150
New Kayaks - $1700+ each
The Camp Office has
MOVED!!!
CONTACT INFORMATION
PO Box 1055
303 5th Ave S, Suite 201
Edmonds, WA 98020
Office (425) 670-1935
Fax (425) 670-1055
Email norwester@rockisland.com
Website www.norwester.org
~OFFICE NOTES~
Nancy Claire
(Stack) Chapman
The Camp
community was
saddened by the
death of Claire
(Stack) Chapman
on August 7 after
a 16-year battle
with breast cancer. She had so much energy and
such a will to live that it is hard to
believe she is gone.
Camp Nor'wester played an
integral part in her entire life. Her
father, Tom Stack, was a staff at
Henderson Camps after the Second
World War, and all of her siblings
attended camp, with some working
there as well. Claire was a camper for many years and some of her
closest lifelong friendships were
formed there. She also worked
at Camp for several years. As a
founding member of the board of
directors of Henderson/Nor'wester
Camps in 1996, she was instrumental in helping the Camp reform as
a non-profit organization. Without
her tireless energy, quick wit and
ready smile Nor'wester might not
exist today. Her husband, Art Chapman, was also a board member for a
number of years, and her two sons,
Silas and Sam, were both campers
and staff.
Born and raised in Portland,
she received a B.A. in English from
the University of Washington and a
J.D. from the University of Puget
Sound. She practiced corporate
business law in Seattle for many
years, and most recently worked
as a senior staff attorney at the
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research
Center. She was an accomplished
athlete, a member of a state championship volleyball team, and she
had a passion for outdoor activities,
including tennis and skiing. She enjoyed cooking for family and friends
and loved classical music, live theatre, comedy shows and cats. With
a twinkle in her eye, an infectious
laugh and a love of life, she had a
unique ability to highlight people's
accomplishments, big or small. She
was a role model and inspiration for
others to have courage and strength
to meet life's challenges.
Page 7
Camp Directors
Sheila Tallmon, Director
Jill Steigerwald, Assistant Director
(425) 670-1935
www.norwester.org
2012 Executive Board
Janet Charnley (President)
Jeff Pietsch (Vice President)
Suzy McQuaid (Secretary)
Kim Berhow (Treasurer)
Chris Backus
Megan Coughlin
Deb Gore
Bill Horder
Steve Johnson
David Joneschild
Mike Montgomery
Kirsten Morbeck
Mike Poutiatine
Lyle Summers
George Swindells
Robin Tatsuda
2013 Work Weekends
Planned Projects
Cutting Tipi poles
Trail/Unit Site Clearing
Pitching Tipis
Building various storage sheds
Overnight site improvements
When
April 19-21, May 17-20, and
May 30-June 2
Stormy night in the islands - flashes of light and thuderous
booms sounded all night during the 1st session Indian Dances.
No strikes at camp, but it was quite a show for everyone!
Interested?
contact
norwesterjks@rockisland.com
2013 Reunion Schedule
January 4
January 22
Los Angeles, CA
Bainbridge Island, WA
January 6
Seattle, WA
Lakeside School
January 14
Vancouver, BC
January 17
Bend, OR
January 18
Portland, OR
Portland Ecotrust
January 23
San Francisco, CA
January 24
Tucson, AZ
January 25
Phoenix, AZ
January 30
Orcas Island, WA
January 31
Friday Harbor, WA
Please visit www.norwester.org
for detailed info on reunion
locations and times
IT’S TIME TO
ENROLL!
We have received many applications for the 2013 season so far
and are continuing to fill spots as
they arrive. Updated enrollment
information and applications are
available on our website at www.
norwester.org. This year, we are
offering a $100 discount to any
family that includes full tuition
payment with their application!
We are expecting units to continue to fill in the next few weeks
– get your application and deposit
in today to reserve your spot!
Camp Nor’wester does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, religion, gender, disability, familial status, sexual orientation, or political affiliation.
PO Box 1055
Edmonds, WA 98020
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
There’s a word, that needs a sayin’, Carry it on, Carry it on...
December 2012!
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