We Love Camp Waldemar

I grew up going to summer camps. From church camps, sport camps, cheerleading camps....I was always a camp obsessed kind of girl, and they never lasted long enough for me. My parents would come after a week away to pick me up from one of my camps, and I tearfully said goodbye to all my new friends, and always wished we would have had a longer time together. Then I would obsessively watch "The Parent Trap" and wish that I was spending a whole summer away just like they got to do.

When Rebecca was born a very good friend told us all about the camp she sent her daughter's too (and that she herself had attended as a girl) that was a month long located in the Texas hill country....and I remembered several of my college friends having talked about their times spent at those girls camps (there is about four of them), and I told John Mark that I hoped with all my heart that we would be able to do that for Rebecca. I know people always say you should not force your children to live out your own dreams....but Rebecca is just like me as a child and she took to it like a duck to water.

Here is what Rebecca's camp is all about...

"Our two traditional Waldemar terms are referred to as First Term and Second Term. Each of these 30-day terms are offered to girls going into 4th-11th grades. Most of our campers start at a young age and continue to build upon their camping experience until they reach their final year when they are known as “hilltoppers.”

On the first night a girl attends long term, she draws for her camp tribe. Whether she draws Aztec, Comanche, or Tejas, she will continue to be a member of this tribe throughout her camping years. In everything she does – from her table manners and cleanliness in her cabin to how well she participates in her classes – she will earn points for her tribe.
At the end of the camp term there is a final program during which awards are given in many of the classes to the most skilled and most improved participants. At this time, the much anticipated winner of the tribal plaque is announced. Points from kampong inspection, table grades, class participation, medals awarded, field day victories, and many others all contribute to this ultimate prize.
The camp term also concludes with the naming of the Ideal Waldemar Girl. This is usually a hilltopper who has been voted on anonymously by the counselor staff because she best lives up to the ideals of Waldemar. Being named Ideal Waldemar Girl is the highest honor a girl can receive during her camping years.
Each camper lives in a “kampong” (a South Sea Islander word meaning house on stilts) or cabin with five to seven other girls her same age and one counselor. The cabins feature private baths and are air-conditioned.
The girls all choose their own activity schedule from our more than 40 activities available. Much like a college course schedule, they participate in up to 12 activities total with six on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and another six on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. We encourage the girls to take a variety of classes in land sports and water sports, as well as the arts so they have a balanced schedule.
At night, the girls participate in a variety of scheduled activities that include everything from movie nights and a dance with neighboring boy camp, Camp Stewart, to a camp carnival, climbing of the sacred tribal hills for tribal ceremonies, and kampong skits. In addition, there are two field days during the term. During each field day, each camper will participate in at least one and as many as three activities to earn points for her tribe. "

This year will be Rebecca's third year...and for us it is worth every penny, because we are developing a wonderfully well-rounded girl who has very high ideals for herself. She is a leader and good friend to others, and we are so proud of how well she handles herself in all situations. In the past I have talked about Regan's camps....and I still will post extensively of her experiences there, but we are just as proud of Rebecca and how camp has molded her.
The pictures included are Rebecca drawing for her tribe two years ago....she is a proud Comanche, a picture of the dining hall, and Rebecca doing Archery at one of the field days....all during her first year!