Your Child Could Make The Catch of a Lifetime This Summer!

One of the great benefits of Camp Anokijig being located in Sheboygan County, is our close proximity to Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan is a tremendous natural resource and one that presents a wonderful opportunity for us to expose our campers to fishing for salmon on the Great Lakes.

As you can see from this video, the typical fish caught on one of these outings easily exceeds the size of the biggest fish many folks will catch on their best trip to an inland lake. These campers were all a part of our Expedition Fishing program, one of several different specialty camping opportunities we offer every summer at Camp Anokijig. If you'd like more information on this program, our Irish Dance Camp, Yoga Camp, or Competitive Swim Camp program, please call us today at 1-800-741-6931 today!

Catching Fish at Summer Camp...and lots of them!

One of Camp Anokijig's most-popular activities is fishing and Little Elkhart Lake is perfect setting for doing just that.  Kids can start out small, catching pan fish and work their way up to reeling in large mouth bass the size of their thigh (or so our fish stories usually go).  Anokijig campers actually do quite well at not just fishing, but catching and our wonderful staff is there to help them every step of the way.

Some of our campers are really avid fishermen and prefer an even more involved fishing experience.  For those campers, we offer our Fishing Expedition programs.  These campers will do night fishing for bass, northern and pan fish, as well as learn how to fly fish.  Their fly-fishing skills will be put to the test when we take them to one of our area trout ponds and weather-permitting, we'll cap the week off with a chartered fishing trip on Lake Michigan, to catch the really big ones and those fish really are as big as their thighs!

It is easy to talk about all the fish your child can catch during a week at Anokijig, but is the fishing really that good?  Watch this video and decide for yourself-

Sign up for Summer Camp & Save Money!

The first day of summer camp is less than five months away and while that may seem like a long way off, it will be here before we know it. We understand many families like to plan their schedules early in the year, so we make every effort to open up our summer registration as soon as possible.

Even with months of time to prepare, we always seem to end up with kids on waiting lists, who miss out on our most-popular weeks, because they didn't sign up in time. We don't want your child to be left out of all the fun and excitement that comes with being an Anokijig camper, so we're doing our part to encourage parents to make sure their child doesn't get left out this summer.

Parents who sign their children up for summer camp at Anokijig before May 1, 2011 will receive a discounted rate of $540 per week. After May 1st, a week at Anokijig will cost our regular fee of $565. We know there is still plenty of time, but please don't wait too long because space is limited. Click on this link to sign your child up today!

2010 Anokijig Trivia Video & Arrowhead Newsletter

As the beauty of Anokijg Winter arrives we always like to look back at the past year and remember all of the things about Anokijig that we're thankful for.

To help you to do the same take a few moments to check out the 2010 Anokijg Arrowhead - our annual newsletter highlighting the past year and kicking off the next!

In addition we all know that each year Anokijig produces millions of memories, click HERE to check out this year's trivia video and see what you know about Anokijig; and of course enjoy some great Anokijig images. Enjoy the views and make your own plans to visit Anokijig soon!

Irish Dance Coming to Anokijig!

We've all watched the amazing technique of Irish dancers flying through jigs and reels and now Anokijig is bringing Irish Dancing to Camp for the summer of 2011! Speed, precision, and style are all hallmarks of this exciting, traditional style of folk dance. Here is your chance to give it a try!

Irish dance campers will spend their mornings with an experienced Irish dancer, learning basic techniques and skills. The finale will be a demonstration dance at the Friday night campfire. When not dancing, campers can still enjoy all of the great activities of Anokijig's resident camp.

Irish dance camp is open to campers of all ages, but space is limited, so we encourage everyone to sign up early. Irish dance camp will be held during Week Two at Anokijig, which begins on June 19th and ends on June 25th. We hope to see you there!

Announcing the Anokijig Digital Photo Contest!

Thanks to the continued support of the Racine Founders Rotary Club, our digital photo program was in full-swing, allowing budding photographers to create literally thousands of amazing images. To honor these efforts, we are announcing our first all-camp photo contest. If you have a great Anokijig photo, send it to darinh@excel.net before February 15, 2011. The person with the best overall photo will win one free week of residence camp during Sessions 1, 2, 3 or 4 of 2011. Good luck!

Congratulations Zach Nash!

While we are very proud of all our Anokijig alumni, it's not an every day occurrence that the rest of the world takes notice of our alumni and feels compelled to share a story about the positive values we emphasize at Anokijig. Today happens to be one of those days. One of our alumni, Zack Nash, recently won his age group for the Milwaukee County Parks Tour Invitational, only to find out after the fact, that he accidentally carried one club too many in his bag during the tournament.

The rules are very clear on what must be done in these instances and even though he's only 14 years old and could have elected to simply not mention this oversight to anyone, Zach did the right thing, reported this violation and gave up his victory. While he may not have won that tournament, he scored a big win in life by doing the right thing and we're very proud of him. We know this story may not be salacious or controversial enough for Deadspin.com, but it is perfect for the Anokijig Insider. You can read the full story here- http://www.jsonline.com/sports/golf/101941838.html

So Your Daughter Wants a Horse?

Is your daughter so interested in horses, that she would like you to buy one for her? You're not alone. We always want to provide wonderful learning opportunities for our children, but from an ownership perspective, how much does it cost to own a horse?

We can start with the purchase price. Although some horses can cost tens of thousands of dollars, for a first-time rider/owner, a good horse can probably be found for well under $1,000. Let's conservatively say you can find one for $600.

The next expense will come in stabling fees. If you happen to live on a 10-acre parcel of land, you might be able to save a significant amount of money on boarding, by keeping the horse on your property (if your community zoning laws allow it). If not, monthly boarding fees can run anywhere from $200-500 per month. Let's again suppose you can find a very affordable place to keep your horse, which is also a short drive from your home and it only costs $200/month. With the cost of the horse, that puts us at $3,000.

As it turns out, the board was so cheap, because it didn't include feed. An average horse can eat about 20 lbs. of hay per day (1/2 bale). That can also vary, based on how much a horse grazes, but if we calculate 183 bales of hay at about $2.50/bale, that adds a approximately $450 more in just the first year, bringing our grand total up to $3,450. Most horses should also get some grain, so we can conservatively add another $150 a year, bringing our total so far to $3,600.

Some boarding fees include bedding, which can run about $200/year, so we'll again be conservative and assume that's included in the $200/month boarding fee. We'll also assume that bargain of a boarding fee includes mucking of the stalls (stall cleaning), so we wont tack any additional expense onto that.

Your horse will need to get shots twice a year, so do plan on paying a veterinarian about $300 per year, bringing our total up to $3,900 per year. You'll also need to pay a farrier to keep your horses' hooves properly-trimmed. That can sometimes get expensive, if an animal needs shoes (just like kids, huh?), but we'll assume it's healthy in that regard and you'll only spend another $100 a year, bringing your total up to $4,000. You're almost ready to go. All you need now is another $500 for tack, which includes a helmet, saddle, blanket, bridle and other riding equipment. If your daughter has little or no experience on a horse, you'll probably want to make sure she gets good instruction, so add another $1,000 per year onto our total and when it's all added up our the first year of horse ownership will run you at least $5,500.

This assumes you don't want mortality insurance on your horse and your daughter doesn't have expensive tastes in horses, stables, clothes or riding lessons. The good news is, that initial $5,500 investment drops by at least $1,000 in year two, because you won't need to buy a new horse and tack every year (at least in theory). In subsequent years, spending $4,000 per year on a horse can be done, provided the horse stays healthy and you don't end up buying a horse trailer, so your daughter can go riding in other places. Some horses can live for 20 years or more, so assuming your daughter will never let you sell "Blacky" or whatever your horses' name is, this purchase could approach nearly $100,000 over the life of the horse.

Why do we lay all this information out for you? Because Camp Anokijig offers a reasonable alternative to buying a horse- use one of ours! We have more than 50 horses at Anokijig, many of them formerly owned by parents just like you. We also have dozens of miles of riding trails, all the tack, hay, safety equipment and proper riding instruction that any youngster needs. All this can be had for just $580 per week and that includes food, lodging and all the other fun activities at Anokijig! If you would like more information on our Ranch program, follow this link.

$5,500 vs. $580 The math makes the choice look simple, but we know kids always do their best to complicate things. Even if your daughter insists on her own horse, why not encourage her to spend some time learning her way around them at Anokijig, before buying one of her own? She might fall in love with one of our horses and decide she doesn't want one of her own or she could just decide horses weren't her cup of tea. Either outcome could end up saving you thousands of dollars and countless headaches.

How To Pick The Right Summer Camp For Your Kid

Barbara Rowley recently wrote an article for Parenting Magazine on how to pick the right summer camp for your child.  As a former camper and staff member herself, Rowley knows the ins and outs of sleepaway summer camps fairly well and her insight can be very valuable to families considering a sleepaway camp for their child.

Some of her key points for selecting the best camp for your child include the following-

A History
While Rowley knows there are some great new camps out there, she knows some experts and families believe that camps that have been operating for decades, especially with the same staff, has significant meaning.  Camp Anokijig has been in operating since 1926 and our core group of staff members- Jim Scherer, Darin Holden, Don Hill & Scott Stewart all grew up as campers at Anokijig and have more than 100 combined years of adult working experience at Anokijig.  Rowley states that in today's world, a camp simply couldn't stay in business for generations if it were unsafe or suffered from poor leadership and management.

A Philosophy
Rowley thinks it's important to know the philosophy of a camp before sending your child there and she's absolutely correct!  If you are looking for a camp that focuses on sports, there are hundreds to choose from, but Anokijig isn't one of them.  The week many children spend at Anokijig will be the most active week of their year, but it won't be spent on our soccer field or baseball diamond, because we don't have either.  We do play earthball and no one plays scatterball like we do, but they aren't the focal point of our activities.  We like to tell folks anything your child can do at Anokijig, they probably can't do at home and anything they can do at home, they probably can't do at Anokijig. 

An Emphasis on Creating a Community
Rowley believes good camps think about how they place kids together to create the most inclusive experience for all.  Anokijig has more than a dozen different tent sections and cabins, which allows us plenty of flexibility for assigning bunk space for campers.  Three years may not seem like a long time to adults, but we know it is an eternity for kids.  The social experience of camping is important and we know the differences between nine year old campers and 12 year old campers, because we see them every year.  While there are plenty of opportunities for all campers to interact, we do our very best to make sure kids are comfortable with the bunkmates in their sections and part of that is grouping kids appropriately by age.  Our size still allows us the flexibility to accomodate many requests for bunkmates.

A Well-Trained Staff
Rowley feels it is important for camps to be adequately-staffed and we couldn't agree more.  She suggests low ratios of 10 to 1 for kids ages 8 to 14.  Even during Anokijig's busiest weeks, our capacity is about 315 campers.  If we were at Rowley's low ratio, we'd only have about 32 staff members to monitor all those children.  Our actual ratio is far better than Rowley's, as our cooks feed more than 400 people during our busy weeks.  Rowley also feels it's important for staff to be background-checked and have plenty of references as well.  As an ACA-accredited camp, we follow all of those procedures for staffing and have known many of our current staff members, since they were campers at Anokijig.  We also run two weeks of staff training before the first summer camper even arrives at Anokijig.

An Element of Choice
One of the great things about a summer camp experience, is that a child is free from their daily, pre-set schedules.  When they arrive at Anokijig, we evaluate their swimming ability and then ask them to select two skills, from a wide variety of program areas.  Examples could include archery, arts & crafts, woodworking, fishing, trail crafts, and sailing.  Anokijig campers will devote time each day to their two choices, but we also leave plenty of unstructured free time, allowing campers the opportunity to try out other program areas as well.  Rowley believes this structure (or lack thereof) will help your child to feel more independent, especially if they are making the choices for which activities they participate in.

A Communications Plan
Rowley believes a consistent policy on camper phone use is important, as well as making sure there are procedures in place for contacting parents about upcoming events or if their child becomes sick or injured.  Safety comes first at Anokijig and a good portion of our camper orientation focuses on safety and emergency procedures.  Although cell phones are not allowed at Anokijig (and most don't work anyway), we always have staff on duty at all hours of the day and always have the ability to contact parents whenever needed.  We do encourage our parents and campers to write letters to each other throughout the week, but we know that frequent phone conversations can actually make it harder for both parents and children to be away from each other.

A High Standard of Accreditation
Rowley encourages parents to ask camps if they are accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA), which conducts on-site visits and reviews programs, facilities, and hiring and safety policies.  Rowley claims only the most professionally run camps qualify and we're proud to tell parents we scored a perfect 100 on our most recent ACA inspection.

Choosing the right camp can be a challenge for parents, but the experiences their children will have can last a lifetime and are well worth the effort.  If you'd like to read Rowley's entire article, you can find it here- http://is.gd/bER5o

Camp Still Needs Saving

"Hey Jim, why is that www.savecamp.com decal still on your truck, I thought camp was saved already?" That's a question I get quite often and the simple answer is that Anokijig isn't saved just yet. While Anokijig's future looks a lot better than it did five years ago, we still have a long way to go.

One of the problems we face is that it's difficult to keep banging on the drum and sustain an ongoing sense of urgency to retire the debt incurred back in 2005 to "save" Camp Anokijig. Many of the pledges made by our fantastic supporters have now been satisfied, while other well-meaning folks just haven't been able to come through on their commitments for a variety of reasons, including the downturn in the economy.

As time continues to pass, the bullet Anokijig dodged begins to look larger and larger. When camp was originally put up for sale, the economy had not yet hit the skids. Contractors, developers and architects were all still eyeing up every piece of lakefront property they could find, whether it was currently for sale or not. Camps like Singing Hills seemed to be falling like dominoes and I've often wondered what fate would have befallen Anokijig, had the Friends of Anokijig not secured the loans necessary to outbid those developers? The best I can come up with is that the hilly terrain would've made it unsuitable for a traditional development and it probably would've ended up as a golf course.

With the way the economy headed south shortly after our sale was finalized, a developer probably would've had just enough money to tear down all our key buildings and build three holes of a golf course and a model home or condo, before going belly-up. That would've left the property available for a camp again, but no infrastructure to support it. The logs of Western Lodge and our other beautiful cabins would've been sold off. Large tracts of our woodland areas would've been clearcut for fairways. The boathouse would've been dismantled to make room for a putting green overlooking the lake. All the fencing for the horses would've been yanked out and the land re-surveyed for a project that would've never been completed.

Even if Anokijig were put up for sale one or two years later than it was, the financial climate during that span changed so much, it's possible we wouldn't have been able to secure the loans necessary to purchase Camp.

It's scary to even think about those possibilities and while they may seem like they are a million miles away from us today, we're not out of the woods yet. While I'm happy to report that Camp Anokijig's future looks strong and robust, there is no telling what the future will bring. Will the economy rebound or will it take another downturn? Will the financial crisis that hit the home housing market soon hit the commericial real estate market and affect Anokijig's loans? The future can be difficult to predict, but I know as good as we all feel about Anokijig's future, we'll all feel a lot better once our debt is finally retired for good. Only then will Anokijig's destiny truly be in our own hands and not tied to the success or failure of financial institutions or parent organizations.

Our staff is certainly doing their best to eliminate our debt by finding additional revenue streams (new campers) and new donors. In fact, we've hired a fantastic woman named Mary Krahn, who has done a wonderful job of reaching out to folks in the area and helping them learn all about the fantastic benefits Anokijig provides for thousands of children and families each year. Even though Anokijig's history goes all the way back to Ray Vance in 1926, most of that history didn't involve Anokijig asking anyone for help. Doing so now is a relatively-new concept for a camp that has been operationally-profitable for more than two decades in a row, but we are making progress.

In the past few years, Anokijig has for the first time received grants and donations from many fantastic organizations and companies, who had no previous history of giving (many of them are listed on the right-hand side of this blog). Their generosity has helped fill the financial gap created by expiring or unfufilled pledges. We've also witnessed an increase in our group rentals and several of our summer camp weeks still sell out and have waiting lists.

The future looks very bright for Anokijig, but not without your continued support. If you are able to renew a pledge or make a tax-deductible donation, please do so- https://www.anokijig.com/pledge.htm Even if you cannot share treasure with us, we still value you your time and talent. If you can volunteer at Anokijig or one of our off-site events, let us know- http://www.anokijig.com/volunteer.htm

Lastly, if you haven't been to Anokijig in a while, please come back and visit us. We'd love to catch up with you, show you how much Anokijig has changed and how much has stayed just the way you remembered it, whether you're 30 years old or a camper from the 1930s.

Little Elkhart- What a Great Little Lake!

We've all heard by now about Anokijig's Little Elkhart Lake being rated one of Wisconsin's best lakes- http://anokijig.blogspot.com/2009/10/anokijigs-little-elkhart-lake-named-one.html

What we don't often talk about is how Little Elkhart Lake is one of the world's best lakes for camping. Unlike the previous rating, this one isn't done by an impartial judge, but we have visited other camps and we know a good body of water when we see one.

Little Elkhart is about 60 acres in size and while that may not seem very big, it's nearly the size of an ocean in the minds of some of our campers. Little Elkhart also has a great shape to it, with lots of little nooks and crannies for fishing and several distinct bays. It's also one of those rare inland lakes that has an island (Optimist Island) and we own it! This unique shape also limits personal watercraft traffic and promotes camper safety, because there's only a small area of the lake that is further than 150 feet from shoreline. It's big enough for campers to go out in a boat and feel like they've gone on an adventure, but not so big, that we can't keep a good eye on them at all times.

While Little Elkhart has areas where the water can get as deep as 30 feet or so, most of the lake water is only about four to eight feet deep. That means it warms up quickly in the summer time, while other larger lakes take longer to get comfortable for swimming. Our beach is also the best spot for enjoying the lake, because the sun sets on the far side of the lake, keeping our campers comfortably warm well into the late afternoon hours.

The surrounding lakes around Little Elkhart also make our lake ideal for a summer camp. Elkhart Lake and Crystal Lake are both just a few minutes away and both lakes are much larger. That's great news for us, because that means most of the pleasure boaters will choose those lakes before they come to ours and that keeps our lake traffic to a minimum. Some camps are on lakes so big, they have to restrict the movement of their campers on the water, due to safety concerns. That's not an issue for us on Little Elkhart.

Even if a pleasure boater decides to come to Little Elkhart, when we let 50 campers loose in canoes, kayaks, rowboats, sailboats, sailboards and paddleboats, we pretty much decide what activites take place on the lake. Locals know this and as a result, when boats do come to Little Elkhart, they are usually just fishermen, looking for a quiet place to drop a line and catch a few largemouth bass.

Just having a lake is an important feature for a summer camp and we're fortunate to have such a great one, especially given the fact that some camps can only offer a swimming pool. One of the most important life skills a child can acquire on a visit to Anokijig is a level of comfort and confidence in water. It still surprises us to meet kids every summer who have never swam in non-chlorinated water! To those children, a freshwater lake can be a very intimidating environment.

Even though our lake is exceptionally-clean and crystal-clear, some children have a fear of the unknown and they are concerned about what lurks beneath the surface. That fear can turn a competent pool swimmer into a panic-stricken young child, but it often disappears when they see dozens of other children having the time of their lives in Little Elkhart.

Every camper that comes to Anokijig is given a swim test and those that cannot swim are given free lessons. By the end of the week, most of these campers can swim and the few who cannot are at least much more comfortable in the water, which is also important. We can't emphasize enough the importance of children getting comfortable in the water, because this could someday save their lives! We teach a lot of great life lessons and skills at Anokijig, but one that can actually save a life is hard to trump!

Did You Know Camp Anokijig has a YouTube Channel?

Did you know Camp Anokijig has it's own YouTube channel?  Anokijig's YouTube channel has several of the great videos you may have seen on various sites, all in one place.  We'll also be adding videos throughout the year.  If you have a favorite Anokijig video on YouTube, let us know, so we can include it in our favorites.  To visit our YouTube channel, just follow this link

0-100 In Less Than 24 Hours!

Camp Anokijig's Facebook fan page hasn't even been up 24 hours and already we have more than 100 fans!  That's a pretty incredible number and we appreciate everyone's support.  If you haven't become a fan of Anokijig on Facebook yet, you can do so, by visiting this link- http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Camp-Anokijig/112799212069046

Success!

Camp Anokijig would like to extend a big RIC TIC to all our wonderful staff and volunteers, who were able to help out with the Racine Founders' Rotary Club Las Vegas Night Fundraiser. You can read the Racine Journal Times article on the event at this link-

http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/article_a16a6f44-1932-11df-a86b-001cc4c03286.html

Vegas Night To Benefit Anokijig This Weekend!

It's that time of year again! The Racine Founders Rotary Club is holding their annual Vegas Night event on Saturday, February 13th from 7-10PM at Festival Hall in downtown Racine.

Some of the proceeds from this event will help Camp Anokijig, so if you can attend, we encourage you to do so. Table games include black jack, craps roulette and the money wheel. There will also be a Texas Hold 'Em tournament.

Admission is just five dollars and includes a chance to win several hundred dollars or a trip to Las Vegas! There may also be a special appearance by The King himself!-



Anokijig will be providing volunteers for this event, so if you'd like to help, it's not too late to call Mary Krahn at 920-893-0782. We hope to see you there!

Thank You Johnson Controls!

Did you know Camp Anokijig benefits from over 50,000 volunteer hours each year? That staggering number happens for several reasons. We have an outstanding core group of adult volunteers, who seem to spend nearly every free moment they have at Anokijig. We also have a fantastic group of junior staff, many of whom volunteer countless weekends at Anokijig in the Spring and Fall months.

Another group of people that help us tremendously are companies and service organizations, who organize work days at Anokijig. Today, ten employees and executives from Johnson Controls and their Optima Batteries Division spent the day doing various work projects at Anokijig.


The weather didn't look good in the morning, but this group showed up early, worked hard and stayed late. Our staff is used to the rigors of working at Anokijig and they don't impress easily, but they were surprised at the effort put forth by the folks from JCI.

This was Johnson Control's first work day at Anokijig and sometimes we schedule easier tasks for first-time groups, but that wasn't the case today. In the morning, half the group cleaned saddles down at the corral, while the other group split logs down by the supply shed.


After lunch, the group enjoyed a tour around Little Elkhart on the Allegheney, before returning to work. The first order of business was upgrading all of the batteries in our fleet of vehicles to Optimas.


As that task finished up, one group headed out to tear out old fence line, while the other made much-needed repairs to our horse shelters. We also had folks doing filing for us in the office, which will make Carol very happy when she returns from her vacation next week.


Volunteer work like this is the lifeblood of Anokijig and its what keeps us accessible and affordable for so many children and families. Thank you Johnson Controls and Optima Batteries for all your hard work and generosity!

Summer is Almost Over!

Greetings from Anokijig
We’re deep into summer camp 2009 and everyone is having a great time with the first days of session 8. The weather is wonderful the lake is perfect, and Western Day is coming up tomorrow. We’ve already competed 7 wonderful weeks with thousands of campers getting the chance to experience the wonder that is Anokijig. With one more session yet to begin this upcoming Sunday we wanted to send this note to let you know that if you know of a camper or are a camper that would still like to have a great experience at camp; session 9 has just a few openings left. This is your last chance to get in on the fun for 2009.
We’ve made it incredibly easy to get yourself a spot for next week; choose your method:
· Easy online registration at https://www.anokijig.com/2009%20web%20registration%20form.htm
· Download a printable form for fax at http://www.anokijig.com/2009registration%20form%20updated.pdf
· Or call our office direct at 1-800-741-6931 (920-893-0782) and we’ll gladly have a real live person ready to help you.
· All of the camp forms that you’ll need are available for download at http://www.anokijig.com/forms.htm.
· All late fees are waived and as always we’ll do everything we can to make sure your registration process is as easy as possible.
For details on all of our programs offerings and happenings see www.anokijig.com.
So pass the word, during Session 9 Anokijig has in store:
· A great canoe fishing trip to the Sylvania Wilderness
· Reality day (all sorts of great “survivor type” events)
· 50 horses to ride
· Tons of Sailboats and Windsurfs to sail
· Ukulele band
· Woodworking
· Crafts
· Trail crafts
· Fishing
· Nature
· Drama
· Dance
· Land games
· Field riots
· Archery
· Pellet gun
· Aquatics
· Campfires
· Talent show
· Day trips to Noahs Ark waterpark, paintball, rock climbing, and golf,
· Beach Party
· The last camp dance of 2009!
· and much much more.
If you are one of the many that have already secured your place in session 9; We can’t wait to see you! Also remember if you recruit a new friend to come to camp you get a discount, recruit 5 new friends and your week is FREE.
If you’re not signed up, don’t miss your chance for another week of Outrageous fun, New friends, Old friends, and Incredible experiences at Camp Anokijig!
See you soon!
Take Care,
Darin Holden
Program Director
Camp Anokijig
www.anokijig.com
"Anokijig Changes Lives"

Camp Anokijig Score a Perfect 100 on ACA Inspection!

The American Camp Association (ACA) is a community of camp professionals who, for nearly 100 years, have joined together to share their collective knowledge and experience to ensure the quality of camp programs. Part of this quality assurance is an accreditation program, which requires that accredited camps meet more than 300 standards for health, safety and program quality. This is a very rigorous and thorough process that each accredited camp must go through every three years.

While accredited camps must score at least an "80" on their inspections, we're happy to report that Camp Anokijig score a perfect "100" on our 2009 inspection. This is important news for parents, because the ACA inspection covers some very important policies, including those regarding staff screening and criminal background checks for all staff who will have responsibility for or access to campers.

The ACA also checks for written documentation that every lifeguard has demonstrated skill in rescue and emergency procedures specific to the aquatic area and activities guarded. These are all mandatory standards that have been missed by dozens of camps every year. In fact, the most commonly-missed standard in the past two years is the one requiring all resident campers and seasonal staff members to have a doctor-signed health exam within the last 24 months. 146 camps missed this standard in 2008 and 109 missed it in 2007.

This is a particularly important standard, given the current concerns surrounding the H1N1 virus and one that Camp Anokijig takes very seriously. While some summer camps have elected to cancel sessions in 2009 as a precautionary measure, we would like to remind parents that those camps primarly cater to children who already have compromised immune systems. Camp Anokijig's continued efforts to adhere to strict ACA health and safety standards helps us ensure the safest and most enjoyable experience for all of our campers.