Category: Camp News

Hi everyone,

My name is Tiny McPhillips.   That’s me with my camp friend of old, Holly, at one of camp’s Service Weekend events.  (I’m the “huggy” one on the right!)

When I was 8 years old my mother shipped me off to Nakanawa for 8 weeks! I had been begging to go since I was 4! You see, my mother and all of my sisters had been Nakanawa campers, so, naturally, I thought being a “Nakanawa Girl” was the greatest thing in the world! That was back in 1965, and I will be approaching my 37th summer at camp. You may wonder what kept me coming back all these years, and all I can say is that Nakanawa has become my home in many ways. Even with a husband and 4 children, I have continually felt the “pull” of the “Spirit of Nakanawa” every summer!

Now that my children are grown, and I have grandchildren of my own, I am blessed to continue to enjoy the presence of children in my life. During the year, as an assistant teacher, and in the summer, with the Junior campers. These days, with our “plugged-in” lifestyles of electronics and cell phones, Ipods, computers, etc.,it is very rewarding to witness the “unplugging” of the girls as they get settled in at Nakanawa. They are free to be little girls again- to be silly and play and enjoy nature and friendships that they will cherish for a lifetime, as I have.

As far as advice goes-people that know me will testify that I am “full of it” where camp is concerned! So here goes-

CABIN LIFE

Do you want a happy, congenial, caring, and thoughtful cabin? Do you want to love being in your cabin and hanging out with your bunkies?

Well, let me share the wisdom of one of my mentors, Casey Fisher, from my 1^st year as a cabin counselor. She told us that our first week needed to be spent earning the girls’ respect and obedience. Make sure they know who is in charge at cabin clean-up time, rest hour, and bedtime. Once you establish a consistent routine, THEN you can show them your “softer” side! I promise you, this is the best way to manage your bunkies-I guarantee this approach will work and free you to have a fabulous summer full of magical moments with your bunkies, instead of maddening moments arguing about what is expected of them!!

Another trick to cabin cleanliness is to straighten up at night before they go to bed. This is a great way to keep up with everything and not be so overwhelmed every morning. Who wants to wake up to a mess every day? Then after lunch, right before rest hour, have another short straightening up time. Cleaning in small intervals helps!!!

Keep in mind though, that all of this takes TIME-time spent IN THE CABIN…not in the Counselor’s Bunk (CB). The old saying, “you only get out of something what you put into it” applies especially to being a cabin counselor.

These little girls will love you immediately-give them your time and attention and you will make lasting relationships. Also, please know that the non-cabin counselors are there for anything you need-call on us! We are (or try to be) a wealth of information, patience, and experience!

Another point to bring up is our unity as a staff concerning cabin life. The campers need to know that we are all dedicated to giving them the best summer of their lives. Their parents are paying mega bucks to send them to camp-it is our job and our responsibility to make sure that their daughter is given enough attention, is well cared for, and is happy. I overheard a group of parents commenting about the condition of the cabin when they visited Nakanawa. One said the cabin looked like a bomb had gone off!!! One said that her daughter had lost many articles of clothing and no wonder when she saw how chaotic and messy the cabin was! It left these families with a bad impression of camp, and of the counselor. Moms and dads really want their daughters to learn cleanliness and personal responsibility at camp, and the condition of the cabin is a true indicator of how well their counselor has done in this area!

Your success as a counselor corresponds totally with the happiness of your bunkies. If your campers are well cared for and attended to, you will have done the job you have been hired to do!!

This is an awesome responsibility! I can’t wait to meet each of you, and congratulations on landing the best summer job ever! Please feel free to ask for my help anytime!

Sincerely,

Tiny

Every so often, a grandmother comes up to us and says the most amazing thing:  “Camp is just the same as when I was a young girl.  It hasn’t changed a bit.”  In this hustle bustle world, that isexactly the phrase that we cherish the most.  The values, the spirit, the emotion of camp linger and continue through the years.

We thought it would be nice, in this 90th decade of Nakanawa, to give you a little snippet of Nakanawa and its traditions.  Most of this is taken from the book, Nakanawa, The First Fifty Years by Margaret Hawkins Matens.  (You may purchase this item at camp.  The campers love to hear the stories of old, directly from this book.)

Let me tell you a bit about my friend, Pepe…..
by Shelly Duer Landau

As you probably know by know, Ann and Pepe are directors of Camp Nakanawa and have been for the past 39 years. We all understand how Ann found her way to Nakanawa…… First of all she’s of the female persuasion and secondly, she is Mitch’s niece. But Pepe found his way to Nakanawa via his “bride,” Ann.

Ann and Pepe were 29 years old when they became Nakanawa’s third directors. Pepe had already had a successful career in the poultry industry, working closely with his father in their family business in Georgia. When the call came to run a camp for girls, Pepe said he felt just that….. a calling.

And I can see that same “calling” today. As counselors, we are so busy teaching and taking care of our bunkies, that many times we do not see all of the behind-the-scenes work that Pepe does. I have seen a typical day in the life of Pepe Perron, and it is a long, full, busy day, for sure.

Pepe is the first to rise at camp, visiting the two camp dining halls, making sure all is set to go for the day, meeting the IWC truck, unloading the truck, all before our wake-up bell rings. He is usually at one of the camp flag raisings. What he loves most is to interact with the campers. How many times have I seen Pepe talking with a young junior camper before breakfast? They will be sitting together on the bleachers. Pepe will be asking the young camper how things are going. The little camper will be talking Pepe’s ear off about her favorite activity.

And speaking of activities, you will see both Ann and Pepe pop in to various classes. It may look random, but rest assured, they are checking in on a camper who may be homesick, who has some issues going on in her home life, or just may want to check in or a camper in order to give some feedback to a concerned parent.

Pepe makes his day look easy…..but it’s not. He is responsible for the entire physical plant at Nakanawa. That’s over 100 structures, with grounds larger than many state parks. Got a wasp nest? Call Pepe. An issue with any of the facilities? Call Pepe. An injured camper? Yes, that’s Ann and Pepe, too.

One of Pepe’s best roles is the leader of at Council Ring. Once a week, we gather by the council fire in the woods to celebrate the week’s activities and accomplishments. Pepe presides over the council, smiling at the campers, cheering on the challenges and congratulating all who receive their posture ribbons. After every council ring, Pepe will smile and say…..”It’s been a really good week.”

So whenever you see Pepe out and about camp, walk over and say hi. He loves to talk with all of us (campers and counselors) about our day, our activities, and (of course) our love of camp.

See you soon!
Shelly

Please read through the following list of committees and email your Head Counselor with your top three choices.  If you would be interested in being the “Head” of a committee, please indicate in the email.

Two Week & Four Week Junior Camp
Email Cindy DuBose at cdubos@neisd.net with your committee choices.

Two Week & Four Week Intermediate and Senior Camp.
Email Karen Rathgeber Hale at karen.campnak@gmail.com with your committee choices.

Counselor Committees:

Evening Entertainment – Plan all camp nightly activities such as skits, talent show, games, etc.

Sunday Afternoon Event – This group plans a fun, active, “station-to-station” type afternoon event, lasting about 3 hours.  It takes a lot of planning, attention to detail, and a spirit of fun.

Newsletter – Usually takes time (daily) to write down the day’s activities. Then it takes at least one hour Friday, Saturday and Sunday to write and complete.  You will be in a group that takes turn writing the weekly camp newsletter.  Karen will take your newsletter and upload to “Emma” our email engine. So no one is really in charge… We just take turns, week-by-week, doing a newsletter.

Photography – Big Job, but manageable with your schedule. Pictures on the Nakanawa web site are the life-line for parents.  On this committee, you will share in the responsibility of taking pictures at various events (classes, meets, evening entertainment, free day events) so that they can be uploaded to the web site.

Council Ring Coordinator  – (Intermediate and Senior 2 and 4 week sessions only).  You would be in charge of the entire Council Ring evening, making certain all individual jobs and recognitions are complete.

Council Ring Challenges – This group selects and lead the challenges once a week at Council Ring.  Challenges are little competitions among the council ring “tribes” (or campers.)

Council Ring Legend – The legend is a story (usually told from a Native American view) which is acted out by campers.  Your committee helps choose or write the legend, direct the story (campers), assist them with set up and performance once a week at Council Ring.

Fire building – You will build at least one fire a week (at Council Ring), but there are other (sometimes random) times you will be called upon to build fires: overnights, vespers, etc.

Sort and Hand Out Mail – BIG JOB! Just like it sounds…. you sort and hand out the mail.  If you are a 4 Week Senior counselor, do not choose this.  It’s just for Junior camp counselors and the 2 Week Intermediate counselors.

Outgoing Mail and Laundry – No you’re not doing the laundry, but rather handing out the laundry slips to cabins, making sure they put their bags on the proper pick up areas, and then organizing the laundry packages when they return from the laundry service.

Flag Raising and Lowering – You work with a different cabin each day, teaching and helping them with flag raising and lowering.

Commissary – Each day, the commissary is open after rest hour (and other times perhaps).  You sell stamps or items, or hand out apples or snacks.

Milk Break / Apple Break – Every day you help serve a morning snack. Yum!

Free Day – One day a week, we do something other than have classes.  But it’s not “free.”  This committee is responsible for organizing and implementing the activities of the day, from hikes to friendship bracelets to special activities.

Overnights – This committee organizes the overnights, making certain every detail is planned and implemented from food, water, devotion plans, fire building, etc. You also help generate excitement and enthusiasm among the other counselors and campers.

Sr. Camp Trips Coordinator – Senior 4 Week Session only. This is a BIG JOB.  You plan and implement the 5 different trips taken by Intermediate and Senior campers. Bring your best patience and organizational skills to this task.

Oversee Patrol and CB Clean Up  Every night, from lights-out until midnight, two counselors serve on patrol.  They make sure that the cabin area is quiet, and they are the go-to counselors in case campers have a problem while their counselors are out of the cabin, hanging out in the CB.  These same two counselors will also be responsible for cleaning/tidying the CB that same day.  Sort of a two-for-one deal.  The Patrol and CB Clean Up Committee will make up the schedule, make sure the tasks are complete, and fill in if need be.

Counselor  Church  This committee plans the one counselor church that takes place during the 4 week camp session (Sunday #3).  (So do not sign up for this if you are only doing the 2-Week session).

Counselor Vespers – (Not for 4 Week Senior session)  Vespers quiet reflective time spent down by the lake, Sunday evenings around dusk.  This committee will organize the vesper service.  It’s always a special Nakanawa tradition.

Inspection – BIG JOB!   This committee will inspect the cabins daily, evaluating each cabin based upon tidiness and cleanliness.  You will have allocated time to complete this task.

Lost and Found – This committee not only helps gather all lost and found items, but organizes it in the lost and found bin, then makes sure it gets back to its rightful owner as soon as possible.  It is best to do this on-going. The committee is also responsible for helping out with this task at the end of both camp sessions.

Posture  Yes… you would be “the posture bird!” Since 1920, Nakanawa girls have been proud of their good posture.  And  we recognize those campers once a week if they are sitting ups straight and tall.  It takes a committee to catch them sitting up tall.  If you teach a class such as glee club, arts & crafts, even canoeing, you may  be able to spot them in your class time.  Otherwise, you would take notes of campers’ names who have good posture, and present their names at Council Ring each week.

Event set-up
This is one of those behind-the-scenes jobs that is so important, happening in stealth, unnoticed way.  This committee is responsible for setting up the Wigwam or Council house for events such as team drawings, church, even some Evening Entertainments if called upon.

4th of July Event – Do not sign up for this if you are in the 2 Week Session only.  The afternoon of the 4th of July is a fun, action-packed afternoon filled with games and activities.  You and your committee will plan the events, organize and lead them.  (Oh, as well as clean up any messes, too.)

Circus – BIG JOB!  Though this is a Senior 4 Week committee.  The planning actually begins during the Intermediate 2 Week session. So sign up if you want a big planning (and fun) job, and will be on the Int/Sr side of the  lake for both sessions.  It’s a 3-ring-circus!

Slideshow Coordinator – Sr 4 Week – Member of TR’19.  If you are a member of TR19, and you are in the 4 Week Senior session, you could sign up to be a part of this committee.  It is a BIG JOB, and one that takes many weeks to pull together.

Cindy Alexander DuBose (TR’86) will be returning for her sixth summer as the Head Counselor for Junior Camp. This year she will be joining us for both the TWO WEEK and the FOUR WEEK SESSION!   Cindy has been a counselor and a camper at Camp Nakanawa since the 1980′s. Cindy coached tennis for 15 years and is the Academic Dean for Social Studies at Johnson High School in San Antonio, Texas.  Cindy’s fantastic experiences and memories from camp have inspired her to bring fun, friendship and love of camping to the young ladies of Nakanawa.  She is organized, well-prepared and always ready to listen to campers and counselors. Cindy is likely to be in the middle of fun, whether leading a hike or a late-night prank (following camp rules of course). Cindy and her husband David live in San Antonio, Texas with their handsome dog, “Buster.”

Bullying is when one or more people exclude, tease, taunt, gossip, hit, kick or put down another person with the intent to hurt another.  Bullying happens when a person or group of people want to have power over another and use their power to get their way, at the expense of someone else.  Bullying can also happen through cyberspace: through the use of e-mails, text messages, instant messaging, and other less direct methods.  This type of bullying can also lead to persons being hurt during or after the camp seasons and be especially hurtful when persons are targeted with meanness and exclusion.

At Camp Nakanawa, bullying is inexcusable, and we have a firm policy against all types of bullying.  Our Camp philosophy, which dates back to its founding in 1920, is based upon the ideals of friendship, love, honor and truth.  At Nakanawa, we strive to ensure that all young women gain self-confidence, make new friends, and leave with cherished memories and friendships that last a lifetime.  Bullying, in all its forms, is not tolerated, and stands counter to Nakanawa’s fundamental goals.

At Nakanawa, we address all incidents of bullying seriously and train our counselor staff to alert us of any problems related to bullying.  Every person has the right to expect to have the best possible experience at camp, and by working together to identify and manage bullying, we can help ensure that all campers and staff have a great summer at Camp Nakanawa.

Fondly,

Ann & Pepe Perron
Directors

**Our camp has a published anti-bullying policy.  Parents, campers, staff and volunteers are aware of it.  Together we will prevent cruelty of any camper.  Our camp is no place for a bully.  A bully sent home will stay home:  No return to camp this summer and no refund of tuition.

Annette Hall has worked at camp for 40 years and is officially the Financial Specialist and Advisor to Camp Nakanawa!  Unofficially, there is not a job title thorough enough to describe all that she brings to camp.  Annette has a true connection with nature.  She is an avid gardener, photographer, fisherwoman and lover of animals.  On any given day, you will find her deep into the butterfly garden or around camp planting flowers, watering flowers or rescuing bunnies and birds of all shapes and sizes.

Annette is one of seven siblings who grew up in Jamestown, Tennessee which is not far from Mayland.   Annette’s husband, Mark Hall, did not live far from her family and it wasn’t long before the two caught each other’s eyes and ultimately married. They have been married for 40 years!  Mark is the minister at their church and he and Annette have devoted their lives to ministering to this community in so many ways.  Annette describes herself as a “behind the scenes” person when it comes to church but she also loves to sing and it is rumored that she is quite talented in this area!

Annette and Mark have two children — their late son, Josh, and their daughter Whitney.  The ultimate passion and piece of Annette’s heart is  her granddaughter, Lauren!  Annette adores being a grandmother to this precious child.  It goes without saying that Lauren will want for nothing with Annette around.  They are the best of buddies and get to spend a great amount of time together!

“One of the reasons that I have loved working at Nakanawa is because I sit at this desk and the world comes to me.  I have met so many people and experienced so many different things without even leaving my small community, ” Annette explained.  She had a great admiration for her grandmother who was one of 13 children and lived through the depression.  Annette said that her grandmother was a great influence in her life because she was warm and loving.  She loved life and lived it to the very fullest.

Annette has surely carried on that legacy and claims that her motto for living a good life is “Faith, Family, Friends!”  Annette embodies the Spirit of Nakanawa in every way and camp has benefited far beyond measure from all that she has given.

Due to Covid-19, there will be no visitors at Camp Nakanawa for the 2021 Camp Season.  We look forward to seeing you all again in 2022!

As many of you join us for weekend visits, and plan your visits for the final weekend of camp, we’d like to share some guidelines with you about visiting with us.Please do not drive your car into camp unless it is the opening or closing day of camp. Park in the parking areas, and check in with the counselor greeting visitors. If it is the beginning of rest hour, we will bring your daughter to you so that you may visit on the games/soccer fields.

Enjoying the lake: You are encouraged to sit by the lake and enjoy its beauty. However, only campers and camp staff may be in or on the lake. For insurance reasons, we cannot permit visitors in the water, out in boats, or even on the docks.

Rest rooms: Female visitors are welcome to use “Egypt,” the bathhouse we use during camp. Male visitors have their own facilities (known as Men’s Egypt) between the Games Field and the CB in Junior. In Senior, there is a Men’s Egypt below the dining hall, or you may use the bathroom in the Library. In addition, all visitors are welcome to use the bathroom in the Office.

Meals for visitors: Visitors are welcome to join us in the Dining Hall for supper on the last day of camp. Other seated meals in the Dining Hall are planned to accommodate only campers and camp staff. There are several local options for buying a meal nearby. Ask someone in the office for a recommendation and directions.

Other food: Campers may not eat food except that given by camp as long as they are in camp. Please restrict your consumption of foods you may have brought to times and places where you will not be seen by campers.

Cell phones: Campers may not use cell phones while they are campers. Please don’t offer your daughter your phone while visiting her at camp.

During most of camp, we ask that male visitors stay out of the cabin areas. Of course, all are welcomed to all-camp events. However, on the last day of camp, fathers and other male guests may help load luggage in the cabin area.

Campers to abide by camp rules: Please remember that your camper is expected to attend all camp activities, meals, etc., and to abide by all camp rules until she is out of camp.

Taking campers to Senior Camp: If your camper has a sister in Senior, you make take your Junior camper with you to Senior after discussing it with her counselor, and only if she will not miss a scheduled activity. Her friends will need to stay in Junior Camp.