Though the quality will improve in the next few days, 

    the 1st edition of the online GWC Memories Video is available via the link                                                                    below.  

        

Snow melting at slip 85 on the Seagull River can only mean one thing, peace and quiet for our river neighbors is coming to a close.  

2009 Date Information Sheet

2009 Health History Form (form 1)

2009 Medical Reference Form (form 2)
2009 Daily Medication Sheet

        

As you can imagine, our location is not much for field or team sports.  Some ultimate frisbee or pavement soccer at the Trail's End parking lot has always been a great way to burn off some energy, but there is a new team-sport that is quickly gaining popularity and we have the PERFECT location for it.

Canoe Polo is now a part of the world games and has recently gained the attention of the International Olympic Committee.  Just type it into Google, you will see how much fun this simple game can be.  One of our alums Elizabeth Kaplan plays at a local pool in Omaha, Nebraska and thought this would be a great game to play across the Seagull River, I agree.
                                                                  
With two floating goals suspended in the air, teams must dribble the ball (throw ahead and paddle up to it) and pass it to other teammates before attempting to loft a shot past the goalie (who defends the goal with his paddle).  Keep an eye out for the other team though, players are allowed to rock your boat while you have possession of the ball.                                                             
              
This is a great game for kids of all ages.  By using canoes and kayaks, younger campers will be able to participate as the middle or bow passenger of a canoe to dribble, shoot and rock opposing boats, while the older stronger campers will battle in our kayaks. 

Having watched and participated in many o' canoe wars on the Seagull River, I foresee some equally messy canoe polo games.  Maybe we will even get an adult game going over alumni weekend (Labor Day 2009).
                        

        

If you have ever stayed at camp or just paddled by, down the Seagull River, then you have passed what started as a little outfitter called Voyageur Canoe Outfitter.  When I was camper at GWC I remember paddling over to Voyageur's, affectionately called D&O's after the then owners Don and Opal.  We would select a candy bar and pop (soda for the non-Minnesotans) and then return to camp for some intense canoe wars.

Don sold the outfitter biz to Mike and Sue Prom in 1993.  The Proms have since taken the small and simple "resort" and developed it into a very popular canoe outfitter at the end of the Gunflint Trail.  Recently, on a Minneapolis TV station Jason Davis featured life on the Gunflint Trail.  Part of his visit focuses on the Proms and Voyageur Canoe Outfitter.  Voyageurs and the Proms have always been very good to our camp and it was really nice to see them get some well deserved public attention.

                                                            See the Proms and Voyageur Canoe Outfitter

        

                  

Get out the calendar (or blackberry) and get ready to pencil in some GWC/BWB time with campers, alumni, staff and directors.  On the dates and times listed below the whole Birchwood crew will be traveling around to meet with camp families new and old.  For the new families it will be a great chance to ask questions, talk to the directors and get a good feeling for what our camp is all about.

For all you alumni and campers, we will meet to watch this year's memories video (15min) and talk camp memories until they kick us out.  If you were a camper last summer and you go to the reunion stop in your town, you will leave with your own copy of the memories dvd and slideshow.  Don't worry if we are not stopping in a town close enough for you to see us, we will send you a copy of the dvd.

P.S.  If you bring a friend interested in camp to the show for new campers (usually at 1pm), you will get a popular Gunflint Trail blanket. 

January 25:     Mexico City, Mexico.  New Families and Campers @ 1pm, Current Campers and Alumni @ 2pm

February 1:      St. Louis, MO.  New Families and Campers @ 1pm, Current Campers and Alumni @ 2pm

February 8:      Chicago, IL.  New Families and Campers @ 1pm, Current Campers and Alumni @ 2pm

February 22:    Kansas City, KS.  New Families and Campers @ 1pm, Current Campers and Alumni @ 2pm

March 1:           Minneapolis, MN.  New Families and Campers @ 1pm, Current Campers and Alumni @ 2pm

March 2:           Des Moines, IA.  Evening, times TBD

March 3:            Lincoln, NE.  Evening, times TBD

March 5:            Aspen, CO.  Evening, times TBD

March 6:            Vail, CO.  Evening, times TBD

March 9:            Denver, CO.  Evening, times TBD

        

Over his holiday break from teaching in Jacksonville, Florida, former counselor "Goose" spent a week at camp.  Between stoking the fire to keep the Gunflint House (big house) warm, snow-shoeing to the back lake and cutting giant holes in the ice Goose and his friends managed to fire up the trusty ole sauna.  Despite the freezing temps, the group took full advantage of the holes they had cut in the ice and had themselves a very cold wilderness bath.  So, next time you are running from the sauna to the water and you are saying to yourself "it's cold, it's cold, oh it's so cold" just remember the picture below as you leap from the camp dock into the nice "warm" water. 

(the light you see is coming from the camp dock, because the ice does not shift we leave it in over the winter)

        

We are getting the bus ready for our first ever Reunion/Alumni Tour stop in Mexico City.  We will be there Friday, January 23 through Monday the 26th.  On Saturday we will gather with any alumni and campers in the area to watch both the girls and boys summer of 2008 memories video.

Remember, if you bring a friend interested in going to camp to the reunion you will receive your very own Gunflint Trail blanket.  If you would like more information as to time and place, email the camp office at info@birchwoodforboys or info@campbirchwood.com

Esperamos verle en la feria.

        

As we were doing some cleaning in our office storage room yesterday, we stumbled across a folder of old photos.  It sparked some old memories and funny stories.  We had some good laughs.  Here are a few to get you started.  I hope they spark some good memories and funny stories for you as well.

        

Here is a puzzle pic of our guys ready to hop on the gondola and head to the next peak for some hiking.  You can actually see the trail the gondola takes all the way to the peak behind the group.

Click OK to start the Puzzle and put the group back together.



Free Photo Puzzle Maker

        

       

Every year the size of our alumni base grows.  One of the best parts of being a camp director is watching what these alumni go on to do with their lives after camp, but, as you all move around throughout the world we sometimes lose touch.

I have gathered a list of everyone who is listed in our database as inactive, meaning we don't have your current address.  It also means you are not receiving our news, updates and announcements.  For example, we are currently planning a number of reunions throughout the US, Mexico and Canada after the New Year.  We will be sending out invites as those dates are set to everyone who has a current address listed with us.

SO, click on the link below "THE LIST" and look for your name.  If you find your name, either send us an email with your current info at info@birchwoodforboys or call the camp office at 800.451.5270.


                                                                                        THE LIST

        

Hit OK to start the puzzle.
It may be easy now but check back soon, it gets tougher.

        

While we continue working on the new beefy brochure for our boys camp, we put together a little something to pass out in the meantime.  You should be able to click on each file and look at it or right click and choose the save-as option to save it to your computer.  Feel free to print it and pass it on to your friends.

Temporary BWB Brochure
Temporary BWB Brochure pg 2
Rates and Dates card

Also, if any of you campers or alumni have any podcasts or blog entries you would like to post here on the blog, just send them to info@birchwoodforboys.com or dan@birchwoodforboys.com and we will get them up quickly.

        

Download | Duration: 00:00:00

        

A lot of you have probably received the recent announcement from Terry and Rachel Bredemus.  If you didn't, then email the camp office at info@birchwoodforboys.com with your updated address so you can stay in the know.  The announcement has created a lot of excitement and people are already starting to enroll.

For all of those who register before October 15, we are going to enter your name in a drawing and Nancy Bredemus, the executive director of both camps, will choose one entry from the boys camp and one from the girls camp.  If your name is chosen, you will then receive the session you signed up for FREE!

If you just can't get things together by October 15, its ok, you then have until November 1st to register for your session and receive a free "Gunflint Experience 2009" long-sleeve t-shirt.  But remember, October 15 is when we open up enrollment to all new campers and families. 

In the past our Gunflint campers/families have been able to wait until March or April to sign up for the sessions they want.  This year will be different because Dan will be devoting his full attention and time to making sure that the word gets out about the great little adventure camp located at the end of the Gunflint Trail.  We anticipate spots will fill quickly because of Camp's size.

If you have any questions call the camp office at 800.451.5270 or if you want to register go to the camp website at www.birchwoodforboys.com and click the "summer info & enrollment form" tab to assure your spot.  

Until the next post,

The Camp Birchwood Directors 

        

The news is true.  I know change is often uncomfortable, but this change is small.  No we are not becoming more like the girls camp and no we are not moving away from our wilderness philosophies.  The Gunflint Experience that so many people remember is not going anywhere.

Way back when my Grandfather Jim Bredemus set out to start an adventure camp at the end of the Gunflint Trail, he called it Camp Birchwood.  The name has since changed from Camp Birchwood to Gunflint Wilderness School and then to Gunflint Wilderness Camp.  After much discussion and input from many, we have decided to go back to the original title and once again operate both of our camps under one name:  Camp Birchwood (for girls) and (for boys). 

I know this change may seem huge right now, but there was also resistance to change when we decided to build cabins instead of living in tents atop wooden platforms.  Then there was the decision to put in running water and a commercial kitchen.  But, there was no bigger change than when we put in a shower-house with hot showers and flushable toilets...and yet the wilderness experience remained intact.

Now is a good time to reflect and leave a comment telling of the memorable experiences you had at the little adventure camp at the end of the Gunflint Trail.  No matter what camp was called at the time Birchwood, School or Camp the "Gunflint Experience" was there then as it will be this coming summer and the many future summers.  

Haggie Bah Bah to all Amis du bois

Daniel Bredemus
Director