Today, our staff worked on growing as a team on the low ropes course.
The flowers are blooming, the days are warming up, and Camp Hantesa is eagerly awaiting the return of summer campers! See how things are looking here at camp!
A bird’s nest on the bridge near Pow Wow. The bird hatched a few hours after this photo!
A horse science lesson at the barn.
We’ve been rebuilding the Apprentice Lodge!
The ropes course passed our annual inspection and is in full operation, ready for summer.
More horse lessons at the barn.
Miss Sadie enjoys laying amongst the dandelions that have popped up.
We are in the process of completely renovating the shower house!
Hantesa turned into a winter wonderland a while back. The staff took a break from the office and enjoyed sledding, snow ball fights, and snowman building!
Sledding with Sadie
Building our Snowman
Remains of the old Apprentice lodge still stand. This summer, a brand new apprentice lodge will be ready for our newest leadership program participants! Check back for more updates!
On warm summer nights, resident campers hike up Magic Hill at dusk. We may read stories, sing songs, and take a deep breath as we look out over Hantesa, our second home. At Magic Hill, we also meet the Good Fairy, the ever-present fairy who watches over all of us here at Hantesa and works to make wishes come true.
As we each sit with a candle in front of us, and the sun sets, we make a wish to the Good Fairy and celebrate the beginning of a new week at camp.
Message of the Good Fairy
I spring from the spray on the tip of the crest
Of the billows from out of the blue,
I am bringing a message that says you are blest
By the love that your friends bear for you.
If my arms were as long as the wings of the wind
And I’d stretch them wide away,
I never could hold all the blessings I’m told
Your friends are wishing today.
As long as I stand with this smile on my face
And my arms outstretched so high,
If you’ll think of the friend that sent me to you,
You can never be blue if you try.
-L. Robinson
For more interesting facts about the Good Fairy, check out this article!
January is National Mentor month, a time to celebrate and encourage the positive relationships that are critical to the development of children and youth – the positive relationships that are developed and encouraged each year at camp. The idea of a mentor is an ancient one. In Greek mythology, when Odysseus, King of Ithaca, went to battle in the Trojan War, he placed his friend, Mentor, in charge of his son and his kingdom. Today, Mentor has become synonymous with someone who imparts wisdom to and shares knowledge with a less experienced person. Mentoring relationships are special and often life-changing. The camp experience is uniquely designed to foster these relationships.
International staff at Camp Hantesa are both mentors and inspirations for our campers
When counselors and camp staff engage with campers, they are not just teaching – they are using the core elements of positive mentoring relationships.
Camp counselors share and teach through stories and anecdotes. They impart wisdom from their own successes and failures, and offer the insight that comes from experience. Camp counselors model appropriate behaviors. They show campers how to play fairly, show empathy, and win and lose gracefully.
Camp counselors guide campers through the learning landscape of life. They teach the things that cannot be taught in school – how to live with others, how to build friendships, how to lead, and how to work as a team.
Mr. Sarge is a coach and mentor for our campers. Every day, counselors support and mentor our campers
Camp counselors support campers emotionally. They offer reassurance when situations become difficult or overwhelming.
Counselors are there to not only lend a hand but to help campers work through difficult moments and feel the sense of accomplishment that comes from conquering obstacles. These relationships aren’t just a nice addition to childhood and young adult development – kids need them. They need nurturing mentors – people outside of their family that take an interest in who they are, root for their successes, and help them learn that failures are critical stepping stones on the path of success.
Each year for millions of children and youth, those relationships are developed at camp.
**This article was shared by the American Camp Association. All photos are those of Camp Hantesa.
Many Hantesa campers joined in on our winter resident camp. These girls and boys had the ultimate camp experience as they spent 4 days and 3 nights at Hantesa. Swimming, bowling, hiking, and crafting rounded out their experience. It was a great 4 days with these campers. We can’t wait to see them back at Hantesa for our Summer Resident Camps!
On Friday evening, we headed to the bowling alley for strikes, pizza, and lots of giggles!
Some of our boys at the bowling alley
We made foil packs during a camp fire cookout. However, since the weather was so blustery, we cooked our foil packs inside over the fire.
We learned how to do copper enameling!
Copper ready to go into the kiln for the enameling process.
One of our campers turned 12 during resident camp. Happy Birthday!!!
Camp Hantesa is constantly on the move to improve the facilities and areas that campers use most. Right now, the entire Pow Wow building is getting new siding and windows installed. This will update the building and help us be more efficient with our energy. Come see the new look this winter during our winter camps!
Campers from Des Moines came to our SDO on Thursday to learn camp craft skills. Campers went to a campsite with a counselor. During the morning, they learned to pith a tent, build a fire (even with wet wood!) and tie knots. Lunch was delicious: foil packs cooked over the fire and marshmallows to round out the meal!
In the afternoon, campers put their skills to the test in an epic relay race. We also got to celebrate a birthday!
Learning to put a tent together
Team Huddle
The Hantesa Dragon team warms up before competition
Army Crawling During the Relay Race
Happy Birthday!! There's no better way than to celebrate at Hantesa!
