Big Projects Around Camp

We have been really busy around here! Now that camp is done, we are getting back into the working groove. However, before I go any further, there is exciting information for you...we have two more people moving in to Camp Daniel for a one year internship! So say, "Hello" to Steve Rickerson from Chicago, IL..

...And Nick Sterry from Crivitz, WI!

Because they are moving in soon, Tony has been creating policies for the new internship program. Along with that Tony and the guys have been working on the addition of the garage. They have put siding on it...

...reconfigured the ground around it to look nicer and drain water more efficiently...

...put a fence up for the recycling area...

...and put in gravel in and around the area.

Wow! But wait, there's more! It still has to be stained! Jen started working on that.

What a big project, and it's moving along fast! Speaking of big projects, before camp started, the muffler on Tony's golf cart broke off of the engine. As a temporary fix, Tony took a small piece of metal piping and connected it from the exhaust to the engine with metal tape. It lasted for a while, but during camp, it broke off again. Marceaux has recently been working on it. He has ordered new parts so it works for a long time! Here is the new muffler next to the old one...

...What a difference!

Justin has been gone for a couple of weeks. When he got back, Papa Tony's new Mac mini computer was waiting to be set up. Papa Tony used to use a Windows computer, so Justin had to order new accounting software and convert all of his files to work on a Mac. It is finally done!

The Camp Daniel Appreciation Picnic is almost here (September 14th)! A lot of work needs to be done to the grounds before then. Tony and the guys planted forty more trees; Trish has been mowing, fertilizing, and weeding; and Jen and Molly have been weeding.

The Able Attack Special Olympics team will begin their Family Nights (practice, pizza, and bible study) again on September 10th. To kick things off, we will be having our annual picnic after practices. Jen has been very busy getting things ready to start the season.

HoneyRock Service Team

As well as the Our Lady of Hope Youth Group, the HoneyRock Service Team came up to camp to help us out! They have been coming up every summer for a while. One thing they did was re-staining the gazebo and Papa Tony and Grandma Jo's garage.

One big project that they did was sand the big Shopko trailer and take the stickers off of it. They did this so we can paint it.

Our Lady of Hope Youth Group

Camp Daniel 2013 is done, but there are only 321 days (27,734,400 seconds if you prefer) until Camp Daniel 2014! In between weeks two and three, there is a week without campers or counselors. Some call it the week off, but believe me, it's not. We were getting ready for weeks three and four. Also, during this week, Our Lady of Hope Youth Group from Chicago comes up and helps us build things around the grounds. This year they came and started to build the "backstage" in the garage (It will eventually be the dinning hall).

 This is the spot where we poured concrete right before camp started (See previous blog post).

 One group put fencing around pathways.

 One group placed capstones on the stone walls around camp.

The biggest project that this group did was laying sod around the two dorms. It took them all week!!

 Getting the ground ready by spraying it with water (Above)

 Making sure it fits nicely.

The Last Concrete Pour Before Camp

On Tuesday, we had the last concrete pour before camp. We had to get this pour in. We poured down by the garage and the youth group that comes from Chicago between weeks two and three of camp is going to build walls around what we just poured.

Waiting for the concrete truck to arrive

 Done!

We had some concrete left over so we poured a little up by the Trapline Lodge

Almost Here!

Yesterday, Papa Tony's and Grandma Jo's church came here after their church service and had a picnic. They also had a baptism here!

Camp is almost here and we are almost ready! We are going to pour more concrete on Tuesday so Marceaux has been getting the skid steer ready for that. Tony and the guys have been building concrete forms for this. Marceaux has been making sure that all of the lawn and garden tools are operational. He and Karol have also been spreading mulch around camp.

Karol has been mowing the grass and transplanting plants around camp. She has been proofreading the camp counselor manual for Molly. The other day, Karol went to two recycling centers and collected 200 soup cans that we needed for crafts. She also finished the 2013 Camp Daniel banner!

Molly cleaned out the craft cabin bathrooms, office, and the Lumberjack Lodge. Molly also did the top and bottom bunk assignments for camp. Molly, Justin, Jen, and Trish started printing, copying, cutting, organizing, and putting together the camp volunteer manual.

Jen has been getting all of the medical folders and name bracelets ready for camp. She has also been organizing the camp costumes.

Eleven Days Left

That's right! There are only eleven days left until our summer camp sessions begin, and we are almost ready! Justin finished his notes for the counselor orientation and is now working on a presentation for his mom. She is in charge of her church's VBS program. This year they are raising money for new jerseys for The Able Attack Special Olympics team! Justin is also giving a message at Able Church Friday night and preparing for that. Also on Friday, Justin is going to Green Bay to get new leg braces!

Some of you might know that Dan Shields is one of the speakers at camp this year. Well, Tony, Karol, Anthony, Justin, and Molly went up to his church in St. Germain on Saturday and Sunday to talk about Camp Daniel. Molly and Justin stayed with Molly's parents and Tony, Karol, and Anthony stayed withBill and Patty Bonack. 

Karol has been working on getting the supplies and food that we need for camp. She also made the schedule for the staff and workers for weeks one and two. Karol, Annissa, and Trish went through all of the new theme clothes and put them in the appropriate bin for camp.

Tony and Karol went through the check-in/check-out process and completely redid it. Losing camper's stuff has always been a problem. With this new process, the number of lost items will be greatly reduced. Tony has also been working on camper/counselor match-ups. Him and they guys have been making more concrete forms by the garage so we can pour concrete tomorrow (if it doesn't rain).

We got new chairs for the snack stand! They arrived on Monday. Marceaux unloaded them from the semi with the skid steer and the guys opened them and set them up.

Here are the old chairs.

 New chairs in boxes...

 The new chairs!

Molly has been really busy. She helped clean the snack stand with Karol and Trish, cleaned the office windows, mowed the lawn, and installed the window screens in the office. She also created the mini schedules that counselors get and laminated them. She has also been entering in camper and counselor information into the computers.

Trish has also been mowing the grass around camp. She has also been weeding. Trish has been making checklists and food item sheets with updated notes for the camp kitchen.

Tim M. has been working with Emily Neitzer on the plans for messy games. He also has been getting all of the fishing gear out and ready to use for camp.

More Concrete!

We poured more concrete today! This time it went a lot smother! The concrete truck got here on time and the cement didn't dry too fast. 

 Pouring a cement wall down by the garage.

Tim, Trish and the guys smoothing out the concrete by the Trapline Lodge.

 Tony in the skid steer dumping more cement to be smoothed out.

 Karol smoothing it out even more. 

Behind the Trapline Lodge.