Max and I visited Woolman together on Monday April 4th. Memories flowed through him like rain along a dry river bed. The experience of sleeping in A-Frames, circumnavigating the soccer field, sitting at Dappled Light Circle, and visiting the reinvigorated Fern House seemed to capture and return him to his many years at camp. We walked down dimly lit steps to the Kitchen Basement, lights flickering, anticipating growing as we opened the freezer to discover leftovers from camp three years ago! No one could hear our screams.

We took stock of the Camp Inventory together. Delight arose as we unearthed the treasure trove of rich and memorable costumes. Pleasure surrounded us as we jotted down the many sleeping bags, sleeping pads, and backpacks we could lend to campers. Humor filled us as we tried on a small, external frame backpack that didn’t even have any straps left on it! Finally, a bittersweet look passed between us as we gazed upon the many boots left behind by campers in their excitement to leave camp and tell stories to friends and families, stories which would remain in their hearts for their lives through.

Then we went backpacking! We hiked to Grouse Ridge, in the snow. The trail played hide & seek with us beneath the squishy, slippery layers of frost. We lost the trail many times, but we never lost our sense of direction, nor did we lose our sense of humor. We played trail games as we were hiking, and sang camp songs while waking up. Hearing Max shout “YOU CAN’T RIDE IN MY LITTLE RED WAGON!” and witnessing him unpack, load up, and launch the imaginary laser cannon for dividing circles into singing groups had me rolling on the ground laughing. 

We need help finding caring & enthusiastic people to apply as our camp counselors. We are advertising and reaching out to Friends all over; friendly referrals and recommendations are how we find the best people to staff camp! Please consider anyone who might be a good fit for camp, and have them reach out to me, or review the camp page of the Woolman website HERE. 

A cause for celebration, we have reached halfway capacity for our camper registrations! 64 slots have been filled and 61 are remaining. I am especially joyful that Teen Leadership Camp will be filled by the end of the month. We’ve got a lot planned for the teens and the Wombats to make this summer an unforgettable one. I encourage you to talk up camp to anyone you feel inclined to, as the power of the word is mighty indeed. More information and the link to register for camp can be found HERE.

One further consideration is around our Campership fund. So far this year we have received a generous grant from Pacific Yearly Meeting in the amount of $6,000 as well as $2,300 from households who have already signed up for camp! With immense gratitude I virtually shake each of your hands & give you a pat on the back. Also a big shout out to the individual from last year who contributed $10K to our fund! Thanks to these acts of generosity, we have been able to give over $5,000 in attractive discounts to campers, as well as $7,000 to households who otherwise would have been unable to afford camp. Please consider donating to our campership fund to keep Camp Woolman affordable for everyone. Click HERE.

Thank you for your practice, your patience, and your perseverance.

Cheerfully,
Raen Thornberry
Camp Director

raent@woolman.org