The Sari Diaries- Friday 8/2/19

Dear Chippies, Parents, Family and Friends,

It was a magical day at Chippewa today and I am going to give you a quick rundown followed by a small dedication to Lisa Lissner whose 15 Year we celebrated this afternoon. So here it goes…

Today was the Chippewa Sailing Regatta which was awesome. Faye Berger did a fantastic job planning it. We had sailors from Menominee, Kawaga, Red Pine and Timberlane who joined the Chippy Sailing Team in a race on Dam Lake. A ton of fun was had by all, and Reese L and Samantha S were on the winning boat with a camper from Red Pine!

We also had a coin ceremony today which honored a number of deserving campers and staff members. Milly Crothers earned the responsibility coin, Oli Burden earned the selflessness coin, Lauren Gilling earned the work ethic coin, Ruth Lissner earned a combo of patience, loyalty & work ethic coins, Avery F and Mia G earned the impact coin, Cate M earned the compassion coin, Leah C earned the courage coin and Julia H earned catalyst & dedication coins.

Aside from those highlights, we had a really nice Love Never Ends campfire led by Anna S. It was a special evening dedicated to Alexa, who continues to have a positive impact on the Chippewa community both through her memory as well as through her very important message that Love Never Ends. We sang songs, heard from a number of campers & staff members and had a keylog ceremony to conclude the night.

And yes, there was more…we also had B-Day activities today! At skiing, Ayla P dropped a ski while Jada P lifted a ski and Lena S got up and around the lake on two skis. Meanwhile, at climbing, Mackenzie A went down the zipline for the first time and was recognized for this by other campers who were so proud of her. It was definitely a good day for activities.

Finally, after activities and before dinner, we had a wonderful celebration of Lisa’s 15 Year…she has been at CRC for 15 years!! Summer & Annabelle K, Avery & Ella R, Julia & Emma E, Audry & Viv L, Alex G, Lily H, Charlie S and Emma H spoke beautifully to honor Lisa. I want to share a short blurb from Emma H that I think perfectly depicts how so many campers feel at #TheRanch2019:

“Fifteen summers packed with spreading love, showing compassion, teaching empathy and so much more. To me, that sounds like much more than filling the role of a camp director. As our camp carer, advice giver and friendship expert, she gives us so much more than hugs, toiletries and sour cherry balls- something that is intangible but something that we all have felt and can relate to.”

I could not agree more with Emma- Lisa has truly helped mold Chippewa into the place that it is today. From my perspective, she has beautifully mastered what it means to be a camp director. The hard work, dedication and heart that she puts into this place is exceptional and we can feel it in every facet of camp. She has brought new meaning to the term Camp Mom, and our campers are incredibly lucky to have a summer parent who shows them the perfect balance of love and guidance. Campers at Chippewa can feel her commitment to them- each and every day she has meaningful interactions with so many young Chippies, and it is these interactions that are helping to shape them into the amazing people that they are and will continue to grow into. She is teaching our future Chippewa counselors and our future community leaders what is important- how to act with strength and confidence, and how to do so with integrity, kindness and compassion. And she does all of this both through her words and through her actions- she demonstrates this each and every day at camp, and it matters. She is a role model to all of us, and for that, we are incredibly lucky!

That’s all for now…I hope you check-in tomorrow to listen to the second to last podcast of the summer…ugh! Thanks for reading tonight :).

Happy Camping and Love,
Sari