The final community week numbers are in, and world games has officially begun!

If it seems like it’s been a long time since you last heard from us, that’s because IT HAS!

Over the past week, we put out our final 2016 edition of the Manitou Mosquito. Community Week wrapped up with a series of wonderful activities: rock, theatre and guitar sang at the local seniors’ home, campers filled out paper stars to “award” to staff and their fellow campers in the dining hall, and the campers coloured in whiteboard “Possibility” signs that we stitched together into the inspiring video above. When all was said and done, the campers’ fundraising initiatives helped to raise a final total of $8,130 for the Amani Home.

But aside from a final Fireside this past week, there wasn’t much time to sit down. Because as soon as Community Week ended, World Games began!

 Yep, World Games 2016 has finally arrived, and camp is nearly unrecognizable. Far from the unified group that once sang “These Friendships,” camp has now been parted into a sea of purple and orange as two “countries” battle it out in a three-day program of skill, creativity, spirit and sportsmanship.
This year’s countries are Peru (purple) and Madagascar (orange). Our fearless captains leading the charges are Lizzie Moscoe, Adam Dennis-Birnbaum, Jonathan Grammer and Emily Chambers. And while deep down, everyone knows that it doesn’t matter who wins or loses, you’ve never seen a competition this fierce. The teams are neck-and-neck, each one having swept different activity categories and events. Peru won Track & Field, Madagascar won Fashion Show; Peru won Spirit Lunch, Madagascar won the dance-off; and so on, and so forth.
Anyone who’s ever been to Manitou knows how deep the World Games rabbithole goes. For many kids, this program is awaited with even more anticipation and fervour than camp itself. There’s an indescribable electricity in the air, a feeling that magic is all around you everywhere you go. And no matter who wins, a Manitou kid never forget their country’s cheers, or their captains, or how good it felt to see their flag fly.
Of course, we’ll be sure to let you know which team comes out victorious. Until then, stay tuned on Facebook and Instagram as we post updates on the games!

Globally yours,

Manny Moose & the entire Manitou Family

Here’s what ‘community’ means to Camp Manitou

com·mu·ni·ty

kəˈmyo͞onədē/

noun

  1. a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.
  2. a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals

On the surface, community comes easy to Manitou. We all live in the same place for two months out of the year, certainly, and we share those defining camp experiences that allow us to have a “feeling of fellowship” with other Manitou-ers year round.

But when we talk about “community” during Community Week, we’re referring to something much bigger. We use that word to encompass everyone from neighbours back in our respective home cities, to the local community in Parry Sound and surrounding townships, to less fortunate kids all over the world who don’t have the same privilege that we do. And despite their geographical distance, these folks are a part of our community. The characteristic we share is one of hope for the future — a better future, where every individual is loved, cared for, and free.

Welcoming that entire community into the Manitou family is a tall order for a single summer, but we make huge strides towards our goal year after year. So, how do we do it?

___________

By cultivating empathy 

Recognizing how similar we are is a matter of first embracing our differences. We talk a lot about difference at Manitou, and the importance of empathy when confronting someone or something you don’t understand. Awareness breeds empathy, empathy breeds understanding, and understanding is at the heart of community.

To that end, for the past week at camp, both staff and campers have led some incredible initiatives. In order to raise awareness about the limited potable water resources in third-world villages, one sophomore girl had the campers carry buckets of water on their heads from the camp gates to the waterfront.

Last night we had our annual Walk of Hope, a time for togetherness and reflection about how fortunate we are, and about the power we have to make change. Manitou alum Nate Daviau came up and serenaded the staff with a late-night concert as they walked.

By raising money

Money isn’t the answer to life’s troubles, but it goes a long way in helping those who don’t have it. The Manitou Cares Foundation selected the Amani Home in Tanzania to receive all funds raised this year, and second session campers have already helped us raise over $4,500 for Amani during Community Week. At swim, Laps of Love had campers swimming laps for charity. At volleyball, every “ace” serve was worth $1.

We love watching the numbers tick up as these creative fundraising initiatives come to fruition. We always tell our staff that if they can dream it, we can make it happen, and now the kids are taking the lead in a wonderful way. One freshkid led the camp in a cleanup project, where each piece of garbage retrieved from around camp was worth $1. A camper wanted to show everyone how much fun it was to get thrown in the lake, so he started a $1/throw bet with a counselor.

By instilling positive values

There are so many values learned by raising money through karmic actions such as the ones we’re accomplishing during Community Week. Not only do the kids learn about how even their smallest actions can have a big impact, but they also learn to care about the right things. Picking up garbage, for example, is about having accountability for the beautiful Manitou landscape we get to call home every year. Swimming laps is hard work, and teaches us that we have to step outside our front doors in order to see how we can make a difference in the world.

The values instilled through Community Week are starting show themselves everywhere in camp. Today, for example, is Art in the Park. It’s always been a great opportunity for the craftiest kids to get outside and make art in the sun (well, the shade). This year, it’s been infused with a little extra Community Week love. So there’s Art in the Dark, where kids can experience drawing while blindfolded; there’s a scrap wood sculpture garden, where campers are repurposing the scraps at woodworking to add to a giant wood sculpture; there’s gratitude bracelet-making, where everyone makes a bracelet for someone else. These convey messages of empathy, ecology and gratitude.

We can’t wait to watch the rest of Community Week unfold!

Community week is finally here!

All summer long, you’ve heard us (and your kids!) talk about all the great things you get to do at camp: evening activities and exciting new programs abound, not to mention all those impromptu float parades and carnivals.

We sure are lucky to enjoy all that camp has to offer. And at Manitou, it’s especially important to us to pay that gratitude forward. Giving back is at the heart of the Manitou way, and we happen to have lots of fun here doing it. That’s why once a week each season, we host “Community Week,” a 7-day program full of gratitude, empowerment, leadership initiatives and good deeds in the surrounding community.

Community Week kicked off last night starting with Friday Night Fireside guest speaker Spencer West, an inspiring activist from Me to We who redefined possible after having lost his legs at the age of five.

___________

In 2012, Spencer climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro using only his hands and his wheelchair. Like any of our other special guests this season and our wonderful “Camp Is” camper speakers, West embodies the idea of unlimited potential. We’re thrilled to have had him share his story with the camp.

Later this week we’ll have campers from our Theatre program singing at the Lakeland Home, the senior leaders’ trip to the CNIB, Art in the Park, our annual Walk of Hope and much, much more.

We’ll fill you in as each Community Week project comes to fruition. In the meantime, check out the latest edition of the Mosquito for wacky news, camp surveys, silly ads and games for all ages!

Warm wishes,

Manny Moose & The Manitou Family