What To expect
First Day At Camp Foley
A Message From Sophia, 12, Camp Foley Camper
First Day at Camp Foley
The first day of the session can be both exciting and uncomfortable – it is ok to feel nervous. Did you know that your counselors and parents can be nervous too? Check out the Travel and Arrival page for what to expect when driving or taking the bus into camp.
Campers arriving by car typically arrive to camp first. They meet their counselors who assist them in settling in their cabins. When campers get off the bus, they meet their counselors, grab their luggage, go to their cabin, find the bunk with their nametag posted on it and begin getting settled.
After arriving at camp, you begin settling into your Cabin and meet your cabin mates. Your name will be above your bunk indicating where to make your bed and place your things. After discovering your cabin, it is time to go to several stations with the goal of being ready for activities the following morning.
You will:
- Learn about the Foley Activities offered and sign up for your first round of Activities. You will get to pick 5 different ones to start, and make sure at least one is a water activity to take advantage of beautiful Whitefish Lake.
- Listen to camp safety rules, reminders on caring for yourself, treating others respectfully and about the camp experience.
- Meet with the camp nurse to go over how you have been feeling, talk about any medications that you are taking or any medical needs you may have.
- Go on a Camp Tour to become familiar with your surroundings.
- Go to both the Marina and Swim Dock for water safety instruction and to take the Foley Safety and Endurance Swim Check. (For younger campers, this happens on the 2nd Day):
- Jump into the water and swim comfortably in your lifejacket
- Take off your lifejacket and tread water for five minutes.
- Swim 50 yards using front crawl or breaststroke with face in the water.
- Dinner is at 6:15 pm, and it’s SPAGHETTI (noodles and sauce that you get to mix together as you want)! This has been the first dinner at camp for over 20 years.
- Mail and announcements after the meal.
- Cabin Time follows where cabin groups have intentional games to learn names, fun facts about each other, and have a group bonding activity.
- Each cabin establishes a “Cabin Agreement”, a camper created set of rules and guidelines, focussing on wellbeing, respect, cooperation and care of the cabin and each other. This serves as a helpful tool for fostering responsibility and independence within cabins for the rest of the session.
- Off to Opening Campfire where you will sing songs, watch skits, and be welcomed into camp.
- Back to the cabins and begin settling for flashlight time and bed.
Soon it will be time to wake for our first day of ACTIVITIES!
