Woodcraft Renovations, New Jet Ski’s, Chinese to be Taught

(Part IV of a series of posts on Culver’s recent announcements regarding summer 2006. Read Part 1 here, 2 here, and 3 here.)

The last few announcements I want to highlight from those announced by Mr. Mayfield last week have to do with the Woodcraft camp and the upper camp course offerings. If the naval and aviation announcements weren’t enough for you, these should get you moderately stoked for this summer. First up:

"Newly Renovated Woodcraft Facillities"

Yup, that inexorable force named "progress" is finally making its way towards the North-East shore of Lake Maxincuckee…

Translation?

Woodcraft is about to get a little less scarier. Mr. Mayfield says to expect:

1. Restroom renovation in all of the old restrooms in WC – both girl’s and boy’s.
2. New shower stalls, toilets, ventilation, sinks, water filtration system to remove the rust, and new exterior finish.
3. Cabin renovation – to be continued over three years – new lights, new electric power system throughout camp, exhaust fans, roofs, exterior finish.
4. New tile floor in the WC Dining Hall and new serving equipment.

Let me be the first to say that all this sounds pretty darn nice indeed. Thank you mysterious alumni donors! Perhaps now "being tossed off The Blob" will reclaim the top slot on the "Most Intimidating Experiences at Woodcraft" list from the big dogs that have been perched on top for years and year: "eating" and "bathing." My Woodcraft experience has been limited to the occasional meal in the dining hall during Upper Camp Staff Orientation but these renovations sound like they’ll be a great thing for the camp.

And finally it’s been announced that Culver has acquired a new fleet of personal watercraft to be used in conjunction with their watercraft safety class. For those that didn’t know at the close of last summer it wasn’t then clear whether Personal Watercraft Safety would be taught again this summer. It being the only class where students use the Jet Ski’s, and thus a popular class, this would have been a bummer. However the funds have been provided for a new set of vehicles and campers can continue to roar across the lake on them this summer. Those of you that enjoyed this class in past summer can rest soundly knowing it’ll still be around this year.

Also, Mr. Mayfield has announced the addition of a Chinese Language class to this summer’s course offerings in the Upper Camp. While perhaps not the flashiest of Culver’s announcements, I think its a great idea and a wonderful opportunity for campers to truly pick up a new and rare skill while at camp. I encourage anyone and everyone heading back to at least check it out when reading through the list of available classes. Free periods are fun, but when all is said and done you’ll wish you spent your time learning something new instead of eating cheese sticks at the Shack.

And that’s all for this series! I hope some of the news has gotten you excited for this coming summer. I’m certainly looking forward to it (my sixth summer at Culver). See you in the forums.

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