DOWNLOAD A PDF OF THE 2009 BLAZER

Deerhorn Blazer
January 2009

“What is your favorite part about Deerhorn?”
The answers we get on the surveys are always similar, but it’s interesting to watch them change as campers grow up at Deerhorn.  Most first and second year campers will put “activities” or “team comp.” as their favorite parts. However, as they come back year after year, those answers evolve into “friendships,” “camaraderie,” & “meeting new people.” We have lots of great activities to offer at camp, but we are so much more than that, and veteran campers realize it.  We offer a place for your son to grow and learn, to be accepted and supported in all of his endeavors. Deerhorn is a place to learn to get along with all types of people and how to always try his hardest.  This was a year when we questioned investments we had made in the economy. However, you should never question the investment you have made in your child’s future with his summer at Deerhorn.   The returns you will see will amaze you.

 This Blazer will fill you in on questionnaire results, introduce you to the 2009 leader crew, and give you an update on enrollment and staff.  It will also give you a peek at what other campers have been doing this winter.

Staff Update…  Staff members who have signed on for all or part of the summer of ’09 include the following: Dick Kinney, Matt Winter, Luke Heinkel, Sam Littman, Matt Giangreco, Connor Olvany, Andy Heid, Bryan Hecht, Alex Smith, Chad Beskange, Mark Brooks, Danny Nordstrom, JK,  Matthew Zazaian “Z”, James Heath, Taylor Broadbridge (Asst. Cook)& Kiana Broadbridge (office).
For assistant counselors,  Jack Flannery, McRae Barlow,  & Michael Sullivan.  Keep checking the staff updates page of our website for more names.

2009 Leader Core…Once again this fall, the Broadbridges were faced with our most difficult job, choosing leaders from an incredible pool of guys.  The four campers chosen will no doubt uphold the high standards set by the 2008 leader crew, and all those who came before them. Leading the Apache will be Spencer Rose, from Glenview, IL.  He is returning for his 6th year.  Johnny Sudekum, from Winnetka, IL, will also return for his 6th year to lead the Chippewa.  The chief of the Iroquois this year will be Bennett Gust, from St.  Charles, IL, returning for his 8th year.  Parker Nixon, from Wilmette, IL, also returns for his 8th year to lead the Navajo.  They are all psyched for an awesome summer.

Enrollment Update… As of late December, we have received over 200 applications for the ’09 summer.  Space is available in all sessions with the exception of our June Father/Son session, which has a short waiting list. Needless to say, if you have not sent your application for next summer, we encourage you to do so to avoid a waiting list for that session. 

Camper Questionnaire Results…
As you know, the scale was
1 (excellent)- 5 (poor).  Here’s how Deerhorn did.  In parentheses are the scores for ’07 and ’06.
1.  Counselors-1.28 (1.44) (1.41)  
2.  Activities-1.36 (1.49) (1.49)  
3. After dinner activities-1.47 (1.47) (1.56)
4. Sun. afternoon events- 1.46 (1.63) (1.48)
5. Food- 1.89 (2.17) (2.16)
6.  Campfires- 1.48 (1.8) (1.67)
7.  Koogees- 1.83 (2.15) (1.99)  
8. Director Availability- 1.54 (1.61) (1.55)
9.Sunday Koogee Time-2.0 (2.12) (1.99)

Activities and trips were also scored in order of popularity…
1. Ice Hockey- 1.22 (1.44) (1.2)
2. Riflery-1.34 (1.89) (1.46)
3.  Horseback Riding-1.37 (1.21) (1.36)  
4. Water Skiing-1.43 (1.48) (1.32)
5. Sports & Games-1.45 (1.72) (1.64)
6. Tennis- 1.54 (1.47) (1.6)
7. Mtn. Biking-  1.57 (1.69) (1.78)
8. Crafts- 1.6 (2.04) (2.04)
9. Sailing-1.73 (1.85) (1.65)
10. Archery-1.81 (1.95) (1.83) 
11.  Golf-1.83  (1.68) (1.83)
12. Canoeing-1.87 (2.0) (2.03)
13. Basketball- 2.0 (2.18) (2.3) 
14. Swimming-2.12 (2.16) (2.36)  

1. Backpack- 1.0 (1.33) (not scored in ’06)
2. Waterpark- 1.11 (1.22) (1.28) 
3. Canoe Trip- 1.14  (1.33) (1.58) 
4. Lake Superior- 1.27 (1.0) (1.5)

The most helpful counselors for you last summer were (in order)
1. Matt Winter
2. Matt Giangreco                      &nbs p;            
3. Andy Heid

WEBSITE…www.deerhorn.com This past spring, we launched a new website, and it was met with rave reviews. We hope it is now easier to navigate, and has even more helpful information.  In case you haven’t checked it out recently, here are some highlights.
Bulletin Board- To post messages to friends and leave your contact information. During the summer, you can also get team comp. updates each session. Deerhorn on the Road also tells you when a director will be visiting your area.
Picture Archives-Hundreds of pictures from years past! Recent pictures are now posted on Shutterfly.  This allows you to view them as a slideshow, and order prints of any pictures you want.
Forms- Almost every form you would need for camp, you can find online. If something is missing, let us know and we’ll get it up right away.

Parent Questionnaire Results…
The scale was the same as the kids’.
1.  Director’s availability- 1.16 (1.24) (1.16)  
2. Staff Competency- 1.16 (1.21) (1.17)  
3. Safety/Security- 1.27 (1.27) (1.34)   
4. Camper/Staff ratio-1.23 (1.25) (1.32)  
5. Overall satisfaction-1.28 (1.25) (1.32)
6. Health Care- 1.28 (1.23) (1.25)  
7. Camp Maintenance-1.27 (1.22) (1.4)   
8. Value of tuition- 1.56 (1.53) (1.58)
9. Activities- 1.43 (1.45) (1.65)
10. Food service- 1.71 (1.61) (1.81)
11. Koogees- 2.03 (1.9) (2.15)   
12. Winter Correspondence-1.24
13. Changeovers-1.38 (1.33) (1.47)

What the parents said their son(s) most liked about camp included meeting new people, independence, friendships, counselors, and “the sense of feeling a part of something that is good.”  What they liked least included having to write home, going to bed and waking up early, cold early morning swims, and having to come home.   Thank you, parents, for names of new families and for all of your suggestions. 

HOSTING A PRESENTATION…
Thank you, also, to those of you who sent back the yellow postcards, volunteering to host presentations.  Deerhorn has become what it is due to word of mouth recommendations from people like you. If you have several friends or neighbors that might be interested in camp in the future, one of the Directors would enjoy visiting you and show the 2009 Deerhorn DVD at your home.  Just call us at 1 800 713 3130 or ask us to mail them a brochure.
School Happenings… It sounds like you all are keeping very busy with sports and school activities. Many of you are multi-sport athletes. A lot of you played football this fall, including C.J. Yager, David Stacke, Nick Archibald, Nick Newhouse, Wells Carter, Connor Barrington, Will Lund, Collin Graham, Johnny Burns, Jack Pickus, Ben Bechtel, Phillip Rueve, Mark Dezell, &  Zach Kornick. Some of the hockey players are Eric Deacon,  Ryan Farrell, Jack Speers, Jack Austin,  & Will Westhoff.  Those who are tennis players include Will Rieke, Dan Leathery, Charlie Parry, Will Lawler, Gilly Fitzgerald, & Griff Parry. Lots of you are soccer players too, including Cooper & Cole Clancy, Tommy Wimbiscus, Jesse Webb,  Daniel Lecoque, & Bailey Nebgen. David Reiss runs cross country, Brian Reiss fences, Steven Zazaian plays basketball, Peter Paleczny plays lacrosse, & Phillip Lynn is practicing running for a race.  Many of you are involved in music as well. Max Holmberg plays the clarinet, Mike Maicke plays bass guitar, Ben Steffen, Brad Cook, & Yates Webb play guitar, & Gavin Rice plays in the jazz band.  Some talked about the clubs you are in. Dan Potts likes clubs that are “Deerhorn-like”, including rock climbing and kayaking. Dan Brooks is in several clubs, including science & film clubs. Spence Siegel does a radio show, Nick Angelopoulos does 11th grade math in 8th grade, Griffin Gardiner is into Boy Scouts, Kevin Kane likes playing video games, and Chris Murphy reports he does “sports & homework.”

Trips… A lot of you reported some pretty cool trips you are heading out on this winter. Lots of those trips include skiing. Cameron Lecoque went to Big Sky, Montana for Christmas break. Hayes Willliams is going snowboarding in Telluride. Tommy & Jack Kempf went skiing in Colorado for Christmas. John Winch says he loves snowboarding in Colorado.  Carl Anderson is going skiing at Whistler this winter, and Austin Derrick is skiing in Wisconsin. Others are headed for warmer climates this winter. Daniel Toal went to Florida for Thanksgiving to see his grandparents. Those headed to Disney World sometime this winter include Conor Adler, and Jason and Ryan Giblin. Ally Fornengo headed to St. Lucia & the Caribbean, Will Devries is going on a cruise, R.J. Serruto is going to Palm Beach, FL, and Kevin Roberts is going to Mexico for Christmas. Ted Decker, Mark Deacon, and Will Sawle are all going to Washington D.C. sometime this winter.  Simon Zoroya went hiking in the Grand Canyon.  Jack Alberding went rock climbing in Switzerland with his family, and Matt Piekos is headed for Europe this summer.
What would you change about Camp Deerhorn?...
Matthew Polovin would like us to add BMX biking and skateboarding. Cal Martin wishes we offered go-karting. Cartan Clarke would like to play all-camp Scalp, including the counselors. Nathan Zoroya would like to be able to choose all the activities you do, and Zach Porto would like more koogee time.

What did you like best about camp?... Ethan Rhine loved “The Rave and the dogs.” Andrew Rosenberg loved the game called “Steal the Lifejacket.” Mac Potts loved “Everything, but mostly the counselor show.” Trey Cannon loved golf.  Nicky David loved the Sunday events, but “especially  the Chariots of Fire.” Augie Fornengo’s favorite part was “all the cool counselors.” Most answers included something about the people, activities, or team competition.

A few highlights…
“I remember playing basketball on the skeeter with Andy. I made about 7 fast breaks in a row against him. He still won though. ”
                        -Charlie Richmond

“One of my favorite things was when I would watch the sunset. A couple of times Blaine watched the sunset with me.”
                        -Mike Alberding

“All of the awesome pizza skits. That guy was HILARIOUS! He was also very handsome and intelligent.”
                                    -Mack Gust

 “The #1 highlight of my Deerhorn experience in 2008 was learning how to sail and learning to love it. Also, I really liked getting to know Alex Smith.”
                                    -Jack Mignin

"Voyager- We woke up at 2am, in the pitch black. After making a quick breakfast by headlamp, we packed our kayaks and headed out. It was about 3:30am and my wetsuit was frigid. But I didn't care because the beauty and camaraderie warmed me enough."
                                    -Parker Nixon

Deerhorn Trivia: Congratulations to the winners of the trivia contest.They were the first to correctly guess the answers to the trivia questions on the surveys. (F.Y.I.-Voyager began in 1990, the lodge was built in 1932, and the riflery range is 50 feet long.)
Eric & Mark Deacon, Cameron Lecoque, Ethan Rhine, Mike & Jack Alberding

Deerhorn Trivia Round 2: Included with this Blazer is a DVD labeled “Highlights of 2008.” Don’t just throw it away, thinking you’ve seen the Deerhorn video before. This is NOT the Deerhorn video.  This is a DVD made especially for 2008 campers, showing clips from the summer of 2008. There’s a good chance you’re in it.  Round 2 of the trivia contest requires you to watch the video. (It’s only about 15 minutes long.) After you watch it, see if you can answer the three questions below.  The first five campers to email me at amy@deerhorn.com with the correct answers will receive a prize in the mail shortly afterward.  Good luck, and enjoy the video!
1. How many clips of machine gun runs are in this video?
2. What song is being sung at the campfire in the last shot of the video?
3. How many fish are shown in this video?

Thank you so much to those of you who responded to our questionnaires! We appreciate your input!