News From Plum Lake
Updates from camp, stories from the summer, and news for campers, parents and alumni.
“If you surrender to the wind you can ride it.” – Toni Morrison The 28-mile an hour winds have blown in a camp full of boys today. We are incredibly thankful for the energy and spirit they bring with them. All the bus campers arrived before 5 p.m., beating Jim DiDomeninco’s predicted arrival time of 5:07 p.m….
We’re 29 days away from the start of our 113th camping season. And we can’t wait! We have an incredible array of campers and staff coming this season—and we have made some exciting improvements in our camp facilities to ensure that, while we’re still the oldest continuously-operated boys camp in the midwest, we’re still making the…
It is with deepest sadness that we pass along the news that our beloved friend and Highlands man Ross Freeland has passed away. After a valiant battle with late stage gastric cancer, he passed away earlier today with his wife and son, Anna and Eli, and his mother and father Jani and Jim by his…
Dear Highlands Friends, One of the most powerful Sunday Assemblies from the past decade was when Shaun Trenholm unpacked his trunk, but instead of bringing forth clothes or camping gear, he pulled out letters that he had written to the people who had most influenced him in his life. In that assembly, he encouraged each…
I am fresh back from a 500 mile walk across Spain, where I followed in the footsteps of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who, for the last 1600 years or so have been making the journey to Santiago de Compostella, the purported final resting place of St. James the Apostle. It’s a journey I’ve wanted…
A note from F+F coordinator, Tim Bachmann… “Fare thee well for you must leave us, do not let the parting grieve us, but remember that the best of friends must part, must part. Adieu, adieu good Highlands Friends, Highlands Friends! We’re sorry, that our days must end, days must end – But we’ll be back…
Today marks the beginning of the end of the term (excuse me while I dry my eyes!). Here is what you need to know about this week. Tuesday: Our final Division Day. The boys hang out as a division, cook out and our cooks enjoy a night off. Wednesday: The evening brings us Stunt Night our infamously famous…
My kid has been working toward graduating from skiing for three, maybe four years. But what does that mean? And why is it taking such a long time? Here at Highlands we mark our progress through an activity by Achievement Credits (ACs). Each activity has a long list of measurable and achievable goals that boys work…
I just had a parent text me and tell me how sweet our 10-day forecast looked. True story. Our apologies to you folks in Texas, Florida and even Illinois (who are experiencing the weirdest summer weather ever). But the amazing outlook doesn’t just stop at the weather here at Highlands. How can you have…