I miss camp! There’s no other way to describe how I’m feeling. I miss chicken patties, birthday night chaos, Ameden League games, Council Fire, and Some Day wishes being granted!
Each of these images could have the ability to send me into a world of sadness, longing to get back to camp to prolong the summer of fun and adventure. On the flip side, these images could also bring a smile to my face, providing me with the memories of all we accomplished this summer.
In typical camp fashion, I choose the latter, feeling like I have an opportunity to decide how I want to feel, as well as what I choose to focus on. This summer felt like one of the most impactful ones I’ve ever had the privilege to participate in. At every moment of every day, campers and counselors showed up for each other with their complete selves. Obviously, the minutiae of daily life can provide conflicts, both small and large, but at its core, our community worked hard at providing each other with honesty, transparency, and love.
Every summer brings a series of gifts, a series of lessons that provide a road map for returning home. As I mentioned at Final Council Fire, I was thinking of the lyrics to the song Skol recently and “In every storm bravehearted. Then Ho for the Gale” kept repeating itself in my head.
If we’re being honest, most people want security, constancy, and ease. They aren’t necessarily prepared, nor want to head into a storm. We seek calm on a consistent level, but I believe that at Lanakila, we prepare ourselves for the storms as well. I like to believe that we are willing to hoist our sails and head into uncharted waters because we have the experience and framework for how we want to handle ourselves when this happens.
I hope we have the potential to remember the phrase, “Ho for The Gale” knowing that we can celebrate the hard times. I know it can be difficult to celebrate an upcoming math test or a science project we put off a bit too long. We can push through the fear knowing we have the resolve and the people around us to help us in any situation. I think we can welcome it, accept it, and take it head-on.
In other news, I have also had the opportunity to see many of you at the Lanakila open house events all over the country. It is at these events that I get to re-connect with so many of you and not only hear what you’ve been doing in the offseason, but reminisce about what made Lanakila so special in 2024. What I realized at these reunions is the fact that we live the magic on a day-today basis, but it’s cool to be reunited in the offseason to re-energize ourselves and begin the countdown to the summer of 2025.
I walked away from the summer (and these open houses) with a feeling of love and admiration for what Lanakila brings to each and every one of us. I am humbled by the realization that we are all so lucky to have the opportunity to come to camp each year and learn how we want to view the world, who we want to be in our day-to-day lives, and how we can take the lessons we acquire at Lanakila to create our best selves.
Ho For the Gale!
BRYAN PARTRIDGE Director of Lanakila
Island Essentials
What Would You Bring to Survive?
When faced with the ultimate test of survival, we asked you what three items from camp you’d want if you were stranded on a deserted island. Your most common answers were, predictably, very well-informed…
FOOD
WATER
FIRE STARTER
TARP
AXE
ROPE
MATCHES
FISHING ROD
THE VIKING SHIP
But let’s be honest sometimes you just need a little humor to get through the tough times. Here are your funniest and most creative survival picks:
A BIG WATER TANK, AN OVEN, AND FOOD INGREDIENTS
(This sounds like a lot of stuff!) — Fergus Fagenholz
ALL OF MY TENTMATES, WOODSIDE CABIN 3
(Let’s make this a team effort, shall we?) — Willian Greene
THE MAIN HOUSE
(Why rough it when you can have all the comforts of home?) — George Heidt
CANDY NIGHT (Sweet survival strategy!) — Wesley Presler-Barr
MAC & CHEESE, MAC & CHEESE, AND MORE MAC & CHEESE (One can never have enough comfort food.) — Oliver Herold
SMITTY (Because you can’t leave without your favorite camp buddy!) — 2 votes submitted
JASPER BENNET (A popular choice for survival, it seems!) — 4 votes submitted
RUTGER (Another top pick — he must have some secret survival skills!) — 2 votes submitted
THE EXPLORING ODINS
(Adin Petricoff, Paul Dixon, and Milo Emerson) — Cameron Helms
HILLSIDE (Home sweet home?) — Jack Eckstein
ALL OF THE GORP! (Can’t go without that tasty trail mix!) — Gael Castanon
MATCHES, KIERAN, AND SMART FOOD — Brook Genatu
CLEAN UNDERWEAR (Survival essentials at their finest!) — Jeremiah Alfonso
camp traditions
UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS AND
FUN FAVORITES
We’re diving into the heart of what makes camp so special our amazing traditions! We asked you to spill the beans on the most interesting camp traditions you’ve experienced Let’s explore the unforgettable moments that make camp truly unique!
BANQUET
COUNCIL FIRE
THE BONFIRE
BIRTHDAY NIGHT
FUNDAY MONDAY COUNCIL FIRE
SOMEDAY
BREAKFAST IN BED
ALL ALOHA MOMENT
BOZO BAGGY TIME
ASSEMBLY
FREE DA MONKEYS
outdoor adventures
At camp, every day brings a new opportunity for adventure and excitement. We asked you to share your favorite outdoor activities and what made them stand out to you.
Igniting New Skills
“Camp Craft because it was cool learning new things like how to make a fire and cook on it. I’d never made a fire before!”– Kai Shimokawa
Navigating the Woods
“Getting lost in the woods as an activity was fun because even though I was a bit nervous, I learned cool things and we found our way back.”– Leo Klophaus
Trying New Things
“Richardson Lakes, it was a cool new experience.” – Riley Weinstein
Embracing the Mess
“Mud Men! I just love being covered in mud.”– Fox Duckworth
Flying High
“The Ropes Course! It was exciting and scary. I loved the big zip line and when you jump off it feels like you’re flying.”– Will Antrim
As the Wind Blows
“Sailing! I love how it can be peaceful or exciting depending on the wind.”– Timothy Weinberger
Thrill of the Catch
“Fishing was the coolest because it is something I’d never had the chance to do before and we even got to make a real meal.”– Romy Dixon
director for a day
What Our Future Leaders Really Want!
Move Over Ridge! Check out the Creative, Funny, and Unexpected Plans Our Future Leaders Dream Up When Given the Director’s Chair!
Given the reins to lead camp for a day, Lanakila campers have some wild and wonderful ideas! We asked our future directors to share their grand plans, and here’s a peek into the dreams they have in mind:
SUNDAE SPECTACULAR: Imagine a Make-Your-Own-Sundae-Bar that never ends! That’s right—choose from every topping imaginable and indulge to your heart’s content. — Anonymous
PARTY SLIDE EXTRAVAGANZA: Picture a 40-foot slide at the waterfront, blasting constant party music and surrounded by food. Talk about a splashy party! — Jack Lang
MORE BIRTHDAY NIGHTS: How about having another birthday night? Because one celebration just isn’t enough! — James King
NO MORE INSPECTIONS: The dream? No more inspections!
Ben Widing-Robins
GRILLED CHEESE GALORE: Every meal becomes a cheesy delight with grilled cheese sandwiches for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
Declan Driscoll
LET CAMPERS GO TO COUNSELOR MEETINGS: Peeking into counselor meetings might be interesting, though it might not be as thrilling as expected! — Fox Duckworth
ENDLESS FREE EVENING: How about making camp just one long, free evening? No schedules, just fun!
Sam Newton-Pisa
REST HOUR AFTER EVERY MEAL: More rest, more relaxation sounds like a perfect plan! — Nate Jones
5:45AM REVEILLE: Early risers might appreciate the extra wake-up call, though the rest of us might need a little more sleep. — Toby Stanko
SOMEDAY EVERY SUMMER: Counselors love granting wishes! — Asher Berrebi
MORE BRIDGERS DAYS OFF: (Did a Bridger give you a candy night to write this?) — Henry Furniss
INFINITE DESSERTS: Because 13 desserts a week isn’t enough! — Brooks Brown
BRING BACK J-DOG POINTS: (Hugh, you’ve been granted 10,000 J-Dog points) — Hugh Hardy
GET HORSES: Bringing horses to camp could be a fun addition, but it’s a bit of a long shot considering the logistics. — Julian Bello
Our future directors have big dreams and even bigger imaginations! Who knows? Maybe one day we’ll get to live out some of these wild ideas!
Where’s Cutler?
Cutler is camouflaged in 6 different spots. How quickly can you track him down? Let the search begin!
Mark your calendars for 2025! heads - up!
ENROLLMENT IS OPEN!
FULL SEASON: Friday, June 27–Wednesday, August 13
1ST SESSION: Friday, June 27–Sunday, July 20
2ND SESSION: Tuesday, July 22–Wednesday, August 13
BRIDGE PROGRAM: Monday, June 23–Wednesday, August 13
VISITING WEEKEND: Saturday, July 19–Sunday, July 20
Have a friend that would love camp? Your family can receive a $500 tuition credit if you refer someone who attends Aloha, Hive, or Lanakila this summer! Let Ridge know if there’s someone you have in mind!
Campers and counselors line up one Monday night for Coucil Fire.
