Fireside Chats at
Established 1925 Camp Daggett
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03001 Church Road
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Petoskey, Michigan 49770
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www.campdaggett.org
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Fall 2014
From The Desk of The Executive Director:
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tatistics would prove that, overall, autumn is the favorite and most popular season when referencing national polls. I guess that I would also be part of this particular statistic. However, I do appreciate all seasons and most certainly respect the variety of elements that accompany each one of them. Our four seasons are unique in their own respective ways. Subsequently, in my strong opinion, autumn trumps the other three by ushering-in fall harvests, crisp cool air, and one of Mother Nature’s most brilliant spectacles, especially in our northern hemisphere laden with a variety of deciduous trees along with one exceptional conifer, the Eastern tamarack. Yes, the Larix laricina is the only true deciduous conifer that we have in our northern woods. I wonder if all the other conifer species subliminally snicker and ridicule this tree for doing such a strange thing each fall. “Huh, to disrobe and shed one’s needles – how absurd!” Dare to be different...... But then again, I wonder if all the other conifer species first admire and marvel at its striking, nearly fluorescent, gold needles just prior to them gently trickling to the forest floor? Dare to be different..... The Camp Daggett organization is not deciduous in nature (pun intended), nor do we lose our needles in the fall
season. Yes, we are all thankful for lacking both of these happenstances. However, we do dare to be different in many ways. For example, how many residential youth programs in our neck of the woods have the luxury of enjoying a shoreline on one of Michigan’s most premiere inland lakes – Walloon Lake? Not many, but there are a select few. How many regional residential youth programs survived the trials and tribulations of World War I, The Great Depression, World War II, and in most recent history - the Great Recession? Again, not very many, but there are a few still remaining. As this pool of eligible candidates to the questions being asked gets smaller and smaller, here are a few more inquiries to ponder. How many residential youth programs had campers from 23 different states in 2014? And out of those programs, how many have remained true to their core traditional youth programming for 90 years? Hey, if it isn’t broke – why fix it? Now, here is the kicker. Are you ready for this one? Out of those programs, how many have remained technologyfree for the well-being of its campers in order to ensure meaningful and memorable experiences exempt from the distractions of digital dementia? All fingers point to Camp Daggett. Approaching nine decades now, we have dared to be different in order to
stand true to our mission statement. That statement being, “A tradition since 1925 of providing quality character building experiences through educational and recreational programs in a safe, fun environment; serving all ages with an emphasis on youth.” Keep in mind that the word “normal” is only a setting on the washing machine. Dare to be different! Yours in service, Brent A. Marlatt Executive Director
More in this issue ... CDAC Promotes Positive School Climate
Director’s Award Winners
Memories of Camp Daggett by Clark Ketchum
...See Inside