Every summer is full of excitement and new adventures for campers at Ton-A-Wandah. Each camper designs her very own activity schedule on the first day of camp. She can choose up to twelve activities varying from waterfront activities to the arts. She has a set of six classes for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and another selection for Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. We encourage our ladies to sign up for things they love along with activites they have never tried before. We want to help them to create the camp experience that they have always dreamed of.
Mornings
The day begins with the Reveille sounding throughout camp at 7:45AM. As the girls begin to get ready, our kitchen staff is busy away preparing breakfast in our Dinning Hall along the lake. We operate on a three bell system that allows the campers and staff know when it is time for meals. At 8:00AM it signals to the campers that they need to wrap up what they are doing and begin heading down to the Dinning Hall. At 8:10AM the bell signals that everyone should be outside the Dinning Hall and on the Bridge. At 8:15AM the doors are open and the campers and staff find their seats. We all remain standing as we sing the Breakfast Blessing before we take our seats.
At Camp Ton-A-Wandah, we have family style seating. This means that the campers and staff sit together at tables with the meal already on the table. Along with the meal provided on the tabel we aslo have a buffet option for vegetarians and to give an alternate option so that all dietary needs are met. During the first week we sit with our cabins. The second week seating is done randomly to have the campers and staff meet other members of camp they may have never met before, and to integrate younger and older girls. For the final week of camp, the table assignments are arranged by tribes in celebration of tribe week. Once everyone at the table is finished with the meal, the table works as a team to clean up the dishes, taking them to the kitchen window, and wiping down the table.
After clean up, the CITs (Counselors In Training) lead everyone in traditional camp songs. We remain standing to face the flag to say the serenity prayer and the pledge of allegiance. Announcements are made after every meal to inform all campers about any trips going out, activity specifics for the day, and any other general information.
The most anticipated part of the morning is the Ms. Judy Hershey Bar Game. How the game works is everyone stands up and listens to Ms. Judy's questions for them. If they did what she asked, then they remain standing and if not, they sit down. Whoever is the last one standing comes forward and is faced with the final question. "Will it be the Hershey Bar, what is in the mystery bag, or what is on my mind?" Once she has chosen she is crowned the Hershey Bar Queen of the Day.
Cabin Cleanup
Breakfast is followed by the campers and counselors returning to their cabins for Cabin Cleanup. We believe in the importance of learning to be considerate of everyone's space and working together as a team to keep a cohesive living enviroment. After Cabin Cleanup when the campers have left for their first three activities, our Head Staff inspects each cabin and scores the cabin on specific cleanup standards. Each day the cabin is given a score along with goals for tomorrow or affirmation of what they are doing well. Every week, Head Staff from each cabin area select an 'Honor Cabin', who have exhibited an exceptional and consistent standard of tidiness and cleanliness and these three cabins receive a special surprise. On the Wednesday of the final week, the overall Honor Cabins winners are presented with the prize of Dolly's Ice Cream. The ice cream truck comes to camp for an afternoon of ice cream and lawn games!
General Swim
Everyday besides Sunday, at 12:20PM General Swim begins. This is a general free time at camp for the cabins to have bonding time. Campers are able to go swimming in the lake, jump on the blob, play on the trampoline or go paddelboardng. They also have the opportunity to go shopping at our camp store, Camper Cargo. We encourage the ladies to be outside, enjoying the lake or simply playing and bonding with their cabin mates.
Happy Nappy
After lunch we provide a rest hour called Happy Nappy. During this hour, the campers return to the cabins and are encouraged to do things that recharge and refreshes them. Many cabins create a spa time where they do face masks, braid hair, and do each others nails. Other cabins take the time to teach new card games to each other or take time to themselves. Many campers utilize this hour to take some personal time by reading, resting , making friendship braclets, or writing letters home. This hour is created to help everyone to recharge from the morning and gear up for another three acitivity periods of fun!
Shower Time
At 5:25PM, the girls return back to their cabins to get ready for shower time. We have two shower houses for campers. Hillside and Lakeside share one shower house while Hilltop has their own shower house nestled amongst their cabins on the hill.The cabins come down together to the shower houses with everything they need including their shower caddies, shower shoes, and wraps. Once they have gone through the shower line and finisned they return back to their cabin to change for dinner.
Evening Program
At the end dinner, our Evening Program Coordinator announces that night's Evening Program. Each program is kept secret from the campers until the big reveal. Our Evening Programs fall under three main categories; Active/Outside, Creative, and Tribe Events. Our Active/Outside events could be an all over camp Counselor Hunt or a search for gold to release our kidnapped Program Staff member. Creative programs include Counselor Runway where each cabin is given duct tape and trash bags in order to create a stunning outfit for their pageant contestant. Finally an evening could consist of a Tribe Event, such as Tribe Basketball and Volleyball. The campers sign up ahead of time if they wish to play for their tribe, while the rest of camp cheers on their tribe while sporting their tribal colors. As tradition continues, at the end of our Evening Programs we gather in a circle with the chiefs, co-chiefs, and head cheerleaders of each tribe in the centre. These ladies recite the Ton-A-Wandah creed and lead the rest of camp in singing taps to conclude the night.
