You may have heard that this summer marks 25 years of Camp Nor’wester being able to call Johns Island home. While many older alumni think of Johns Island as the “new” camp location, more than a quarter of Nor’wester’s almost 90-year history has been spent here. Alumni who were young staff members in the early [...]
Walking around Johns Island last night, you would have found Camp unusually quiet; no campfires in units, no whispered conversations in tents, no outhouse doors slamming, just a blanket of bright stars and the sound of waves. Where are all the campers? They are out on overnights! What does that mean when we talk about [...]
Despite years of working at Nor'wester and other camps, when I picture mealtime at a summer camp, I picture the sloppy joe mess hall scene in the Mary-Kate and Ashley classic "It Takes Two." While meals at Camp Nor'wester can contain a certain energy, the unbridled chaos represented in summer camp movies is not our [...]
As the sun sets over the waters of the Puget Sound, a buzz of excitement fills the air at Camp Nor’wester. The moment our campers have been eagerly anticipating has arrived—the first night of a new session! On the morning of arrival day, the majority of campers converge at the airport or a school in [...]
As the sun set on the final night of First Session, there was a whirlwind of emotions. From the thrill of conquering challenges together to the laughter echoing through the woods, each moment has woven itself into the fabric of unforgettable memories. Those memories are cemented by the final days of camp, occupied by the [...]
At Camp Nor'wester, the Unit System is the backbone of our programming, creating a unique environment where campers of similar age and gender live together and share their camp experience. Units spend more or less all day, every day together; they participate in activities, eat meals, and live as a group. This summer's first session [...]
Trips are an essential part of the Camp Nor’wester experience. Starting as Voyageurs and Foresters (13-year-old/7th-grade grads), campers spend four or five days of their session on trips. For many returning campers, these trips are highly anticipated, something they’ve been working toward since their first years at Nor’wester. The Nor'wester trip experience begins with [...]
Once a session, we celebrate Island Fair Day, a community celebration and fun day. The morning is spent setting up. Units split into smaller groups and work at various stations around the island to bake pies for the pie baking competition, build milk carton boats for the regatta in the afternoon, and set up their [...]
Written by 2024 Unit Leader, Olivia Camilli Campers come tomorrow and we are beyond excited to see them! We have been doing staff training for the last two weeks. We had amazing training sessions, everything from how to support campers to how to make summer more fun. Staff Training is a careful balance between skill [...]
Second Session ended yesterday with lots of tears, laughter, and hugs. The final weekend of Camp is sure to be remembered for many years. As campers come home with trunks overflowing, grass in inconvenient locations, and maybe a few scratches from playing outside, we hope they also come home with many stories to share. We [...]
