Each camper's daily activities take place within his own group to best meet his individual needs. Each group has its own group leader, who has been at Takajo for many years, an assistant group leader, and its own staff. Each counselor works only within his group so he gets to know each camper personally. This helps the counselor perform more effectively in his activity.
To promote a fraternal feeling among all of the boys, the entire camp joins together at least twice a week for special events, such as the Carnival, Fourth of July assembly and fireworks, dramatics presentations and musicals, talent nights, weekly cookouts, and Indian Council Fires.
Perhaps the single biggest factor in a child's adjustment to camp is his bunk placement. Several weeks each spring are devoted to making up bunks based on information gleaned from personal visits, phone conversations, and notes about a boy's particular likes and dislikes. Compatibility, experience, and interests are the main considerations when placing boys together in a bunk. Other criteria, such as age and grade level, are easily met because of the number of boys in each age group. The ability to make compatible groupings is a major advantage of having forty to sixty boys of the same age and grade.
The program for each age group is structured and diversified. There is competition in team activities— baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis, hockey, flag football, and lacrosse. Each time a camper goes to a team activity, he receives instruction first. The allotted time is geared to the concentration span inherent at each age level. Instruction is followed by a full regular game against one of the other teams in the "league." The teams are balanced. There are no "A" or "B" teams. After the first three weeks of camp, a new league is created to give each camper a chance to mix it up with the other boys in his group and to create new stimulation in the various athletic programs.
Participation in team sports is complemented by an extensive array of hobbies and skills. Hobbies include nature study, painting and drawing, crafts, ceramics, music, dramatics, journalism, digital photographic, videography, woodworking, radio and electronics, rock climbing, and pioneering. Skills consist of tennis, golf, archery, weight and fitness training, sailing, water skiing, canoeing, and swimming.
Pioneering and tripping activities include backpacking, day hikes and overnight camping, mountain and rock climbing, whitewater canoeing, and ropes course socialization activities. These activities are a significant part of many campers' programs.
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