Local students share camp experiences with Hononegah Woman's Club

ROCKTON, IL - Every year, the Hononegah Women's Club offers camperships to local students in grades 6 to 11 who live within the boundaries of Hononegah Community High School District.

Eligible students can receive funding to attend academic, vocational, or service camps related to fine arts, vocal or instrumental music, speech, leadership, 4-H, and scouting.

In past years, a wide array of presentations featured students interested in culinary school, horse camp, scouting, and fashion design.

It is customary for campers to present to the Hononegah Women's Club, which is one of the club's favorite programs of the year.

This year's recipients included two Boy Scouts and another who went to a camp that offered future leadership opportunities.

Hononegah senior Camden Greenfield and Willowbrook Middle School eighth-grader Mason Binger, both of Troop 620, gave a full slide presentation.

Greenfield and Binger went to Camp Tesonas in Wisconsin.

Camden Greenfield said, "There were about 10-15 troops there from Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin."

Greenfield said, "This is my first time successfully kayaking."

Mason Binger shared, "The rest of us went on paddle boards and we tried to flip each other off of our water crafts."

Greenfield said, "At animation, we learned how to do stop motion."

Binger said, "I worked on First and Second Class towards rank advancement. Within the past few weeks, I have actually completed both. I also got pretty close to finishing the camping merit badge."

"While we were tie-dying, it overflowed, and it looked like a crime scene," Greenfield said.

Binger added, "I also dyed my hands and fingernails for about two weeks."

Greenfield said, "At Tesonas every Friday night, they have a tradition that they call Mountain Dew Night. They used to have canned Mountain Dew, but they swapped the bottles this year."

Binger said, "They also try to trick you into saying you can't do it due to some sort of copyright franchise."

A photo flashed across the screen with Troop members donning customized T- shirts with the Mountain Dew colors and logo and the number 620.

The boys said in the dining hall that every year some things change, some don't.

Scouts came together in the Dining Hall to sing the lyrics of "Fill it up with that good Old Mountain Dew," with extra sound effects created by beating on the tables.

Troops stayed together at their own tables in the dining hall.

Every Wednesday night, the Grand Council does an Order of the Arrow Ceremony for OA members.

Binger said, "They do basically a sacred ceremony that is really cool. They do a ton of stuff with sand to make it colored, and they create a massive fire."

Greenfield and Binger shared a book filled with memories of their camp experience. Binger read a handwritten thank-you note to the Hononegah Women's Club.

In the note Binger expressed gratitude to the club for giving him the campership.

I had an incredible time hanging out with all of my scouts and having rank advancement. I also liked playing volleyball, chilling at the waterfront, and doing stuff like shooting sports. It was an incredible experience and it created some really good memories.

HCHS freshman Leo Wolf reflected on his camp experience.

I went to Camp Anokijig, about 10 minutes outside Plymouth, Wisconsin, which is about 2.5 hoursaway.

This was my fourth year attending that co-ed camp.

Campers' ages range from 7-16, a really big range of people that can attend. After that, you can become a counselor, and after a few years, you can make it your job if you like.

There is a lot to do there in the six days.

They have many activities on the waterfront. They have fishing on and off the water, kayaking and paddle boarding, and canoes. It is on Little Elkhart Lake, andit is really nice.

They have some shooting sports, they have different levels of archery, and riflery for BB and pellet guns, plus an arts and crafts program and woodworking.

I had the opportunity to become a staffer, which is the next step to becoming a counselor.

On a typical day, I would get up and go to breakfast. If I were to do that, I wouldn't have much time because I would be doing dishes for 500 people.

Staffers start at age 15. Their motto is "We Serve." It is a very nice community of people there."
The Racine YMCA founded Camp Anokijig in 1926, but sold it in 2005. The camp runs 13 weeks a year. You can go anywhere for a week to a whole summer to Camp Anokijig.

Wolf said, “I hope to become a counselor by next year.”

They have day trips that include extra activities, such as going to a water park, playing paintball, orhorseback riding.

Wolfe will be returning in the fall and plans to serve as a counselor that weekend.
I see a lot of familiar faces every year. Everyone I have met there has come back several times.