Life at Camp

Have you got that beat? That Kupugani beat?  This is a fun camp song that takes some campers and counselors (and camp directors) a lifetime to master! You arrive at camp on the Sunday and are having a great time, when dinner time arrives and returning campers start with the Kupugani beat! So they do it really slow and you think you’re starting to get it, when two words you don’t want to hear happen–“full speed”! And suddenly all that you thought you had disappears and you know nothing again. Don’t […]

Have you ever tried slack-lining? No? Neither had I, until I came to Kupugani. There is no feeling like standing on a two and a half inch wide piece of fabric and feeling every muscle in my body functioning to keep me balanced. Determination rushes through my mind that I just want to keep bettering my previous effort, even if it is just one extra step. It’s addictive. I may only be two feet above the ground, but I feel on top of the world, challenging myself and conquering something […]

You have a camp song for any occasion. You never say Wu unless that is your cabin. You have enough camp swag to last you two weeks. You look above doors to see if they are “In” or “Out” doors. You say you’ve stacked 10 crates and everyone thinks you are crazy. You say oopaa at home when someone drops something. You feel guilty when you’ve started the sixth minute of your shower. You have recurring dreams about coffee cake and Chicken Kiev. You wake up with “Ain’t Nothin Wrong […]

What it’s like to be an international counselor?  It is a totally strange experience flying four thousand miles from England to a small place called Leaf River Illinois to work as a camp counselor.  Nonetheless, at the beginning of this summer, armed with a bag full of sweets and other home comforts, I set on my way.  After arriving in America and being picked up at the bus station by the lovely (food service manager and co-camp owner) Natasha, I arrived at Camp Kupugani, thinking I would be greeted by […]

Having had a touch extra of water in the flats of camp at the beginning of the session, we were temporarily without the use of some of the usual camptivities.  Undeterred, in a creative effort by the counselors and staff, camptivity periods filled with counselor specialties. From Mud Creations to Stage Combat, the offerings are as unique and fascinating as the counselors themselves. Each camptivity is exciting and especially engaging not only because that’s just what we do as camp counselors, but also because the subject is something that the […]

Clean cabins from top to bottom Make sure bathrooms are sparkly clean Move into a new cabin and set up your bunk Decide on a crazy cool theme for your cabin Prepare the grill for some delicious grub at the potluck Work on memorizing the songs written by campers last session so you can sing them during Session Two Put the finishing touches on the curriculum for next session’s teams and evening activities Restock LaTienda with delicious snacks Join the 4-week campers at the waterpark for lots of fun and […]

“The women I know best speak from their chests, not from their adenoids, and they laugh from the gut or even lower. The women I know best walk freely, loosely, claiming their space, taking their place. They do not apologize for existing.”                                                 – Anne Cameron Every year at Camp Kupugani, we cover the mirrors all over camp with white paper. Over the next few days, the papers fill with encouraging words and “love letters” to eyes, and thighs and hair. An essential part of Camp Kupugani’s mission is encouraging […]

…To the camper who faced their fears and scaled the tough side of the Rock-wall. …To an excellent comment given during the “label me” activity during teams this morning. …To a certain dynamic duo who made the camp office run a little smoother today. …To the camper who helped a cabin mate with homesickness. …To the wonderful friendships that are beginning in our first few days at camp. …An anonymous shout-out to every single empowered lady of camp Kupugani: Each and every one of our diverse campers and counselors contribute […]

Today, Kupugani welcomes a new bunch of lovely ladies for girl’s session one! We’re missin’ our blended campers, but so ready to welcome a whole new family of wonderful empowered ladies to camp. The Cabin counselors are hard at work preparing the cabins. Glue-covered and paper cut, they are putting together exciting themes for each cabin. What will the summer hold for the 41 lovely ladies of camp Kupugani? Only time will tell…

Saturday night, the campers got a much-needed rest after their soccer victory that day. After watching the Moana on top field, they spent the night sleeping under the stars. On Sunday, after a lazy breakfast of donuts, the campers got to work with their cabins writing their songs and skits for the night’s show.  However, it wasn’t all hard work. The campers played gaga and did plenty of arts and crafts. The show was a roaring success, with all of the cabins bringing their best to the table. Congratulations to […]

Celebrating Diversity It was a beautiful day to celebrate diversity here at Camp Kupugani with sunny skies, a nice breeze, and birds chirping. We spent our camptivities climbing on rocks and up crates, learning to trot on horses, exciting gaga games, swimming, and shooting arrows. Before closing our eyes we watched Brown Eyes, Blue Eyes (a movie exploring discrimination in the classroom and how it affects children). 

Today, we would like to give a shout out to grown-folk who love their campers very much and know when to let go. Each year, many (if not most) campers deal with a little bit of missing home. In order for campers to have the most fun possible at camp, and the best personal development, sometimes the best thing to do is allow them to experience homesickness. Although it might be hard to get back in the car when your child is begging you to stay, sometimes detaching yourself and […]