Photos from a typical week at camp
Be ready for an exciting week at Franke Park Day Camp. We have so much packed into every day you won't want to miss even a minute of your day!!
When you arrive at camp you will find your counselor and tribe and sit with your tribe until Singing Tree. Do not worry about this, on the first day of camp you will meet your counselor and learn where your tribe will be waiting for you every day!!
Next stop, Singing Tree! You will learn a lot of new songs at Singing Tree and have lots of great laughs too!!
We then raise the flag and say the Pledge of Allegiance.
If you are in the 4-5 age group, your tribal home will be the Cherokee bull pen inside the Nature Lodge. Look how friendly and inviting this place is for you!
If you are in the 6-11 age group, you will find your bull pen in the Long House. You will keep all your basic supplies in your bull pen and it will be your home base.
On this particular day we head to the Long House and make various types of crafts...some of them are quite messy but we do not mind!!
What about some fun in a creek bottom? We explore Spy Run Creek for MESSY FUN???? I need to remind MOM that I will be getting dirty but having FUN...so only OLD CLOTHES for me!!
What about a pudding contest? The first one to completely lick the plate clean is the winner!
After this it is time to hit the trail. That means a quick trip to the Long House to gather up the supplies that we all need, a restroom break, time for bug spray and a final check before we head out.
Time to hit the trail...and what fun we have as we head to our camp site for the day!
Have you wondered what Bullet Hill is and why all the FUSS? Today we find out!
Back at Camp the Cherokees join us. Their counselor reads to them while we prepare the camp fire! Later the Cherokees get to make a drawing using the coals from the fire (don't worry mom we make sure they are nice and cool for our little campers).
On Fridays those campers that are 11 years of age by June 1st are eligible to earn a dogtag. What is expected of the 11 year olds?
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campers are blind-folded so they do not know where they’re being led by tribe in the woods
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create and decorate a talking stick
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remain silent from the time the flag is raised in the morning until it is lowered in the afternoon
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only allowed to speak three times throughout the day using a talking stick
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collect firewood
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light a fire using flint and steel
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extinguish fire
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fill out a fire permit
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assist in leading tribe through the woods back to camp
Each of our three tribe mates has succeeded and the pressure is off! Can you see how relaxed they are now? They are happy for they know in a little bit they will receive their dogtags!
Fridays also means Pow Wow practice. We want to do a great job for all the people coming to see us so we work very hard to perfect our dance skills!
After Pow Wow Practice, time to get to our camp site and prepare for lunch! Even though it is early still we know it will take us awhile to gather the wood, start the fire, and cook our food. It is worth it though in all of the fun we have in the woods!
This particular day we decide to try building a fire in the creek! It is a fabulous success!
Once we have our wood secure on the creek, time to start the fire-the hard way! It takes us some time but is worth it!!
Mostly though, instead of building a fire in the creek, we build our fire in the woods! Here we are enjoying both our campfire food and also the food we bring from home. We are pretty hungry from all this fresh air so we quickly devour our food!!
Before we leave camp we must fully put out our fire and complete our Fire Permit.
On hot days we may get a chance to cool off with a trip down the Soap Slide!
We have time this day for some fun games...and we especially like the bucket game on a hot day! This really cools us off.
Next stop to pick up our tie dye shirts so we can wear them for our Friday Pow Wow if we want.
Let's head to Mud Slide next! Depending on the summer the Mud Slide may be a muddy mess or a gentle ride.
Have you ever wondered what is involved in being chosen for the Fire Hoop Dance?
On a Thursday in July CIT's audition for this privilege. You must pass certain elements in order to
perform the Fire Hoop Dance at the Big Pow Wow in August. These CIT's are giving it their all!
As our week winds down on Friday we are successfully led back to camp by the 11 year olds.
It is time to get ready for the Pow Wow at 2:00 pm. Our counselors help us with our regalia
and our face paint. 
Look at us? Don't we look ready for our Pow Wow?!!
Before too long it is time for our trip down to Tribal Council to report in on our activities.
Each tribe gets a chance to perform for the Council. 
Some of us have special props to add to our dances.
All ages perform even the CIT's!
Mom don't be alarmed by the smoke...it is all part of the camp tradition that is 70 years
old this year!
Every Friday it is a special day for the 11 year olds at camp as they receive their dog
tags at the end of the Pow Wow! They survived all of their challenges and now are
eligible for this next step.
At 3:00 pm it is time for final songs at Singing Tree. 
The flag is lowered and the end of the camp for this week
draws to a close. It is a bittersweet moment... full of lots
of memories of the week. 
Annual Big Pow Wow
Summer 2019 to be announced
Franke Park
You won't want to miss this annual tradition.
Mark your calendar. And until then check out additional photos below!!
