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by Sam Hirt

Facing Fears and Learning a Little About Retreats

You may be surprised to learn (hopefully not) that we operate all year round. We are actually very busy throughout the year with Groups & Conferences and Outdoor Education. Because Summer Camp is our century-long bread and butter program, I wanted to chat with our Groups & Conferences director, Joy McCauley, about another century-long program: retreats at Camp. But before I started asking her questions, I had her take me up in the trees, quite literally, on our Skywalkers ropes course, a premiere feature of some of our retreat experiences.

Sam: All right, Joy — where are we?

Joy: We’re at Skywalkerss, on the second level. We’re probably about 22 or 24 feet up.

Sam: It feels like so much more than that.

Joy: It always seems higher from up here. When you’re down on the ground, you think, “Oh, that’s not so high.” Then you get up here and it’s a different story.

Sam: True — but picture two basketball rims stacked up. That’s about ten feet. I feel like we’re a hundred of those in the air right now.

Joy: I don’t play basketball, so I’ll just trust you on that one.

Bringing a Group to Camp

Sam: What if someone wants to bring their group here? Can people do that?

Joy: Absolutely. We host all kinds of groups at Skywalkers for all kinds of purposes. It can be as short as an hour. We’ve had junior board–style groups — young professional organizations — come out for a visit. Often they’ll start with about 25 minutes of name games and get-to-know-you activities, then come out here and spend an hour on the course. It can also be one piece of a longer overnight stay — you won’t sleep up here, obviously, but it becomes part of the full camp experience.

Sam: So cool. What about the rest of a group’s stay? What else can they do at camp?

Joy: Honestly, the best part of Camp Tecumseh is that we can shape the experience around whatever a group is looking for. That can range from simply using our meeting spaces and facilities, to a full overnight stay — staying in cabins, eating in the dining hall, and if our program areas are open, jumping into archery, the black hole slide, canoeing, hiking, and other traditional camp activities.

Facing Fears on the Course [The conversation continues as the two move across different elements of the course.]

Sam: I’ve only ever gone up here once before — made it about halfway. I’ve never done the highest elements; that’s just too scary for me. I’m facing my fear today. I’ll do one more and then I’m calling it. So — why does this benefit me?

Joy: There’s a lot to it. What’s great about this activity is that it works for a huge range of experience and comfort levels — people who’ve done it before and people who never have. We talk a lot with groups about goal-setting before they come up here. Think about what success looks like for you on this course. For some people, that’s simply putting on the harness and making it up the stairs. For others, it’s completing every element on the highest level. It’s an individual activity, but it’s also a team one — you get to see what your teammates are comfortable with, what they’re not, what they’re willing to try, and you get to encourage each other and watch what everyone accomplishes.

Sam: I’m thinking back to times I’ve done this with a group before — I was braver then, because I had everyone around me. Brave in numbers. Right now, not feeling as brave — but I am still facing my fear. You said we’re 20-something feet up. Feels more like two or three hundred.

Joy: Exactly. Spot on. A lot of what we do here mirrors our actual jobs. You’re the marketing director — photos, video, all of that. I’m the groups and conference director — I facilitate groups. Our roles are pretty separate day to day, but we’re still part of one team, supporting each other even while we’re each in our own lane.

Sam: I like that. And there’s more to meeting at camp than just this course, right? What are other ways groups can meet here?

Joy: We have a lot of different meeting spaces built to fit different group sizes and needs — whatever AV setup you need, whether you’re bringing in a worship band or just meeting with your core team. We can also host multiple groups at the same time, which is great.

Meals and Overnight Stays

Sam: What about groups that want to sleep and eat here — what’s that experience like?

Joy: All of our overnight packages include meals in our dining hall. We offer several rate options depending on the number of nights and meals you need. It’s classic camp-style food, served buffet style — your group gets its own table or tables, and you come through and grab your food. Our kitchen is great with dietary accommodations and other special needs, so it works well for a wide range of groups. We always have a salad bar too.

Sam: From what I’ve seen, some groups like to eat quickly and get right back to activities, while others like to take their time around the table and make that part of the experience.

Joy: Definitely both happen. Ideally, we love having groups here for two nights — that gives you time to focus on whatever your organization’s mission or goals are, plus room to add in facilitated program areas if you want us involved. I think that’s one of the best things about bringing a group here: team building is important, but team bonding might matter even more. Getting outside your normal routine, being in a place like this, and having shared experiences together adds so much to a team’s dynamics and culture.

Learning More

Sam: How can someone learn more, or reach out?

Joy: Check out our website — there’s a lot of good information and photos so you can see what the different spaces look like. And beyond that, always feel free to call or email me directly.

Sam: Perfect. All right!

Joy: Cool.

Sam: Good.

Learn more about bringing your group to Camp today!