Hello Reader,

Welcome to our new alumni email series! Around the second Tuesday of each month, we'll share stories from the Northwoods, the trail, and beyond. You'll hear from alumni and staff from all corners of Chippewa's storied history.

First up is Sam Endres. We hope you enjoy!

Dip Time!

In my first years as a camper, I hated swim class.​
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Oddly, ever since my first lesson, I have loved swimming. As an 8-year-old, I exasperated my counselors (thank you for your patience, Pato and Chris!) daily because I never wanted to get out of Cass Lake before Taps.
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It was the getting-into-the-water part that I didn’t like.
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Jumping into a lake is a shock to the system! After that first jolt, being in the water is a joy. On chillier days, there is an unmistakable contentedness after that initial shock.

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Like every alumni knows, dip time is a surefire way to peacefulness. As psychologists know, immersion in cool water is one of the most effective ways to release energy and trigger a parasympathetic nervous system response, sending cues of calm and safety through our whole body.
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Even so, the lovely 75-degree lakes at camp still require no small amount of gumption before jumping in.
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Connecting the dots and understanding “this will be worth it even though it is hard” is an essential lesson in childhood. It is how, as adults, we can go to work, shovel the driveway, get out of bed in the morning, and achieve our goals. For campers, this first “jumping in the lake” lesson is expanded upon during rough portages and long days of paddling during their teenage summers. At camp, boys acquire durable skills in resilience and delayed gratification and carry them for life.
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​Without realizing it, I spent my childhood summers doing valuable reps that prepared me for adulthood. Each swim class, each leap into the lake, I was strengthening my “I can do hard stuff” muscles.​
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Today, I am enamored with bodies of water—especially leaping into them. Creeks, rivers, lakes, the ocean, unheated pools, cold tubs at my gym—all of them give me the thrill, joy, and clear-headedness that I first loved in Cass Lake.
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But as much as I love water, and as many times as I have jumped in, it is hard each time.
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I know it will be worth it, but it is hard not to hesitate, hard not to be tempted by thoughts of “eh, what if I just skipped it?”
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Here is where camp does a world of good for our campers. Every single day, they overcome the momentary challenges and experience the rewards of doing so.
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I really hate jumping into cold water. And I really love it. I know I’ll be better off if I do. But inaction is tempting. It all comes down to having the courage and resolve to take the leap.
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Isn’t that just life?

Just keep swimming,

Sam, Camp Director

P.S. Would you like to share a story from Cass Lake or how a counselor impacted you? Just hit reply and let us know!