Ways we build Community in the huts
Dear Camp Winnataska parents,
At Camp Winnataska, one of our core values is Community. We believe in the power of shared experiences to help children grow—socially, emotionally, and spiritually. Since last summer, our staff has been thinking about how we can keep building stronger community experiences for our campers.
New for 2025:
Hut Arrangements in Chickasaw and Cherokee
We’ve made some exciting upgrades to our youngest campers’ huts on Mainside! In place of the previous mix of bunk beds and single beds per side, these huts now feature all bunk beds - just like our Chico huts for our very youngest campers.
This opens up more space in the middle of each hut. That means more room for group games, small group conversations, card playing, devotionals, and just hanging out together.
It also helps campers manage their space more easily. The new arrangement helps to more clearly define each camper's space and shelving. It’s easier for campers to keep track of their things and keep their area tidy. (Less floor clutter = fewer lost socks!) Leaders will also be able to help campers maintain their personal space with gentle structure and routine.
We know that change can feel big, but this shift is grounded in what already works well with our youngest age group—and we believe it will only enhance the sense of community, organization, and belonging in these spaces.
Bed Assignments
For nearly 15 years, campers chose beds by drawing popsicle sticks on arrival day. This summer, we’re formalizing our Mainside bed assignment process. Camper names will be randomly pre-assigned to beds in our Mainside huts, and beds will be labeled by name when you arrive on Sunday. As always, buddies will be on the same side of the cabin, but might not be in beds next to each other.
So, why the change?
It helps campers and leaders learn names more quickly.
It improves safety—allowing for faster check-ins and easier logistics.
If a camper needs to go home unexpectedly, staff can pack belongings more efficiently.
It supports our community values while still honoring reciprocal buddy requests.
We know campers often feel more secure attending with a buddy, and we can almost always honor 1–2 reciprocal buddy requests. This policy is about encouraging growth through meeting new friends - one of the great life skills camp offers.
As former Disney CEO Michael Eisner said in his book Camp: “Camp is the place where friendships are forged without distraction, and those friendships often last a lifetime.”
Regarding Similar Attire
One thing we’ve noticed in recent years is the trend of buddy groups arriving in matching outfits. While we know this comes from a place of excitement, it can unintentionally create division for campers who come without a buddy. When a hut includes 5, 10, or even 20 campers from one area in coordinated clothes, it instantly signals to the other campers that they’re on the outside.
Camp is about inclusion. It’s where kids learn to be part of something bigger than themselves. You can help by encouraging your camper to show up as themselves—not the group version.
Why Camp Friendships Matter
Community at camp is more than just who you bunk with. It’s learning to cheer each other on in shooting sports, to compromise during clean-up, and to laugh with someone new in the Dining Hall.
As Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 reminds us: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other.”
Research shows that summer camp supports social development by teaching teamwork, empathy, and communication—especially in today’s world where digital connections often replace real ones. As Jonathan Haidt notes in The Anxious Generation, our kids are growing up in a culture of distraction and documentation. At Camp Winnataska, we offer a place where relationships grow face-to-face, not screen-to-screen.
Thanks for being part of the Winnataska family—we’re grateful to grow this community with you.
Faithfully,
Elin Glenn
Executive Director
P.S. You can find more about our buddy policy and what to expect this summer on our website here. And if you haven’t yet, check out the wonderful parent resources from Raising Boys & Girls - great stuff on helping kids build community, especially this podcast episode.