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Summer Camp
"I tried to think of the most harmless thing, something that I loved through my childhood. Stay Puft marshmallows…we used to roast Stay Puft marshmallows by the fire at Camp Lokanda."
—Ghostbusters
Welcome to this edition of M45 Momentum, a bi-monthly
e-newsletter for the business community featuring tips, trends and trivia from the experts at M45 Marketing Services.
Remember the bugle blaring reveille at summer camp, signaling it was time to get up and get going? Consider the May issue of Momentum as your own personal wake-up call. Now is your time to rise, shine, and try something new! Read on for tips on how to turn a workday or workweek into a professional version of summer camp. 
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Playing at the Pretzel City Festival
FHN's Pretzel City Festival, coming up in June, combines the best of summer camp activities with old-fashioned fun and an emphasis on fitness.
Teaming with several organizations in Freeport, Illinois, including Pretzel City USA, the Freeport Park District, the YMCA, and the Stephenson County Health Department, the co-sponsored event features arts and crafts activities like birdhouse building and rope making; fitness-focused events such as a kids triathlon and 5K run; a nature emphasis, which includes a "critter camp" and movie in the park; and musical offerings such as drumming circles and band performances.
FHN, a regional healthcare system based in Freeport strongly encourages outdoor activities as a way to enhance overall physical wellness and mental health. They selected M45 to plan the entire festival and oversee all event logistics, from food to flush tanks, from advertising to vendor contracts.
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Chart a new course
 When your parents signed you up for summer camp, chances are you looked forward to trying new activities – things like canoeing, orienteering, or singing around the fire that aren't standard to-do's at home. To grow as a professional, you need to look for personal growth opportunities in the business realm, too.
Here are some subjects to get you started if you'd like to plan a work-related "Summer Camp Day." Clear your calendar – and perhaps the calendars of your employees – and set off on an adventure that will help you look at the world in a different way.
"Summer Camp" Exploration Ideas:
Blogging Basics
Value of Viral Marketing
Photography Tips
RSS Tutorial
"Rise and shine, campers, and don't forget your booties 'cause it's cooooooold out there today!"
—Groundhog Day
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MAY 2007
 
Summer Camp means more than outdoor activities and bedtime ghost stories from the top bunk. Most credible camps have a craft component, too. (Think pine-cone paperweights and tin-can totem poles.)
Other than an occasional game of Pictionary™ or selecting a new wall color, can you recall the last time you used your artistic talents? Adults seldom seem to take the time to explore their imaginative selves. When faced with a creative challenge they hesitate to experiment, afraid to make a mistake or look stupid.
This summer, force the issue. Conjure up a "crafty" project and use the workplace to help you and your employees find your inner artiste:
- Design a team t-shirt.
- Build an office bookshelf.
- Experiment with PowerPoint.
- Bring in new plants and "go green."
- Change the pictures on your office walls.
- Sponsor a "create a new cubicle" contest.
- Braid a lanyard for a co-worker!
You'll stretch your camper wings, enhance right-brain thinking, and who knows…you may find you're more artistic than you ever thought you were.
And, when you need a professional approach or marketing advice, you can always turn to M45 for creative consultation and implementation. Whether you need a new logo, brochure, website or exhibit, our graphic artists embrace the blank slate that makes most people shudder…and make you look like you've come up with a crafty solution indeed. (Please — no requests that involve Popsicle™ sticks!)
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Camps must be considered cool
In the U.S. there are close to 10,000 camps that attract over six-million children each summer. While some camps may only last a few days, the average stay is around four weeks per child. A phenomenon that started around the 1900s, summer camps continue to grow in enrollment as long as there are parents with busy schedules and families with widely diverse interests.
Source: National Camp Association, Inc.
Adult education a "campground" of options
Of the 93.9 million Americans taking adult education courses, 27% of them are work-related. Traditional means of work-related courses include seminars, workshops, and continuing education classes. While these approaches are not like a day at camp, they DO allow employees a change of scenery that can enhance learning.
On the flip side, Webinars are fast becoming an economical way to educate employees, as they do not require travel and allow anyone to access them with a computer and a telephone. The upside? Both employees and employers like the option…and in some offices a casual venue, food, and camaraderie make these Internet seminars a cost-effective yet fun alternative to a typical workday or conventional seminar. No bug spray needed!
Camp can be a circus
Most people think of summer camp as an outdoor adventure, where getting closer to nature is the primary objective. Even bad scenarios, as parodied in the 1963 Allen Sherman tune "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh," conjure up visions of the great outdoors…idyllic or not.
Nowadays, the definition of summer camp is far broader than it used to be.
Kids (and grown-ups too) can master a favorite sport, learn basic stunts in
Hollywood, explore the life of a CSI, or simulate a secret-agent experience.
Yoga, cooking, circus skills, and astronomy are just a few of the other options.
Ready to pack your bag? Check out these links for additional ideas: www.kidscamps.com and www.grownupcamps.com.
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