As we all prepare to kick off the holiday season with a BANG this week, we at Camp Shaw felt it necessary to remind you as to what important days are coming up. So sit back, relax and thank us later.

Thursday, November 26th: Thanksgiving – Eat lots, enjoy your family, and take lots of selfies.
Friday, November 27th: Black Friday – Shop until you drop, drink some coffee and take lots of selfies.
Saturday & Sunday: Don’t get dressed, sleep-in, decorate the house for the holidays and … take lots of selfies.
Monday November 30th: Cyber Monday – Shop from the comfort of your own home, don’t get dressed and well you know …

Seems like a pretty hectic few days, huh? There is one more day on this crazy calendar, however, that we would like to share with you:

Tuesday, December 1st: Giving Tuesday

Since its inauguration in 2012, this day has been deemed as a day of charitable giving. Giving Tuesday is 24 hour period of time for individuals to financially support the nonprofit organizations whose missions and services they closely follow. Giving Tuesday serves as a means to spotlight the selfless contributions of individuals in a highly materialistic driven world . This day is a day to foster change and to show the good in our nation and communities.

So the question is, will you be joining us this year? Camp Shaw-Waw-Nas-See is dedicated to providing youth with life changing overnight summer camp experiences. Our goals are to provide campers with the ability to further develop social skills, learn independence along with being able to proactively problem solve with their peers in a fun and safe environment. It is through the financial support of our donors that we are able to keep our mission alive.

A financial contribution, no matter the amount, to Camp Shaw-Waw-Nas-See this Giving Tuesday will not go unnoticed. Here are just a few examples of what a donation to Camp Shaw will allow us to do:

• We can provide financial assistance to families who may not be able to afford to send their child to camp.
• We are able continue to purchase equipment, like bows, arrows and targets, to keep our program equipment up to date and safe.
• We are able to introduce new programs to keep the magic of camp alive and well, like our extreme tree climbing program.
• We can continue to make updates to our facilities, like painting our cabins and heating our buildings.
• We are able to hire more staff to keep our ratios low so youth are getting direct attention from caring and compassionate staff members.

As we prepare to celebrate 70 years of overnight camp at Camp Shaw-Waw-Nas-See we want to make sure that we will be around for another 70 years. Overnight camp experiences can be truly life changing and we want to continue to offer such amazing opportunities for youth.  Consider supporting Camp Shaw this Giving Tuesday. You won’t regret it and we will forever be grateful.  So mark your calendars for December 1 and we will all celebrate and have some fun!

Wishing all a  magical Thanksgiving holiday,

Greg “Timber” LaPlante – Executive Camp Director
Carson “Canadia” Cross – Assistant Camp Director

Find out more about Giving Tuesday at: http://www.givingtuesday.org/about/

Save the Date:
Saturday, February 6th, 2016: Have A Heart Send A Kid To Camp Annual Fundraiser at Tuscany Falls Banquets in Mokena, IL

“Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand.”

-Neil Armstrong

Have you ever met the spirits of Camp Shaw? As you very well may know, Camp Shaw may have some friendly spirits roaming around and we would like you to meet some of them.

Chief Shaw & his Native followers:
It is no secret that Camp Shaw gets it’s name from the great Chief Shaw-Waw-Nas-See who led the Potawotami Native American Tribe. The tribe has a historical reputation of promoting peace. Chief Shaw and his tribe once roamed these grounds that we now inhabit. Have they truly left though? There have been lights turned on in the dead of Winter when only one or two people are here. Porch lights on the cabins just turn on. P16 has a notorious history of being lit up with no explanation.  Could Chief Shaw and his followers be letting us know that they are still here?

An ominous shot facing Tascher Hall

Merle Tascher:
Does the last name sound familiar? Merle E. Tascher was one of the founding Directors of Camp Shaw-Waw-Nas-See in 1946. He served as a loyal member of the board of directors and played an instrumental part in making Camp Shaw the overnight camp that it is today. To show the tremendous appreciation held towards him, the dining hall was named after him. On late, dark nights multiple camp staff members have reported the body of an elderly gentleman dressed in a flannel shirt sitting on the porch of Tascher Hall. It has been advised to greet the figure with, “Good evening, Mr. Tascher.” and continue on your way. Doors creek and slam for no apparent reason and even soda pop cans have been heard opening in the dining hall when nobody was in there. Could Merle Tascher be keeping tabs on the camp staff to make sure they are continuing his legacy?

The plaque honoring Merle Tascher that hangs in Tascher Hall.

The Woman in White:
Have you ever walked across the bridge in the dead of the night with not a soul around? A few brave souls have and there have been accounts of  a woman dressed all in white standing near the water of the creek. It’s almost as if she is searching for something… or someone. Legend has it that the Woman in White may be searching for her children. She may not be able to part until she finds them. Are they here, too? We have had reports of children laughter being heard coming from cabin 8 in Woodlands. Could those be the laughter of her children never wanting to leave Camp Shaw? We will let you decide.

The Bowl is filled with mysterious fog coming from the Rock Creek

While we cannot be certain that spirits roam our grounds, we can keep telling the stories that have been passed down from generation to generation. Here is hoping for a fun and safe Halloween weekend! Don’t stop by Camp Shaw,  for we are locking the gates and letting the spirits have their very own Monster Mash!

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

We constantly hear, “Technology is ruining our kids!” Rather than getting lost in the imagination of the outdoors, our youth trap themselves indoors glued to their phones, gaming systems, tablets […] The list goes on. While we are constantly improving our use of emoji combinations and abbreviations such as lol, rotfl and OMG!!, we are losing an extremely crucial part what it may mean to be a well-rounded member of society: Civic Engagement

Now it’s no secret that times have changed and we are living in a much different world than we lived in twenty, even ten, years ago. The ways in which we decide to spend our free time may not be like how our grandparents chose to do it.  That’s fair. Let us, though, humor the idea of what it could mean to volunteer for a cause deemed necessary for the continuation of social good. Let us, for example, consider volunteering once a week with Miracle League of Joliet. This organization gives young adults and children with physical and cognitive disabilities the opportunity to play baseball simply because, “Every child deserves to play baseball.” Those who volunteer with this organization are able to be paired with a buddy for weekly baseball games throughout the fall and spring seasons. The smiles and courage that surface during these games is truly magical and it is through the service of dedicated volunteers that makes it possible. Think of the reward that comes with having a direct influence on a child’s life. While the reward may not be a physical one like cash or a gift certificate, it will be an internal reward that will allow you to make a  positive difference in a person’s life.

As we enter into the month of November let us consider finding an organization to volunteer with. Whether that is playing baseball with kids, reading to the elderly in a nursing home, or making your way out to Camp Shaw for an afternoon of service, you won’t be disappointed. We may not have the money to donate, but we do have the time. Let’s show our youth the wonders that can come through volunteering. Let’s show them that there is more to life than video games and text messaging. Let’s show them that they can make a difference in somebody’s life.

Take care, be well and happy Fall!

As the 70^th summer of Camp Shaw-Waw-Nas-See quickly approaches, we find ourselves looking back over all these fun-filled years. While so much has changed from our first summer to the present one, there is one thing that has been a constant throughout it all…the amazing people! It never fails that every summer our grounds are filled with incredible campers and staff ready to explore, learn, and have some Shaw fun. So to remember and honor these past 70 years of camp, we’re putting together something special and we need help from all of you who spent your summers here as campers, counselors, volunteers, staff, etc. Here is what we need you to do:

First, go through all of those old boxes collecting dust in your attic and find all the pictures from your time at Camp Shaw. Whether it’s a picture of you in your cabin with your old camp friends, stomping through the creek, or eating in the dining hall we want to see them all!

Second, think of some of your favorite or most memorable stories from camp.  What memory do you look back on that still makes you laugh? What moment inspired you to become a counselor? We want to reminisce with you and hear your years of Shaw memories.

Lastly, tell your friends! Help us get the word out there and bring in as many responses as we can get. Our goal is to hear from alumni representing every decade since the first year we opened in 1945. Share this post on Facebook, email it to those you still keep in touch with, anything you can do!

When you have your pictures and memories all ready to share, you have a couple of options on how to get them to us. You can email them to Events@campshaw.org, you can mail them to or drop them off at camp (6641 N 6000W Rd, Manteno, IL 60950; we’ll take great care of them and you will get them back), or you can send them to our Facebook page.

Thanks for all of your help and we’re very excited to here from you!