1. When did you work as a Camp Brosius staff member, and what was your role? I understand that you have also been a longtime guest. How many summers do you think you’ve gone to Camp Brosius? Currently, where is home for you? And tell me about the family members you bring along with you to camp.
I worked at Camp Brosius as a counselor in the Children’s Program during the summers of 1989 and 1990. I have been coming to camp as a guest for about 14 years, starting around 2002. My husband, Mark, was also on staff in 1989, and we met at camp. We both graduated from Indiana University. We currently live in Bloomington, IN and work for the university. We now bring our two children, Matt, 17, and Rachel, 13, to camp. We have also brought our parents, siblings, in-laws, friends, and other former staff with us to camp though the years. It is a great place for a family reunion because there is a wide variety of programming for all ages. Our children have been coming to camp for many years and always look forward to coming back, seeing their friends, going on the lake, and participating in the groups. They look forward to what group they will be in next year, new things they will get to try, and reconnecting with longtime friends. Now, they talk about wanting to work as counselors, too.
2. What is it that made you want to work on the Camp Brosius staff? And what do you enjoy most about the camp during your stay each summer?
Wiley Craft, the current camp director, was a teacher at my high school in Indianapolis and recruited me to work at camp. We attended the same church, and I used to babysit his children when they were young. When Wiley asked me about working at camp, I thought a lot about it and decided it would be fun to spend the summer meeting new friends, working at a place connected to Indiana University, living on the lake, and getting out of my comfort zone. I met some of my best friends by working at camp. There are so many things I enjoy about coming back to camp each year, it is hard to narrow it down to just one. I really enjoy that many of the same families return the same week each year. We are all excited to be together again and spend time doing the things we enjoy at camp. There are a lot of traditions that repeat every year-campfires with the same songs, camp counselors dressed as Indians, campfire skits, the Talent Show, sailing regattas, for the kids-lake hikes to Gesserts, trips to Anchor Lanes, and the water carnival on Friday afternoons, and theme-nights (if you see superheroes wandering around town on Fridays you will know why). There is always the opportunity to try new things or local activities (archery, Hennings Cheese tour, the Marsh Tower climb, visiting LaClare goat farm, local wineries and gardens, Kohler, Henshel’s Trout Farm and Indian Museum) to explore as well. There are plentiful opportunities for exercise, crafts, reading, sports tournaments (kickball, volleyball, horseshoes, euchre, sailing) rewarded for children and adults alike with token cards at Friday night campfire. Personally, I love to take a lake hike every day and swim when the lake is calm every morning. Elkhart Lake is so beautiful, clear, and relaxing. I joke that it is the Fountain of Youth. The lake is easy to navigate by swimming, paddle board, kayak, sailboat, or ski boat. It is fun to try new water sports-I learned to ski here on an old, red, seatless staff boat at Brosius and my daughter learned here as well, but on a well-equipped boat from Victorian Village. I love that the more Brosius and Elkhart Lake changes, the more it stays the same. I love to go to the Tiki Bar or to town to shop in the afternoon with my husband or other parents while our children are having fun with their counselors during the day. We always go to Siebkens on Wednesday nights for live music and dancing. My husband loves to golf at Quit Qui Oc and other local golf courses. It is more than a trip, it is a true vacation for everyone in the family because so much is provided at camp. We have long standing relationships and a true sense of community for the week that no other vacation provides. Everyone has a friend to do something with or an activity they are content to do on their own. I have never found another lake or vacation experience that consistently provides something for everyone to do, food everyone enjoys, exceptional atmosphere and staff, and great company.
3. Why do you think the camp has had staying power for 95 years?
I think the camp in many ways is timeless. It is comforting for those of us who value and appreciate family and tradition to get away from all of the pressures of our daily lives and connect with nature, our families and friends, our hobbies, and just relax. Many people come back year after year, bring their spouses, children, grandchildren, and friends to see what it is all about. In a constantly changing world, I enjoy the comfort of knowing what to expect and having that be delivered year after year. There have been many improvements at camp, made through the contributions of generous donors, who want to see camp continue to improve and grow. There is a magic in seeing your children sing campfire songs and be silly at any age, and you start to feel as though you reconnect with a younger version of yourself, not afraid to try new things or let down your guard. There is something special about sitting on the waterfront, seeing the sails on the boats set up, the sun shimmering on the water, and knowing you have the whole day ahead of you. Your children are safe, excited, and having a great time. Every year I notice my children looking and feeling more confident as the week goes on, and my husband and I feel more energized and grateful for the experience. At the end of the week, I am always sad to hear the gravel under the tires for the last time, and always eager to return.
4. Tell me about Camp Brosius’ involvement in the local community, specifically with its community partners. How does the camp support other local businesses?
Guests and staff at Camp Brosius patronize many local businesses while in town. Some of this is organized through the adult and children’s program, with staff organizing trips to local businesses or places of interest. Some of it, campers and staff seek out on our own. When I was a camp counselor, I remember well taking children every week on a lake hike to Gesserts and having Yvonne Landgraf (who we all thought was “Mrs. Gessert”) scooping ice cream for excited children after a lake hike to town. This year when we were in town, Yvonne was out in her yard and invited us to her porch to talk about the history of Elkhart Lake. When I was a counselor, we would also walked to the Dairy Farm and take the kids to see how to milk cows. For many years, a group would wake up early Friday mornings and take our kids to the Henshels Trout Farm and Indian Museum to catch fish with pellets (see the fish filleted-fish eyes, hearts, & all) and see the museum and Indian Mound. As a camp guest, a typical week for me includes: shopping at the Farmer’s Market on Saturdays (we have art, jewelry, salsa, syrup, fudge, dog treats, t-shirts, and more from local businesses), going to favorite local shops like Gina’s, Vintage Elkhart Lake, Enchanted Florals, and Two Fish to name only a few. We always have lunch at the Tiki Bar and eat fried cheese curds, drink and dance at Siebkens Stop Inn Tavern, play darts or pool at Brown Baer, sit in the big chairs, and see live music. We take trips to Hennings Cheese and local gardens. This year we watched a chainsaw wood carver who made several signs for camp while enjoying wine and cheese from Vintage on campgrounds. We also always make an obligatory trip or two to the Walmart in Plymouth (which I happen to think is the cleanest and best Walmart in America) to find anything we forgot to pack or look for costumes for the Talent Show. We’ve also gone out to dinner at The Paddock Club, Lola’s, Schwarz’s Supper Club, and The Back Porch Bistro, which is a personal favorite. We’ve gone to races and tours at Road America. The kids go horseback riding, caving, visit the LaClare family dairy goat farm, and go bowling at Anchor Lanes. I believe Camp Brosius provides a consistent stream of patronage to businesses and community partners in Elkhart Lake. The people who attend camp not only love Camp Brosius, but they also love Elkhart Lake. The local businesses are a big part of its charm. My husband even has a subscription to the Depot Dispatch delivered to our home in Bloomington, IN. We make a second summer trip some years to see the fireworks on the lake for the 4th of July and the last 2 years we have come to the 4th of July parade (we have the Sargento Cheese, Johnsonville coozies and stuffed pigs, frisbees, t-shirts, and candy to show for it). I think the ties and loyalty to Elkhart Lake run deeper than people might know for campers and staff at Camp Brosius.
5. Why is Elkhart Lake an ideal location for Camp Brosius? How would you describe the impact that Camp Brosius has on local tourism?
I have never found a lake I liked better, and I have been to a lot of lakes. It is beautiful, clean, and the perfect size for families with children trying to learn how to use water equipment properly and teach new skills. Elkhart Lake is the ideal backdrop for all of the rich history and tradition of the lake that sets the tone for the week. This includes The Legend of Elkhart Lake that Waumesako reads at the opening campfire, a Romeo and Juliet style folktale, and Indians lighting the fire after reading about the gentle winds of kindness and fairness, reminding us how to treat one another while we are at camp. Elkhart Lake is an ideal location specifically for a family camp because of the easy lake access, sailing & water sports, and wide variety of activities for kids and adults alike. I believe Camp Brosius has a very positive impact on local tourism because people who come to camp tend to talk about camp and try to recruit their friends and family members to come with them. We also tend to bring things back: like cheese, sausage, wine, art, jewelry, dog treats, soaps, lawn ornaments, t-shirts, and talk about our vacations. Many, many staff have family members visit while they work at camp and return with their own families as campers, or come back to town in the off season with their friends and family as well. Staff members also patronize some of the local establishments in their time off. The return rate at Camp Brosius is high and campers tend to come back year after year, patronizing the same businesses and establishments we grow to love. Our neighbor buys Hennings Cheese and takes it on sales calls, and we have camp friends from who buy 40-60 bricks of Hennings Cheese to use at social gatherings throughout the year. This is just one example of many. At our own house, we have lawn ornaments from Abler Art Glass Gallery out in the front yard and art in the kitchen from the Saturday farmer’s market. I’m wearing earrings right now that I bought one Saturday at the farmer’s market. We have cheese, bacon, and Spotted Cow in the refrigerator and wine bottle Tiki torches from Vintage Elkhart Lake on our deck. All returning campers have our favorite things that we like to stock up for the year. We wear our tshirts from Ltd. and Nicola’s and our flip flops from Gina’s all summer. In years past, we have also returned to Elkhart Lake later in the summer or fall and stayed at other establishments, like Victorian Village or the Osthoff. We have even considered retiring at Point Elkhart. I also know that Wiley makes it a point to utilize local businesses when making improvements in the camp. I’m sure I am biased, but I believe Camp Brosius has its strongest impact on the economy in the summer, but the camp is participating in the economy and tourism all year long.
6. What is it about Camp Brosius that brings back families summer after summer?
There is simply no other vacation that offers so much to everyone in the family. I never have to bring a friend for my children because they already have friends waiting for them and so do my husband and I. Now, we’ve even made friends in Elkhart Lake. I don’t have to worry about where we are going to eat because all of our meals are taken care of by a fantastic chef at camp. We know what to expect, everyone has their favorite meals and foods as well as activities. In this day and age, with all of the turbulence in the world, there is a comfort in being in a safe place with family, meeting new friends and reconnecting with old, enjoying nature, exercise, and hobbies. Everything is easier at Camp Brosius because the camp staff help you in so many ways that would not happen on another vacation. They help you move in to your accommodations, if they see your child sad or upset they will come and talk to them or help them carry their plate to the table to eat. There is ice cream or dessert at two thirds of the meals every day, but we exercise so much and walk up so many stairs at camp that it doesn’t seem to matter. It feels wholesome, helps develop positive character, and you feel like you are a part of something good and bigger than yourself. There is a sense of community that has formed through years and generations that is bigger than any one person or family. Before all of the improvements, I used to say it was a camp that lived on love. Today, it is still a camp that lives on love, but it is now positioned to be on Elkhart Lake for another 100 years. There is a rock near the Round House that reads: The Elkhart Lake Prayer Thank you Lord for Elkhart Lake, for its beauty and its purity and for the healing quality of its waters; for the clarity of vision to those who gaze into its depths, and for the blessing of harmony and renewal to those who gather on its shores. (the author’s name if buried in mulch but I believe his first name is Walter…) People who come to Camp Brosius are looking for and appreciate this for themselves and their families, and that is what keeps them coming back year after year.
Family Camp Brosius 