Camp Fern
Encyclopedia
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
located outside of Marshall, Texas
Marshall, Texas
Marshall is a city in Harrison County in the northeastern corner of Texas. Marshall is a major cultural and educational center in East Texas and the tri-state area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Marshall was about 23,523...
, on Fern Lake. Founded in 1934, Camp Fern is the oldest summer camp
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
in East Texas
East Texas
East Texas is a distinct geographic and ecological area in the U.S. state of Texas.According to the Handbook of Texas, the East Texas area "may be separated from the rest of Texas roughly by a line extending from the Red River in north central Lamar County southwestward to east central Limestone...
and one of the oldest in the nation.
Basic Information
Camp Fern currently offers 8 different sessions: a 4-week long girls camp,2 2-week long girl's sessions during the 4-week girl's session, 2-week long coed camp, 2 coed 1-week sessions during the 2-week session, and a 4-week long boys camp, during which there are 2 2-week long boy's sessions. The 4-week sessions are for children in grade 1-9,the 2-week sessions are for grades 1-9.Daily activities offered at Camp Fern include English riding
English riding
English riding is a term used to describe a form of horse riding that is seen throughout the world. There are many variations in English riding, but all feature a flat English saddle without the deep seat, high cantle or saddle horn seen on a Western saddle nor the knee pads seen on an Australian...
, swimming, archery, riflery, water-skiing, arts and crafts, ropes, outdoor experiences, boxing, tennis, basketball, ping-pong, fishing, "alternative sports", weight-lifting, fencing
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
, drama, dance, and trampoline
Trampoline
A trampoline is a device consisting of a piece of taut, strong fabric stretched over a steel frame using many coiled springs. People bounce on trampolines for recreational and competitive purposes....
.
Location
Camp Fern is nestled in the Piney WoodsPiney Woods
The Piney Woods is a temperate coniferous forest terrestrial ecoregion in the Southern United States covering of East Texas, southern Arkansas, western Louisiana, and southeastern Oklahoma. These coniferous forests are dominated by several species of pine as well as hardwoods including hickory and...
of east Texas
East Texas
East Texas is a distinct geographic and ecological area in the U.S. state of Texas.According to the Handbook of Texas, the East Texas area "may be separated from the rest of Texas roughly by a line extending from the Red River in north central Lamar County southwestward to east central Limestone...
, on Fern Lake
Fern Lake
Fern Lake is an alpine lake in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. It is a major source for the Big Thompson River....
. Fern, a private lake, is located off of Texas Farm Road 1793 approximately 5 miles from U.S. Highway 59
U.S. Route 59
U.S. Route 59 is a north–south United States highway . A latecomer to the U.S. numbered route system, U.S. 59 is now a border-to-border route, Part of NAFTA Corridor Highway System. It parallels U.S. Route 75 for nearly its entire route, never much more than away, until it veers southwest...
, on the outskirts of Marshall, Texas
Marshall, Texas
Marshall is a city in Harrison County in the northeastern corner of Texas. Marshall is a major cultural and educational center in East Texas and the tri-state area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Marshall was about 23,523...
. It is between Shadowood Lake on the south and Lake Highland on the north. The camp is about 11 miles from Caddo Lake
Caddo Lake
Caddo Lake is a lake and wetland located on the border between Texas and Louisiana, in northern Harrison County and southern Marion County in Texas and western Caddo Parish in Louisiana. The lake is named after the Southeastern culture of Native Americans called Caddoans or Caddo, who lived in...
. The Camp Fern campus constitutes a major portion of the Fern Lake area.
History
The camp, a family businessFamily business
A family business is a business in which one or more members of one or more families have a significant ownership interest and significant commitments toward the business’ overall well-being....
, was founded in 1934 by "Uncle" Vernon and "Aunt" Mag Hilliard, who wanted to provide their daughter, Peggy, and other area youth a summer retreat. Eventually Peggy took over operation of the camp along with her husband, Bill Rotzler. Today Camp Fern is owned and operated by Margaret Rotzler Lee, the granddaughter of the founders. It is still run on Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
principles, with respect for all faiths.
Traditions
Tribal CompetitionThe first night that a new camper spends at Camp, he or she is inducted into one of two tribes at Girls' Camp: Bena or Owaisso; at Boys' Camp: Caddo or Tejas; at Coed: Apache or Cherokee, of which they will be a member for life. There is an entire story behind all of the tribes. Before the campers are inducted into their respective tribes by drawing a bead from a bowl by Thunderbird, the story of the tribes is told. It is really a very symbolic ritual. While the competition is fun, it is definitely not "just" for fun - the competition level is intense, and emotions often run high. Some of the more popular competitions that the campers engage in are Wargames, Fight Night, and Field Day. Each small competition during the session is hotly contested, and on the final night of camp one of the tribes will be declared the "winner" of the year. The winning tribe wins a "feather" on a large, wooden Indian-head plaque kept in the Recreation Hall. It is a great honor and victory to win the feather, for campers have worked for it all month long. At the four week session, each tribe elects a Chief and a Firemaker to be the leaders of their tribe for the year.
Advancements
Advancements are individual awards given at the four week sessions, and are earned by a camper demonstrating his or her aptitude in a wide variety of camp activities. At Girls' Camp, the four advancements are Pioneer, Plainsman, Frontiersman and Rancher. At Boys' Camp, they are Pathfinder, Hunter, Brave and Chief.
Alumni
Current Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson attended Camp Fern as a child, as did Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
swimsuit model Chandra North
Chandra North
-Early years:Growing up, North had aspirations of becoming a professional ballerina. In her teen years, North was a bit rebellious. While her classmates would be attending school dance, she would be hitting up underground night clubs. While attending Southern Methodist University, she was scouted...
.