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Welcome to the Camp Daisy Hindman Information Page!! Here you can find all the information you could ever want about Camp Daisy. Oh, and because there's so many counsellors, and they're cool enough for their own page, you have to go here to see them. Camp Daisy Hindman is a girls-only camp located about 2 miles south of Dover, KS. Not enough description? Well, basically it's kinda southwest of Topeka. Still not good enough, you say? Find yourself a map. You have a bad sense of direction. CDH has about 110 acres and much of it is covered with trees. It was established in 1929, about 70 years ago, and has changed considerably since then. Among the recent additions are an indoor horse arena, a new outdoor arena and swimming pool improvements. Resident camps generally happen in one-week intervals, of which there are five this summer. The camp can accomodate 120 girls, however there are usually only 50-60 campers (in the whole camp) at once. There are 5 main "units" where girls can stay, namely Ipesi, Sleepy Hollow, Juliette Low, Trail's End, and C.I.T. Units written in yellow house girls in groups of 4 in waterproof platformed tents. Units written in blue provide A-Frame cabins, which can hold 8 girls each. Units in green have some of both of these shelters available, although cabins are usually occupied first. Each of the aforementioned units has immediate access to underground storm shelters. These "turtles," as they are called because of their green color (I helped paint them last year), just got new doors. Each of them is supposed to hold around 25 people-- but when we had to go down for a drill, our group of only 10 girls and 2 counsellors could barely fit in. I guess with 25 you'd have to sit on laps and stand in the middle. They're not too pleasant, either; the froggies and bugs and 2 inches of water that are almost always present don't make people too happy, but they (the shelters) get the job done. Also in each of the units is a water trough and showers, each with cold water only, of course. Can't have any of that hot water... that would ruin the rustic camping experience! :) Down yonder from the shower area in all of the units are what we returned campers like to call.... BIFFYs. Let me think about how to translate this-- ah, yes, it's a popular acronym for Bathroom in the Forest For You, known by parents and those who have never been to a northeastern somewhat old-fashioned Girl-Scout camp as latrines. They're a must-see if you're visiting camp for the first time; you really haven't been camping until you've been exposed to this glorius, however stinky, experience. Although the hygenic facilites of the camp are quite rustic, there are civilized eating conditions. 3 times a day, all of the campers walk up the "butt-lovin'" hill, by trail or up the gravel road used only by a run-down truck to make repairs and deliver luggage. Near the top, there is a dining hall and kitchen. Each morning and evening, before breakfast and dinner, a Flag Ceremony is held, where girls learn to fold the flag. The same girls who are the Color Guard in the Flag Ceremony "hop" at all the meals. This involves setting tables and then getting food to he table after Grace has been said or sung. Meals at camp are generally good, although the schedule tends to be repetative. Often what is served one Sunday will be served the next Sunday. This usually isn't noticed by campers, since resident camps last only a week, but to counsellors and returning campers (like me! :Þ) are liable to get bored. The lunch or supper menu often consists of a pasta or meat main dish; sometimes it's spaghetti, taco salad, hoagies, or macaroni, and several sides. At breakfast, a choice of "Crisp Rice" or "Life" is usually given, along with (for example) bacon and hash browns, biscuits and gravy, or pancakes. Near the dining hall is the "infirmary:" where a nurse resides. The nurse lives up there, and is available 24 hours a day. The infirmary is one of the only air-conditioned places in camp, and can sleep 8 girls. It's pretty handy for when you get hurt or sick-- this year's nurse is especially good at pulling out ticks. A stone's throw away from the infirmary is the Trading Post, a small store where campers have the chance to buy supplies, stamps, and snacks once a day. From $9 T-Shirts to $0.25 Ring Pops, there's something for everybody at the Trading Post. To keep money safe while at camp, each girl is given an envelope on opening day where her week's money is stored. The envelope is kept at the Trading Post to avoid getting lost or stolen. How much to bring? Well, most girls usually bring around $10.00, however $5 or $6 is enough for some people. My advice? If you're planning on buying a $9 T-Shirt, I'd probably bring $18-$20. If you want a $4 T-Shirt, plan to have about $11-15 with you. Other than that, figure about $1.50 per day and call it good. Back down the hill is a small lake. Here, campers can canoe in a number of 3 and 4 person boats, named after Waterfront Staff, the Camp Directors, and then Unit Leaders. Boats such as the S.S. Boots and the S.S. Zoey have been at the dock for years. The swimming pool is neat, too. The resident camps usually swim once per day. THe pool's maximum depth is 9 ft, which means you can dive off the side. It's not heated, but in the 95* July weather, a cold pool is just what you need. The horsebarn is even further from hilltop than the swimming pool. It is probably the farthest you can get away from the main entrance at the top of the hill. The horses stay in a sort of outdoor barn. Each of them has an individual stall, with a ready supply of hay at all times. They are fed individual amounts of grain morning and night. Horses not being ridden are let out in a pasture behind the barn. The horse camps learn how to groom the horses, then saddle and bridle them. The outdoor arena and new indoor arena are used as well as many nearby trails. And that's just a little bit about Daisy. For those of you who only skimmed my detailed discriptions, a short summary follows. Living arrangements in each of the 5 Camp Units vary from A-Frame cabins to platformed tents. Altogether, the camp can accomodate 120 girls. Each unit includes access to storm shelters, latrines and showers. The dining hall serves good meals 3 times a day, and medical care is available in the infirmary 24 hours a day. The trading post, only a stone's throw from the infirmary, sells everything from $9 T-Shirts to $0.25 Ring Pops. Down the hill, the campers can canoe in the small lake, swim in the pool, play in the volleyball court, and ride horses at the stable. They can also hike and explore the numerous trails around Camp Daisy. There, that was much better now, wasn't it?? If you're still interested in Camp Daisy, and want to meet the staff, click there. Ciao!
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