Camp Hantesa
Boone, IA
October 22, 2012
www.campfireusaia.org/CampHantesa_About.php
Our experience at Hantesa was shaped by the warm welcoming we received from the staff. We first arrived and Will, one of the co-directors, cooked us dinner that we had a chance to sit and eat with, Laura Peterson, the other co-director, Sarge and Gonzo, the interns, and Abbie, the director of the 4H camp down the road. Laura Peterson and Will took us on a great tour of camp the next day and it was clear Hantesa is a camp steeped in tradition. A tradition Laura had a chance to become a small part of as she painted murals in the dining hall that depicted the awards campers and staff can achieve at camp. First campers can become Gypsies for displaying general outdoor living skills, then Voyagers for demonstrating the ability to succeed on wilderness journeys, and finally staff members that show great dedication to Hantesa can join the Vagabonds. While Laura painted the murals it was great for me to get a chance to get to know Gonzo, who hung out with us as Laura painted and I washed her brushes. Gonzo had some great stories to tell us about Hantesa as well as his road trip adventures, and will be someone who we won’t soon forget. We have since learned his real name.
Jack