Help us Reclaim and Name FLC’s Cabins

We need your help to carry on one of Forest Lake’s great traditions – Cabin Names. Forest Lake has maintained a history of deep tradition since its first summer in 1926. Many of these traditions have remained untouched for 90 summers; Color War plaques in the Mess Hall, Sunday campfire, marathon, reveille in the morning, and taps by night to name a few. FLC is proud to honor these traditions. One tradition that has been almost lost at FLC is our cabin names. In recent history FLC’s cabins have been referred to by number, though traditionally our cabins were referred to by unique names.  This summer we are excited to undergo an effort to reclaim those cabin names and to identify names for those cabins built after cabin numbers began.

When FLC first welcomed our first campers in 1926 there was a row of cabins lining The Boys’ Hill from the Boys Hill Office to what is today Boys’ Cabin 8.  In Cabin 8 there hangs a plaque on the wall that is titled North Star. Could that have been the original name of cabin 8? Ollie Van Cise, a tenured 30 year Head Counselor was known for booming out the cabin names to send them down to the Mess Hall and so the names brought a unique identity to each cabin.  We are proud to still know these names due to the deep tradition they hold. Boys’ Camp has always carried a tradition of tree names while Girls’ Camp honors Native American culture. These names carry deep meaning to those alumni who attended FLC during that time and we are thrilled this summer to bring back these names and this tradition. We need your help to name, for the first time, those cabins that never carried a name. By helping us select the best names for one  Boys’ cabin and five cabins in Girls’ Camp, you will help shape this tradition now and for centuries to come.

Below is a list of the existing cabin names:

Boys’ Camp: Cabin 6 is Blue Spruce. Cabin 7 is White Oak. Cabin 8 is The Elms. Cabin 9 is Pine Hollow. Cabin 10 is Sequoia. Cabin New is New.  Cabin 11 is Tamarack. Cabin 12 is Cottonwood.  Cabin 4 is Redwood. Cabin 13 has never been officially named.

Girls’ Camp: Cabin 1 is Wigwam. Cabin 2 is Seminole. Cabin 3 is Swift Arrow.  Cabin Annex is Annex. Cabin 8, Cabin 7, Cabin 6, Cabin 5 and Cabin 4 do not have official names.

Please follow the link below to cast your vote.  We welcome new camper families, returning camper families, alumni and staff to participate.  As we welcome in our campers of 2016, our cabins will be identified by their new names.  Where will you be living this summer, Seminole or Tamarack, Swift Arrow or Sequoia? Or will you be in a cabin with a new name?

The poll will close on Monday, June 6th. We look forward to receiving your responses!

Cabin Poll link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HXMH3KW