Gear Up for Fall  Fall is coming and we have two big events at Confidence Learning Center that everyone should put on their calendars.  The Fifth Annual RUN (Rally Up North) is scheduled for September 1^st  starting at the Old Waterfall on Hwy 371.  This giant gathering of supporters who ride motorcycles gets bigger and better every year.  Each participant that registered early got one of the official RUN T-shirts.  Registration will start at 9 a.m. and the cost is $20 per single and $40 per double.  Anna Gorecky from Camp has been traveling the world with the raffle bike.  Your last chance to see it before it is given away on Saturday will be at the Waterfall or at American Hardcore Customs.  Tickets are $10 apiece for this spectacularly designed red white and blue marvel.  Contact Shari at Confidence Learning Center for more information.  The ride this year goes from the Waterfall to Zorbas on Gull, then to Moonlight Bay in Cross Lake, then to the Bridge Tavern in Crosby and then back to the Waterfall.  A great pig roast is scheduled along with mechanical bull riding, tattoo artists, a leather shop, and other vendors.  Bonfire, burnout pit and a live band outside make this the party of the year.  The drawing for the bike is scheduled for 10:30 and although you do not have to be present to win, it is worth the trip for the excitement alone.  Check out the RUN website for more information and lots of great pictures from last year's event.  This growing fundraiser will have to be moved to the Crow Wing County Fairgrounds next year to accommodate more bikers, on site camping, more events, and a bigger selection of  vendors.  Camp Confidence is so appreciative of this opportunity to reach a different audience with the message about helping people with developmental disabilities.  Many thanks to the hard-working committee that spends an entire year getting ready for the next event.

The Outdoor Auction will once again be held in the maintenance area at Confidence Learning Center on Saturday, September 22^nd.  The Walk Through is scheduled for 9 a.m. and the gavel bangs at 10.  Our returning auctioneers again are Dave Schubert and Brad Frisk.  We have had many outstanding contributions throughout the year and would especially like to acknowledge Mr. and Mrs. James Wilson who have added so many things including some beautiful glass dishware and new items which were part of a hardware store inventory.  Tools and construction items abound including a Sears Craftsman radial saw and a John Deer Riding Lawn Mower.  For the outdoor enthusiasts be sure to check out the portable fish house, snowshoes, and the shotguns.   Lunch will be served by the Brainerd Lakes Area Women of Today as a fundraiser for their group.  For more information contact Shari at Camp Confidence.  It is not too late to donate!

Fishing Has No Boundaries Proves Spectacular Ending to Summer Season for Program Fishing Has No Boundaries Proves Spectacular Ending to Summer Season for Program - Program had a great year with thousands of camper days being served and some outstanding successes in providing outdoor education for people with developmental disabilities. The big news for the summer is that the weather did not block activities at Confidence Learning Center. The very hot days of July were filled with lots of water activities and despite a big storm which knocked down many trees, destroyed the tenting area, and left some of the Camp without power, program was not disrupted. Many thanks to the talented summer staff who helped to make this a great summer season. They made a huge impact on our staff and will be remembered by our campers for years to come.

Newsletter publication dates came too close to the major event that ends the summer season, Fishing Has No Boundaries. The Brainerd Chapter began hosting this event at Camp in 2003. This non-profit program is a perfect partner for us as the mission is to open up the great outdoors for people with disabilities through the world of fishing. A weekend of fishing and fun was provided for a record number of 121 participants. In-Fisherman’s Steve Quinn was the keynote speaker who kicked off the event on Friday evening. Saturday was a big day that got the participants out fishing on Sylvan and Gull Lake. Ernies, Bar Harbor and Zorbaz on Gull provided lunch for those who spent the day on the big lake. The evening concluded with awards ceremonies, a fish fry dinner hosted by the local Wild Turkey Federation, campfires and s'mores as well as a live band on the lodge patio. Many thanks go out to the wonderful volunteers who helped make this weekend a great way to end the summer. To see the photos and more news go to the FHNB website

Just because the summer is ending, it does not mean our programs are shutting down. Soon our campers will be enjoying the fall colors and even more campers will be making plans to enjoy the winter season. Every season offers a new and unique avenue for us to share the great outdoors with persons of all ages with developmental disabilities.
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New Web Page Making a Splash  Our website has been in place for several years and was a cutting edge design by Midwest Captions. Since that time, the original site had been modified many times but the design essentially stayed the same. With the help of Jim Cervin, Melissa Schaitberger redesigned www.campconfidence.com so that it reflects a more modern simplified look. Our site is still hosted by Midwest Captions who continue to donate server location. If you haven't had a chance to visit the site, the newsletter will take you anywhere you want to go through the use of the navigation bar and its easy drop down menu choices. Most people are very pleased with the changes and find it much easier to get to information they need. Good job Melissa and Jim!

Volunteers Needed for Fall Events and Clean-up With winds over 100 miles an hour and major hail, Camp Confidence was very lucky to escape serious damage during the recent storm. The tenting area was completely demolished and the big tents were a total loss. About 80 trees need to be cleaned up and removed from various areas and any volunteers with chainsaw experience would be greatly appreciated according to Volunteer Director Mary Harder. Mary is also looking for some people who like motorcycles to join in the fun of helping out at the Rally Up North on September 1st. Shari is coordinating those people, so just give a shout to 218-828-2344 and she will probably be the one answering the phone. Those of you who like auctions and crowds can spend a day in the beautiful outdoor setting of Confidence Learning Center in any one of the following positions: parking attendant, dumpster guard, security, clerk, auctioneer assistant, and clean up crew. Volunteers are need to continue to pick up items right up until the auction day. Call the Camp and ask for Mary to sign up for this event.

Maintenance Crew Had Busy Summer Work continues on the Memorial Garden. Things to consider donating besides purchasing one of the available trees are decorative items such as benches and fountains as well as landscaped areas. The teen core building, one of the oldest buildings in the Camp was recently torn down and will be replaced by a pole barn. The Camp paid approximately $5,000 for the materials and volunteers are going to build the structure . Mark Korte from Nor-Son and JJ Levenske from Rardin Construction are supervising the project. Program has a great new area in the backwoods near Lake Confidence. The maintenance crew took a week and moved the log cabin which was an intern project in the first days of Camp back to that  location. It is going to be used as a day camp center for both winter and summer activities.
 
Executive Director's Report by Jeff Olson  Confidence Learning Center  is very grateful for its blessings. No major damage was done to any of the buildings at Camp and program was not disrupted for a long time after the huge hailstorm that hit the Brainerd area on Monday August 13th. Electricity was problem for over three days. The major loss was the three large tents used for the camping program which were a total loss after the 100 mile an hour winds and the large hail. Over a hundred trees were downed and our local tree cutting expert and Volunteer of the Year Harold McDermott came back to Camp to help supervise the work. Three big events are scheduled for the end of the summer that affect program. Fishing Has No Boundaries is back at Camp for the 24th and 25th and the Hockey Docs Charity Tournament in Minneapolis is scheduled for the 26th and 27th at the Marriott and the Rush Creek Golf Course. The Hockey Docs have a long history supporting program at Confidence Learning Center and we appreciate this yearly effort to add some funds to give more people the opportunity to come to Camp. John Tobie co-chairs the Grand Rapids Fall Extravaganza on Monday August 27th. This big event in its fourth year of donating its proceeds to Program. This is a hunting and fishing extravaganza that is attended by over 200 people who generously open their pocket books to participate in the event, win some prizes, and support Camp. The Board will meet on Tuesday August 28th to wind up the summer and assess major events and their impact on the day to day running of the Confidence Learning Center. Speaking of the Board, a retreat has been scheduled for September 14th to examine how the Board functions including their duties, purposes and structure.