Red Arrow Camp’s storied 100-year Heritage is a great source of pride for campers, staff, and alumni alike. We embrace our past while constantly seeking ways to improve the RAC experience and adapt to a changing world.
Red Arrow’s philosophy is realized in a space and time today that is made possible by our unique 7-Week Experience which cultivates and nurtures social and physical development. While most other camps offer multiple terms, we remain firmly committed to a 7-week experience and the benefits it offers.
We believe boys must first Disconnect with modern day stresses, demands, and compromising distractions so that they are free to better connect with themselves, their peers, and their environment. At Red Arrow, boys unplug, leaving behind their technology-driven routines.
Individual Discovery is nurtured by inviting boys to think about who they are, and who they want to become because of the experiences they have and the relationships they develop at camp.
RAC boys Develop life-long social, physical, and organizational skills that commonly result in lasting character traits that transcend the camp experience. We expect parents to tell us that they’re amazed by how much their sons have grown after only a single summer at Red Arrow.
Red Arrow encompasses a Community of alumni, parents, staff, Northwoods residents, and friends who are touched in different ways by RAC. We value this community and seek to nurture and engage it in support of our mission and vision.
The RACF is committed to providing the necessary leadership and financial resources to fulfill RAC’s Mission, Vision, and Values.
1. Returning camper numbers have been strong in recent years with approximately 60 the last several years which represents between seventy and eighty percent of the eligible returners.
2. Our digital footprint is expanding with an array of initiatives focused on more relevant content creation, targeted sophisticated digital marketing efforts, stronger online review presence, and significantly improved online search placement optimization which is introducing Red Arrow to new families in both our traditional catchment areas and new markets.
3. Five endowed scholarship funds (Ben Black, Boesel, ETM, Pete Johnson, and TEK), coupled with annual fundraising, allows us to provide up to 20 campers with scholarships, enabling families who could not otherwise afford camp to provide their child with the RAC experience.
4. Our unique 7-week experience is a differentiator as we remain one of the last full-term camps in the midwest.
5. Our historic grounds, with many buildings over 100 years old, and a rich site history, provide a unique backdrop for a summer camp experience.
6. As noted in the introduction, there have been major facilities and capital equipment improvements including a new “Eight,” two storage and maintenance buildings, a new ski shack, senior staff cabins, refurbished riding facilities, resurfaced tennis and basketball courts, a new ropes course, improvements to the sleeping cabins, electrical grid/wifi upgrades, a new mountain biking course along the Trout River, and numerous equipment additions.
7. Our location on 3,800-acre Trout Lake, with over 1,200 feet of sandy lakefront, provides an unparalleled waterfront experience.
8. New activities have been added including golf, mountain biking, and baseball. The initial response to these programs has been strong. Carnival was also re-instated for the summer of 2024 and revisions were made to the tripping program to reflect emerging challenges, e.g., campsite availability.
9. Leadership is stable with Eric Roche serving as Executive Director since 2019 and McKenzie Beeby serving as Associate Director since 2023. They are supported by seasoned senior staff and cabin counselors.
10. RAC finances are generally strong. Camp ran a small surplus in FY23 and a small enrollment-related deficit in FY24.
11. After three years of outsourcing our kitchen operation, it is coming back in-house for the summer of 2025 which generates considerable cost-savings.
12. The assets of the RACF are growing due to strong equity markets and the generosity of the RAC family which has contributed over $2.4 million in the first five years of the Second Century Campaign (SCC). As of December 31, 2024, the Foundation’s cash and invested assets totaled $2.11 million compared to $585K at the end of 2018.
13. The RACF Board underwent a significant leadership transition in April 2023 with a new President (Kevin Crockett), Treasurer (Chris Meyer) and Secretary (Tim Lautz). Craig Stanley remained vice president and several other Board members were replaced as term limits were implemented.
14. The RACF Board also revised its operating model by establishing seven standing committees staffed by RACF Board and Advisory Board members as well as senior RAC staff. Those committees are: Alumni engagement, Board Directions and Leadership/Operations, Facilities and Capital Equipment, Finance/Investments, Fundraising, Scholarships, and Strategic Planning/Enrollment. The new structure has allowed the board to operate more efficiently and effectively.
1. Red Arrow enjoyed capacity enrollment (96) in 2023 but that figure dropped to 84 for the summer of 2024 due to an unusual number (5) of lost deposits and an 11-camper decline in referrals. Consistent enrollment outcomes remain a challenge, and we need better metrics and strategies across our three market segments: Returning campers, referrals, and enrollment largely generated from our online presence.
2. We need alternative revenue streams to strengthen RAC’s financial model. Market research conducted in 2024 identified an annual alumni camp at the conclusion of the camp season as the most promising new program. There is also a need to explore other ways to monetize the facilities outside of the camp season, e.g., leasing for specialty camping programs or other groups.
3. Our unique 7-week experience is a mixed blessing, for some families it is just too long, and it can also encroach on the start of fall sports activities, especially for older boys.
4. General camping experiences are threatened by an increase in specialty camp experiences, e.g., sports camps, technology camps.
5. We are always vulnerable to an economic downturn which could threaten enrollment and impact both our fundraising and investment returns.
6. Camps across the Northwoods report challenges in recruiting staff. College-aged prospective staff have more options of employment largely driven by focused career development opportunities, e.g., internships, and personal need for greater flexibility in their summers. While RAC has largely navigated this challenge well, we had to implement an across the board salary increase for summer 2024 and we need to pursue other creative solutions, e.g., providing internship opportunities.
7. Inflation from 2022 through early 2024 placed upward pressure on our cost structure.
8. While facilities and capital equipment are generally a strength, we have pressing needs in the following areas which are reflected in our current Facilities and Capital Equipment Plan: The kitchen needs most of its equipment replaced and will eventually need structural work. The docks, which are over 40+ years old, need replacement Grade, re-turf, and install irrigation for the athletic field. A new or newer ski boat is needed. Senior staff/visitor women’s bathroom. Cabin mattresses. Replace 1960’s era maintenance tractor. Resurface all roads within camp.
9. In addition to the preceding items, there are a number of additional items that are not currently approved or funded but potentially need to be addressed in the next five years.
10. While the fundraising results from the Second Century Campaign are encouraging, nearly 75 percent of annual contributions come from approximately 25 individuals/families. There is a need to expand the donor base, especially in the $1K+, $10K+ and $20K+ categories.
11. When the Second Century Campaign concludes in 2025 we need a revised fundraising plan capable of sustaining annual gifts of at least $200,000 while simultaneously raising money for large capital projects through targeted campaigns. This combination should allow our reserves to grow while meeting our annual scholarship and facilities/capital equipment needs.
12. Smooth camp operations rely heavily on skills and institutional knowledge of a few key senior staff members. Loss of one or more of these individuals would create operational gaps that would be challenging to replace.
13. Maintaining a physically and psychologically safe environment for our campers and staff is paramount, both to protect these individuals from any adverse impact on their safety and wellbeing, as well as to avoid the impact that a major incident would have on our reputation and ability to maintain current operations.
1 – Maintain enrollment at 90 or more boys annually, preferably closer to 96.
2 – Limit increases in cost of attendance to no more than CPI plus one percent.
3 – Develop new revenue streams through the potential addition of an alumni camp and leasing our facilities to another organization(s) in late-summer and early fall each year.
4 – Balance camp’s budget each year through a combination of achieving enrollment goals, aggressive expense management, reduced utilization of outsourced vendors and development of alternative revenue streams.
5 – Execute a $414,000 facilities and capital equipment plan designed to keep RAC facilities and equipment contemporary, safe and market competitive (see Appendix A for more detail). The current approved projects, by year, appear below:
6 – Maintain a second list of other facilities and capital equipment projects that are currently not approved/funded for on-going review and consideration. In some cases, these projects are beyond our current financial resources (e.g., a new kitchen structure), while others are simply lower priorities than the currently approved items. We fully expect that there may be some project swapping between the two lists during the five-year plan window. Moreover, some of these might be candidates for specialized fundraising efforts.
7 – Complete the Second Century Campaign (SCC) in 2025 and develop a comprehensive fundraising plan to maintain annual gift income at $225K or more while simultaneously raising capital for specific projects identified herein.
8 – Strengthen RACF Organizational Structure and Systems.
9 – Develop a financing model that balances near-term needs with a desire to increase endowments to at least $2.5 million by 2029.
10 – Continue to strengthen relations with the Northwoods community through the following initiatives:
