Interview With
Ruggs Cote
We have been in operation since 1909. Started with the boys camp, added the girls camp in 1927.
Located in north-central MN, in what is typically referred to as MN’s lake Country
We are a traditional, residential, skills-based camp. We are an unplugged camp, and operate under the guidance of our 5 core values:
Community
Excellence
Fun
Quality Relationships
Personal Growth and Development
We offer a wide variety of land, water, and creative activities. There are more than 40 offered during the summer, and are changing as the popularity of activities change and new activities come to light. The exposure to many activities is one of the benefits of our camps. Campers choose their activities every three days. They can switch it up, or keep some or all of their activities the same. The three day block gives the campers some consistency in skillbuilding lessons, yet does not scare them away from trying a new activity that maybe they end up not liking as much, and are stuck in for an extended period.
Camp Lincoln and Camp Lake Hubert are multi-specialty camps. If a camper is really into sailing they can dive deep into sailing, such as getting racing experience on a variety of boats, and some maintenance experience as well. The same holds true for all the major activities such as horseback riding, waterskiing, archery, ropes, and so many more. We typically see campers, as they gain experience at camp, pick one or two activities that they specialize in and sign up for repeatedly, and spend the other half of the day trying out new activities with their friends and cabinmates.
We hire approximately 220 staff each summer. These staff are often former campers, referrals from other staff members or camp families. We recruit college-aged staff at a minimum. Background checks, references, hour + interviews, and then certification trainings along with our extensive ten-day Orientation and Staff Development training.
Aside from the terrific north-woods setting and numerous activity offerings, our diversity is a key aspect of our program. With children from 40+ states and 12 countries, campers are going to meet some pretty amazing people while at camp. After almost 110 years of camping, we have a good idea of what makes for a good, diverse cabin group that will get along, yet also introduce each other to something new or different that they would not know or try out otherwise.
Our most typical session length is our 4 four week session, followed by our two week sessions. However we also offer a 3 week session, 8 week session, and a five-day Intro session for our youngest, new campers. Tuition varies by session length, with an average weekly cost around $1400 per week. We also offer some camperships in an effort to further diversify our community.
We begin enrolling for the following summer as early as July, and continues right up until the summer begins, if there is space available.
Some sessions, especially for mid- and older campers, tend to fill up quickly. It is not unusual to have wait lists by October for some grade levels. We base our space availability not only on session length, but grade as well as we do not want to have too wide an age range in any one cabin. Because of this, every year is different regarding what fills up when. Typically the older the grade level, the more quickly the space goes to a wait list.
We have been in the business a long time and can empathize with the pressure first-time parents might feel. You can liken it to a child’s first day in Kindergarten. Sure, it is not an easy step to make, but it is the first step towards their future. A future of they growth, self -awareness and independence. If a parent is wrapped up in the decision making process, we find it beneficial for them to call. We can offer that reassurance, as well as the black and white enrollment details. We are used to talking families through this big decision, and do want it to be a win-win for both campers and parents.
