Each day after breakfast and again after rest hour, counselors announce the activities that will be offered. Campers may select the one that appeals to them the most or continue with a project begun earlier. Without the distractions of the outside world, campers are soon busy tanning hides, creating birch bark baskets, carving possession sticks and bull roarers, and learning various beading techniques. With over 100 activities that Night Eagle has to offer, the possibilities are limited only by what their imaginations can devise!
135 forested acres in Vermont's Green Mountains, completely surrounded by 465,000+ acres of the Green Mountain National Forest; two private lakes.
Ages
10–14
Activities
Waterfront
Swimming
Canoeing
Fishing
Land Sports
Archery
More activities
atlatl carving and throwing
beadwork
bow and arrow making
drum making
fire starting (bow drill, flint and steel)
gardening
hide tanning
orienteering
primitive pottery
survival skills and survival hikes
tomahawk throwing
tracking and stalking
wilderness trips and backpacking
Clues to fit
Community — breaking down social barriers around boys (former counselor voice)
"Friends made in a few weeks at Night Eagle will feel closer than friends you've had for years in the 'real' world. For one reason or another, society sets up a lot of barriers around boys. There are these ideas about manliness, there are stigmas around showing emotion, there is the pressure to perform and impress. We talk about these barriers and actively try to break them down, and the result is incredible; something I've never seen anywhere else. Night Eagle gives boys the freedom to find out who they really are." — Sun Spirit (MA)
Community — everyone accepted, no judgment (camper voice)
"Night Eagle is great and I come back because everybody accepts who you are. Everybody there has something in common. Everybody enjoys being with everybody else." — Two Moons (12), VT
"Night Eagle is a place where you make friends, learn outdoor skills, have fun, and get to be in the outdoors. I feel more at home at Night Eagle than I do at my house. Night Eagle isn't a camp, it's a community." — Turtle Awakens (14), VT
Setting — 135 acres inside the Green Mountain National Forest
Being located on 135 forested acres and completely surrounded by the Green Mountain National Forest, Night Eagle is rather secluded. In camp, there are only tipis, a food shelter, a semi-permanent structure used for group gatherings, and a crafts shed. For swimming and canoeing, there are two beautiful lakes. Life at Night Eagle is one without non-essentials. Except for refrigeration, which is run by solar power, we live without electricity, flush toilets, watches, flashlights, matches, and other modern conveniences.
Naming ceremony — rite of passage, Night Eagle name
When a camper demonstrates he is ready to take on new responsibilities in the community, he prepares himself for a one day solo. When he returns, the entire camp is there to welcome him back and offer congratulations. Later that evening at a celebration held in his honor, campers and staff speak of the strengths of his character, and he is given a Night Eagle name that represents those strengths and is worthy of his new role in the camp community.
Lasting impact — shy boy transformed in three weeks (parent voice)
"Before going to camp he would hesitate to try new experiences. In three short weeks our son went from a shy Vermont boy lacking in self-confidence to a young man who now expresses himself and his interests. Now, when he tackles a job or chore he works as though on a mission with confidence and attention to detail. He speaks warmly and fondly of his fellow campers where before he said little about anything. He's opened up emotionally, physically, and spiritually." — C. Wade (VT)
DAILY SCHEDULE: 7:00 Polar Bear Club · 7:45 Wake Up/Circle Up · 8:00 Chore Period · 8:30 Breakfast · 9:15 Morning Reflection · 9:30 Morning Activities · 11:30 General Swim · 12:30 Lunch · 1:00 Rest Hour · 2:00 Afternoon Activities · 5:00 General Swim · 6:00 Supper · 7:00 Evening Activities · 9:00 Quiet Time in Tipis. Since there are no clocks or watches at Night Eagle, all times are approximate — 'Night Eagle time.'
Director Bruce Moreton — lives in camp, leads activities, 40+ years experience
Unlike most directors, during the summer you will not find Bruce holed up in an office somewhere. He actually lives in camp with the campers and staff and leads daily activities. Night Eagle accepts only 36 boys per session, so within 48 hours, everyone in camp knows each other by name. The director lives in camp in a tipi, directly supervises the program, and actually leads activities.
Financial aid — available for families who need it
Although we are an intentionally small camp, we make every effort possible to keep Night Eagle affordable for the average family. We also work with families by extending tuition payments to fit their monthly budgets. Still, if you find that the cost is more than you can afford and your son is truly interested in attending our unique program, we invite you to contact us for an application. Please don't let tuition be the reason to prevent his enrolling in a longer session.
Food — dietician-approved menus, Vermont Health inspections, cooked over open fire
All food in camp is prepared by the campers and counselors in our food shelter, which is designed to serve delicious meals in a sanitary manner. Menus are approved by a certified dietician, and everything, including our water source, is inspected each summer by an official from the Vermont Department of Health who consistently scores our food shelter in the 90's. In 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Night Eagle received an outstanding score of 95! Food is always plentiful and is cooked by the campers and counselors themselves over an open fire or baked in our homemade oven.
Health — medications administered by RN or designated medic
If your son takes medicine every morning, then our RN Trudy will administer his medication. If he takes medicine everyday at lunch time, dinner time, or bedtime, then our medic will administer his medication. One staff member is also designated as the 'medic' and is either a Registered Nurse, a Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician, a Wilderness First Responder, or a counselor trained in Wilderness First Aid.
