Summer camp is one of those quintessential childhood memories that sticks with you for a lifetime. You know, like that time when you ate six s’mores and wished you hadn’t, or the first time you pitched a tent on your own. The experience of summer camp—and most importantly, the camp staff—can make a huge impact on a young life. And above all, it sure is fun.
The Cote family members are not only longtime Edina residents, but they also know a thing or two about summer camps. The family owns and runs the well-known and much loved Camp Lincoln and Camp Lake Hubert (located about two and a half hours north of Edina), which they’ve been doing since 1923 when Brownie Cote bought Camp Lincoln. Brownie had been a counselor at the camp, originally opened by William Blake (of Blake Schools) in 1909, and thought it was a great experience for kids in the way that they were paired with young adult leaders and mentors. In 1927, Brownie expanded the camp to include Camp Lake Hubert across the lake. Later on, Brownie noticed that the campers’ parents needed a place to stay while bringing their kids to camp, so he bought the reputable Grandview Lodge in Nisswa, which the Cote family still owns today.
In 1968, Brownie’s son Sam Cote (now the camp executive director) joined the camp team full-time after years of being intimately involved and practically growing up at the camps. “I don’t remember a summer when I wasn’t at camp,” remarks Sam. Every summer, Sam and his three older brothers and sister would live right in the middle of Camp Lincoln. And of course, the tradition continued for Sam’s four kids, who also spent their coveted summers at the family’s beloved camps.
But for Sam and many others, this isn’t just any old summer camp. For kids, it’s a destination—an event that becomes the highlight of their summer. And for the camp staff, well, it’s the highlight of their summer too. “There’s something special about putting a bunch of kids together in a north woods setting with young adults who can guide, influence and have fun with the kids,” explains Sam. The Cote family and camp staff have always focused on youth development and valued consistent leadership, and they’ve developed their passion for kids into a vocation, which is arguably what has made their camps so successful. The staff seeks to make camp a positive, uplifting experience, helping campers learn life skills like independence, relationship building, confidence, and even how to make their bed. Simply put, “Camp is made by the people there,” says Sam.
And those same values that were upheld in the early days of the camps are still equally important today. “The kids today may be more worldly,” says Sam. “But when you get them together, the same things happen—they still enjoy playing tetherball and all those other activities.” But of course, Sam and his team are continually working to keep their camps current and accessible in today’s world through continual cabin improvements and even uploading photos of campers to the Internet each day, so parents can see what their kiddos are up to.
The Cote family has also inducted another generation into its camp heritage with Ruggs Cote, Sam’s son and the current Camp Lincoln director. Much like Sam, Ruggs grew up at camp, with his first memories dating back to before he was even old enough to be a camper. He describes the daily routine of walking up a shaded, tree-lined path to the main camp each day from their family cabin. “As I would come around the final bend, the main campus opened up in front of me,” he explains. “Campers would be playing, the sun would be shining, and all this energy was in the air.” And of course, as any camper-to-be would do, Ruggs usually ended up running the last 100 yards, as if he was entering a new and exciting world.
Ruggs also thinks back fondly on the friendships he made while being a camper himself. Charlie from Nebraska had a giant backpack of comic books and Dougie from England had a fascination with Bob Dylan. The opportunity to make new and lasting friendships is undoubtedly one of the most important aspects of camp. And campers at Lincoln and Lake Hubert are able to create friendships with a wide variety of people from different places and backgrounds. In fact, only about one third of the campers come from Minnesota; the rest come from around the United States and the world. “The camper might be sleeping in the same room with some from California, Colorado, Kansas and Mexico, and have a counselor from Georgia,” Ruggs says.
All camps need dedicated and passionate staff to make them successful, and Camp Lincoln and Camp Lake Hubert certainly don’t lack that. Take Lois Baker for example, who, when on summer hiatus from teaching, spent 25 summers working at the camps. Or Evelyn Young, a former food service director at Gustavus Adolphus College, who was also the food service director at the camps for 30 years. And of course, there’s Grace Rogers who became the first director of Camp Lake Hubert when it opened in 1927 and stayed for the following 30 years. “We are blessed to have people like that who gave their lives to these camps,” says Sam. “You don’t see that very often today.”
One of Sam’s favorite memories at camp includes their 100th anniversary in the summer of 2009. Six hundred alumni showed up to show their support and relive their fondest summer camp memories. “It took a lot of work to get to that point,” he says.
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Pack your bags for Camp Lincoln and Camp Lake Hubert this summer!
Full season, 4-week, 3-week, 2-week and Intro to Camp sessions are available. Specialty golf, tennis or family camps are also available.
Enrollment is based on the camper’s grade in school.
Visit lincoln-lakehubert.com or call 800.242.1909 for specific dates and costs.
