DANEBOD FOLK CAMP
The first Danebod Folk School was built in the year 1888, and church services were held in the lecture hall of that building. Now, the school is used as the hall for the Danebod congregation, plus hosts many camps, retreats, and serves as a meeting place for local clubs and groups.
What is Danebod?
Danebod Folk Camp ("DAHN-a-bo," or "DAN-a-bo," either way's OK) is an annual gathering of friends, families, and friends-to-be that takes place at the Danebod Folk School campus in Tyler, Minnesota.
To get better acquainted with the soul of Danebod Folk Camp, you might want to look at some of the photos of life during Danebod week, take a look at a typical week's schedule, and (especially) see what we have posted about our upcoming camp session.
Membership
If you’re a paid camper, or if you’ve paid the annual membership fee, you’re a member of the Danebod Folk Camp organization. Each full-time camper’s registration includes an annual membership.
Members age 14 and up are entitled to vote on Board motions at the annual meeting (usually held on Thursday of camp week).
Individuals who aren’t able to come to the camp in August, but who wish to be a member of DFC, may join by paying the annual membership fee, currently $50.
How did this come to be?
The camp has its roots in a folk school philosophy embracing informal, lifelong education that was developed and championed by N.F.S. Grundtvig, a nineteenth century Danish philosopher/poet/clergyman. Soon after arriving, the Danes who settled Tyler built a three-story folk school and dormitory to promote this "living for learning" philosophy and to encourage the development of thoughtful and enlightened citizens.
In August 1947, the folk school building began serving as the venue for an annual, week-long retreat that promoted the activities and philosophical underpinnings of the folk school movement, where families and friends, young and old, could exchange their regular routines for a week of singing, dancing, exchanging ideas, teaching, learning new skills, and of course… letting Danebod's talented kitchen staff do the cooking for a week!
The camp grew year after year, adding a second session starting in June 1971, and a third session starting July 1981. The June and July camps continue to prosper under the direction of the Danebod Family Camp board, while August camp is guided by our Danebod Folk Camp board. These boards work together with Tyler's Danebod Folk School board to set the direction of the Danebod camp experience.