Overview
Tamahay Camp is committed to providing a safe, supportive space for girls. Encouraging them to explore nature, learn new skills, and develop self-confidence. Our entire staff gets to know each and every camper personally. Helping to provide guidance and encouragement.
Most of all, Tamahay Camp is away from the distractions of modern technology and the pressures of social media. Here, girls are free to be themselves. In addition, our judgment-free atmosphere allows young women to try new activities and make new friends without fear of ridicule or bullying.
Administrative Staff
Elaine Denne has a Bachelor’s degree in physical education. She spent several years in hospitality management at Big Sky in Montana. She became a member of the administrative staff at Tamahay Camp for Girls in 1986. Elaine took over as camp director in 2017.
Elaine Denne - Camp Director
Rachel Hoffelt has a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a Master’s degree in education with a mathematics emphasis. She taught high school math for more than 20 years in Northfield, MN, before moving up to Tamahay Camp permanently. She currently is a math teacher at Bemidji High School. Rachel began attending Tamahay Camp for Girls as an 11 year old in 1985. She came up through the counseling program and was head counselor for several years before transitioning to the administrative staff.
Rachel Hoffelt - Program Director
Naomi Hoffelt has a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a Master’s degree in mathematics education. She taught outside Chicago, IL, and Baltimore, MD, for 12 years before moving across the road from Tamahay to raise angora goats. Naomi started attending Tamahay Camp for Girls as a 7 year old in 1989. She came up through the counseling program and was a counselor for 10 summers, then transitioned to the administrative staff.
Naomi Hoffelt - Assistant Director
Anne Pavlik has a Bachelor’s degree in physical education. She taught elementary physical education in Walker, MN, for more than 30 years before retiring. She has been a member of the administrative staff at Tamahay Camp for Girls since the 1970s, working in a variety of positions.
Anne Pavlik - Administrative Assistant
History
Tamahay was founded in 1969 by four teachers from Kansas with the intent of building a girls’ camp. Their dream was to provide a quality summer camp program at an affordable price. Together, these four women (Lois Haskin, Jane Besler, Donella Palmer, and Shirley Malcolm) cleared the land, built the buildings, and designed the program over the course of several years. Tamahay’s mission remains the same today as it was in 1969: to help girls discover their true potential, and empower them to develop into confident young women.
For more stories about how Tamahay started, please click on these links to two newspaper articles published in 1969:
The Founders of Tamahay
Donella Palmer, Jane Besler, Lois Haskin, Shirley Malcolm
(Egor) (Piper) (Poke) (Scotch)
Please click here to watch a short video about Tamahay.