2016 - YMCA OF THE PINES

Wilderness Discovery Series for Teens – classes

By YMCA of the Pines|2017-01-19T09:42:29-05:00December 20th, 2016|

Do you feel the call of the wild? Want to learn the basics before heading out on one of Camp’s Teen Adventure Trips this summer? Come join us for our outdoor adventure sessions at camp! Bring your friends (and make some here!) to explore our incredible 800 acres of nature for the day. Our instructors will teach you everything you need to know – no experience or equipment is necessary. In order to ensure that all participants receive personal attention, class sizes will be very limited – only 15 spots per course. Sign up online in early January 2017 by clicking "Register," log-in or create an account, and then select "2017 All Other Programs" to secure your place!

A new director for Lake Stockwell Day Camp!

By YMCA of the Pines|2016-12-19T14:24:44-05:00December 19th, 2016|

CEO Mark Dibble announced recently that Lynn Passarella will be the new director of Lake Stockwell Day Camp. Passarella, who has been the program’s assistant director since 2011, will now oversee the operation of the co-ed summer camp program that typically accommodates about 500 kids between the ages of 3 and 15 on a daily basis during the summer months. Passarella has worked at the camp since 2010, serving in various roles including Village Chief (head counselor), Assistant School-Age Childcare Director and Camp Store Director. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation Management from Lock Haven University as well [...]

Holiday Cookie Baking Class

By YMCA of the Pines|2016-11-11T15:48:49-05:00November 11th, 2016|

Sunday, Dec. 4, 1 to 3:30 p.m. Ages 8 and up. Participants will leave with about 3 dozen cookies. Register online today!

Meet Kelsey Henry – She recently joined our camp family!

By YMCA of the Pines|2016-11-10T14:42:20-05:00November 10th, 2016|

Meet our new Teen Program Coordinator! Kelsey Henry isn’t new to camp; she spent years as a Matolly camper and, starting in 2010, joined our summer staff to work as a challenge course facilitator, assistant village chief, village chief and head of the Rangers. She also gained a lot of experience working with at-risk youth and teens. Kelsey has a B.A. in Business Administration and Psychology (with Concentrations in Marketing and Child/Adolescent Development) from Muhlenberg College. She joined our full-time staff last month in the newly created position that was a direct result of a study where it was determined [...]

Shop at Amazon and support our camp!

By YMCA of the Pines|2016-11-07T13:35:28-05:00November 7th, 2016|

It's holiday shopping time! If you buy your gifts through Amazon, use this link and you'll help your favorite camp at the same time! https://smile.amazon.com/ch/21-0635054. Our Scholarship Fund helps send deserving kids to camp, regardless of their family's ability to pay. It's a good deal for everyone!

This is why I love camp – and why you should, too!

By YMCA of the Pines|2016-09-29T11:54:13-04:00September 29th, 2016|

Hello! I’m Lynne Stanwood-Leadbeater; I am on the Board of Directors and I chair the Financial Development Committee at YMCA Camp Ockanickon, Inc. It is a privilege to be a volunteer for Camp Ockanickon, because I feel strongly about the importance of giving back to an organization that gave so much to me and four generations of my family. In 1937, the inaugural year of our girl’s camp, Camp Matollionequay, my grandmother, Lillie Brown, was a counselor here. Since then, my father and later my mother, my uncles, my brother and I, all my cousins, and all of our children [...]

Our CEO visits Medford Sunrise Rotary

By YMCA of the Pines|2016-09-20T11:40:59-04:00September 20th, 2016|

Mark Dibble, left, CEO of YMCA Camp Ockanickon, Inc. in Medford, was recently presented with a $3,500 donation to camp by Jim Robinson, president of the Medford Sunrise Rotary. Rotarians raised the money for the nonprofit camp at a coin toss event this past spring. Mark was recently the featured speaker at the Rotary’s weekly breakfast meeting. Our CEO, Mark Dibble, was recently the featured speaker at the Sept. 7 breakfast meeting of the Medford Sunrise Rotary. Mark talked about how our 110-year-old organization has evolved over the years into so much more than a summer camp. In [...]

Learn to Dance at Camp!

By YMCA of the Pines|2016-08-31T13:30:39-04:00August 31st, 2016|

The talented Rancocas Valley Dance Team will host a free dance clinic on Sept. 10 from 1 to 4 p.m. Kids in grades K-8 are invited to spend the afternoon learning some basic moves. Parents are then invited to come from 4-4:30 p.m. to watch their children perform what they learned. A great opportunity to have some fun! Register by emailing info@ycamp.org. (Please provide the number and age of participants in the email.)

Lessons Learned From Camp

By YMCA of the Pines|2016-08-01T16:48:34-04:00August 1st, 2016|

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Matt Geurtsen and I am the trips coordinator (among other things!) here at camp. However, I will only be holding that title for a little bit longer as I will be attending George Mason University in the Fall to fill my brain with economics and data analytics. It was a difficult decision for me to make as I have absolutely loved the last six years that I have spent at camp. As I reflect back on my time here, I wanted to share what I consider to be the [...]

Happy to be the Volunteer in Chief!

By YMCA of the Pines|2016-07-13T14:02:18-04:00July 13th, 2016|

by David Herron Volunteer-in-chief (and board president) YMCA Camp Ockanickon, Inc. Every time I meet someone from the YMCA and they learn that I am a volunteer, they say, “Thank you for volunteering.” And every time I hear that, it strikes me as an odd thing to say. The truth of the matter is that I think I should be thanking them for the opportunity to be a YMCA volunteer. Being a volunteer at Camp Ockanickon means to me that I can have a positive impact on the lives of the boys and girls that attend camp and [...]

Yearly Archives: 2016