YMCA OF THE PINES
SUMMER CAMPS | RETREATS |
FAMILY PROGRAMS | CHILDCARE | WILDERNESS TRIPS
Hello all… My apologies for missing a post or two. As the Summer Camp 2013 has been in full swing for a few weeks now, things have gotten VERY hectic around here!! This weeks post is specifically for a Matolly Girl named Becky from Session 2, Mohawk Cabin 28… but can be enjoyed by one and all! […]
I feel a lot of pressure writing the first blog post of the summer. I can hear laughter trailing down from the nature cabin as girls try to catch frogs, and more from the nearby waterfront. It is only the 2nd full day of summer camp since we started on Sunday, but it feels like we’re in the middle of the summer. Songs are being sung at a rapid, loud pace with more being learned as I write. First session is one of the most exciting times of the summer for both campers and staff. Everything is fresh and newly [...]
My summer officially begins on Monday! Our Village Chiefs, Program Directors, Ranger Instructors, Activity Directors, and CIT/LIT Directors all move onto Camp and spend the week preparing their activity areas, learning supervisory skills, and beginning the process of building our 2013 staff team! We're happy to welcome back many returning leadership staff members and quite a few who are going to be in new positions this summer. It is going to be a very busy week packed with a lot different training sessions and challenges. I'm really excited to work with this outstanding group of young men and women and [...]
My 20th consecutive Staff Orientation will be starting in a few weeks and it is still one of my favorite events of the the year. The 2013 Staff Team will be getting together for the first time ever. We'll be doing our first Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the summer. Many returning staff members will be moving into new positions. There will be lots of singing! New staff will have their first experience at our Behind Closed Doors role playing activity. BOB DITTER WILL BE OUR SPECIAL GUEST PRESENTER!!!! The first Camp Dance of the summer will be rocking! Old [...]
Please come out and join us at Camp Ockanickon, Camp Matollionequay and Lake Stockwell for our 3rd open house of the season. Tours will be leaving from the Ockanickon Dining Hall (Ocky & Stockwell) and the Matollionequay Dining Hall (Matolly) from 1-4pm on Sunday May 19th. This is the perfect opportunity to learn about all the fun and exciting program we have lined up for this summer, meet our summer camp staff and enjoy some delicious s’mores! There is no RSVP needed…just swing on over! All of our open houses are rain or shine…but we always keep our fingers crossed [...]
Thank you to former Matolly Staff Member, Danielle Wiest, for sharing this great Thought of the Day. Can't you picture a 7-year old camper doing this!!! A little boy went out to the backyard to play with a baseball and bat. He said to himself "I am the best hitter in all the world!" Then he threw the ball up in the air and took a swing at it, but he missed. Without a moment’s hesitation, he picked up the ball and tossed it in the air again, saying as he swung the bat, "I am the best hitter in [...]
Watching the seasons change our environment is one of the great benefits to living here at camp. I love the sudden change when the leaves grow back and everything is green again. The changing seasons always bring about new families staying here at camp. For instance the geese are raising five babies that follow them around near the lake everyday. Behind Ockenhouse there are two wood ducks named Wilma and Fred waiting on their eggs to hatch. Watching deer in the Matolly field eating with their young is a sight to see. If you haven’t gotten a chance recently to [...]
Hello all! I would just like to take a moment out of my busy day, on this very special day, to tell you how blessed I am to have such strong, smart and simply amazing women in my life. Today is Mother's Day... but to me, every day should be Mother's Day. Including my wife, Gabrielle, our very own Matollionequay Girl's Camp Director, there are 9 working mothers on our immediate staff here on the property at YMCA Camp Ockanickon... and a few others working at our School's Out sites. That number also increases as we have more working Moms [...]
It is a mother's responsibility to protect her young. To protect her young, she must keep them close to her. I would imagine that it goes against many motherly instincts for moms to send their kids off to Camp without them. Yet they do it anyway. Moms send their kids to Camp because they know it will be an enriching experience full of fun, adventure, challenge, and friendship. Thanks to all of the moms (and dads) who give us the gift of Camp, even though they miss us dearly while we are away. Have a happy Mother's Day Weekend! Brent [...]
I typically mark the start of summer when the first international staff arrive. Jason Garrity from New Zealand arrived last night and first timer, Lex Kelly from Australia, arrived early this morning. Welcome to Lex and welcome back to Jason! Over the next few weeks, loads of international and American staff will be arriving at Camp to get things set up, to work with groups, to go through various trainings, and to begin forming the 2013 Summer Camp Teams for Ocky, Matolly, and Stockwell. Before we know it, the campers will be arriving and Camp will be in full swing! [...]