August 2012 - YMCA OF THE PINES

A thought of the day…

By YMCA of the Pines|2012-08-29T11:14:45-04:00August 29th, 2012|

One day a philosopy professor brought a large glass jar and some beautiful river rocks to class with him. "Raise your hands when the jar is full," he instructed his students, and began putting the big rocks into the jar. Soon the lid would no longer fit, and all the students raised their hands to indicate the jar was full. The professor then pulled out a bag of smaller black and white pebbles and poured them into the jar. As the pebbles rolled down, they filled in the little gaps between the big river rocks. The students smiled and raised [...]

Summer Staff Super Heroes

By YMCA of the Pines|2012-08-27T05:04:53-04:00August 27th, 2012|

There is a group of young people here at Camp that we can never give enough credit and "thank you's" to. These folks are truly the ones that make Camp Magic happen. Our year-round staff and board and committee members do a tremendous amount of work, so please don't think we are slighting them. But the summer staff, the young men and women living in the cabins, leading our villages around, cooking our meals, running the activities, keeping Camp clean, mentoring campers, and generally being great role models 24/7 deserve our gratitude and respect in a big way. These "kids" [...]

Roll Up Your Sleeves!

By YMCA of the Pines|2012-08-25T08:31:08-04:00August 25th, 2012|

When you volunteer at Camp Ockanickon, you take an active role in bringing about meaningful, enduring change right in your own neighborhood. For RUYS, our Camp staff develops a task list ranging from jobs that require no specific skills to jobs that require someone with carpentry, plumbing or electrical skills. RUYS is an amazing opportunity for students looking to fulfill community service hours and companies, individuals and families who just want to make a difference and help give back. We look forward to seeing you! https://ycamp.org/documents/2012FallRUYS.pdf

A thought of the day…

By YMCA of the Pines|2012-08-22T12:14:35-04:00August 22nd, 2012|

...there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special. ~ Jim Valano, college basketball coach

Labor Day Family Camp

By YMCA of the Pines|2012-08-18T08:33:10-04:00August 18th, 2012|

Family Camp Weekend is a time for the entire family to experience traditional summer camp activities and to be campers together! Families live in our rustic cabins and lodges, enjoy delicious meals in our dining hall, and participate in camp activities facilitated by our talented summer staff. Whether you are experiencing Family Camp for the first time or have been coming for years, it is always a wonderful opportunity for your family to enjoy each other’s company and to make new friends. https://ycamp.org/documents/2012FamilyCampregistration.pdf

This is Goodnight But Not Goodbye

By YMCA of the Pines|2012-08-15T06:51:13-04:00August 15th, 2012|

As the end of the summer has drawn near my mind has turned again and again to an opinion expressed frequently at camp by campers and staff alike- the idea that camp is not real life. I myself have said this many times, and lately I've got to thinking about what exactly this means. Real life, for campers and staff, means work, hard work, homework, schoolwork, it means the prospect of not being included, accepted or valued as we ought to be, it means exposure to all kinds of role models, not always positive ones. It also means electricity, real [...]

Summer Camp for the Whole Family

By YMCA of the Pines|2012-08-14T11:46:40-04:00August 14th, 2012|

After doing a little research, I found that the phrase "camp" did not always hold the meaning that it has today. For years in the early 1900's, summer camp was a place that families would go together, usually near some body of water, and create a sort of summer escape. They would build simple, small structures and get together after a day of fishing or clamming to enjoy each other's company. We try to carry on the tradition of family camp today and will be hosting our annual Labor Day Family Camp in just a few short weeks. Interested? Only [...]

Intro-to & Parent’s Night Out!

By YMCA of the Pines|2012-08-11T08:37:38-04:00August 11th, 2012|

Each season we offer to the community a handful of specialized programs designed to teach children about activities they can only find at Camp. This year we are happy to offer three amazing programs: Intro to Fishing, Intro to Archery and Intro to Mountain Biking. We also are very excited to announce the return of Parent's Night Out! https://ycamp.org/documents/2012FallLearnToRegistration.pdf

Color War 2012!

By YMCA of the Pines|2012-08-08T09:15:38-04:00August 8th, 2012|

Last Saturday marked the second annual co-ed Color War at the Y Camps of Medford. To the uninitiated, Color War is when two teams, the Red Team and the Black Team, battle each other for camp glory over the course of roughly 24 hours. It all started with a ceremony held at dusk on the Matolly Dam, with the Village Chiefs and Camp Directors scattered and dressed in Native American garb with flames at their feet and a spark in their eye. One by one the Chiefs declared their villages to be in battle. The Color War Captains were honored- [...]

Roll Up Your Sleeves!

By YMCA of the Pines|2012-08-04T11:57:43-04:00August 4th, 2012|

You may notice that we have changed the Fall Roll Up Your Sleeves to a single day, but we still need your help! When you volunteer at Camp Ockanickon, you take an active role in bringing about meaningful, enduring change right in your own neighborhood. For RUYS, our Camp staff develops a task list ranging from jobs that require no specific skills to jobs that require someone with carpentry, plumbing or electrical skills. RUYS is an amazing opportunity for students looking to fulfill community service hours and companies, individuals and families who just want to make a difference and help give back. We look forward to seeing [...]

Monthly Archives: August 2012