June 2013 - YMCA OF THE PINES

I Get It Now….

By YMCA of the Pines|2013-06-27T09:48:57-04:00June 27th, 2013|

Ok, Camper Parents. I just wanted to thank you for trusting your children to us here at Camp. I now understand how you're feeling, as a parent, when you drop off your Campers. You're anxious, excited, nervous, happy, petrified, emotional, proud and inspired. On Monday, we dropped off our daughter, Katelyn, to Preschool Camp. She was so excited! She jumped right in and had a blast. She came home singing new songs, learned new things and did some awesome crafts. She meet new people and gained independence. She shared and used her manners. She LOVED it! Even though she is [...]

Session One Has Begun

By YMCA of the Pines|2013-06-26T12:28:18-04:00June 26th, 2013|

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 [...]

Today…

By YMCA of the Pines|2013-06-23T18:05:17-04:00June 23rd, 2013|

Today saw the start of an amazing summer. Today it rained... but it didn't slow anyone down. Today I got a message from an old friend from my hometown of Pennsauken... out of the blue... that simply said "Make some good food tomorrow! My boy is going to be hungry!" I had no idea his child was coming to start at our Day Camp tomorrow... but it thrilled me beyond belief. Today I got to see a lot of familiar and friendly faces. Old friends & new acquaintances. Today I got to take part in the power of social media [...]

Happy Father’s Day…

By YMCA of the Pines|2013-06-16T20:09:20-04:00June 16th, 2013|

Hello dear readers... This year, not only do I share my Birthday with Father's Day... it was also the first day of General Staff Training here at YMCA Camp Ockanickon and Matollionequay... with Lake Stockwell to join us tomorrow. That's pretty a pretty epic day in the life of a person... father... and Camp Staff member. And what a fantastic amalgam of a day it was. I have been truly blessed to be a part of this magical place for a long time now... and now to see my own daughter entering one of our own programs, our Pre-School Day [...]

Camp Counselor vs. Internship

By YMCA of the Pines|2013-06-15T11:47:37-04:00June 15th, 2013|

So...this is another great article that has been floating around Facebook over the past week: http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/the-camp-counselor-vs-the-intern/?smid=fb-share

Thought of the Day

By YMCA of the Pines|2013-06-14T20:16:02-04:00June 14th, 2013|

I'd like to think this is what happens at Camp... "Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of the rest or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance…Few are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or [...]

It’s here!

By YMCA of the Pines|2013-06-10T12:53:56-04:00June 10th, 2013|

Just a few of our awesome Leadership Staff enjoying the first day of training!

On the cusp…

By YMCA of the Pines|2013-06-09T19:33:19-04:00June 9th, 2013|

Hello dear readers... I am writing this, sitting on my porch here at Camp on Sunday evening... a cool breeze blows... mosquitoes ignore the citronella candle burning by my side and pester my legs and neck and arms and... I think a real "go getter" just got me right through my shirt... The last of the Conference groups who stay overnight have checked out... two more day groups to go... and our Ad Staff training beginning tomorrow... and I am excited. Excited for what the Summer will bring. Hot and long days in the Kitchens for myself and my crew, [...]

Safety Tip

By YMCA of the Pines|2013-06-08T11:30:25-04:00June 8th, 2013|

As we quickly approach the summer it's important to know what to look for. Here was an article that was passed around a lot on Facebook this week. While out lifeguards all receive multiple trainings, I thought this was important to share. http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/family/2013/06/rescuing_drowning_children_how_to_know_when_someone_is_in_trouble_in_the.html

Ad Staff Training

By YMCA of the Pines|2013-06-07T21:56:59-04:00June 7th, 2013|

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 [...]

Monthly Archives: June 2013