YMCA OF THE PINES
SUMMER CAMPS | RETREATS |
FAMILY PROGRAMS | CHILDCARE | WILDERNESS TRIPS
Where would I be without camp? If I really think about that question, I'd have to say that my life would be so entirely different that I can't imagine what it would be like. I obviously would not be a camp director if I had never attended Ockanickon as a boy. I wouldn't know how to do a J-Stroke in a canoe. I would know very few of my dearest friends since I met most of them at camp. I would not have given my mom a jewelry box for Mother's Day when I was 10 or 11 that I [...]
The snow from the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics has long been melted and Rio 2016 is still two years away, but here at Camp Ockanickon and Matollionequay, we are getting ready for our own Summer Olympics. The Saturday of two-week sessions at overnight camp is Special Events Day. On these days, regular programming is put on hold and replaced with a co-ed inter-camp contests that last the entire day. Both camps come together for a day of friendly competition, teamwork, and sportsmanship. The day concludes with a closing ceremony when the winning team is announced and an all camp barbeque [...]
Hello all... This past Friday night, Camp held it's first Bingo Night event... Coach Bingo to be exact. Yes, Coach as in the brand of handbags, clutches and such. A total of 10 Coach items were up for grabs in each of the 10 rounds of Bingo. Approximately 230 people packed into the Ockanickon Dining Hall on Friday for an evening full of games, fellowship and fun! Tables full of food, friends and Bingo cards spread as far as the eye could see. The Camp staff was busy handing out cards, calling the games, running a 50-50 raffle, monitoring a [...]
I am currently working on a feature article about camping that I plan to submit to a couple different camping magazines. The article is about my experience in camping, working with counselors and campers, and my experiences performing improv comedy in college. Writing it has afforded me the opportunity to nerd-out and read articles by my favorite comedians. Comedians like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Will Ferrell, and Conan O’Brien all have some truly insightful and funny things to say. Whether or not the article gets published is yet to be seen (fingers crossed) but reading words of wisdom from my [...]
Hello to one and all!! My apologies for the lapse in postings here on our humble little blog. As you can tell, our website has received a gorgeous new makeover!! In the interim, our access to the blog was limited so not much got posted here for a little while. Personally, I am excited for our awesome team to start up again in the new year to bring you all the things we love to share with you. From recipes to event wrap-ups… pictures and inspirational quotes… heartfelt stories, camp history and the inside scoop on all sorts of various [...]
Hello dear readers… Over the past two weekends in a row Camp has hosted two beautiful unions here on our property. […]
Ellen DeGeneres has once again made sure that good things happen to good people. On the October 18 episode of Ellen, everybody’s favorite talk show host gave 22-year-old Ruby Tuesday server and single mom Sarah Hoidahl a huge surprise: A check for $10,000. Sarah Hoidahl became something of an internet sensation after she bought lunch for two National Guard soldiers at her restaurant in Concord, N.H. “They were looking through the menu and they said they were trying to keep it light. They mentioned the government shutdown, that they were furloughed and not getting paid,” Sarah explained. “I just decided, [...]
Here’s a tried and true classic recipe that I thought all our bakers out there should have in their files. White Chocolate Chip Chocolate Cookies!!
Visionista: Noun A woman who knows who she is, where she's going, and guides her tribe of Leading Ladies to the top.
Hello all… A seasonal ingredient that pops up more this time of year, in the Fall and Winter, is sweet potatoes. Here is a delicious Mashed Sweet Potato recipe that is simple and delicious! Mashed Sweet Potatoes