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! […]
It's sometimes hard to stop and smell the roses when Camp is in full swing. I find myself thinking about the days when I was living in New York working at Frost Valley as a 17 year old counselor. Over the past couple of summers I have slowly moved farther and farther away from getting to regularly hang-out with campers. My days are filled with coding receipts, marketing, reviewing surveys and talking with parents....very glorious I know. Last year I started to take pictures because we purchased a new fancy camera and I was extremely excited because I know had [...]
Man, do I love Summer Camp!!! It is never easy, but it is always lots of fun! The staff have been working incredibly hard over the past month to get Camp ready and set up, to get everyone properly trained and prepared, and in recent weeks, to deliver an exceptional Camp experience to our boys. I have been really pleased with the first 2 weeks of our season. We were hit by lots of thunderstorms during Session 1 and the start of Session 2, but the time spent in cabins during the storms seemed to be some of the most [...]
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 [...]
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 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 [...]
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 [...]
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
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 [...]
Just a few of our awesome Leadership Staff enjoying the first day of training!