YMCA OF THE PINES
SUMMER CAMPS | RETREATS |
FAMILY PROGRAMS | CHILDCARE | WILDERNESS TRIPS
Hello folks… As my title to this post may lead you to think about the weather… it is not about that. I am not a weather man and I have no idea what tomorrow or next week may bring in terms of temperature or precipitation. What I am eluding to is the fact that Camp is right around the corner we are beginning to move out of the winter projects mode and on to busier times ahead leading up to Summer Camp! A mental thaw, so to speak. […]
Please come out and join us at Camp Ockanickon, Camp Matollionequay and Lake Stockwell for our 1st 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 March 24th. 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 [...]
I once opened a fortune cookie that read “achievement will come with such hard work”. I think about this statement all of the time throughout my leadership in Lake Stockwell Day Camp and School’s Out. Exactly one week ago from today marked my second year, full time, here at Camp Ockanickon. Looking back, these last two years has been such a personal success for me. Not only have I had the opportunity of working here, I have had the opportunity to professional grow through multiple trainings, conferences, and networking events. Although some days are more rewarding than others and some [...]
Working at camp all year, I have the privilege of saying that I play for a living. Yes, I do spend time in an office, and the work here at camp has a farther reaching and deeper impact than simply being fun. However, fun is the primary vehicle for the impact that we make, and as a result I am evaluated on my ability to have fun. This past week, many of us here at camp attended the American Camping Association Tri-State Camping Conference in Atlantic City. The convention provides three full days of workshops geared to all levels of [...]
It was awesome to watch alumni, Ocky Staff, Matolly Staff, and Stockwell Staff working side by side to get Camp ready for our 1st Open House of the year. We had 26 people volunteer today to finish the work we started last Monday to get the Matolly Dining Hall and Matolly tour route ready for next Sunday's Open House. We raked lots of leaves, cut up and hauled out many down trees and limbs left over from Hurricane Sandy, and put the finishing touches on the Dining Hall. We even got a start on raking the Ocky Villages as well. [...]
Hello all… My apologies for missing last weeks blog post. This week wrapped up our final Introduction to Cooking class for the Winter 2013 season of our “Introduction To…” courses. Week 3, Chef Nick and I taught the class how to make home made pizza dough and by the end of class each of the students got to take home 2 of the most original and interesting pizzas I’ve ever seen… and they got to take them home in real pizza boxes! One of our students even made one that looked like a bunny! With Saint Patrick’s Day just around [...]
Please come out and join us at Camp Ockanickon, Camp Matollionequay and Lake Stockwell for our 1st 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 March 24th. 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 [...]
Earlier today (Monday) a large gathering of force came together at Matolly to make their way through two seasons worth of dropped needles and falling leaves. We also put a good shine to the Matolly Dining Hall, all in in preparation for the first Open House of 2013 - less than 2 weeks away. Big thanks to all of the staff and volunteers that made their way out today to help with what amounted to an incredible amount of work in just a short span of time. Happy Spring! Dave
We still have some tickets available for our annual St.Patrick's Day Beef & Ale! Please be sure to sign-up to enjoy this amazing event. https://ycamp.org/documents/2013StPatricksDay.pdf
My father, Frank Birchler, passed away last Thursday, February 28 at home surrounded by his loving family. Dad was 76 years old. He has had a big impact on our Camp, both directly and indirectly. For many years, one of Dad's hobbies has been fundraising for our Annual Golf Tournament. This wasn't something that Dad liked to brag about, because he did not like attention. He was, however, very committed to helping kids get to Camp who couldn't afford it otherwise. Dad did not like being in the spotlight. The look he gave me when he was honored with the [...]