Uncategorized Archives - Page 34 of 38

Family Programs at Camp Ockanickon

By YMCA of the Pines|2013-01-26T15:26:26-05:00January 26th, 2013|

To me, there is nothing more enjoyable then sharing 800 acres with children, adults and families. Every year we host programs that are packed with kids like Resident Camp and Day Camp and some which are a little smaller like Parents Night Out and Intro to Mountain Biking. We do programs for adults like the Annual Golf Outing and the St. Patrick's Beef & Ale. All of these programs are offered because Camp is not as much fun when there is nobody around. But there are a couple of programs which really get me excited every year. Our Father/Child Weekend, [...]

Thought of the Day

By YMCA of the Pines|2013-01-25T14:31:28-05:00January 25th, 2013|

I remember being 12 or 13 and learning a valuable lesson from Rick Worrell and Chris Morris while preparing to leave on a Trailblazer trip. The lesson was about treating all people with respect, whether they were a maintenance worker, a kitchen staff member, or the van driver, because all of those folks worked hard to make sure we had a good experience at Camp. Years later, I came across this passage and I was reminded of that lesson. "During my second year of nursing school our professor gave us a pop quiz. I breezed through the questions until I [...]

A Dream Come True

By YMCA of the Pines|2013-01-24T01:00:14-05:00January 24th, 2013|

This year will be by 18th year playing softball. Throughout the years, I have been actively involved in the sport from travel teams, high school teams, little leagues, and now, co-ed Sunday leagues. It has also been one of my dreams to coach a team of my own and this year my dream will come true. This spring, I will be coaching my very own softball team for girls ages 9 through 12 at Cherry Hill National Little League. I started playing there when I was 8 years old and continued throughout my softball career until I was 18. I [...]

It’s that time of year… Camp Fair Season!

By YMCA of the Pines|2013-01-23T09:23:52-05:00January 23rd, 2013|

This past weekend was the kick-off to our 2013 Camp Fair Season. We were at the Moorestown Mall in Moorestown, NJ and also at the Grand Summit Hotel in Summit, NJ! We had a great weekend and had the pleasure of sharing our love of camp with many families intersted in the summer camp experience. Tonight we are heading to Conestoga High School in Berwyn, PA from 5:30-8:30pm for another exciting Camp Fair! If you are in the area tonight or at any of the other locations throughout the next few weeks, please stop by to say Hi and cook [...]

School In Disguise

By YMCA of the Pines|2013-01-22T12:38:25-05:00January 22nd, 2013|

I recall Wayne Holmes saying, “Wouldn’t it be great if you could just go to camp all year? I mean, camp is school in disguise, but way cooler.” Well, Wayne, apparently you can. The coolest head of school seems to be in Fort Worth, Texas at the Trinity Valley School, “an independent-college preparatory school with the mission of providing students with academic and character development.” Gary Krahn, PhD, advocates for the need for school-camp partnerships and the importance of exposing students to the outdoors in to meet new people, develop relationships, and confront new situations. Students under Krahn participate in [...]

Camp Ockanickon Discovery Programs

By YMCA of the Pines|2013-01-19T07:26:27-05:00January 19th, 2013|

Looking for something to do after school this upcoming spring season? Then be sure to sign-up for one of our six Discovery Programs being offered over the next couple of months. https://ycamp.org/documents/2013SpringLearnToRegistration.pdf

True Role Models

By YMCA of the Pines|2013-01-19T05:41:35-05:00January 19th, 2013|

Tired of hearing about Lance Armstrong and other professional athletes that can't seem to grasp the concept that kids look up to them? Check out this story about the Sports Illustrated Sports Kid of the Year: http://www.sikids.com/skoty. This is the kind of hero I want my kids looking up to. I forwarded this to Ocky staff the other day and thought it was worth sharing with the rest of the Camp Family as well. Make sure to watch the video! Enjoy! Brent Birchler Boys Camp Director

New to Day Camp!

By YMCA of the Pines|2013-01-17T03:30:05-05:00January 17th, 2013|

This summer we decided to spice up Lake Stockwell's Explorers program by adding.... FIELD TRIPS! That's right. Every Wednesday our Explorers will be leaving Camp for the day to enjoy the various trips we have planned. We are very excited they will be able to enjoy these trips with their friends and counselors! Below is the list of the 2013 Field Trips. Hope to see you there! Session 1: Funplex of Mt. Laurel Session 2: Cherry Hill Skating Center Session 3: Adventure Aquarium Session 4: Sahara Sam's Session 5: Funplex of Mt. Laurel Session 6: Philadelphia Zoo Session 7: Camden [...]

The Lockout is Over

By YMCA of the Pines|2013-01-15T13:37:28-05:00January 15th, 2013|

For those of you who may not have known, there was a lockout in the NHL this past year that resulted in over half of the games in the 2012-2013 season being cancelled. Anyone who spends time with me has learned from me either proudly (pre lockout) or begrudgingly (during the lockout) that for the first time in my life this past year I became a season ticketholder for the Philadelphia Flyers. Needless to say the recent news that the lockout had ended made me very happy. Strangely enough as I reflect back on it, my relationship with the sport [...]

Menu Tasting

By YMCA of the Pines|2013-01-12T15:46:38-05:00January 12th, 2013|

This past Tuesday we hosted an extremely unique and delicious event at the Ockanickon DH. A menu tasting event is something I have heard Chef Jason talk about and for the 1st time, I was able to actually partake in a menu tasting. These events are typically made up of a handful of Camp chefs, who gather to talk about summer camp menus, share cooking stories and review (and taste) new menu items. Some of the new menu items we had a chance to sample: Chinese Foods, vegetarian dishes, pizzas, Greek yogurts, breads and a ton of desserts. All in [...]

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