YMCA OF THE PINES
SUMMER CAMPS | RETREATS |
FAMILY PROGRAMS | CHILDCARE | WILDERNESS TRIPS
Later this week, one of our long time camp counselors and friends, Scott, and his wife Stevie, will celebrate their marriage right here at camp. Scott spent a number of years here with many of us as a counselor, Nature Director, village chief, and year-round outdoor education and group retreats instructor. Best of luck to Scott and Stevie as they begin their new life together starting right here on the Ockanickon Nation.
Floating around camp there is a video called “The Fish! Philosophy”. This video has been shown to our staff and sometimes incorporated into our CIT and LIT programs. About this time last year, I watched the video for the first time. I was amazed about culture of Seattle’s Pike Place Fish Market, where the video takes place. Although just getting up and going to work or school can be challenging some days, your day will depend on how you make it. Below is The Fish! Philosophy. I challenge you to apply their philosophy in your everyday life whether it’s at [...]
It was truly a pleasure to watch former Ocky Director and current Pitman Principal, Chris Morris, lead his students during their stay at Camp Ockanickon last week. Having worked with many school groups over the years, I can tell you that I have not seen too many principals get as involved with their students' activities as Chris did! You can tell he still has a passion for Camp and for working with young people. I guess you can take the man out of Camp, but you can never take Camp out of the man! Having had Chris as my Ranger [...]
Hello all... We had an wonderful weekend here at Camp. We held one of my favorite event weekends... Roll Up Your Sleeves... where alumni, campers & parents and interested citizens from all walks of life come out to lend a much needed hand to help us tackle all sorts of projects around Camp in order to spruce up the place. Jobs ranged from fixing up flower beds to replacing parts of our boardwalks that have deteriorated to cleaning windows and clearing brush. The weather was a bit chilly but as you can imagine, working hard sure builds up a sweat... [...]
Yesterday was our class for the Intro to Mountain Biking Discover program and we had a blast! I was really excited about this class because 3 of the 4 kids had done earlier Intro to Mountain Biking last season. Our 1st class was pretty straightforward, we did some introductions and some expectations for the class. We also did some great exercises that are designed specifically for mountain bikers. I felt this was something that my previous classes had lacked so I was excited to add this essential step into the program. After stretches, we saddled up and headed onto the [...]
In the 21st century, it is safe to say that when most people look at the stars, they think of science. Perhaps they are reminded of lessons that they learned in school about what causes the motion of celestial objects, or perhaps they are looking for something they heard about in the news. What we often forget; however, is that before we were able to scientifically explain astronomy, the stars were more of a cultural phenomenon than a scientific one. Before television, electricity, the printing press, or even a written language, parents of ancient times had the same monumental task [...]
Hello everyone… For those of you who may be concerned with consuming gluten for one reason or another, here’s a great Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe that is sure to please. […]
A little boy went out to the backyard to play with a baseball and bat. He said to himself, "I am the best hitter in all the world!" Then he threw the ball up in the air and took a swing at it, but he missed. Without a moments hesitation, he picked up the ball and tossed it in the air again, saying as he swung the bat, "I am the best hitter in all the world!" He swung and missed. Strike two. He tossed the ball up again, concentrating more intensely, even more determined, saying "I am the greatest [...]
When you volunteer at Camp Ockanickon, you take an active role in bringing about meaningful, enduring change right in your own neighborhood. For RUYS, our Camp staff develops a task list ranging from jobs that require no specific skills to jobs that require someone with carpentry, plumbing or electrical skills. RUYS is an amazing opportunity for students looking to fulfill community service hours and companies, individuals and families who just want to make a difference and help give back. We look forward to seeing you! https://ycamp.org/documents/2013SpringRUYS.pdf
Every year, we deliver thousands of Summer Camp flyers to schools during the week after Easter Break. There is one route that I especially enjoy for a few different reasons. A few years back, we started delivering to some schools down at the Jersey Shore from Absecon to Cape May. Since we had such amazing weather this week, it made for a beautiful drive with the windows down and the radio cranking. Summer is almost here! The other reasons that I love this delivery is that it takes me right near my favorite restaurant and that restaurant is right across [...]