Vital Engagement
In a world of virtual engagement parent’s can find summer camp as one of the few places left where vital engagement is so rich and positive in a “safe place for their children to thrive and develop a deeper sense of self."
Camp Family
It is always great to have former counselors pay a visit to Camp. Unfortunately, we will all reach a point when we can no longer return to Summer Camp, whether it is because of a big move or college graduation or a new job opportunity. One generation heads out into the world as another one starts their own Camp memories. Fortunately, you can always come back. We had a quite a few visitors at Winter Camp. Not only did we have over 40 Ocky, Matolly, and Stockwell staff members volunteer to come and work at Winter Camp, we also had [...]
Best care package ever … ?
What is the best care package I ever saw someone recieve? My parents weren't big on care packages, and I wasn't really one to ask for them so I'm out of the running. However, after years and years at camp, we've seen some pretty interesting things come through gates from the postal service. Which one really was the best? Was it somebody's mom's fresh, homemade brownies? No. They were good, but not top prize. Was it the remote controlled helicopter that arrived on a Lazy Sunday? Very cool, but that broke way too quickly. One summer, an enormous box came [...]
What a weekend!
I love these kinds of weekends, there is so much going on in and around Camp it makes me proud to be part of such a great organization. After our last school group departed on Friday, Camp quickly transformed into a 10K Mud Run host site with over 500 people registered to partake in the 3rd installment of the Above & Beyond 10K Mud Run. At the same time, Mike Dzwill was putting the finishing touches on our float for the 67th Annual Medford-Vincentown Rotary Halloween Parade in which 32,000 pieces of candy will be given out by just our float [...]
Top 10 Camp Movies of All Time
So, Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom was just released on DVD and Blu-Ray last week and as an avid movie-watcher of any sort, camp movies in particular hold a special place in my heart. I decided to share my Top 10 Camp Movies of All Time with the rest of the nation. And yes, this is the child-friendly list. We will leave Jason Voorhees off for now. 1. Meatballs 2. Heavyweights 3. Earnest Goes to Camp 4. Camp Nowhere 5. The Parent Trap (1961) 6. Moonrise Kingdom 7. The Great Outdoors (not really camp, but camping all the same) 8. Indian Summer 9. Addams Family [...]
Summer Camp 2013
With the addition of session 6, a co-ed Resident Camp program held on the grounds of Camp Matollionequay, our new indoor sports court for Lake Stockwell Day Camp, the amazing new water inflatable which will be shared by all three Camps, an additional day of swimming for members at Cherokee Beach and our Pre-School Camp based out of Cherokee Beach, 2013 Summer Camp cannot get here quickly enough. It amazes me each summer how quickly 10 weeks can pass by, but I am constantly reminded that as quickly as each summer passes by, it’s going to arrive just as quickly. [...]
A thought of the day…
"One of our greatest illusions is that someday we will have more time to savor and enjoy the things we really love. But one thing leads to another , and someday never comes. In the rush to pursue our daily routines, life speeds by and we forget to live." How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. ~ Annie Dillard
Family Camp …
Apologies for being out of touch for a little while. I wanted to share with everyone some of the remarkable things that happen at camp when things don't go as planned. Last week over 45 families chose to spend their Labor Day Weekend here at Ockanickon for our bi-annual Family Camp. There was swimming, boating, challenge course, Gaga, and more. One of the less glamorous side notes to operating a facility like this is our use of water. While at camp guests take showers, brush their teeth, hydrate, and go to the bathroom. On the Ockanickon side of the property, we [...]
No Rise Pizza Crust
Hello all! Over the summer here at Camp we ran some brand new Cooking Programs. At the Girl’s Camp we had a solid 2 week program that all for the girls attended and at the Boy’s Camp we offered 4 separate one week “Progressive Skill” sessions. Both programs were well recieved by the kids and counselors alike. I’m going to share a few of the recipes here and there throughout the coming months. […]