Ocky for Boys Archives - Page 5 of 13

Best care package ever … ?

By YMCA of the Pines|2012-11-13T12:47:34-05:00November 13th, 2012|

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!

By YMCA of the Pines|2012-10-27T12:47:09-04:00October 27th, 2012|

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

By YMCA of the Pines|2012-10-16T12:05:31-04:00October 16th, 2012|

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

By YMCA of the Pines|2012-10-13T07:33:32-04:00October 13th, 2012|

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. [...]

Two Choices

By YMCA of the Pines|2012-10-05T13:46:14-04:00October 5th, 2012|

This is probably the most powerful thought of the day I have ever heard. I received this as an email forward about 10 years ago and we often use it before our Special Events day competitions. It usually takes 2 people to read it because the readers often get overcome with emotion. What a beautiful message! I hope you enjoy it. At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a [...]

Thought of the Day

By YMCA of the Pines|2012-09-14T13:55:08-04:00September 14th, 2012|

Strats' Tower of Strength COURAGE gives me the strength to put worthwhile ideas into action. COMPETENCE is the ability to perform honestly the job for which I am suited. CULTURE displays the belief that an appreciation of life's goodness is a source of joy forever. COURTESY is the outward expression of inner respect for the individual. CHARACTER is that spiritual force within me that demands and gets my best choices and my best efforts. by Mike Stratton shared by Brent Birchler

Family Camp …

By YMCA of the Pines|2012-09-11T07:18:54-04:00September 11th, 2012|

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

By YMCA of the Pines|2012-09-09T08:54:03-04:00September 9th, 2012|

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. […]

True Leadership

By YMCA of the Pines|2012-09-07T09:11:46-04:00September 7th, 2012|

I can’t remember where I found this or who said it, but I think it really applies to our Summer Camp culture. It definitely makes me think of our summer staff and the amazing work that they do. Hope you enjoy it. Brent Birchler Boys Camp Director “When we call someone a leader, what we sometimes mean is that they are the best in their particular field; they are inspiring because of how much they accomplish. To be highly accomplished is impressive, but that isn’t what leadership is about. True leaders are not just high achievers; they also support the [...]

Time to reflect…

By YMCA of the Pines|2012-09-05T10:21:18-04:00September 5th, 2012|

Hello to all of our dear readers… I know It’s been a while since my last blog post… somewhere in the vicinity of 10 weeks… just about the length of our Overnight Summer Camps and our Day Camp. As you can imagine… and as I will “Wow” you with some statistics in a “P.S.” below this post… Camp is BUSY!! […]