Kyle is a Day Camp Shannon institution. Both campers and staff alike look forward to seeing his welcoming smile and find out what fun he has in store every morning at drop off. Not only is Kyle passionate about Day Camp and the work he does here, but he is training to be a teacher because he loves working with young people and their families in the community too. He is known for giving 100% to Day Camp theme days so watch out for his amazing costumes around camp!
Every summer camp cabin group goes on an overnight camping trip on our property during their stay with us. Groups hike out, make a fire to cook over and sleep under the stars. The dinner menu is a traditional Mason offering of hobo meals followed by s’mores. There are already some of you out there who are making the Camp Mason overnight favorite, hobo meals, at home but for those of you that want to, but aren’t sure how and want to give them a try, this post is for you.
Tulah is a long time Camp Mason attendee who kindly agreed to a Staff Spotlight Interview with us to share a little about her experiences with summer camp. It was awesome to interview Tulah because her love for Mason really comes through when you talk with her. Her passion reminds us of why camp is so important and special to so many.
Tyler has been coming to summer camp at Camp Mason for six years and not only that, he and his family are regular contributors at our biannual Volunteer Work Weekend. He agreed to be interviewed by Program Director, Anna Bilton in between splitting and stacking firewood for camp at the Fall Work Weekend.
Alex Loop is a Camp Mason summer camp legend – just ask any of our summer staff. She is a long time Diamond M Ranch camper and counselor, and her passion for the program is contagious. Talking about camp with Alex was so much fun that for a brief moment it almost could’ve been mid-July when the summer is in full swing! She is a true advocate for the benefits of riding horses and working as a team to care for them at summer camp. For anyone who is even thinking about signing up for Ranch next summer, this interview is a must-read.
By Erin Thatcher
Recently Anna Bilton approached me about writing this post for Camp Mason. She asked me to describe how working at camp helped to prepare me to be a teacher. I had spent the 2011 and 2012 summers at Camp Mason working as a counselor as well as serving as the Apache Village Leader during the summer 2013 summer. This past summer was the first summer in three years I spent away from Mason. Although it was heartbreaking to do so, leaving Mason allowed me to move on to another exciting phase in my life: teaching first grade!
As I reflected on how working at camp prepared me to become a teacher I immediately thought of several things:
Hardwick, NJ – (November 21) – YMCA Camp Mason announced today that its board of trustees has unanimously chosen Keith VanDerzee as the organization’s next chief executive officer. VanDerzee will succeed Dave DeLuca, on January 5, 2015.
Bobby has been a part of the Camp Mason community for a long time and often speaks of his love of camp. He generously agreed to be interviewed by Program Director, Anna Bilton about his time at camp. Talking with Bobby was a pleasure since talking about camp seemed to come naturally to him and his love for Mason was so very apparent.
On December 2 YMCA Camp Mason will once again be participating in Giving Tuesday. Created in response to the massive consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday offers people an opportunity to give back. Thousands of organizations and individuals have joined the cause to volunteer in their communities, spread awareness about a cause, or give to their favorite charity.
When YMCA Camp Mason joined Giving Tuesday last year we weren’t sure what to expect. Through the caring and compassion of our community members and their loved ones we raised over $8,000 in a single day. As a non-profit, Camp Mason does everything we can to provide enriching experiences for all of our visitors throughout the year. We care about the development of the students that visit our Outdoor Center. We view our time with our summer campers as being a partnership in their learning and growth. At camp children explore and inquire, they step outside their comfort zones, they challenge each other and themselves to be the best they can be. Our campers and students find it within themselves to do things they didn’t know they were capable of. We don’t make them braver or more independent. We don’t make them into anything they aren’t already. Camp provides an opportunity for children to discover and be who they are. That’s what we do. It’s a simple concept with profound impact but we can’t do it alone.
Please join our community of passionate donors on December 2. Make a gift, share a message, volunteer in your community. Give back. Together we can provide those opportunities to see what each and every one of us is made of. We hope to see you on Giving Tuesday.
Want to learn more about Giving Tuesday: http://www.givingtuesday.org/
