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December 17, 2015December 18, 2015 by Camp Mason

How Do You Know Camp is as Important as You Say it is?

By Anna Bilton, Summer Camp Program Director

If you know any of us personally or have ever read any of our blog or social media posts the chances are you’ve probably heard the staff here at Camp Mason talk about the benefits of camp. We really do believe that a camp experience can have a powerful, positive impact for children and young people (and we can’t stop going on about it)! We can say this because we see the impact every day around camp and we even feel it’s effect on ourselves. But what is it that we see? What is it that makes us so sure of the value of camp?

I can’t speak for all of us but I can share a recent moment when I felt a big, old dose of camp magic that screamed volumes to me about the positive impacts children experience at Camp Mason. This past summer was a blast and that makes it a pleasure to travel back in time all the way to the second Wednesday in Session 2A.

As I made my usual afternoon round of camp I quite literally stumbled on the Making the Movie activity group. They were crouched down in the undergrowth, speaking only in excited whispers and focusing so hard on their project that they hardly noticed me arrive. It turns out I had showed up at just the right time and was quickly told to get down and quiet down. The campers and activity leaders were in the middle of filming a nature documentary about the wildest of all beasts; Camp Mason counselors. If we made too much noise we would disturb the staff in their natural habitat and draw attention to ourselves. I was told this would not only ruin the documentary but that it could be dangerous. From a safe distance we watched the archery counselor run the range until the last arrows were fired and then we made our move. He spotted us and we had no choice but to retreat, and retreat fast.

After we’d reached safety I went on my way continued to walk through the woods visiting archery, riflery and high ropes. I couldn’t stop thinking about the five minutes I’d spent with our camper film makers. The Making the Movie is an elective for campers and while this group only got together on Monday, by Wednesday they were already as thick as thieves. Each camper was an important part of that group and was equally involved in the acting, filming and directing process. Their idea showed a ton of creativity and everyone was perfectly in character. This group was full of confidence and appeared to be enjoying working together to complete their project. This group was having fun together!

The few moments that I was a part of that group I felt included, important and happy, not to mention entirely convinced that watching the staff was akin to being on a safari. That’s what camp does. That’s when I know for sure that camp positively impacts children and young people. That’s why I harp on and on about how great camp is. And this was just one moment with one group during one afternoon in one summer. There are so many more wonderful moments like this at camp. Children develop invaluable life skills all while enjoying what they’re doing. Camp does this. Just ask any of us! We’d be happy to tell you, and then tell you again and then again and again…

I’d like to thank our tireless media team for their hard work and dedication in running, leading and editing the Making the Movie activity. In case you wanted to see the finished documentary (and you do, it’s hilarious) check out the video below. It’s the best 3 minutes you’ll spend all day!

Movie Credit to Trent Lawson.

November 23, 2015November 23, 2015 by Camp Mason

A Busy Time of Year!

By Bernie Sulzer, Facilities Director

Albino Squirrel

Hello, a lot’s been happening around the camp this fall, a lot of groups have come and gone and will come again no doubt. We’ve begun construction of the Dining Hall bathroom addition and it’s progressing nicely despite the late time of year…we’ve been very fortunate with the weather so far and it seems to be holding steady. Good thing too since the squirrels seem to still be gathering their winter stores. There’s is a picture above of an albino gray squirrel that lives close to the Maintenance Shop.

I’d like to thank everyone who came out for the Fall Volunteer weekend. It was structured a bit differently this time, being combined with the Alumni Reunion. I feel it went very smoothly, everyone took the changes in stride. We got some good projects finished and folks seemed satisfied with their contributions. Here’s a quick recap of the finished projects:

the shiny new pile of firewood at the maintenance shop
the frosting of cabin bathroom windows to improve camper privacy
winterizing the Dining Hall and Algonquin village windows to conserve fuel
a new set of big triangle benches across the lake from the Dining Hall
a nice paintjob on Lake Mason’s boathouse.

New triangle benches

Everything our volunteers do for Camp really matters; to the campers, the staff and even to the people just driving down Birch Ridge Rd.

I’d like to introduce a project that my department has been working on this past summer and fall. We’ve re-purposed an old, unused water tank into a clubhouse/overnight site for our campers and guests. It still has a ways to go, I’m expecting to see it finished this coming spring. It will be one of a series of remodels to add some unique destinations/hangout spots around camp. I have the next project picked out and some initial ideas planned. Here is a photo of the Tank at present and a photo of the Silo that will have to go thru a safety check and then a remodel for 2016.

Re-purposed water tank

The next project!

I’ve received a lot of great feedback already on the Tank and I hope to keep that enthusiasm up for the Silo next year.

Take care and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Bernie Sulzer

November 20, 2015November 20, 2015 by Camp Mason

Food Glorious Food!

By Maryann Ledder, Food Services Director

As Food Service Director I have the privilege of feeding everyone that comes through the doors to the dining hall. Whether it’s the Summer Camp or the Outdoor Center, all campers, students, teachers, chaperones, and alumni meet three times a day to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

I love watching the summer campers come back every year. Watching them go from the junior tables to the senior ones, growing into wonderful young adults. I love when summer camp does theme days and the dining hall is transformed and the staff and the campers are in costume.

The Outdoor Center brings all kinds of groups, from schools to family camps, reunions, Girl Scouts, and Boy Scouts, which we gently remind to “please walk” as they eagerly get their food.

I’m happy knowing everyone has a variety of foods to choose from and that there is always something even for the pickiest of eaters. It’s very easy to work with everyone here because of the wonderful Camp Mason kitchen staff. Just as in other departments of the camp, the kitchen staff have gone from co-workers and friends to family! Always working together to get the job done. Knowing we’re a team and helping each other makes it easy to get the food cooked and out on the line.

My favorite line to hear from returning campers is “I was here last year and couldn’t wait to come back!” So, as this year winds down, everyone is looking forward to hearing those words again next year.

Campers ready for dinner in the Camp Mason Dining Hall.

November 13, 2015November 13, 2015 by Camp Mason

Camp is for Adults Too!

By Sally Wright, Senior Naturalist for the Outdoor Center and Assistant Program Director for Summer Camp

When people hear the words summer camp they often think about young children and teenagers who spend a week or two in the woods each summer. People know that these kids participate in activities such as arts & crafts and swimming, and are aware of the positive impact that camp can has on children’s lives. But what most people don’t think about is the impact that camp can have on adults.

Every summer hundreds of young adults apply to be counselors at summer camp. Some of these counselors know exactly what they are getting into, as they are coming back to camp for their third or fourth summer, while others have never been to a camp and have no idea what to expect. In some ways the adults that work at camp every summer are not much different than the campers. Of course the counselors are more responsible than the campers and are ready to give campers the best summer they’ve ever had, but often counselors feel both anxious and excited before their first day at camp just like the campers.

On the first day of training, staff arrive at camp, move into cabins, and participate in name games and ice breakers to get to know one another. Just like the campers, the counselors have to navigate through the stages of getting to know one another, and at the end of the summer many of the staff leave camp with new life long friends. Also during the summer the counselors encourage their campers to step out of their comfort zones and try new activities, because as outdoor professionals we believe that children grow when they are outside their comfort zones. For a lot of campers this means participating in a high ropes element like the zip line. Stepping off the zip line platform takes a lot of courage, but also builds confidence and self-esteem. The impact of accomplishing something you weren’t sure you could do is just as powerful for adults as it is for children.

At the end of summer many parents pick up their children and discover that their son or daughter has grown into a better person. Many times parents comment that their child has become more independent or is more willing to help clear the table after a meal. Camp Counselors (who are often college students) experience similar growth throughout the summer. These young adults become more independent, but in different ways. Counselors may step out of their comfort zones and conquer their fear of heights, but they also learn skills that will help them throughout life. Counselors leave camp knowing how to work both independently and as a team to accomplish a common goal. They put in long hours and are wildly creative when coming up with new fun and engaging activities for campers to participate in, much like entrepreneurs who invent new products. But most importantly, camp counselors leave knowing that they have the ability to make a positive and profound impact on someone else’s life.

November 3, 2015November 13, 2015 by Camp Mason

Giving Tuesday

by Jackson Patterson, Summer Camp Director

Each year as the winter slowly approaches it seems to me that the summer is farther off than ever. It is during this time that I hear from former staff members, campers, and parents about the previous summer. Through my conversations with them I delve into nostalgic thoughts of my own summer. I recall one time I was covered head to toe in paint, I see the bright dyes and powders from our color run, the oldest teenagers crying as they leave camp for the last time, the look of pride on the CIT Coordinators’ faces as their campers, their pride and joy, were rehired.

So here we are in the midst of autumn. There are many things to do this time of year including our efforts to raise money for the campers. For the past two years we have participated in the Giving Tuesday movement. Giving Tuesday is a day that honors non-profits by raising awareness and money for hundreds of charities. In our case that means raising funds to help families afford the cost of camp. Over the next few weeks you’ll see various things from us showcasing Giving Tuesday.

This year Giving Tuesday falls on December 1st. Our goal is to raise $10,000 towards Giving Tuesday. Your donations are tax deductible, stay within Camp Mason, and go directly to helping campers come to camp. So how can you help? You can donate money on December 1, you can have a fundraiser in your community like a bake sale or car wash, you can share your stories about camp online (remember to tag us!). It is just as much about spreading the word as it is anything else. Help us give camp to more children, however you can.

Check our what Giving Tuesday is all about here.

If you’ve come to appreciate Camp Mason and want to help others to afford the same amazing experience you had I hope to see you on Giving Tuesday.

GIVE TO GIVING TUESDAY

October 21, 2015October 21, 2015 by Camp Mason

Behind the Scenes of Camp Mason

by Erin Carbone, Business Manager

My view of Camp Mason is quite different from everyone else …. I have an office window view of Day Camp Shannon and get to listen to all the cheerful sounds of children at play and our intense Day Camp Staff keeping them all on target for their activities … there’s a lot of screaming and laughter – it certainly keeps me entertained!

Recently our office staff and naturalists went to Frost Valley YMCA for a two day retreat, this was the first time our office staff “got out of the office” and took part in a team building experience. The Frost Valley staff chose the low ropes course where we had teams to support us in achieving the activity – it was challenging and I had to depend on others to make it through. It was amazing to see each team member receive encouragement, support and be pushed every step of the way. Both teams accomplished the task with a lot of focus and laughter. The second challenge was a high ropes course, I refrained from participating as I truly don’t like heights but as in all things I do here at Camp Mason, I watched the team use the YMCA core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility to get through the course. They had to strategize their next steps and work together as a group to move between each element.

Our instructor, “Bro”, asked me why I didn’t participate and at first I thought it was because fear of heights but after listening to each person speak at the debrief conversation afterwards I knew why I didn’t try the high ropes challenge. My role at Camp Mason is to oversee the operations and to make sure everything is run smoothly and efficiently. I watched each person perform their tasks and I made sure they were properly clipping in and following the procedures they were given. By the end of this event I knew each step that was taken to make it safe and was given the tools to complete the course in my mind. Given another opportunity I would love to try a high ropes course especially if I had a team that was there to support me. Special shout out to our maintenance director, Bernie Sulzer, who through his caring spirit refrained from doing the high ropes activity so I wasn’t alone on the side lines!

We are very fortunate here at Camp Mason to have such a wonderful group of people that genuinely care for each person that works here. Every day we share our core mission values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility to every person that comes through our programs.

Photo credits to Alison Ewoldt.

October 11, 2015October 11, 2015 by Camp Mason

Back Together Again

By Anna Bilton, Summer Camp Program Director

The annual Alumni Reunion Weekend is my favorite Fall weekend at Camp Mason. It is wonderful to witness groups of friends reuniting, sharing stories and spending time together in this special place. For me, it only gets better when former campers and staff bring their own children to camp for the first time and I see those families out and about enjoying time here together. I love hearing stories of camp from the past and ideas for the future from our extended camp family and feel a loss when they all head out of the driveway on Sunday afternoon.

Whether you met someone that morning, last year or forty years ago, all those who attend the weekend have something in common with one another, a love and care for Camp Mason. It’s good to be back together again!

September 25, 2015October 27, 2015 by Camp Mason

I Notice…

By Maddi Green, Naturalist at the Camp Mason Outdoor Center

In my first month as a Camp Mason Naturalist, I’ve asked question “What do you notice?” of my students often. Sometimes, they notice the painted turtles sunning themselves on a fallen tree in Lake Mason. Sometimes they notice that looking up at zip line from the ground is a very different perspective than looking down at the ground from the top. And sometimes they notice that their teammates need to pause and really hear each other if they are ever going to complete their team building challenge.

From hiking with families across the cable bridges of the Yellow Trail to the abandoned Christmas tree farm, to guiding middle school students through righting a flipped canoe, to encouraging high school peer leaders to engage with their fear of heights, being a naturalist gives me many chances to make some observations of my own. Fifth graders will stop to discuss, at length, a slug sunning itself on a rock on the trail that we adults already walked right past. Kids on the rock wall who are willing to try, even if they are unsure of themselves, usually can reach the top, with a little encouragement.

The most effective leaders are the ones who are willing to seek out ideas from the people around them. Best of all, I’ve noticed that Camp Mason gives everyone (naturalists included!) who comes through a chance to really stop and notice the world and the people around them. And once we’ve started noticing all of the turtles and slugs and great ideas from our teammates, we start to notice what our place is in it all.

September 10, 2015October 23, 2015 by Camp Mason

The Camp Experience For All!

By Kelli Varon, Outdoor Center Director

Sixteen summers ago I stepped off an old, small, retired, yellow school bus into a sea of cheering camp counselors. My first year as a camper at sleep away camp was smack dab in that “awkward stage” of life. I was insecure, shy, and unsure of what this whole “camp” thing was about. Little did I know, that first step off that small yellow bus was a leap into a world of opportunities for personal growth with life lasting positive impacts.

Summer Camp provides amazing opportunities for personal and social growth, though unfortunately not everyone has access to a Summer Camp experience. Yet, when Summer Camp is not in session, YMCA Camp Mason is still in full swing creating these same opportunities for participants of all ages and backgrounds.

Through our 9 month Outdoor Education Center program we are able to provide these developing experiences in a more condensed version. Participants learn new abilities, build self-confidence and develop community all throughout their stay at Camp Mason.

Whether it’s the quiet visiting student who steps up and discovers the solution during his team building obstacle, the father who watches his daughter gain courage as she flies down the zipline, the family that takes time to spend a weekend to reconnect with each other and the environment, or the teacher who learns more about and from their students in a few days at camp then an entire semester of school- camp is an experience for all.

August 6, 2015August 6, 2015 by Camp Mason

The Value of Sports at Camp

By Latrel Citizen, Summer Camp Sports and Games Coordinator

Sports are usually perceived as physically exerting activities used as a means of entertainment, competition and even rivalry, both good and bad. Sports to me, however, are so much more than that, especially for children. It’s where they first learn not only how to communicate, but how to work as part of a team as well as learning more about themselves as individuals. All-in-all sports are a cultural phenomenon that everyone can essentially be part of.

Communication is one of the first things that children learn when they join a team. This is an integral part of a child’s development because they are now in a new environment where they are pushed into interacting with both children and adults from different backgrounds. In other words, children who join sports teams will be more accepting of others when they are older because they have already been exposed to people of other cultures. But, communication is only one of the few skills learned when part of a sports team.

Many would also focus on the fact that participating in sports is physically beneficial for children which is true however, it is also emotionally and mentally helpful as well. Participating in sports can help children become more aware of who they are and who they want to be. For lack of better terms children learn to be comfortable with who they are (with proper guidance and positive coaching). Along with that children are given the support they need and therefore learn how to persevere through adversity from a young age. They can transfer every skill they learn from participating in sports and utilize them in real life experiences.
Sports in general are not just about entertaining fans and competing, it’s about learning how to work with others to achieve a common goal and accepting people for what they can do. It’s a culture where children can come and learn not only about skills needed for a specific sport, but skills transferable to everyday life.