Camp Mason

Summer camper competing in the Mason Olympic summer camp theme day

Mason Olympics are back for 2023

The Mason Olympics are back for 2023! They are a staple of Session 2 of Summer Camp. They take place on the first Friday and Saturday of the session. It’s an event that divides camp into ten different countries, led by coaches and an ambassador. Campers experience culture sharing, team work and activities that challenge the mind, body and spirit.

On the first day, teams (countries) create cheers, design banners, learn about their country and create a skit or song to perform at the Opening Ceremony. Each team member gets a custom country t-shirt to wear during Day 2. Day 2 of the Mason Olympics involves battling other countries in events like tug of war, country trivia among other action-packed games around camp.

The day wraps up with a closing ceremony, where we find out which country wins the coveted Hercules and Spirit awards. To earn the Hercules award, a country must win as many events are possible, while keeping good sportsmanship and teamwork in mind. The Spirit Award goes to the country that demonstrates positivity, originality, and keeps up an enthusiastic energy throughout the day.

 

Summer camper competing in the Mason Olympic summer camp theme day

Join us this summer for the Mason Olympics filled with energy, spirit, and fun! Session 2 runs from July 9 – 22, 2023. You can register for this Session 2 at Camp Mason here.

Stewardship, Sustainability & Service

By Nikki Reiff, Outdoor Center Program Director

Sometimes you need to stop and smell the flowers, and sometimes you need to stop and save the flowers. Here at Camp Mason, we do both. What I mean by this, is that when visitors come here-they are immersed in a culture where stewardship and sustainability take the forefront. Sometimes it’s in the form of litter picking as you head to an activity, often times in the form of an environmental education class that creates an understanding of why protection of the environment is so important, and sometimes it’s palpable.

This past week, the French American School of New York brought their 6th grade class to Camp Mason for a unique outdoor experience. Aside from zip-lining through the trees, orienteering themselves through the woods, and forging group bonds in our Low Ropes course—they built bat boxes from scratch as a service project to our camp, and to the entire north east. Bats in the north east are important animals that help maintain an ecosystem and are of great service to humans. One colony can consume more than 250,000 mosquitos a night, and they also predate on pesky invasive species, such as tent caterpillars, that threaten a forests’ health or farmland. These bats are threatened for a few reasons- fungal infections that gets spread in some hibernacula (or habitats), the installation of wind turbines, and destruction of habitat in forests. All of these reasons can be summarized as unsuitable habitat. So in a matter of 3 days, a team of naturalists and a couple dozen students addressed this problem and created new habitat for 5 colonies of local bats.

Facilitation of activities like this are not uncommon here at Mason. The Outdoor Center team incorporate sustainability and stewardship into nearly every program here. Giving back to the earth or to one another is a recurrent theme across team building, recreation, and environmental classes all the same. In the fall, NJ District Circle K help Camp Mason with litter picks along nearby roads and streams. In the spring, United Nations International School visited and created water-awareness murals with the same idea in mind–to make a difference. St. Lukes School helped us remove invasive species along our trails. We are always looking to unite with schools and groups to complete more projects like this!

So whether it’s composting our brown napkins, maintaining trails, or physically creating animal shelters When you take a moment to look around at our guests and staff alike, its’ easy to see that stewardship and sustainability are key values we hold dear to us at YMCA Camp Mason. And if you don’t see that, you’d have to be blind as a bat.*

*Bats actually are not blind, they however, use echolocation to hunt rather than their vision. But you get the point!

Fall is here at Camp Mason!

By Sara Davis, Senior Naturalist at the Mason Outdoor Center

As the sounds of children playing and the bugle blaring dance through my ears and the scents of sunscreen and insect repellent waft through the air, memories of crisp spring mornings linger.  Only a few weeks have passed since the end of the spring season for the Outdoor Center, though it feels like just yesterday I was working with school groups, girl scouts, and family camp. I successfully ended my first season as a Senior Naturalist at YMCA Camp Mason and celebrated ten years of experience in the field of Outdoor Education. I’m rather fortunate to have the forest, fields, lake, streams, garden, and ropes courses as my “office.” I have the opportunity to study the natural world around me and instill inquisitiveness in children and adults alike.

The passion for outdoor education and a love of nature is something that is shared amongst all the Outdoor Center staff. And although many of the Outdoor Ed. staff are fully engaged in this crazy, magical thing called Summer Camp, there are a few of us who keep the Outdoor Center in the forefront of our minds during the summer. Summertime affords the opportunity to reflect on the past season, and to scout out the trail that lies ahead. Taking feedback from our schools and groups, we are working very hard to make improvements to our programs and supplies, update curriculums, and prepare for staff training.  Many may wish that summer will never end, but when it does and the children resume their role as students and parents once again become homework helpers and school chauffeurs, the Outdoor Center staff will be ready to guide all towards new discoveries through experiential education. 

It’s Time for a Macation!

For Session 4 of Summer Camp 2017 we are off on a Mason Vacation! The day will take us on a wild adventure to a secret location somewhere on the planet. It’s hard to pack for a vacation when you don’t know the destination but we assure you’ll have everything you need to have an amazing time.

Last year we landed on Fiji and the year before that we stopped off in Hawaii but it wasn’t all straight forward. We had challenges to overcome, packing to do and journeys to take before we arrived. Once we made it to our destinations we had a great time surfing at the pool, eating ice cream and making our own nice, cold mocktails! Get ready to come on an adventure with us to another exciting destination with all kinds of games and activities to try along the way!

At Camp Mason we build strong family values in our community and summer programs so taking a vacation during our last session wraps up the season nicely. It’s a day filled with lively and relaxing activities to have fun and strengthen our family-like bonds with all our staff and campers.

Join us Session 4 for our Mason Vacation theme day from August 6 – August 19 by clicking here to register. 

Annual Mason Olympics 2017!

The Mason Olympics is our Session 2 theme day. It is a two-day event filled with culture sharing, team work, and activities challenging the mind, body, and spirit. The entirety of camp is divided into ten teams, or countries, led by two coaches and an ambassador.

Day one of the Mason Olympics focuses on the togetherness and creativity of your country. At this time your country will create cheers, design banners, learn about their country and prepare an act for opening ceremony held that night. Also, each participant receives a Mason Olympic t-shirt designed with their country’s custom marking.

Day two kicks off with games and events and carries on into the afternoon. Countries battle it out in events such as the tug of war, the triathlon, culture trivia plus a whole lot of original games. In the evening we have closing ceremony which consists of a final act from each country followed by the awards.

The goal of this theme day is to win one of the coveted awards, the Hercules Award or the Spirit award. To obtain the Hercules Award a country must win as many events as possible with keeping in mind good sportsmanship and teamwork. To obtain the Spirit Award a country should demonstrate positive, enthusiastic energy, inclusiveness, and originality.

Join us for The Mason Olympics for an incredibly energetic and fun-filled two-day event! Session 2 runs from July 9th – July 22nd. You can register for this Session 2 at Camp Mason here.

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

Anna Bilton Blog PhotoBy 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.IMG_3543

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.

Back Together Again

Anna Bilton Blog PhotoBy 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!

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The Magicians of Camp Mason

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By Shannon Burton, Summer Camp Teen Director

There are many reasons why camp is magical, but for this post I’d like to focus on just one. Today, I am reminded that camp is magical because it is a place where 16-year-olds not only recognize that camp provides amazing experiences, but then turn around to help provide that experience to younger campers by becoming Counselors In Training, or CITs.

What could be more heartwarming? And with all the work the CITs this summer have put in so far, it’s no surprise that I’ve been getting compliments about them all session. They’ve bonded over an intense 3-day, 2-night canoeing and backpacking trip on the Delaware River and Appalachian Trail. They’ve planned and run a Talent Show. They’ve earned Red Cross certifications in CPR, First Aid, and AED use. Just yesterday, they completed the same week of staff training that Camp Mason staff complete every summer before campers arrive.

They’ve been busy, and their hard work shows as I walk around camp. Here, the CITs huddled together with day campers, sharing tips on how to run a Talent Show. There, two CITs are proud to show me their gloved hands and a camper with a freshly applied band-aid to a scraped knee. They shine with confidence and excitement to be in the leadership roles they have just stepped into, and I couldn’t be prouder of them.

This Friday, they will begin the final phase of the CIT Program; they will move into their assigned junior cabins to experience what it is like to be a counselor. They’ll have a huge support system comprised of their co-counselors, their Village Leaders, the CIT Coordinators, and myself to guide them along the way. They’ll gain experience that they can refer to later when searching for jobs. We’re hoping, of course, that they will be searching for jobs at Camp Mason, where they can keep the magic going.

CIT Group 1 2015

 

Summer Reflections

Jackson Patterson

By Jackson Patterson, Summer Camp Director

As I enter my third summer at Camp Mason I find myself reflecting about the people that led me here. At some point that remains a mystery to me someone saw a potential within me. More than likely a few different people saw it at different points along the way. A train of people come to mind, teachers, coaches, my own camp counselors. Each of them helped me to recognize a part of my capabilities that I didn’t even think to look for.

When I was 18 I worked at summer camp for the first time. I watched my Village Chief work hard to lead our group of boys towards an amazing summer experience. I had a great time playing and working with kids and at the end of the summer I told myself that I’d never be the Village Chief; being a counselor was just too good of a job. Over the next two summers I was often “volun-told” for various responsibilities. I was a returner and knew the ropes. After six summers of working at camp I found myself the Assistant Director. I went from never wanting the responsibilities of leadership to now craving it. I had become something entirely different.

I have had the absolute privilege of seeing many staff step up this summer. Former campers are now running camp. Last year’s CITs are now putting their experience to the test by leading cabins and campers of their very own. Today I witnessed a camper move up to the senior villages after years of being in the junior villages. I’ve never seen a wider smile.

It is small moments like this that change us without us even realizing it. I believe that this world could fundamentally change for the best if more people had these opportunities. Opportunities to learn. Opportunities to travel. Opportunities to expand their horizons. A single moment can make a difference and put a child on a life changing path.

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YMCA Camp Ralph S. Mason
23 Birch Ridge Road
Hardwick, NJ 07825
Phone: 908-362-8217
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