Summer Camp

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 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 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.

July 16, 2015 by Camp Mason

The Magicians of Camp Mason

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.

July 1, 2015July 1, 2015 by Camp Mason

Summer Reflections

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.

June 12, 2015June 12, 2015 by Camp Mason

Summer Camp Superheroes

By Keith Vanderzee, CEO

Every child deserves a real superhero and in the next week, they will be arriving at Camp Mason! They may come by bus, car or train, but make no mistake they are real superheroes.

My earliest and best memories of camp all revolve around the camp staff. I remember Kevin Roden, a real outdoorsman, who took our camp group on a “rattlesnake hunt.” Looking back I am sure it was probably just a nature hike because even in the early 70’s, it was probably not appropriate to take 10 year old boys looking for rattlesnakes! But at the time, and in my mind’s eye still, is the image of this young bearded man, standing 7 feet tall with a forked stick which he told us was to pin the rattlesnake’s head so it wouldn’t bite him. He strode through the woods with the confidence and stature of Paul Bunyan and we were in awe of him. And then there is Jergen, from Germany. I picture him as a caricature- a tall, blonde as can be man with ridiculously wide shoulders and bulging biceps. Jergen was a lifeguard and I distinctly remember him jumping off the bridge stanchions on the Esopus River into whirlpools and teaching us that the way to escape a whirlpool was to swim out the bottom where it got thinner. I picture him now popping out of the bottom of the water, all muscles and smiling- basically walking on water!

These are the types of memories and stories your children will come home and tell. Listen to them with wonder and awe because that is what they believe. When you hear the story of their counselors who wrestled a bear (or two!) or when you hear the story of the counselor who shot an arrow blindfolded across the camp only to hit the bulls-eye, remember that the stories may not be true, but they are real.

Superheroes really do live today. They live at Camp Mason and we can’t wait to introduce your children to them.

May 28, 2015November 20, 2015 by Camp Mason

The Importance of Sleeping Under the Stars

By Anna Bilton, Summer Camp Program Director

For one night every two weeks, each cabin group adventures out into the woods with their sleeping bags and food in hand to spend a night in the great outdoors. As a camp counselor, I loved nothing more than putting my backpack on and leading my campers along the trail knowing that soon we would be cooking over an open fire, telling stories, and finally falling asleep under the stars. Today as a Summer Camp Program Director, my most cherished moments are welcoming cabins back to camp after an overnight. I delight in hearing campers’ stories of their experiences, the challenges they overcame and most of all, their excitement and pride about the adventure they had. The power of this traditional summer camp activity should not be underestimated. Perhaps spending a night outdoors is something we should all do more often.

Reconnect: Getting away from the grips of technology and getting outside, even for one night, can make all the difference. Campers and staff share stories of becoming closer over the course of an overnight. Taking the time to talk, share and listen to one another without the usual distractions helps groups connect and bond tightly together. That these meaningful interactions take place in beautiful, natural surroundings serves to make them even more powerful.

Marvel: Campers often tell me about the deer they saw or the sound of a babbling creek that they fell asleep listening to. Think back to the first time you saw a frog, bird or other critter. Try to remember the excitement and intrigue you felt. If the kind of feeling I’m talking about could be bottled up, it would be labeled wonder. Spending more time outside in nature creates opportunities for us to rediscover our sense of wonder. We are lucky to live in a world with such beauty.

Accomplish: For an overnight to be a success groups need to work together to carry supplies, collect firewood, clear out a sleeping area, build a fire and cook meals. Teamwork is paramount and achieving your group goal is a fantastic feeling. For many campers and staff spending the night in the woods without electricity and other comforts is an enormous achievement. I cannot begin to count the number of campers whose overnight experience has given them the courage to try other new things.

Where will you go on your next outdoor adventure? What will you discover?

This post was originally written for the Y’s “This Week in Young Leaders” blog. You can see it by clicking on the link below.

http://www.ymca.net/blogs/week-young-leaders/importance-sleeping-under-stars