Yes! Finally a rainy day!

Usually we greet a rainy day with groans and disappointment. Today is unusual in that we are happy to have the rain! We've had a very hot and dry - if you don't count the high humidy - summer so far. Our fields are dry and the horses are finding very little green grass for grazing. I was anticipating having to implement a burn ban. So when I awoke to the gently falling drops and a forecast for all day rain - I just smiled.

After breakfast I heard the Camp Director advise everyone to move into "Rainy Day Plans". With the absence of thunder & lightning and continued warm temps, today's rainy day plan seems to be just some slight modifications of activities. Campers are still swimming and boating - the counselors are noting "you were going to get wet anyway!" Our store manager is grinning as he sees those rain ponchos he stocked finally start to leave the store shelves. Arts & crafts is full and the board games that have been gathering dust all summer are challenging all.

Wish you were here to listen to the rain drops, see the kids & staff go puddle stomping and here the cries of "I want to be the car" as the monopoly game commences.

I love rainy days at Camp. Of course, I love every day at Camp! TTFN - I'm heading outside to find someone to "puddle stomp" with!

Making Time for Yourself

In the midst of the busy summer season, I received this reminder today to Make Time for Myself as a parent. It's so easy to lose ourselves in the daily routines of work, parenting and homemaking. In all three areas, there is always more to do than can be accomplished each day. I hope you will heed the advice in the attached article (at least once in a while)

http://www.parentfurther.com/resources/enewsletter/archive/self-care#1618



Meanwhile, thank you for all you do!

You can't understand it fully, until you experience it!

Growing up in a small town in Vermont, my summers meant long days at the township pool, tubing on the river that ran through town, trips to visit relatives, helping my uncle bring in the hay on his dairy farm and sleeping out on our screened in porch. One of my closest friends would leave this idyllic summer vacation and go off to Music Camp in Maine for two weeks every year.

She'd come back from Camp full of stories about people she loved, zany things that they did, practical jokes, weird songs, and "cool counselors". She'd tell all of us how she was counting down the days until she went back to camp. Occassionally throughout the year she'd recieve a letter or call from one or her camp friends. (Obviously this was before email, Facebook and texting)

Her hometown friends, myself included didn't understand. How could she possibly become so close to people that she only was with 2 weeks a year? She was normally a pretty cool person (as we all were) - so how could she find it fun to sing songs about lizards and dress up as super heroes? We had no context for understanding her love of Camp. We absolutely couldn't fathom why Camp was so important to her!

I left Vermont to attend College in New Jersey as a Recreation Major. In the spring of my Freshman year, a fellow "Rec Major" talked to me about being a Day Camp Counselor at local YMCA. I interviewed at the Madison (NJ) YMCA and was hooked. Two years later, a friend suggested that I try working at a YMCA Sleepaway Camp. So, the summer of 1981 brought me to Camp Speers-Eljabar YMCA for the first time, as the Eljabar Program Director or as I coined it "The Fun Director". I fell in love with camping! Suddenly I understood why my high school friend had to go to Camp each summer.

Camp is so much more than swimming, archery, and s'mores. Camps create a unique environment where the entire focus is on becoming a better person through fun, challenge and friendship. By nature and design, Camps' isolation make the rest of the world with all of its demands and distractions just fade a way. Everyone sheds their "real world" persona and can freely become who they really want to be. The time spent at Camp intensifies everything - you cut right through all the barriers to connect with others in the blink of an eye, you don't waste time or energy on worrying about what anyone is going to think about what you do or who you are, the "playing field is leveled". No one cares if you live in a mansion or low income housing. Within days everyone is wearing the same baggy shorts and stained T-Shirt over their bathing suits - designer labels make no more an impression than hand me downs from the Salvation Army. Camp is the great equalizer!

Yet, until you experience it for yourself, drink the bug juice, spend nights whispering to your new best friends, and push your own boundaries - Camp remains that thing you just don't totally understand! Parents who went to Camp ensure that their children do. For those parents who missed going to camp, we have to engage them so that their children won't miss out on one of the most important experiences of their life!

You might find the recent NPR broadcast of a great series "Notes on Camp" to be very interesting. Please enjoy the transcripts via the link below.
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/109/Notes-on-Camp

Please help spread the word about the importance of sleep away camp for every child! Now more than ever, every kid needs that place, that time to discover the very best in him/herself.

Developing tomorrow's leaders!

As I was speaking with our LITs (Leaders in Training program for campers entering the 10th grade) and our CITs (Counselors in Training for campers entering 11th grade) this week, the thought that these teens would be "my staff" within a few years struck me. In that second, I started to look at these campers in a new light and became very excited about what they would contribute to Camp.

Some of the LITs and CITs I've known for 6 years and seen them develop from shy first year campers to confident teens. They've pushed their limits, developed friendships that will last a lifetime, and discovered the very best in themselves through their years of involvement at Camp. Others have joined them in more recent years, a few for the first time this year - as welcomed by members of the group as those who have been sharing Camp experiences for years.

This summer the LITs and CITs will hone their leadership and camp skills, testing them under the watchful eyes of Camp Staff. About October the calls and emails will begin - with this summer's CITs applying for Counselor Intern positions for summer 2011. As I think about them, I speculate who will be the "staff stars" in a couple of years, who will show himself/herself to be the ideal candidate to run the t waterfront or become Head Counselor.

Today was check out day for most of the campers who have been here during the past two weeks. A few dozen campers remained. This evening, all of those remaining in Camp Eljabar and their counselors were passing my house after swimming withe the Speers cameprs. they stayed to talk ad to play with our dog. Needless to say, Tucker - our Springer Spaniel was thrilled to have lots of people to play with and toss the tennis ball for him to retrieve.

One of the counselors shared a story about how one of the campers present (an 11 year old) had advised the parents of a fellow camper upon pick up that "next year send a picture of yourselves so when T.... is homesick she can see your picture." I immediately thought - wow, that camper will someday make a great counselor!"

One of the best parts of being the Director of Camp Speers-Eljabar YMCA is being a part of the lives of all of the campers and staff, especially seeing them grow in so many ways over the years. this week as I thought about our LITs and CITs and their roles in Camp during the next few years I ceratinly felt that all of our future is in great hands. Tonight, this belief was fortified by the glimpse into the more distant future I was given upone learning how a fellow 11 year old camper thought about how to help her fellow camper to be successful at Camp.

Our future at Camp and in the world is in good hands. Tomorrow's leaders are here - swimming, riding, hiking, creating, playing, laughing, loving and growing.

Camp Etiquette - How not to embarass your kids

Just was sent a link to a really funny article in NY Magazine. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did. Follow the link below:

Camp Etiquette - How Not to Embarass Your Kids http://nymag.com/guides/summer/12126

Whlie still laughing I started thinking about all the suggestions that I could add from my years of Camp... Here's a few:

- Don't be the first parent or the last parent on check out day

- Don't tell everyone that I sleep with a nightlight

- Don't clean my cabin

- send cool things in "care packages" like water guns, glow in the dark necklaces, and playing cards

Now that you are smiling too... have a great day!

I'm bored!

It's only the start of the second week of summer camp and I just had a call from a mom asking how quickly she can get her daughter into Camp. Mom reports that the daughter is "driving her crazy with her moans of 'I'm bored!' This mom and daughter are not alone in this situation.

All across the US boys and girls are at home - creating "the sounds of summer" - the click, click of endless cell phone texting; the beep and blasts of video games; the droning of the TV; the whirring of the refrigerator as it opens and closes all day long; the requests to be driven here and there; the whines of 'I have nothing to do';...

We have the solution.

Replace those sounds with those of the splash of a canoe paddle as it dips into the lake; the ping of an arrow as it finds it target; the cheers as the ball whizzes into the goal; the yells of encouragement as a fellow campers scales the climbing tower; the shouts of joy just before the campers plunge into the cool lake waters; the greetings of new found friends;... YES! these are the summer sounds we all wish for! They can be found at CAMP.

It is not too late to enroll for summer camp! Spread the word and let's all enjoy the sounds of summer! www.campspeersymca.org