Tag: sleepaway camp

In Search of the Perfect Gift

November 7th, 2014

The leaves are falling, the days are shorter, and there is definitely a nip in the air. That can only mean one thing – the time has come to think about a wonderful holiday gift for the kids or the grandkids. This can also be the time for an “ah ha” moment. The perfect holiday giftRCMkaoGaGbzR0eKF7D4RoYT4KKMMwK8XUaVVUIfbE9g just might be a magical sleepaway camp experience for your loved one.

lM7ydpdpUJjkMr__hc2JUJCssj-okW9yKd5jdjF8218If you are like most people, you want your gift to stand out from all the others. You want it to be unique. And you want it to be memorable. These days, many youngsters have an excessive number of toys, and they probably own all the latest electronics, too. In your heart, you know that in the long run people relate best to the experiences they’ve had and the friends that they’ve made, and not so much the material things they have acquired.

Sending a youngster to camp can offer a supremely enriching experience. Under the guidance of a caring staff, youngsters participate in team activities like roller hockey and gaga, and they can improve their ability in individual sports like tennis, golf and gymnastics. Campers dance to a hip hop beat, try their hand at magic and experience the thrill of rocketry. For the adventurous – and for those who never knew they had it in them – there are zip lines, mountain biking and camping in the wilderness. Children can become American Red Cross swimmers and learn kayaking, water skiing and tubing in a spring-fed lake.

At Camp Weequahic, campers benefit from a strong 60-year tradition of providing a caring environment for a three or six-week camping experience. Campers are encouraged to try new activities, sharpen their skills and build friendships that can last a lifetime. Summer camp allows a child to reap the joys of spending time in a naturally beautiful environment and builds self-esteem for a job well done. Camp also provides the opportunity to learn essential lifeskills like cooperation, teamwork and problem-solving that will serve them well at home, in schoolwe7TFmjIjZmishZD3OsgMaO4hCQJLLC6f6BcoZtqFCY and eventually in the workplace.

Can any other gift really compare?

If you would like to learn more about giving the gift of Camp this holiday season, email our office at [email protected]

Camp Traditions: The Gitch

September 9th, 2014

It’s the final day of Tribals (aka Color War) and your team is just 10 points behind the leaders and only 5 points ahead of the other two teams. The summer sun is high above, you’ve got butterflies in your stomach, and your face feels a bit funny because of all the face paint you are wearing.

But, you can’t think about that all right now. You’ve got to focus on the task ahead of you – the Gitch.

You can’t believe this relay will take over 1 hour and lap camp three times. You mind is boggled by the variety of events – cup stacking, bowling, Frisbees, the three legged relays, building a tent, lighting a fire…. The list seems endless!

You are pumped about your task. It’s the one your team leaders picked specifically for you and one that you’ve been practicing off and on for the last 24 hours. All 150 of your teammates have been doing the same thing – preparing for the task given to them by the leaders.

You want to complete your task quickly, successfully, and pass the baton along to your teammate to cheer them on. Then, you want to hustle to the basketball courts for the final event – the half court shot.

The entire camp watching a senior boy attempt a half court shot to end the Gitch? Wow. You remember the guy who made three baskets in four attempts over three summers at camp. Man – that kid is a legend. You hope it’s your team’s turn to erupt in a frenzy of cheering for a win. But, you also remember that it’s important to support the other guys, too.

And, when it’s all over, you can’t wait to head to the beach for the final campfire. You and the team will find out the value of the Gitch which the CITs chose from Cole and sealed with red paint. (You can’t wait to be a CIT and get to do that….)

Then, when the envelope is opened and the final points are tallied, will it be enough to put us over the top? Will we own the Deed to the Land for the next year?

But I can’t think about all that right now. I’ve got to focus on my task. Ah – I love the GITCH!

The Close of Another Best Summer Ever

August 15th, 2014

It seems that just yesterday the blog subject at hand was the anticipation of the campers’ arrival at camp. As usual, though, we blinked and now it’s August. Another summer is coming to a close over the next couple of weeks. This is the time of year when campers and staff alike begin reflecting over their summer. They mentally check off their bucket lists for this summer and already begin composing new ones for next summer. They begin making those final efforts to do those camp things they love most at least one more time. They take stock of those special moments—the ones that will forever define the summer of 2014. At the end of the day, there are always a million reasons why this summer was better than any other. Something was always bigger or better or even brand new. Your circle of friends has always grown just a little bit larger. You finally had the chance to go on that camp trip or participate in that camp activity to which you’ve been looking forward to for years. Even though the summer never seems long enough, it’s always mind-blowing to realize just how much was accomplished in such a short span of time. Perhaps it’s the sheer volume of activities that take place at sleepaway camp that makes every summer seem like the best summer ever.

When one weighs the summer as a whole, the good memories are prevalent and the word “amazing” comes to mind far more than the words “didn’t love it.” Upon considering everything that you accomplished, it’s impossible to be disappointed, even if you can’t check all your pre-summer goals off your list. At camp, especially at the end of the summer, it’s much easier to focus on everything you’ve done more than everything you’ve not.. The feeling of accomplishment is inevitably satisfying in a way that reminds you just why you come to camp anyway. There’s no other place in the world where you have the opportunity to accomplish so much in such a short period of time. Sure, you also come to relax, enjoy the rural setting, and spend time with your camp friends. But you also come with an agenda—specifically, a camp agenda of things that cannot be accomplished anywhere – or with anyone – else. These lists are often lengthy and filled with many more aspirations than can reasonably be achieved during a single summer. But the comforting thought that almost everyone brings home from camp is that there’s always next summer…and the promise of another best summer ever.