Camp News

As we begin the 50-day countdown to Summer 2026 (Woo-hoo!), camp parents everywhere are beginning to drag trunks out of storage, stock up on sunscreen and bug spray, and force their kids to try on every single bathing suit from 2025 in the hopes that at least one will still fit.

Consider yourself one of the lucky ones if your Owegan didn’t sprout 3 inches over the course of the school year.

While you may end up wandering the aisles of your local Target, trying to decide if this is the year you bite the bullet and actually purchase rain boots to send to camp, we are here to help you navigate the packing list and separate the facts from the misconceptions when it comes to camp preparation. At Owego, our campers know what they like and they like what they know. Tradition is King (er, Chief), and Owego has enough traditions to fill up more camp trunks than the golf cart could ever possibly carry at once.

So, what do you really need to pack for camp?

By now, you’ve gathered up your Owego officials and your treasure trove of shirts from Olympics, Polar Bears, and Camper Scamper. Be sure to include a few hoodies and flannel pajama pants for Friday night campfires and chilly mornings. And don’t forget your 4th of July regalia! Whether you choose to bring a silly costume (ICYMI, last summer’s line-up featured campers dressed as an Icee, a hot dog, and a banana) or accessorize your patriotic clothing with hats, glasses, and beads, our 4th of July breakfast is a dress-up extravaganza!

Owegans love their athletic jerseys, and commonly incorporate them into their bunk’s Bombardment theme (don’t worry — if you don’t know, you’ll know very soon!). Another item that most Owegans cannot be without are pool shoes. Whether you’re a Crocs loyalist or a slides aficionado, pool shoes are suitable for lounging around the bunk during Rest Hour, participating in water activities at the lake, and hanging out in the picnic grove playing tabletop games during Rec Swim.

Two pairs of sneakers is a MUST. One pair will inevitably get wet, get lost, or end up stuck in the mud by the fishing dock (saw it once with my own eyes). On rainy days, some of our campers prefer an old pair of sneakers over rain boots. It’s a great opportunity to “phase out” those well-worn sneakers so you can throw them away at the end of camp and get a brand-new pair just in time for the start of school.

The only item more important than proper footwear is an abundance of SOCKS! Legend has it that campers have returned home from camp with not one single matching pair of socks. Labeled or not, socks tend to vanish into the thin mountain air. They get eaten by the laundry. They hide under bunk beds. No matter where they end up, socks are a hot commodity at Owego. Send lots of them! If the quantity of socks in your camper’s trunk seems ludicrous, you know you’re doing it right!

Clothing and footwear aside, Owegans like to have some basic items to make bunk living more comfortable and homey. A clip-on, battery-powered fan is a MUST, as those sticky July nights can make the cabin air feel downright soupy. A small floor mat placed next to the bed cushions the shock of bare feet against a cold wooden floor at wake-up time. A few photos of family members and pets are always a good idea for display on the bedside wall. A small throw pillow, blanket, or stuffed animal brought from home makes camp feel even more like your home away from home. Finally, a Crazy Creek or soccer chair will be used in an infinite number of ways — at Friday night campfire, during a session of PV Radio, on the sidelines of the counselor softball game on the 4th of July, or just sitting on the bunk porch, hanging out with your friends. That’s the best part of camp, after all.

We know that packing can be a daunting task for even the most seasoned camp families. The packing list will be your best resource, so use it to guide you as you assemble everything you’ll need to make Summer 2026 a huge success. When in doubt, just ask! Kyle and Freedo will happily talk you down off a ledge when you’re having a meltdown over how many beach towels came home last summer with another camper’s name on them (saw it more than once with my own eyes).

Hopefully, this inside scoop on camp packing has been helpful. The only question you should still be asking yourself is, Will I be purchasing rain boots???

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With less than 80 days remaining before the first camper arrives on the Lower Field to kick off Summer 2026, we are a “GO” for launch. Many of us watched on April 1st as Artemis II blasted off from Cape Canaveral and embarked on a historical journey to the moon. The four astronauts on board ascended through the atmosphere, most likely filled with a combination of excitement, pride, and nerves for the mission that lay ahead.

Kind of like how we feel as we approach a new summer at camp.

Whether we describe ourselves as Old-Timers, returning campers, or brand-new to Owego, we are preparing for the adventure of a lifetime. We haven’t studied rocket science or endured flight training, nor have we experienced zero gravity. But there are more similarities between Artemis II and Owego than one might realize.

We require the correct gear to successfully complete our camp mission. Just as the Artemis astronauts wear their NASA jumpsuits, emblazoned with the American flag, we wear our Owego officials which proudly display the camp colors. We need sturdy shoes, a flashlight, basic toiletries, and bedding. The astronauts must adapt to an unfamiliar environment, and we have to sleep in a cabin with no central air. So be sure to pack a battery-operated fan!

Speaking of cabins, our living arrangements at camp are surprisingly similar to the Artemis II mission. NASA has carefully selected these four astronauts to live and work cooperatively for 10 days aboard the rocket. Owego’s directors place campers together in cabins and expect them to operate as a collective unit for the duration of the summer. Regardless of background, habits, or preferences, the members of the Artemis II crew AND each camper at Owego must contribute positively towards what is best for the group. At camp, we share a small living space and must be respectful of each other in order for things to go smoothly. Being a part of a bunk at camp is a lot like being a member of a space crew. Each of us is a vital piece of the puzzle, and every piece must fit together to create a complete unit.

The astronauts aboard Artemis II are a skilled and resilient group, trained to react to any problem imaginable. On the first day of the Artemis II mission, the toilet broke. Sound familiar, anyone? Things will go wrong at camp. How we react will determine whether or not things can bounce back to a place of equilibrium. We may not be professionally trained like the Artemis crew, but we can approach the summer with an open mind and do our best to be flexible and adaptable to all situations.

Perhaps the most obvious parallel between Artemis and Owego is the “forced” independence. Like the astronauts, we are away from home — some of us for the very first time. We may not have access to the comforts of home (our favorite foods to eat, electronic devices to keep us occupied, the coziness of our own beds) but we learn to adapt and become comfortable with a new way of living. Even if it can feel at times like we are stepping out of our comfort zones while at camp, we are growing as individuals and accumulating life experience.

NASA has provided us with captivating stories and images over the past 10 days, and now it’s our turn to boldly go where no Owegan has gone before…SUMMER 2026!!!

Spring is in the air! Summer 2026 will be here before we know it!  

Lake Owego is full of tradition, rituals and special names, and though there’s no pressure to learn them yet, we thought it might be fun to share some fun facts with you! They’ll be second nature in no time!

Camp Colors: Blue and White

Camp Motto: “Leave your Image at the Gate.”
When entering through the gates of LOC, every camper should know that camp is a place where you can be your true self.

SFA (Supervised Free Activity):
We call it “SFA” (you can say it as a word- put the “SF” together and then add an “AH”)

Every night after dinner and on Thursday mornings, this special time is for campers to play freely. With counselors supervising, children get to choose from various activities such as basketball, followed by some tennis, and then head to the lake to go fishing.  Whatever they’re in the mood for that day!

Olympics and Frontier Week
Two major all-camp events. Olympics is in the first session, and Frontier Week is in the second session. The camp is split into six teams and the two events start with an exciting, surprise “breakout.”

The Village
The location of the Junior and Intermediate bunks, grades 2nd-6th.

The Ridge
The location of the Senior and Hi-Senior bunks and tents, grades 7th-11th.

Hughie Black Center or HBC
The indoor basketball court, weight room and fencing room. Named after Hughie and Selma Black, the founders of the camp.

Robinson’s Pool

Named after our long-time head of pool and the original Papa Polar Bear.

Shelly’s Cookout

Location of our Thursday BBQ lunches and our end of Olympics Steak dinner. Named after Shelly Silver, long-time director of camp.

Kyle’s Gathering
A special area in camp for campers and counselors to relax, reflect and hang out. Named after current Director Kyle Silver.

Jacoby Field
This is our upper field at camp where we play soccer, football, lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, and many other special events at camp. Named after long-time director, Tom Jacoby.

South Courts
Our brand new pickleball courts. Named after Bill South, former Head Counselor

Scotty’s Stage
Camp’s covered stage where we gather to watch camp’s incredible shows.  Also used for rainy day activities and various other indoor camp activities.  Named after Scotty Myers, current head of Creative Arts.

Hopefully this list will help you and your child feel even more a part of our camp family as we count down to welcome you this summer.  Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you might have. We can’t wait to see you this summer up at camp!

Kyle and Jeff “Freedo”
Directors, Lake Owego Camp

“Why are there so many songs about rainbows?

And what’s on the other side?”

Well, Kermit, we’re glad you asked.

March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb. It brings us the first day of Spring, the NCAA basketball tournament, and mischievous red-bearded leprechauns…and it also brings us one month closer to Summer 2026!

The color green dominates the March landscape. Everywhere we look, we see emblems of St. Patrick’s Day — shamrocks, rainbows, and big ol’ pots of gold. Legend has it that you can follow the rainbow to its end and discover the leprechaun’s hidden treasure. But we Owegans have no need for myths and legends. We have the real treasure right in front of us: CAMP.

Once or twice a summer, we are treated to the majestic sight of a rainbow arcing across the Greeley sky. The colors remind us that camp is an amalgam of ages, cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. When combined, they create something awe-inspiring and unique. Let’s go on a journey with Roy G. Biv (neither leprechaun nor Owegan) to explore all of the many colors that make Owego so special.

RED: From the life vests on the lake shore to the lifeguard shirts at the pool, the color red represents safety and security at camp. It’s the color of last summer’s Frontier Week runner-up, Unami, and 2024’s Olympic champion, Bangladesh.

ORANGE: The color orange can be found on the basketballs in the HBC and in the ever-present cantaloupe in the dining hall. It’s also the color of Barbara Black’s homemade Nova lox that we are lucky enough to enjoy every Sunday morning. Speaking of Nova lox, if you were lucky enough to snag one of the super-soft, salmon-colored Olympic shirts in 2022, you are now in possession of a rare Owego treasure.

YELLOW: We eat yellow bananas with breakfast and “yellow” Challah with Friday night dinner. Some of us prefer a certain yellow condiment on our B’s and D’s. The Wibit at the lake, while also featuring green and blue, stands out against the natural terrain because of its bright yellow hue. Yellow is sunshine and happiness, both of which we get in abundance at camp!

GREEN: Now that we’ve made it out of winter’s icy grip, we can focus on the return of sweet green. The grass begins to dominate the landscape once again, and the trees start to bloom. Cue allergy season! Green is the color of the Owego cabin doors, the tennis courts, and THE Gambia. More green is headed our way this summer!

BLUE: This “official” color of Owego can be found in our logo and even in our nickname, “Brothers in Blue.” Take a look at our Instagram feed and you’ll see a splash of blue in pretty much every photo. We wear our camp officials with pride! As if the Owego clothing wasn’t enough, our canoes are blue, as is the bell hanging by the Junior Gathering Deck that marks the end of periods.

INDIGO/VIOLET: Purple is the color of last summer’s Olympic champion, Tanzania. It’s also the color of the wildflowers scattered throughout the woods as we walk to Friday night campfires. The ubiquitous purple Grimace costume makes its way around camp all summer long, and most campers don’t even know who Grimace is!

As Kermit the Frog sits by the swamp, strumming his banjo and singing about the majesty of rainbows, we eagerly anticipate the colorful maelstrom that awaits us in just 105 days. From the Lucky Charms coveted by Junior campers at breakfast, to the sea of Olympic shirts at the closing ceremony, rainbows are never far away at Owego.

“All of us under its spell

We know that it’s probably magic.”

 

 

 

We’ve reached the point in winter where the cold is no longer cute, the snow is no longer pretty, and the lack of vitamin D is making us go a little bit stir crazy.

Also known as February.

The good news is, there are actions we can take to stave off the bitterness of winter’s icy chill: We burrow under blankets, crank up the heat, and cuddle with our pets in the hopes of absorbing some of their radiant warmth. The better news is, we can summon warm thoughts and bask in their glow simply by closing our eyes and transporting ourselves back to camp. It may be difficult to remember “Beat the Heat” when you’re bundled up in a puffer jacket and your fingers are numb, but our memories can be roused from their hibernation in just a few simple steps. Let’s try it!

Step One: Throw on your favorite Owego hoodie and flannel pajama pants. After all, you have to look the part if you want to feel like you’re actually there. Once you’re in your camp gear, settle in for a feast for the senses.

Step Two: Close your eyes and listen. Really listen. You can hear Kyle’s voice at morning lineup, Freedo’s bicycle whooshing by as you walk to first period, screen doors slamming as the Unit Leaders conduct inspection in the Village, basketballs bouncing off the cement in the HBC, cheers and claps during a raucous lunch, and gleeful splashing during rec swim.

Step Three: Inhale and take a whiff of your surroundings. Can you smell the B’s and D’s cooking on the outdoor grill? The fresh cut grass on the Upper Field? Your bunkmate’s dirty socks? Sunscreen and chlorine at the pool? Camp is made up of many specific odors. Olfactory memory is the ability of scents to trigger vivid, emotional, and long-forgotten memories. There’s nothing more emotional than our memories of camp.

Step Four: Feel yourself at camp. Remember what it feels like to be carefree and homework-free? The sunshine warms your neck and back. The cool water of the lake gives you goose bumps. The sand of the beach volleyball pit mashes between your toes. Your best bud’s arm drapes loosely across your shoulders. The air just feels different. You are at your summer home.

If all else fails, you can curl up by the fireplace with a mug of hot cocoa and take solace in the fact that we will ACTUALLY be at camp in just 135 days. Put on your Frontier Week Spotify playlist and be patient. Seasons come and seasons go. Warmer days are ahead. The best is yet to come.

 

 

 

 

As the clock struck midnight on December 31st, the calendar flipped from 2025 to 2026. Stranger Things streamed its finale and the series ended. The holiday season drew to a close and winter officially took over. And, most notably, Owegans everywhere shifted from saying “Next Summer” to “This Summer.”

Congratulations, fellow campers! We have successfully entered our “THIS summer” phase. We know how daunting it can be to reach the end of an amazing summer and realize just how many days stand between you and your next Owego experience. That 300-plus number is super annoying, right? School starts, life goes on, the weather changes, and you think to yourself, “Next summer is going to be EPIC…when it finally arrives.”

Though the weather outside is currently frightful, you are now in the optimal position to think of camp in terms of words like “THIS,” “UPCOMING,” and “SOON.” You will arrive at 1687 Route 6 and enter through the gates THIS summer. You will attend line-up and eat B’s and D’s THIS summer. You will find out which Olympics team you’re on and which Tent is your Captain THIS summer. And your Frontier Week tribe will burn a rope with the most massive bonfire you’ve ever seen… You guessed it, THIS summer!

The anticipation of what’s to come is a huge part of the excitement surrounding camp. What bunk will you be in? Who will be your Unit Leaders? Will Scotty’s production of “Sponge Bob Square Pants” be even greater than the Broadway version? It can be difficult to wrap your mind around these questions at the start of the school year when you’re preoccupied with homework and extracurricular activities. Camp seems so far off. But with our feet firmly planted in 2026, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

THIS summer, we will paddle canoes and kayaks around the lake, play Magic in the picnic grove, sing Little Red Wagon at Friday night campfire, and swing through the trees on the Ropes course. THIS summer, some of us (this author included) will become Old Timers, while others will attend the ice cream bash for the first time. THIS summer, we will laugh and cheer together, and celebrate everything that makes Owego our home away from home.

So, with apologies to (and appreciation of) Mel Brooks, when will “Then” be “Now?”

SOON.

 

‘Tis the season for gift-giving, and thus the perfect opportunity to examine more closely the oft-used phrase: “The gift of camp.” We hear it from parents, alumni, key staff, and pretty much anyone who has ever been to summer camp. This phrase illustrates how we, as Owegans, are the beneficiaries of a priceless offering. Those who came before us and who possess the wisdom to understand the true value of camp, place this treasured keepsake in our hands and allow us to discover its magic on our own.

Camp is both a literal and metaphorical gift. As we grow and mature summer after summer, we come to understand what a privilege it is to attend Owego, whether for 3 weeks or the full seven. We are the lucky ones whose families send us to Greeley each June for a life-changing experience that many of our peers will never have. Aside from the obvious economic value of camp, there exists an abstract value on which we could never place a price tag. This is the metaphorical gift of camp. The one that lives deep within us and helps mold the kind of person we grow up to become.

Here are just some examples of the “gifts” we receive at camp:

1. The opportunity to disconnect from our electronic devices and connect face-to-face with both our friends as well as the natural world around us. At camp, we communicate with each other in ways that are personally fulfilling and fun!
2. The experience of living with our peers, which teaches us patience, responsibility, tolerance, and empathy. Anyone who has ever shared a bathroom with 13 other boys knows exactly how challenging it can be!
3. A feeling of belonging to an exclusive Brotherhood through songs and rituals, at a time in history when many of us have never felt more isolated and alone. At camp, we throw our arms around one another and become a collective force.
4. A safe space to try new things that we may be hesitant to try at home, for fear of judgement or mockery. At camp, we leave our images at the gate so that we can be whomever we want to be.
5. Connections with peers who are different from us, either culturally, religiously, ethnically, or geographically. The intense connections made at camp serve us well down the road as we encounter differences in the real world.

What’s unique about this list is that all of these “gifts” are experiential rather than material. You won’t find them under the Christmas tree or inside your Hanukkah stocking, but their value lasts long after the holiday wrapping paper is cleaned up off the floor. And they don’t require batteries!

Our holiday “wish lists” don’t typically include life lessons. Camp is the greatest gift because it benefits us in ways that are both obvious and also somewhat invisible. It is the gift that stays with us throughout our lives, and one that we never truly outgrow. This holiday season, when you are opening your presents, take a moment to reflect on how lucky you are to be a recipient of the greatest gift of all.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!